07-02-09
UPS delivered my new Crosman Nitro .22 today in Digital Cammo from Pyramyd Air Gun Mall.
It came in the normal double box configuration, nothing was broken, everything looked fine, however, I wish the scope had been in a box. I got the 10 for 10 test and the chrony listed the following
694.6
704.3
695.9
707.7
688.7
697.3
689.6
691.6
695.5
692.1
using RWS Meisterk .22 14.0 gr. Pellets. I don't know if those are good numbers or not but I also bought a chrony and I'll post and compare numbers later. I was hoping for around 750 to 800 FPS.
I cleaned the dove tail and installed the scope mount which has a built in scope stop pin which fits very well into the scope stop hole built into the rifle, very well as a matter of fact. I do not think there is any free play what so ever, unlike Gamo rifles.
The included Centerpoint scope is great. I need to buy a few for my other rifles. I took my time installing it and instead of tightening down one side first and then the other, each screw got a quarter turn until all were tight. I began to think that if I tightened one scope mount all the way and then the other, it might cause one end of the scope to be higher....I'll need to check that on my Whisper.
The rubber covering is nice, but I can see where if you use it as a hunting rifle, the covering will become scratched and easily damaged. Mine came out of the box with one already. Hopefully Crosman has already thought about this.
SHOOTING!!!!
It cocks easy!! With scope it weights 8 pounds on my bathroom scale. It shoulders well and feels very balanced . I feel as though I should be able to shoot it off hand well. I'm using Crosman domed .22 pellets @ 14.3 grs. I bought a 650 round box to break in the rifle before I use my Straight Shooters sampler box. I also counted out 100 pellets so I could keep an accurate count of how many I've gone through.
Using a large cardboard sheet with a orange dot I sighted in the rifle. It took 30 pellets to get it close to where I wanted it. I think at 20 meters ( 21 yards ) it was pretty accurate. ( unlike my Whisper
)
I think it's fairly quiet. The pellets hitting the trap are louder than the rifle report.
At shot 25 the rifle smoked a bit, again, nothing like my Whisper which is still smoking after a 1000 shots. I could smell a little burning lube and the pellets are still grouping well.
At shot 45 the rifle began to have a grinding sound when cocked, but the pellets are still grouping well. After a 100 shots the grinding sound is still there, but has lessened 50%. I called Crosman and talked with a nice young lady who assures me that the rifle is still settling in and to give it awhile. Its so nice to be able to get through to a real person when you think you have a problem with a product. Crosman does it right in this department and has made a fan out of me.
The trigger is nice. After a 120 shots it seems to have stiffen up a bit, maybe catching somewhere but since it's 103* in the shade down here, I'll assume that the lubes need to work in a bit.
As I shot this rifle my first thoughts were, “ This is how my Whisper should have been.†If my Whisper had shot this well to start with, I never would have bought this Crosman Nitro. This Nitro is a great rifle. At this moment, I'm very happy with it. So far it just shoots well and it is a lot of fun.
However, as the temp rose, my grouping was off and instead of chasing the pellets around with the scope, I called it an afternoon. I did noted that when first setting up the rifle and just shooting it to season the barrel the grouping was good, but as the time went by and I tried to score one bull after another, my grouping became worse.....so it's me and my shooting badly due to the heat and not the rifle.
We have one member here that is having a problem with his free Nitro in .177. These gas spring rifles are so powerful that a heavy pellet is called for in my own opinion. My Whisper gas spring seems to be getting better using a 10.5 gr. Pellet in .177. Its not as good as this rifle yet, but I have hope.
So far this a a very good rifle. It doesn't seem to be hold sensitive. I use a padded rest and rest the stock on the pad using the stock screws as a guide. I believe that this rifle would do well with a bi pod.
The reason I'm shooting like this is to take myself out of the shooting picture as much as possible to see just where the rounds are landing. Once I know for certain my scope is on target and my shots are not wandering due to dieseling and such, then I can practice off hand and other shooting positions.
Anyways, so far a very good rifle made in the USA. I think Crosman has a hit on their hands if they can keep up good quality control.
Thanks for listening,
