.22 cal 850, ...

[North Pack]

Our air gun (rifle) inside shooting league started a couple of weeks ago, - 33 feet. Everyone uses a springer, and in the past I did too. So, I asked the guy running the league if a CO2 rifle was "ok". "Sure, it's an air rifle & that's pretty much the only requirement." - On a possible score of 100, (0-100) picked up a 95 & a 93 in the last two weeks with the Ham .22 cal 850. - Certainly never did that well with a springer. A little fussy about pellets, (magazine v bolt) but a really nice shooting gun, very good trigger.

[dk1677]

Nice shooting! I love mine, what pellet are you using?

[North Pack]

Air Arms FALCON .22 cal 13.43 gr. - Loads easily & magazine indexes like a dream, ...

[RatRacer]

Nice.
Are you getting any dissention over the gun type and improvement due to its use? You gotta have a couple purists getting a little sideways about it. There's one in every competition crowd.

[North Pack]

No, none at all, - in fact I don't think they realize how much a CO2 is more accurate than a springer. - I offered to let a guy "take a few shots with it", - and he declined. Unfortunately there's also a standing free hand part of this competition, - not my strong suit. That part flattens out my over all score, - so there's no ruffled feathers there. - We use a different set of targets for the seated-bench rest & the standing part.

[RatRacer]

That's cool then. Sounds like a fun time.

[only1harry]

Good job on the high score John!  The 850 is certainly up to the task. I am the same way with off-hand shooting.  It was never one of my strong points

I have never tried those Air Arms pellets.  My 850 .22 s very accurate with 14.3gr CPHP, Crosman Premiers (brown box) and RWS Superdomes.  JSB Exact Express 14.3gr are not bad either but not the best ones it likes.  Anything bigger than 14.3gr pellets, and they don't load too well and need to force the bolt a little when cocking, so I avoid them using them.  The thing with CP's and CPHP's though is that the barrel gets too dirty fast, and accuracy drops a little after 400 shots or so, and have to clean the barrel real well with JB paste, etc.  So I am going to order some Air Arms Falcons.  These should be the JSB RS pellets.

[North Pack]

Those Falcons I mentioned, - load/index like a dream in that gun. The skirt is thin - which helps with the indexing of the magazine. I had tried Crosman Hollow Points, - could rarely get more than 2-3 to index properly. Never have a problem with the Falcons, and I like the fact they're "a tad lighter" and still accurate.

[only1harry]

Most of the time the problem with loading normal 14.x pellets in the 850's breach, is that green breach o-ring which is not centered properly or needs to be filed down, or replaced.  It has been an issue on most 850's since it came out 4yrs ago, and I have one of the very early ones.  I just never got around to looking into mine, but the CPHP's load fine in mine most of the time. which is probably why they are the most accurate of the ones I tried.

One thing you have to remember, is that there is some play in the cocking bolt - the interior one (not external knob) that pushes the pellet out of the magazine and into the breach.  Sometimes if you pull out the cocking knob while loading a new pellet, the pellets will be loaded into the breach very smoothly.  I sort of do this subconciously now and I don't feel any resistance like I used to.  Try pulling it out while indexing and see if 14.3gr pellets load smoother.  If the 13.43gr Falcons don't give you 1-hole groups or a small ragged hole at 20-25yds from a rest, then you may not be using the most accurate pellet for the 850.  The CPHP's do that for me most of the time when I do my part, except for when I get a not-so uniform pellet, which can be common with this less-expensive pellet.  I would love to try out the Falcons though, since JSB is known for their match quality and uniformity in all their pellets.
Have you chronied your 850 with the Falcons?

[North Pack]

Harry, - I'm probably in the wrong forum here. - I buy a guy to shoot, period, that's it.  I have NO interest in trying to make love to it, - or turn it into something it wasn't when I bought it. - It's indexing & shooting perfectly, - and that's ALL I care about. - I don't have a crony, but it's shooting speed seems pretty quick. Pull the trigger & bingo, there a hole in the paper. - I would recommend that you try those Falcons, - think you'll like 'em. ...

[only1harry]

I ordered some. I Hope they are accurate!

[North Pack]

Guaranteed to at least 17 ft. ... after that you're on your own. - No, I've used them to 25 yards easily, - and 50 yards too, but that's kinda pushing things, the drop is somewhat impressive. ....    In the colder weather/winter I shoot indoors at 33 ft. - a tack driver.

[only1harry]

I usually shoot out the window in the winter time from a warm room with the heat turned on all the way, to keep the CO2 nice and toasty.  The gun likes it but not my heating bill

I made the mistake 1 day in the winter shooting at a crow about 30yds out in 25deg. weather.  I went out in my porch with a warm 850 .22, and by the time the crow came around the house and into view (the backyard), where I had a good (safe) shot at it, at least 5min. had gone by and I was freezing.  I could see the CPHP hit the frozen ground a couple of inches short by the crow's foot!  I went back inside and chronied the 850 right away while it was cold, and it read 480fps!  Down from 610-615fps!  The drop was phenomenal (at least 6" or more).  Probably wouldn't have hurt the crow much, had it made contact at that distance.  I was so PO'd I missed the crow (because it spotted me at my sniping position, which means it never came back and probably spread the word, hehe.), that I put the 850 away until the next summer