Zeroing four air rifles

[douglas george]

I had ordered a couple of RWS 30mm lock down scope mounts from Umarex.  They both arrived Saturday!  I have 3 RWS 30mm air-rifle scopes, and the mounts they came with do not always stay put under recoil.  I had called Umarex about this, and the tech told me they had a much imporoved four screw, dual locking pin mount avaliable.  So I ordered a couple.  They fit the rail on the RWS rifles, and the pins match the two holes in tha rail.  You must remove the recoil screw from the rifle's rail (says so in the directions).  The mount has a directional arrow that must point forward.  The mount is made of high-grade aluminum, and is heavy. (I like that)  This mount also is set up to adress the barrel deflection in RWS rifles (.025")  The rings also are lined with a non-slip tape liner.  Once mounted on the air-rifle...they are solid!  In the process, I moved four scopes, on four RWS air guns! It took most of the afternoon to mount the scopes, and level the cross hairs! (now I know why they are called "cross hairs", and not" happy hairs"!)
 
 I put my RWS 30mm 3X9X44 on my 460 with the new mount, figureing this rifle would have the most jump!  With the old ring, mount system...the scope moved under recoil.  The new mount is rock solid...and the scope and mount add a couple of pounds to the rifle, making the rifle easier to control.  Hold is very important...must be "just right", or you will have flyers...and of course blame the air-rifle...and not the shooter!

I put my RWS 30mm  6X42 on my 350 Magnum with the second lock down mount.  I have always had moving scope problems with this magnum air-rifle.  Now it is also rock solid!  For some reason I really like this combo...and when shooting...I did best with this air-rifle, at 25 yards.

I moved my RWS 1" 3X9X40 (model 350) from the RWS 350, to the RWS model 54 using Millett mounts...the Millett mounts come with a tape ring liner, to keep the tube in place in the rings, butt the rear base against the rifle's recoil screw, at the rear of the rail.

And last I moved my 1" RWS 4X32 model 300, with 3 screw mount from my 54 (came with the 54 as a combo) to my RWS 46.  The 3 screw mount also has a locking pin, but I had to remove the rear sight to clear the scope bell.

I now have these four airrifles the way I like them...next day, out to the 25 yard indoor range!  Shooting and zeroing four powerful, springers is work!  It took about two hours, and about 100 times cocking these guns to finnish zeroing, and testing!  This will will make the largest Russian, or Polish streel worker tired!  I was stiff in the left arm after shooting!  But it was a very sastifactory time.  These four air rifles are great.  And they are accurate...I was averaging around 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards.  I used Beeman Kodiak, and RWS Supermag, and RWS R-10 in the 177 guns.  And I used Beeman Kodiak, and RWS Meisterkugeln in the 22 (RWS 460)

And there was a Federal Officers security training program going on at the range, and the officers were impressed with the RWS air-rifles.  Several of them looked the air-rifles over, and held them...they were impressed!  But they did say, if they had seen someone walking down the street with one...they would have thought the person had a high power rifle.  These air-guns do look like big game rifles...and the large scopes add to the effect.  So dont wave one around in public...thy dont look like pellet guns.

This was a very satifactory shooting session, good excersize, low cost, and fun...and what did I do when I arrived home?  Changed the Millett mounts to Millitt high mounts on the RWS 54...well back to the range with that one, and I need to Zero my Chinese QB36-2 with the 30mm RWS 4X12X50 scope, I put on that gun.  The Chinese QB36-2 is a very large air gun, and this big scope looks good on it.   I am going handgun shooting tonight with my boss, 44 Mag, 44 Spl, and I will take the RWS 54, and the Chinese QB 36-2 with me.

So ends a fun weekend of target air gunning!  Hope you readers are having a good day too!
Douglas George

[gamo2hammerli]

That seemed like a very fun weekend!!!!  The satisfaction you get when you can bullseye the target with four different air rifles after re-zeroing....magnums also...must be great.  Good job.

[scotsman]

"Crosshairs'...hahaha very good! Who could be cross after so much range time, though? Much better than waiting for UPS to deliver goods all weekend...still no rifles here Douglas George. I spent a little time getting materials together for a pellet trap and target retrieval system in the basement. Shot my first  BB gun, a daisy 36 for fun..also my old HW70. I've often thought that if I dug down about12 feet and then out about 50, then I could shoot my big bores in the evening too! Hope you had fun with your boss and the .44's

[douglas george]

Shot the RWS 54, Chinese QB 36-2...and the S & W 629 8 3/8" 44 mag.  Zeroed the 54, and the QB, and shot the "10" ring out of the Sheridan indoor target I was shooting at 25 yards, with the two air rifles.  Yes shooting Magnum air rifles is fun!  Both shot best with Beeman Kodiaks.  Both air rifles are in 177.  My boss with with me, he was shooting 1911's and he fired the RWS 54.  He was real surprised by the "recoil less" function.  He said shooting it was "weird".  I then shot about 30 rounds with the Smith 44 mag at the same target, at 25 yards.  It it too!  And one round in the 10 ring.  But then I had to clean the 44, with the air guns,,,wipe them down, and put them away.  They are sensitive to how clean the barrels are.  And I do get some leading in the Magnum air rifles.  For top accuracy the bores must be kept clean.  The QB 36-2 would not shoot any better than one inch groups.  Pu Doo!  Well there must be something wrong with the RWS 30mm 4X12 50mm scope.  Then I tightened the loose stock screws...and she shot ragged one hole groups again.  Magnum guns will loosen there screws.  It is best to check that often.  But with Beeman Kodiak pellets, I feel the Magnum air rifle will shoot!  And keep up with the best of them.  A loose, and very constant hold is important!  Change thatm or jurk the trigger...and you will throw a flyer an inch out of the group.   Magnum air rifles are very sensitive to hold and trigger control.  But if one can master them...they shoot as good as any 22 bench gun.  I shoot a 22 bench rest match at 50 yards on Tuesdays.  I use a heavy barrel CZ 452, with a Millitt 24X scope.  My magnum air rifles can keep up with it at 25 yards.  But they are most sensitive to how they are held, than any guns I have.  And the recoiless RWS 54 is completly different.  It must be held tight...like a powder rifle...the other springers must be held loose...hold them too tight...you get flyers.  Also, the heavier they are...the easier it is to get them to shoot small groups.  The RWS 30mm 4X12 50mm scope, and mount wieigh a couple of pounds+ 9lbs of RWS 54 rifle= 12 lbs of air gun!  Thats as much as my National Match M1!   May be this is why I like to hunt with my Sheridan Blue Streak, with iron sights!

Last night I was coming out of the house with tha air rifle in the case, the pellets in my ammo box, headed to the range...and "there it was in the yard"  A huge cotton tail bunny rabbit!  It looked up at me...showed it's teeth, and snarled at me...and the air rifle in the case!  Very slowly I made my way to the car, and the bunny hopped off...I could not really shoot something so cute.  But it was tempting.  seeing that rabbit made me think of all the small game hunting that will be so fun in the future.  When I was a kid, my dad used to shoot rabbits out of the milk chute, with his Sheridan Silver Streak.  Maybe thats why I hunt with the Sheridan today.  But I did get my father a RWS 36, with scope...and at age 86 he still shoots it...and his Sheridan!
Douglas George
Just rambling on about the joy of air gun shooting.