A question about a few .22 air rifles

[WVscott]

I tuned both my panther and my B26 with JM kits.  I bought the panther brand new and it needed some break in time, but became a very smooth shooter and now with the JM kit it's really nice.  I decided to keep it because I have more money in it and intend to have the barrel cut, crowned and choked in the future to make it more compact.  The B26 I bought used and although it had stock internals, it had been lube tuned, but I don't know who did it.  It was a very smooth shooter right off the bat.  After installing the JM kit it got even nicer.  The B26 is shorter in overall length and a little handier to carry in the woods.  The trigger can also be fiddled with to a very light, crisp let off....very close to an actual Rekord trigger.  
          hth, Scott

[TCups]

Henry:
If you decide to go with the B-26, I'd suggest you order one from Mike and be sure of what you are getting. The ChiClone B-26's are not uniform in size tolerances and ordering parts you will need for a basic tune can tricky.  This I know from personal experience.  I purchased an un-tuned B-26 strictly for the purpose of having a clone of my Beeman R9 to work on. After putting 3 different seals in it, replacing the spring with a Maccari spring, and going over the gun 3 different times, I gave it to a friend.  It was shooting OK, but not anywhere nearly as nice as the MM B-26's I purchased afterwards (177, 22).  And I wouldn't have done that well without some good help from a couple of guys (Bob Werner, J Woodcock) willing to give me more than a little help with the project.

I learned quit a lot and would gladly do it again.  I now feel pretty comfortable working on my own air rifles, but for the cost of building my own spring compressor, the parts, lubes and the tools I ended up purchasing to get into doing work on my own air guns (digital caliper, brake cylinder hone, Dremel tool and bits, brass hammer with punch and drift set, metric and SAE allen drivers and gunsmith screw drivers) and the time spent, that first B-26 was a pretty costly learning experience. Unless you want to get really serious about working on your own air rifles, and perhaps already have the tools at hand, purchase the B-26 already tuned and you will come out far ahead.  Mike does a great job and at a very good price.

I also have a Diana 34 Panther 34 / 22. The Di 34 is a good shooter and off a rest, it will shoot single hole groups at 30 yards.  But it is longer, nose heavy, and requires much more practice and a very precise technique to shoot off hand accurately compared to either the B-26 or the R9. Either is plenty powerful.  I would advise waiting on purchasing a 350.  Supermags are a hard first air rifle to master.

[lil'feeby]

hey henry,

talk to mike m. about the bam28 in 22 tuned from him its a magnum like the rws 350. i am about to get one from him as soon as it is available.

rashid

[Jerrycup]

My 2 cents says the .22 B-26 outshoots the Whisper easily. I own both.  I know nothing about the Panther. My MM B-26 will hold a penny sized pattern out to about 30 yards. It weighs 8 lb 7 oz with a Centerpoint scope and mount, and balances well. Measured velocity with CPHP pellet was low 700 fps, and this is with the stock spring. The trigger on the B-26 is one of its strong points. It is not very pellet sensitive, and shoots the cheap Crosman pellets nicely. The .22 pellet at that velocity will beat a steel Gamo trap apart in a few hundred rounds.

[mgerencs]

I just got into this sport again over the holidays.  I purchased  a 34 panther new and a BSA lightening XL both in .22  The panther right out of the box after about 400 rounds shoots tighter groups than the BSA.  It loves beeman cro mags and beeman silver arrows.  It is heavy.  I removed the front and rear sights and installed a 3-9x56 leapers scoop with the leapers droop mount.  I also added the RWS muzzle brake.  It shoots great from the bench rested on a bag and not on my palm.  I love this rifle but it would get to be an anchor carrying it around in the woods.

[daveshoot]

The 350 and the Walther are both in the next league of magnums, compared to the 2 you asked about. I have the .22 Walther Falcon Hunter and would not really recommend that. For the price, you are going to have to put considerable work into it to get it where you want it. The plastic stocks seem crack-prone and the trigger is poor, even if you don't run into the quality issues that some of us have.

When the smoke clears, you are going to have another 150 fps or so over the Panther, which is already adequate for the task, but the trigger will never be close unless someone makes a replacement.

I have always liked the 350 but drew the line at the dollars (plus I have a 48 that kinda fits the same niche). If you are going to up the power requirement, you might also consider the B28 from Mike, a 350 clone for significantly less $$$.

[hyounker]

Understood.  Keep me posted on the results of your Walther testing.

[70GTvert]

Why not a Beeman RS2? Mine, set up exclusively with the .22 barrel (I bought 2, I like them so much, and keep each in separate calibers) has around 2000 shots through it. Pre –tune, it was firing 705 fps with RWS 14.3 grain HPs and 765fps with Beeman Silver Bear 12.65 grain HP’s. After tune (by tune, I took out the spring, finished the ends by rounding it down and smoothing the grind marks on the ends, and anywhere else I found any rough finish, and there was very very little that needed work, then reassembling with JM lubes)and the after tune results with Beeman 12.65 grain Silver Bear HP’s  is 810fps (=18.43 foot lbs) and in RWS 14.3 grains HP,s 775 FPS ( =19.08 foot lbs). Now, keep in mind the tune was not needed, I just seem to have to take things apart. Trigger can be adjusted on these (the RS2 version, not the RS1) to almost any preference you wish, without need to pay for a tune or replacement. All this for $129 + tax in a package that gives you a spare barrel in .177 and a scope you can use for a bit or sell on E-bay for a couple of dollars. This is a solid built gun, not piece of junk.

[hyounker]

Is that the one at Wal-Mart?

[70GTvert]

Yes. Pyramid Air has the Dual Caliber one @ $50 more, but it comes with this cute little case....

[hyounker]

Those numbers are pretty impressive. I dont want you to think I don't believe or trust your word, John, but I would like to hear from others as well.

I think I'll go to Wal-Mart and fondle one!  That's a big advantage over the Panther and B26.  I can't hold either of those first!

One thing I cannot do at Wal-Mart is cock the gun.  Anything I should know about that, i.e. excessively difficult to cock?

Thanks for your help.

[jamesmartinez]

Henry, I tried the Beeman RS2 from Walmart. I ended up returning it because cocking it was excessively hard especially at the end of the cocking stroke where you need to give it that extra push for it to lock in place. I had very sore shoulders that I had to rest for days at a time before going back to shoot it.

I eventually ended up going for the RSW 34 Panther .22 and love it. It is almost fully broken in and shoots very accurately from 10 yards in my living room. I still need to take it outside to try 25 yards. Surprisingly, my Panther does not have the twang that others reported. It just gives a solid thunk sound. One thing I did a few weeks ago was order the RWS cleaning kit and based on the instructions, gave my Panther the 1000 shot cleaning and lube job. That seemed to help a lot in making it feel smoother and quieter.

 I had a friend come over tonight and he has never shot a springer before. I walked him through the artillery hold and stressed the follow-through on the shots and not gripping tightly. He hit the bull's eye on the first and only try.

I don't have any other rifle to compare with the Panther, but I am very happy with it and feel that I made a great decision purchasing it.

Best regards.
James

[hyounker]

Any idea what gains in power you achieved from the JM kit?

[hyounker]

Jerry,

Looking for a comparison here, since I don't own either rifle.  Is the B26 lighter or heavier than the Whisper, scope and all?

Thanks,

[MIKE I]

I bought one, went through it extensively ( for a home tuning newby )  and ended up with a fine shooting gun.  Out of the box it was rough.