A poll for springer shooters

[lefteyeshot]

Just break barrels. The others don't get shot much. Overweight and the loading process is like buzzkill.

I dig the under lever and side cocker also.

[JPSAXNC]

There's a calmness I don't experience with any other type of airgun. It's the trigger, springers sucked me into follow through with the trigger. No jitters, shakes, or wandering sights I experience shooting other types of guns.

[Arch_E]

If I can adapt #1 to convenience (rather than simpleness), then #1 is my first choice. All my springers are convenient to shoot; but, not all are simple to shoot. And, that leads me to choose #2, as well. I like the challenge (but not the pellet pickiness of learning each springer).

Archie

[PasadenaMike]

I love my PCPs but boy do I love not filling my springer:) so my favorite thing about my springer or shooting a springer is just simplicity. Springers don’t leak;)

[Fred J]

I shoot an 177 AA TX200 under-lever springer, an 177 AA S500 PCP, and a 22 Marauder PCP. I use both the TX200 and S500 in Field Target competition, and  the Marauder will be used in 100 yard benchrest.

Which rifle do I like to shoot most?

The TX200 is real fun to shoot and modified. I need to watch my shooting form with the TX200, otherwise I shoot 'dinks' instead of 'clacks' in FT. I have this rifle tuned to 13.3 fpe, and shoot AA 7.9 gr pellets. A real fun challenge to shoot in the wind, and it has a bit of a loopy trajectory! No air tank to fuss with, and easy to cock (27 lbs). Shoots at 872 fps with an extreme spread of 10 fps.

The S500 is a lot easier to shoot. It almost feels like I am cheating when I shoot it. Its a real laser out to 55 yards. I this rifle tuned to 19.7 fpe, and shoot FX 10.3 gr pellets. Simple to shoot, with a very flat trajectory, and the FX10.3 gr pellets buck the wind real well in FT. I get 95 shots on a fill of air, but the 280 cc tank and the 250 bar fill pressure really empties my carbon fiber tank fast. This rifle has an extreme spread of 5 fps

The Marauder is a beast to shoot. Hard to cock, but it is real accurate out to 100 yards. 100 yard air rifle benchrest has its own kind of fun, especially in the wind. I have this rifle tuned to 28 fpe, shooting JSB 18.1 gr pellets. I know that Chairgun Pro rates the JSB 18 gr pellets with a ballistic coefficient of 0.033, but after polishing the Crosman barrel with JB polish, the Marauder spits these pellets out with a BC of 0.043. This rifle gets 46 shots with a ES less than 2% on a 2900 psi fill of air.
 
Which rifle do I like the most? It depends on what I am doing with the rifle. Each rifle has it own merits, and does a particular task well.

[Teep]

After  several years of shooting PCP rifles I have gone back to springers.  The simplicity of a spring gun make it so nice to just grab some pellets and go shoot all day.  All my PCP gear is up for sale since I have added an R9 and HW97K to go along with my R7, all are accurate and use the same pellets, what more could I ask for except the 97 needs a tune.

[Lt. Dan]

If I can adapt #1 to convenience (rather than simpleness), then #1 is my first choice. All my springers are convenient to shoot; but, not all are simple to shoot. And, that leads me to choose #2, as well. I like the challenge (but not the pellet pickiness of learning each springer).

Archie

Well said Archie, I agree.

[bantam5s]

I'm pretty much a pumper guy through and through but I have 1 Springer that I like because it's simple quick and easy to cock / load.
I often find myself shooting it after I've been shooting my Benjamin 177 pistol which is basically the best ( or worse depending how you look at it ) example of the things people hate about pumpers.

[Bayman]

Ahhh. Springers. I mostly love them often hate them but I'd never buy a pumper or pcp. Anything my springers won't do I have the room to use PBs.
Springers fill my need for accuracy and to tinker but irk my ocd mind when one's not operating perfectly. Which is often when you are rotating through 8 or 9 of them.

They are great fun and reliable when put together right but you'll eventually be scratching your head if you shoot them enough. Sometimes that's a thousand rounds sometimes it's ten thousand.

All in all I love them. They feed my need to fix and tweak things.

[Ronfiveo]

Ahhh. Springers. I mostly love them often hate them but I'd never buy a pumper or pcp. Anything my springers won't do I have the room to use PBs.
Springers fill my need for accuracy and to tinker but irk my ocd mind when one's not operating perfectly. Which is often when you are rotating through 8 or 9 of them.

They are great fun and reliable when put together right but you'll eventually be scratching your head if you shoot them enough. Sometimes that's a thousand rounds sometimes it's ten thousand.

All in all I love them. They feed my need to fix and tweak things.

If I get one, are there tutorials on how to "tweek" or "tune" them?

Ron

[techted]

There are plenty of videos on youtube, but more important, bunch of topics and posts here on GTA about spring rifles tuning/tweaking.

[Ronfiveo]

There are plenty of videos on youtube, but more important, bunch of topics and posts here on GTA about spring rifles tuning/tweaking.

Thanks,  techted.

Ron

[Kragman1]

Ron, there are many sources of tuning info for sure.  One very good source is a YouTube channel called Pellets and Pistons.  Mixed in with shooting reviews are plenty of real world tear downs and fixes, pretty nicely filmed for the viewer.
I know the man, he's been doing this for a long time and  doesn't hide issues or play favorites.
I enjoy his postings, and I expect that you would too.

[Ronfiveo]

Thanks, Brian.

Ron

[rookrifle]

Springers are a natural for me, never really had any issues with accuracy.
 

[Gibsonvair]

#1, but mechanical simplicity. Only two flexible seals. Reliable design. My HW95 is very accurate. It has become my standard to compare others to. A pumper is more difficult between shots, and harder to complete a follow-up shot, but are also quite simple and reliable. Three o rings and one flexible seal. My equally powerful pumper is lighter than the HW 95. Both rifles only require the gun and a tin of pellets. PCP's, on the other hand are less simple, but more versatile as follow up shots are easier. Other than the complication of the gun mechanically, having to have a separate air source and having to refill after a limited number of shots, the advantage is felt while carrying and hunting with an equivalent PCP. I like to pack my guns in a bag not shaped like a rifle sometimes, but my longest hours of enjoyment in the woods has been with my springer. #2 doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes the scope gets fuzzy during the shot or I lose my sight picture with the springer, so there is that.

[SpringerGuy]

Springers rule IMHO because all that is needed is pellets and the gun to have fun.   In the 1960s, when I started shooting Airguns, I had no extra money so co2 s, pcps were unobtainable for me.  Besides AGs make all those great spring noises, I enjoy.

[Blowpipe Sam]

Zen is for my pumpers.  As for challenge I like to think I am a proficient springer shooter.  I shoot springers cause  I'm cheap and they're cheap.