Air Venturi Bronco Anybody Have Real Experience?

[larspawn]

So Tom Gaylord is singing its praise.   But I'd like an *unbiased opinion* ;-)

Yes, Tom knows his stuff but its hard to cut through the marketing to see if it really is like a Diana 27 or R7.  For $130 I am tempted.

How is that funky two blade trigger that gives you two stages?  At first I thought it was a safety ala Glock or S&W M&P.

So who got one that is willing to admit it?

What are your thoughts?

Andy Wong aka larspawn

[Gene_SC]

I like unbiiased opinions with the good the bad and the ugly.. Well I have never heard ol that gun but that does not mean much... But they would be very hard pressed to manufacture a gun with the quality and accuracy as the R-7 for that price..

[larspawn]

Gene,

Here's is part 6 of his thread so you can link to 1-5.

Andy

[RedFeather]

Probably a nice enough little gun but, please, don't expect the quality of a Diana 27 or R7. And the Diana shot a lot harder than 580 fps. It's a Mendoza and has the fiber optic sights as found on the RM600. Blog says it won't take the Mendoza peep, not a smart move on their part.

[larspawn]

RedFeather,

I think somewhere in there he says it is a RM10 or something like that.  Assume smaller than the RM600.  

The Mendoza peep is ok. I found the aperture is way too big.  Also, it seems like it was designed for a barrel rail as opposed to dovetails.  The "reach" isn't really enough to capture the dovetails well  I have filed out a bit of the underside to give it room to clear the crown of the barrel.  However, it fits quite nicely on target rails on my Winchester 425s and 427.

I've got a Williams/Beeman sport aperture coming to compare but I'm guessing it will be similar in geometry.

Anyway on to the Bronco.  It is the rifle that Gaylord designed as a PA exclusive. Yes made by Mendoza.  I've never had a Mendoza so thought maybe a Bronco is in order?

Strange how not one owner thread...

[RedFeather]

According to Gaylord's latest blog, the Mendoza peep will NOT work on the Bronco. He said he will talk to them about it.

[larspawn]

RedFeather,

My comment about the Mendoza sight was in general.  I think Gaylord was saying that the Mendoza peep on the Mendoza didn't work because you can't get elevation low enough.  i would suppose that cutting it down like he did on the Williams sight would work too.  Don't know for sure.  My comment is my experience is a lot like others in that there isn't enough clearance between the dovetail cutout and the bottom of the sight to let it clamp to the tube well.  So grinding some of the bottom of the sight body gives it more room to clear the top radius of the receiver tube.  Hope that makes sense.

Andy

[snookman]

I don't own one, but I thought this was a good video review of the rifle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RKSSd7RoJQ  It looks like a good shooter, but the iron sights are inadequate. Hope this helps.  snookman

[larspawn]

Snookman,

Thanks for the link.  Seems pretty accurate.  He didn't really say anything about the trigger.  Hmmm.  

Not to impugn Tom or Rick but they both get paid by Pyramydair who is the sole channel and owner of the rifle.  So while they both seemed to be genuine in what they like it is hard to get a feel for their ability to truly give an order of magnitude on what they don't like.  That's why I'm looking for "real Joe" reviews of this.  I just find it odd that a new rifle comes out and pretty much nobody has one.  I've seen just one review by a shooter.  Maybe nobody wants an "all day shooter" like Tom says?

Andy

[RedFeather]

If that's the video with the little kid, they could have edited it down to about thirty seconds. I don't mind these "YouTube Epics" but, man, that one had a lot of dead air. There might be a discussion of the Bronco on RimFireCentral.com in the Air Rifle section.

Just had a Mendoza 600, briefly, and the trigger wasn't bad for out of the box. Takes a bit of getting used to (where to put the finger each time).

[larspawn]

RedFeather,

Yeah that post on Rimfire was the only review I could find from someone that actually had to shell out their own $$ for it.  Again I'm so surprised that nobody else has chimed in.  I know when a new rifle hits there are tons of whackos like me that say I just have to have one.  

I'm still looking for a Diana 24.  I figure a fair price isn't much more than the Bronco.  So why not buy the real deal.

So by the way you ready to sell your M24 yet?  Even though I have the HW30s I'm still looking for a 24 to fill out the 423, 425, 427 collection.

Andy Wong aka larspawn

[fnash]

I have a Mendoza RM 200 and the Bronco sounds just about like it. The double trigger is fine, very nice.  Gamo should be so nice. It is accurate enough with the right pellet. Can shoot one  hole with it, that is stack.... For target it is good out to about 15 yards, at 20 it is not consistant.
I might add that the Bronco may be a redressed RM 200

[cole5169]

I was tempted to try one out, also - and I usually give in to temptation.  But this time, I sat back, and here's why:

If you read Gaylord's first post, he admits he gave an emphatic "no buy" to the early Bronco (so...it was already "designed"?), and then promptly forgot about it.  Then, as he says: "many months later, when I was looking for a nice youth model, someone at Pyramyd Air said to me, 'What about the Bronco?' "

So he took another look, and sent it to "someone else" who reshaped the stock to more resemble a C1's (but not very much).  And he suggested replacing horrible plastic sights with slightly less horrible metal ones.

Now, VOILA!, he claims to have "designed" the Bronco.

Really?  Sanding down the stock and replacing the sights gets you designer credit?  Hubris...

Now, to date, there have been 6 posts on the PA blog concerning the Bronco.  Overkill...

It's a Mendoza.  They make (some) okay rifles, but nothing to touch the Diana 27 or R7.  It's all just a little too pushy and self-aggrandizing for my taste.  I'm going to pass.

[geewhiz380]

Cole great catch on his blog on the bronco its all about buissness not the airrifle cause ill bet not one of them has one that they have bought ,its about money and the publicity they pull in toward purchases in these airrifles cause most of them spend top dollars and purchase airrifles worth much more than our whole arsenal unless u know them personally and been to there house to say otherwise ..get other airguninst like our best here and ill bet we will get a real honest opinons on most of there airrifles until then i will rather take the word of a member here then i would take from them ....its a buissness and they care less if we believe them or not as long they can lure the majority thats what matters to them .money,money ,money i have german,spainish,american,and to me i like chinese the b models cause they dont advertise like others do there merchandise speaks for themselves.beemans r great airrifles and no one can argue that and so r dianas,or english airrifles but when it comes to anything new no one can say anything but wait until the purchasers speak on there honesty.jorge

[larspawn]

Well Cole and Jorge, you basically said what was on my mind.  While Tom is a legend in the airgun community he's kind of sold out (okay there I said it).  He is on the payroll at Pyramyd and Rick basically does mulitimedia reviews for Pyramyd.  So it is understandable that while I think these guys love airguns the no strings honest opinions of real Joes like us is what matters to me.  Like Jorge said I trust the opinions of people who have to buy their own rifles over someone who doesn't...let alone works for the company that benefits from the sale of the rifles.  

Now while I"m on the topic what's up with the Compasseco Airgun Guru?  Not!