GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => China Gate => : JohnC October 04, 2008, 05:31:21 AM
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There was a long skinny package at my house last night. I didn't have time to open it, as I was taking the wife to see comedian Lewis Black, (great show, but my mind was somewhere else).
After the show I drove home with all the anticipation of a kid on xmas eve!
I was impressed with the packaging, double boxed and very secure. Once I'd opened it up I was nicely surprised by the gun.
This is the first time I'd bought a gun, sight unseen. The wood and metal work are both very nicely finished.
It was too late to put any lead through it, so I fondled and caressed it for while. Bluing is very good and the stock is immaculate. I was a little concerned, after reading about the inconsistent QC of Chinese production but I could not find a mark, scratch or blemish on her anywhere.
This morning I shot a 6 Crossman Hollow point pellets through it, at 10yards with open sights.
Firing cycle was smooth, and much quieter than anticipated, and accuracy was pretty darn good.
From a standing position, no rest and almost 20 years since firing an air rifle, the group was 3/4".
I have many chores to get on with today, so packed her away for later.
I'll report back, once I've put a few different pellets through her and had a chance to break myself in too.
So far, my first impressions on fit, form and function I'd give it a solid 10/10.
The gun reminds me very much of my old BSA-Meteor, light quick to shoulder and not to long, and very easy to break the barrel. Only the trigger on the BAM, is much more friendly.
I'm a very happy man!
Thank you Mike, a pleasure to deal with you sir.
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Congrats on the new shooter,,,, ya can never go wrong with one of Miles rifles..... Looking forward to your future posts on the rifles perfromance.... Again, congrats....
Jeff
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John:
Mike does a great job with the BAM B-26. Presuming it won't be your last, you now have a "benchmark" air rifle. As far as value - quality for money spent, few are in the same category as a MM tuned B-26. If you are shooting Crosman HP's, likely you are describing a .177 B-26. It should be shooting the CHP's around 825 - 850 FPS. Out of Mike's box, you should get half inch groups at 25 yards off a front rest, perhaps better after break in.
If Natches Shooter's supply still has the Japanese-made Bushnell Trophy 3-9X 40 MM AO for $89, I have a suggestion . . .
http://www.natchezss.com/Category.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=BH734124&prodTitle=Bushnell%20Trophy%20Rifle%20scopes
and
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=10426&mid=78487#M78487
enjoy!
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I also got a package from Mike yesterday. Nice rifle. I'm using it with the supplied sights and it is very nice. Just a nice smooth PFFFTHH sound. I'm having fun this Saturday!
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My mistake guys, the pellets were Premier's not Crossman's.
The rifle is a .22 not .177
I've ordered a set of Bushnell Banner scopes, I had a $100 gift card from Bass Pro, so I used that for the scope. They should be here Monday.
Hoping to push a lot more lead through it today, I've got several type to try out, to see which are the best fit.
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Well, this afternoon gave me an opportunity to put the gun and myself through it's paces.
I set up a target with an 8x12" as the target stand and backboard.
I had 4 types of pellets to try out:
Crossman Premier - Hollow Point (14.3gr)
RWS - Superdome (14.5gr)
Benjamin - Discovery PCP Hunting (14.3gr)
Air Arms - Diablo (16gr)
I wish I'd bought the pellet sampler from straight shooters but didn't find it until I'd ordered a selection from Pyramid Air.
All the pellets bought, had been suggested by other B26 owners.
I shot from a seated position, with my left elbow rested on my left knee. I light but firm grip with the forehand.
Using the open sights over a measured distance of 10meters, I loaded up with the Crossmans to start. I must say I'm very impressed with the open sights, a red fibre front sight and two green fibres on the rear sight. They are a delight compared to the the notch sights on the rifles I shot 20 years ago.
The first 5 pellets were not too badly grouped apart from 1 flyer, which was just as likely down to me as the gun. All were grouped about 1 1/2" to the right of bull. A quick lateral adjustment to the rear sight and the next few shot's were much closer to bull.
I did notice some slight desieling on a couple of shots, but nothing to cause concern.
With so long since I pulled trigger on any pellets I decided to shoot 10 pellet strings per target foe each type.
1st up was the CP-HP: A very shiny finish to the pellets. Impressive consistancy of the pellets, none were mis-shapened.
They seated in the barrel very nicely, quite snug, but not overtight. With a gentle touch of the finger they sit just below the edge, ensuring they won't be damaged closing the barrel.
With 10 pellets I managed to keep most within an inch, not quite at bull, but close enough. There were a couple of flyers but at this point I'm quite willing to accept my own failings for any of those.
2nd were the Benjamins:
First impression of these, is their amazing similarity to the Crossman's. Finish, profile and consistancy of shape, are identical. Same weight and price too, could they be the same pellet? Even the tins are the same with their lids being interchangeable.
The shooting results were as close to the CP's as to make them indiscernible.
3rd for trial were the RWS:
A much duller and more familiar finish to these pellets. Good consistancy of shape, none showed any damage. These pellets seated perfectly into the barrel, each and every time.
Of the 10 pellets only 1 was a flyer and it was only by an 1 1/2", all other 9 were in a 1 1/4" group with several very close to being in a 3/4" of each other. I like that!
Finally it was the turn of the Air Arms Diablo. I must say I intentionally left these until last. Being a fan and previous owner of Air Arms rifles I was looking forward to seeing their pellets. Especially since they were almost double the price of the others Crossman and Benjamins.
Opening the tin I was pleased to see a piece of foam packing under the lid. However once the foam was removed, my pleasure quickly diminished. Many of the pellet skirts were obviously misformed. So many so that I had to carefully select the 10 I was going to use. Upon further inspection of the tin, I bet 30% are mis-shapes, not good especially considEring the $14.99 price tag.
Shooting the 10 pellets, the results were just as disappointing . 4 were flyers and the remaining 6 were only in a 2" group. None of the 6 were close to being in the same hole.
Unfortunately rain stopped play, but from my first session, I'm very impressed with the gun. It is very quiet, with hardly any noticeable report. The thwack of the pellet being loud and very satisfying. The trigger is very responsive, but it is a little lighter than I'm used to, I'll try to get comfortable with it before trying to make any adjustment.
The Auto safety will take some getting used to, but no doubt will soon become second nature.
Overall I can no where to place criticism with the gun, the only disappointment of the day was the Air Arms pellets.
I'll keep you posted as my shooting progresses.
As anside, a squirrel sat on my neighbours fence for a good 20 minutes, throughout my plinking. He was quite safe, for the time being! ;)
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I have one of Mike's B26's as well. And I love the thing. I was so impressed, I sent him my new Beeman R7 for a tune, Maccari kit and piston buttoning. It made a round trip to Iowa and back in 5 days!
He made the B26 trigger so light (for me!) He did recommend a 1-piece scope mount. If you get a large objective scope you may want a "high" or "medium high" mount as well. The medium mounts are adequate for a 32mm scope as I have on mine. I had problems at first getting sccuracy with the scope, but after remounting the scope, it's doing sub 1" at 20y.
Enjoy it! Mine chronies 650fps with Superdomes.
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Yep the trigger is light it will take some getting used to, but I do like it.
The gun is more than I expected.
I've bought a Bushnell 4-12 x 40 so I guess I'll need the high mounts?
Right now I'm really enjoying the open sights.
Can't wait finish work, to get home and plink some more!
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I don't understand what it is with Air Arms pellets, but people here in the UK have been getting loads of damaged pellets per tin, and, as you rightly say, they cost quite a bit more than other brands that work perfectly well, and are undamaged. Bearing in mind that they are made in the UK, they must really beat them up before they ever go anywhere.
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Well exactly Graham, being from the UK myself I was certainly hoping for much better.
20 years ago they were a quality outfit.
I won't be buying them again.
So far it seems the Superdomes are the choice pellet for this gun.
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Once the barrels get broke in they seem to deliver some real impressive groups, I can't shoot anywhere near good enough off hand to do them justice.......
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I appreciate the comment about breaking her in. She is already performing so well, I can't wait to see how she'll shoot once she's settled down.
Great job Mike, I'm another very satisfied customer nice work sir.
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Superdomes for me here too! I have a B26-2 that I stripped and tuned myself. It now has Macarri internals, spring, top hat, buttoned piston and a nice rear rear guide that was made here in the UK. I also altered the cheek comb and restained the stock, finished it off with Danish oil. Also fitted brass safety catch, trigger guard and brass airstripper on muzzle. Now I'm pumping as many pellets through it as I can to run it in. Allround though, I'm well happy with it.All the best from here in the UK. P.S. I's raining here as usual. lol.
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Ah the rainy climes of Blighty, I'll admit to very little in the way of longing for the weather!
Sounds like you did a real overhaul on your B26 Graham. Any tips on the trigger adjustment, I'm guessing it is the screw which can be reached though the hole in the trigger guard. I may try to make it a little heavier. Mike did a great job, it's just that I am so out of practice I think I'll need the heavier pull until I become much better aquainted. It's been 20 years since I stalked the Cambridgeshire countryside in search of Rabbit, Pigeon and Dove!
I'm going to sort through the AA Diablo's to reject the badly mis-shaped pellets, so at the very least I can use them for running in the gun. I'm going on a camping trip next month with several other airgun guys, so I'd like to have her settled in by then and ready to shoot. I'm hoping for a chance at some rabbit and Squirrel, they make great fly tying materials!
Thanks for the input, much appreciated, give my love to Blighty!
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You've got the right screw. To make it a bit heavier, try turning it in (clockwise) a quarter turn at a time till it feels right to you. I have mine set slightly heavy, as it tends to lose some feel when set lightly. As I've got now I have a slight first stage till I feel a little stop, then ane more squeeze and bang! Have fun, all the best, Graham.
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Thanks mate!
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I order the mount you recommended TCups, $19.80 inc. shipping. Bargain, thanks!
Scope arrived yesterday but I will be keeping the open sights on for a while, until i get myself and the BAM broken in.
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Hey Mike. I sent you an email concerning B26 but I must have done something wrong because it did not appear in the forum. I was wanting to know how much to tune one. Thanks, Flashgordon @ aol.com :
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I mounted a Bushnell Banner, 4-12 x 40 on the gun with the mount recommended from ebay. Very impressed with the mount, and with the scopes too, great optics.
Wow, after a very short session to zero the scope at 10yds. this thing is a tack driver literally. The groups were less than 1/2" so for S*%t's & giggles I aimed at one of the tacks that was holding my target and hit it directly and then repeated this on the other tack.
Took the rifle down to a 65 acre ranch I've just gained access to, set up targets at 10 and 25 yds. At 25yds i was getting consistent 3/4" groups from a seated position, no rest for the gun other than my elbow on my knee.
Fired around a 100 or so RWS superdome pellets through it and then switched over to the Crossman Premiers, and these pellets performed much better than the first go around, I guess the gun is starting to settle in.
Also after getting more familiar with the gun, i won't be adjusting the trigger, at first i thought it was a lttle light, especially from what i was used too, but now I love it. This gun is far better than my expectations, and I'm sure it will be giving me many many hours of fun with it.
As I sat there plinking away yesterday it bought back many memories from my youth, many very happy memories!
I took a walk around the ranch about mid-morning to see if there were any varmint possibilities, didn't see too many, but that not surprising after shooting the gun for the last 2 hours! I'm sure there will be some opportunities to come. There are lots of Oak trees and cattle on the ranch too, so I'm sure Squirrels and Rats must be around there too!
Went to visit the in-laws yesterday and showed the F-I-L the new gun, coincidentally he has a crow problem that he wants to take care of, so he may well be in the market for a new gun too. So I dare say another MM BAM 26 will be heading to Florida real soon.
Did have one tense moment yesterday the FIL dry fired the rifle, he didn't realize it was detrimental to do so, I felt liked somebody had kicked my dog. Hopefully no damage was done, she seems to be shooting just as well.
I actually got to shoot at my first live target, the Crows flew in as we were in his back yard, and one roosted about 30 yds away and 30' up in a big Oak tree. I couldn't believe my luck, of the all the birds I've hunted, Crows are without doubt the cagieist creatures to get a shot at.
He hadn't seen me and I had his chest and head in full view, I squeezed off the trigger and the pellet struck the branch right at his feet, obviously didn't allow enough hold over in my excited state, or it could have just been operator error, I'm very out of practice. The crows took off and did not return for the rest of the afternoon, however I now have a my first pest control job! With the Mother-in-laws full permission. It's just such a pity she is so atatched to the squirrels on their property, there must be a colony of a couple of hundred living on their 3 acre property. :emoticon:
So hopefully I'll soon be making a post or two in the hunting gate.
Thinking I'll be buying the F-I-L a BAM 26 for Xmas!
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I must have purchased a "sibling" of your MM B26 .22 from Mike. I have enjoyed your posts and my experiences, in some ways mirrors yours.
For the 1st two weeks I shot the B26 with the iron sites. This was the 1st time I shot unscoped. Put about 400 pellets thru it and dry fired it accidently 1-2 times. Got pretty good with it at 18 yards with "See and sight targets", but not as good as with a scope. I'm in my mid 40's and my eyes are rapidly declining. Highlight was shooting a crow at 38 yards that was very high in a tree. It screamed, flew off (with puff of black feathers where it sat), got about 10 yards then died in the air with it's wings spread, inverted, and spinning like a helicoptor down into my neighbors yard. Quite spectacular, except for me having to sneak over to my neighbors to clean things up).
I put a scope on her this Friday. Also used the mounts from Ebay (I paid $19 for them), and an old cheap scope (3-9 x 40 unknown brand name) that came with an R10 (I put a Legend scope on her a few years back) I purchased a very accurate at 18 yards! Fun stuff!
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John:
Glad things worked out so well. I have accumulated more than a few air rifles in a fairly short time, including some high-end models like the Theoben Crusader .20 and the Walther LGR-U .177. But none were a better bargain than the Mike Melick tuned B-26's. I have both the .177 and .22. They are my benchmark springers against which all others are measured. There are finer air rifles to be sure, but for someone wanting their first serious air rifle, and not wanting to work on the rifle themselves, I don't think a better bargain can be had. I really like the 5-screw mount, too. Very secure and priced right. I had to restrain myself from ordering the QB78 Mike posted yesterday. Had it not been for winter coming on, I would have probably bought one of those, too.
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Cool, good to know it has that kind of delivery 38 Yards is a good distance.
What peeltes are you putting through it. I've just ordered some RWS superpoints, for those feathered targets, hopefully better penetratin. My gun loves the RWS superdomes, so I'm hoping it will enjoy the points too.
Have you tried any predator/PBA type pelltes through your gun yet?
Mine is very accurate at 25yds and next opportunity i get I'm going to try her out to 40yds. to see how she performs
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I will PM you....
I have had excellent results with RWS superdomes (iron sites and scope).
I had nice results with a tin of crossman that I bought at Sports Authority.
I have not had consistent results with Predators. POI of the Predators changes dramatically after zeroed in with the RWS superdomes (Scoped and iron sites).
Am highly motivated to get more consistant results with Predators or another similar pellet.
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Hey John, try some RWS Super hollowpoints. They are nice and accurate and deform amazingly on impact for maximum damage. Sounds nasty, and is nasty, but they stop what you hit!!
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Will do thanks for the tip!
Always up for a new toy(S) to play with.
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As if Mike needed any more press...
I received a Mike Melick B26 in .22 this past week. Great looking rifle. This rifle just feels right! Much more so than my Gamo Hunter 440. Much nicer trigger (stock .vs. stock) than the Gamo. I like the safety better too. Anyway, after a few days of shooting open sights (hitting 1-2" groups at 15 yards), I mounted a Center Point 3-9x40AO last night. Sighted it in with RWS SuperPoints today.
Now, this rifle is far from broken in. As Mike says, they need 500-1000 rounds put through them before the barrel really settles in. I've probably put less than 200 rounds through.
This is a group I shot sitting using another chair back as a rest. Approx 20 yards. Its about 7 shots and it falls withing 3/4". I was impressed. Really no fliers either. If this thing is shooting this good already, I can't wait to see what it does when it breaks in!
This is truely one of the best rifles you can get for the price. Mike has been great to deal with and this rifle shoots like a dream. Little or no dieseling. Very smooth cocking. No twang.
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LOL!
Don't despair. Mike is as good as his word. It will settle in and start shooting really well before long, just like he says. You might see what she does with a tin of Beeman FTS or JSB Exacts, just for fun. And if you intend to dispatch any critters, sight in with a few JSB Predators - WHACK! Enjoy.
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TCups - 11/8/2008 7:21 PM LOL! Don't despair. Mike is as good as his word. It will settle in and start shooting really well before long, just like he says. You might see what she does with a tin of Beeman FTS or JSB Exacts, just for fun. And if you intend to dispatch any critters, sight in with a few JSB Predators - WHACK! Enjoy.
Nothing to despair about. I think the rifle is working better than expected. I wanted to sight in with the RWS since I also have some RWS Super H-points, along with some Crosman Premier H-points, which are all are pretty close in weight. For heavier pellets, I do have some JSB Diablo Exact Jumbos to try. I also have some Gamo Master Points, and some Beeman Kodiak Extra Heavys to test. I don't plan to do much hunting this year, so I'll wait until next year to try the Preadators.
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My B26 and my Beeman R7 both like the Beeman FTS pellets best. The B26 .22 is now hitting .5" groups at 20 with FTS. Too bad they are the most expensive pellets! Haven't tried the Predators yet. Superdomes work well for cans and bottles.
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I spent a solid 2 hours shooting yesterday. At this point, my B26 still shoots the best with the RWS Super Points. Although the POI was different, I also got good groupings from GAMO MasterPoints, and the Beeman Kodiaks. I was a little disappointed with the JSB Diablo Exacts and the CPHPs. They both seemed to be all over the place. The JSB also seemed to fit very loose. Another curiosity was that the Kodiaks hit higher than the others at 20 yards. I would have assumed that being 5 grains heavier would make it slower, thus hit lower. I also was surprised with the way the RWS Super H points hit. They were a good 1.5 inches to the left of everything else. I'm not sure if this was due to the crosswind or just the way they fire. Hopefully I can get a calm day next time I shoot to test the Super H points again. Perhaps the rifle will like different ammo as it breaks in as well.
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There are good explanations for the variations you describe. They have been posted here before. I don't remember exactly when. But in short, welcome to the vagaries of springer shooting, hold sensitivity, spring recoil and bounce, muzzle velocity and the like. Generally you will be better with a firm, but not overly tight-fitting pellet. You might try a pellet seating tool to make sure each pellet is uniformly loaded in the breech. Also, any obvious dieseling with associated variability in the muzzle velocity may mix things up a bit. My MM B-26 took longer than expected for velocities to settle down due to some dieseling (but not detonation) I think. Do you own a chrony (yet)? Enjoy.
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Yeah, I'm still getting used to the stringent requirements for consistent hold, etc. No chrony, probably will never get one. The shooting yesterday totally disproved my idea of similar weight pellets having similar POIs. Maybe by the time I go through all these pellets (about 2400), I will have a favorite and just stick with one :)
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Yep, and all that presumes the scope stays zeroed, the mount doesn't loosen and slip, and the manufacturer's weight tolerances on the pellets you are using are reasonably good. But all of that aside, the MM B26 will do its part quite well and IMO, is still the best bargain in a quality air rifle at a very moderate price.
Some time back, someone pointed out to me that you can order an F1 Chrony at the WalMart on line store and have it shipped to your local WalMart without any shipping charges. $70 bucks, just in case you are ever interested. I made myself a "computer" to use with the F1 -- a small bound notebook with a velcro strap threaded through the back cover. When I sit on my shooting seat and work with the Chrony, I strap the notebook to my right leg and jot notes and velocities with a pencil in between shots. You can get more expensive models with printers, bells, whistles, lights, etc. But a plain old F1 chrony seems to work pretty well.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4382668
I also found a jeweler's scale on sale for a reasonable price a while back and started weighing a few pellets. Probably the biggest improvement in accuracy above and beyond the usual stuff is to just make sure the pellets you shoot have a uniform weight, that the skirts aren't bent, and that every pellet you fire is seated exactly the same way. This is particularly true at longer distances -- 35 to 50 yards, and more critical for .177 than .22 I think, probably because of the relatively higher velocities involved. But that's anecdotal. See:
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=10301&posts=11&highlight=weigh&highlightmode=1#M79842
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Aaaah !!!
I don't think that I can stand it much longer ! I may have to give in to buying a MM B-26, or perhaps even a B-28, if/when he gets those going !
I still enjoy my Gamo .177 CFX, but would like to try a different brand & style air rifle, as well as a decently powered .22 for comparison and variety.
Looking at the pics of the targets from still new rifles, and seeing some of the velocity numbers for the .22s, I am thinking of trying one of these instead
of a Panther 34 ..
Hmmmmm.
About how long was the waiting list for you folks who recently ordered/received one of these Mike-tuned Bam rifles?
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Usual wait time is under a week unless I don't have the rifle in stock and need to order them, the last case of B-26's were all sold before they got here...I will have some of the B-28's available in a week or two, running on a limited budget so have to sell whats on hand first before ordering more...
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What do the B28's go for Mike? Are they're triggers as nice as the B26's? What kind of numbers due the 28's put up through the crony? I've been trying to decide between the B40 and the B28 for my next rifle, I'm leaning toward the B28 for its power, the B40 isn't as powerful is it?
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the 28 shoots in the mid 700's to 800, they have a different style trigger thats nice, some folks feel they need springs replaced but I haven't found this to be needed....Mike
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So I too have a coveted MM B26. Everything I have read has come to life within the 400 pellets put through this gun so far. Less than 3/4" groups at 30yds with cheap Crossman field hunting pellets. Hits plenty hard enough to dispatch a critter, is easy to shoot accurately and a pleasure to hold. Can't say enough about the whole experience so far and it's not half way to broken in! I paired it with a Centerpoint 4x16x40 AO IR scope from Wal Mart for a mere 69.00 and it can't be beat. Spent last night plinking with my brother and a friend who have little/no springer experience. Both were able to take full advantage of the accuracy and consistancy of this gun. All they kept saying is "This gun is SICK".
Try one, you'll like it too.