Thinking of going into the darkside - Left Handed Bolt Action

[AHMSA]

one more question, are you right or left eye dominant ?
 

This can be the final determination of the perfect shooting platform.

I'm actually right handed but left eye dominant.

[Back_Roads]

 Guess I'm lucky I can shoot right or left handed, though my right hand is the better shot. I own a set of LH hatsan grips I can swap out on my AT style Hatsans

[Ribbonstone]

Bought the same pump about a year ago (might only be 10months now that I think about it), tested it, and sent it off to a nephew. Have another pretty much like it (except painted black) which was about the same price that I've been using for a couple of years.  No problem, I have filled all the PCP with those pumps, but being old and lazy now, will fill the larger PCP's with a compressor...but I still use the pumps on the smaller volume PCP's (just easier/faster to grab the pump than get the compressor set up).

Thought more about this, and past shooting, realize that airgunners can live with "wrong handed" rifles a lot easier than firearm shooters.  Might be a bit unconfortable, but an airgun isn't going to try and beat you to death with recoil.

[profsrgary]

I bought a Marauder figuring I would switch to left hand bolt since I am right handed but left eye dominate. Now this is just me but I will be putting that off for a while because the bolt cocking action on the Marauder is nothing like the action on a powder burner. While I am sure I could stay on target working the bolt and chambering another pellet I am sure I could not do it when cocking it. The bolt stops after moving with almost no effort and then has to be pulled with force to cock the gun and there is where the problem lies. If you don't pull it back far enough you will have a pellet in the chamber but the gun wont fire. Then you have to remove the magazine and cock it or you will end up with two pellets in the chamber. I am sure this is because I am new to PCP's but I just wanted to point this out. By the way, being left eye dominate and right handed I do a lot of shooting bolt actions that don't produce heavy recoil by shooting right handed and using the left eye. To do this you have to have a stock that doesn't interfere with your cheek placement which is one of the reasons I bought the Marauder instead of the Stormrider. If you decide in a Benjamin or Crosman rifle be sure to use code AGNATION if buying directly from Crosman and buy on a Friday for free shipping. I bought one a while back and saver $135 which took it down to $405 with free shipping. I do have to admit that the weight of the Stormrider was very appealing but after reading reviews on both and the fact the Stormrider had poi changes without the barre band I knew the Marauder would be my first PCP.

[RDB]

Same here, left eye dominant. And all excellent points above. Especially cocking force. Ive become so use to working the bolt with my right hand, that my daystate lefty feels odd to operate. I much more prefer keeping my hand in the trigger area and cock the gun with my right hand, than fumble with the bolt and get my finger back on the trigger for a follow-up shot. But everyone is different.

[mobilemail]

It really depends on the use too.  If shooting single shot events like field target, there is no advantage to left hand bolt since you reset after every shot anyway.  Benchrest, right hand bolt is a nice advantage for a lefty.  But when I'm hunting and need that second shot is where a true lefty bolt is really nice.

[mobilehomer]

This might get your attention, from Mobilemail in the bargain gate

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=155525.0

[AHMSA]

Thanks for the information and recommendation everyone.  I didn't realize that moving the bolt on a PCP is hard enough to take you off-target.  The Marauder is very appealing at the price Sportsman's Guide has it right now but I have a few concerns with this gun.  Namely the weight and how hand-pump friendly it is.

[Ribbonstone]

Lot of folks do hand pump the 215cc Maruarder air tube. While I don't have a Marauder, would hand pump even bigger air tubes,so I know it can be done.

Up to you how "frendly" that may be. It's not real friendly when you are in a hurry and the air volume of the gun is large.

Nommally the sweet spot (best velocity varation) would be over about 1000psi. Might be 2800-1800psi (or something close to that),so in nomral use, will be stopping at about 1800psi and adding in 1000psi up to 2800psi.

My normal system is WAY SLOW (but I'm patient) and my pumps last a long time between rebuilds and I';ve not had any moisture problems.

1. Hook up and pump 50-60 slow pumps (about 2 seconds per pump).
2. Bleed the pump,disonnect, and walk away for  a few (5) min...go check the mail/have a cup of coffee/or roughhouse with the dog.
3. go though #1 and #2 as many times as you need to in order to get the tank filled.

(what seems to happen is that the pump never gets too hot, so the seals last a long time...and the bleeding every 50-60 pumps blos out the collect moisture in the pump.)

Once I hit 65, I did buy a compressor...my 5'10" 160 pounds was just not looking forward to pump-filling big tubes. But for all the years when I was feeling more "frisky", it was just a matter of time...can't be a good happy pump filler if you are in a rush.

I still pump fill the little volume PCP's (like 105cc'sor less) as I can get it done in one 50-60 pump session.

Pump filling also kept me to the idea of efficency....which does NOT have to mean low power.  Just want the best value for the energy put in (pumping) for the energy gotten out.

[SwampHunter]

I hand pump my marauder, from 2000psi to 2800 psi, which is the sweet spot for me, only takes around 65 pumps or so

[AHMSA]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.  I decided to go with the Stormrider because it fits well into what I'm looking for.  Now into the next question: what do I need to start shooting the Stormrider?

I'm planning on getting this hand pump:



Is there anything else I need to get?

p.s. This is my first PCP and I'm really excited to try what they are all about.  I can't wait for it to arrive

[AHMSA]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.  I decided to go with the Stormrider because it fits well into what I'm looking for.  Now into the next question: what do I need to start shooting the Stormrider?

I'm planning on getting this hand pump:



Is there anything else I need to get?

p.s. This is my first PCP and I'm really excited to try what they are all about.  I can't wait for it to arrive

FYI, the one I ordered is the Gen 2 and I added the 10-for-10 service from PA.

[Thane]

Keeping with the light weight advantage the Stormrider has over heftier rifles I put the UTG 3-12 Bugbuster @ 13 oz.
Light in the hands, gets top heavy fast with larger scopes.
A couple of Orings for a B-stadley hammer mod did wonders for number of shots on one fill. If your pumping by hand, it's a must.

[bear air]

What size O-rings and you just slip them over the valve stem/poppet right? More shots is a good thing.

[AHMSA]

Keeping with the light weight advantage the Stormrider has over heftier rifles I put the UTG 3-12 Bugbuster @ 13 oz.
Light in the hands, gets top heavy fast with larger scopes.
A couple of Orings for a B-stadley hammer mod did wonders for number of shots on one fill. If your pumping by hand, it's a must.

Thank you very much.  I'm trying to figure out what is needed to fill the gun.  Do I need a quick disconnect or will the fill probe that comes with the rifle work with the hand pump directly? Any oil?... etc.  Where can I learn about filling and maintaining the rifle?

[Hoosier Daddy]

Your choice in first PCP and hand pump looks sound.
PA says "You're hooked up, no adapter needed" to a hand pump with a female Foster quick connect.

NO OIL... OK... maybe silicone for later, but it should not be needed until you tear it down.  Even then, no petroleum based oils. It would combust (diesel) under PCP pressures.

You need...
Pellets, a variety... and then shoot / pump to your hearts extent.
That's the beauty of PCP/HPA

[Ribbonstone]

Do think that's a good choice, based on my experiences with a .177.   USe the same pump ( like exsactly the same ad) and haven't had any problems with it.

Will have a female foster fitting  on the pump hose...the rifle will come with a probe that has a male foster fitting machined into it...so there shouldn't be anything "extra" to buy to get it filled.

And that little air volume will fill pretty quickly.  Won't get a whole lot of shots per fill, but it will be easy to pump-fill between sessions.

In exchange for those concessions, you'll get an adult sized wood rifle stock that comes in at about 1 or two ounces LESS than 6 pounds as shown (would guess the .22 would be a bit lighter than this .177 due to the larger hole though the same outside diameter barrel).





Not sure you got the whole idea of a PCP..although think you do,not sure.

Will not be a large range of pressure where it shoots great.  Likely somthing more like 800-1000psi of pressure, so maybe something like 2800-1800(or 2200to 1300...or whatever).  So you will NOT be refilling the whole 3K pressure....just filling it to the top of the "best"spot and refilling at the bottom of that best spot.

As fore more shots being better...likely less power. Can adjust them for more shots (several ways) but basically the total energy per fill up stays close to the same (there are ways to improve that...but if those mods are done, they'll work in the same proportion).


So maybe you could get 18-19 good shots at 25 foot pounds.

So that's like 37shots at 12(ish) foot pounds.

Or 14-15 shots at 30 foot pounds.

[Thane]

My Stormrider .177 stock set up was way to hot for me, over 1075 FPS with 7.9 gr. and steep fps downward trend (Magenta line on chart)

3 Orings (2 thinned with sandpaper) brought it into great shape for my use, 45 shots averaging 11 FPE  and 829 FPS with HN Terminator, which grouped the best sub 5% ES. (yellow line)

Groups at 25 yards were really poor, like over 2 1/2 inches. The crown was ragged and rifling damaged about 3/16" in. Turned the barrel and recrowned and polished while it was apart. 5 shot groups immediately hit 1/4" at 25 yards.

Really happy with it now. Take your time with it.

[AHMSA]

Thank you very much for the info.  I can't wait for the gun to arrive.  It has not shipped yet.

[Ribbonstone]

In .22, don't think you'll have the velocity problems .177 shooters have had.

My .177 was also fast...so I just DID NOTHING and avoided the liter weight pellets and tried heavier and heavier pellets.  10.3's and 10.6's worked well, anything much lighter strated showing 4 digit velocity numbers (1000fps and over) and accuracy wasn't very good at all. The 10.3's stayed in the  900's area.  Everything up to the 16.2gr. JSB's shot well (and those were still going  something in the 770 fps area).

WARNING: I had no clue to the real air voilume of the air tube....my best measure ranclose to 93cc's,but I've seen everything from 90 to 105cc'sclaimed by other owners.Still don't know what's "right"(other than it's quite smallfor a rifle) but curently use 100cc'sfor estimates....which is likly a little large,so the efficiency numbers might be a bit better than shown.)
First set of shot strings..after giving up on the lite-weights... in out-the-box tune:


Played a several times with the spring tension/striker weight(slightly)/ and the transfer port (also slightly). 

Last I had it over a chrongraph was last October:



Now really...consider the 9 shot mags....the original tune would have given two mags worth of shots for any serious use (pesting or smallgame). The adjusted tune would give 2 2/3 mags.

 MAybe a little more self-control than I have to stop at  2/3 of a magazine in the heat of battle.