Blown away

[chuck_steak]

Wow.
This place is incredible.
I've been hooked on reading for the last few days!

I just got an interest in air rifles, and thought I'd give it a try.
I have shot Bullseye pistol in a league for a few years, and thought
I'd give these a try.. hopefully, it won't be so loud
that I cannot do it in the backyard!
After doing some shopping locally, and reading here,
I narrowed the selection to
Gamo Whisper Silent Stalker, Bone Collector, Stoeger 20, Benji Trail NP.
Ended up with the Benji.
Stoeger was out based on really bad stuff I read here.

Reasons.
From what I see, they ALL need $35 triggers!
They are all "fairly" quiet, that was a big consideration.
The Trail, has a Weaver mount. +1
It appears that most of the Gamo guns have a scope mount issue.
Better, not awesome, scope than the others. Has AO, 40mm +1
It was under $200. +1
So even if I need another scope, the scopes on the others
needed to be replaced as well.
SO.. there is a chance this may not need one,
if it does, I'm still ahead...
Also got 1000 rnds of HN FTT pellets (rnd 14.6g) from Pyramid.

It's been raining here, so have not tried it out yet.
Am getting ready to do a Weed eater clean job... got the goo gone...

So here comes a couple of easy questions for you vets!

I put a straw in the end of the barrel, just to see if the ones
I had (Dunkin Donuts!) would fit.
It fit perfectly! Went in about 1-1/2". Is that about right?
It seemed to stop solidly.
Question 2 is about the scope and barrel droop.
Have most of you HAD to shim the rear to keep decent pressure
on the internal spring?
If so, would you recommend just putting a say 5-10 thousandths shim
in right from the getgo?
Lastly, before I shoot this thing,
If any of you think this thing is "considerably" louder
than the Gamo's... speak up!

Thanks a lot guys, this place has given me a 6 month head
start on air rifles in a weekend..
Down to the hold of the rifle.
I never would have known about the artilery hold's
importance on springers.
Or the deal about double recoil and the effect on scope mounts.
Just too much to mention.. Thanks again.

(anything else.... fire away)

Dan

[Afmuse76]

Hey Chuck,
 I'm new to these as well but I have put nearly a thousand rounds through my less then a week old Trail NP. Couple things I have learned and will share with ya. 

One, clean the barrel, it is filthy from the manufacturer. I did the J&b paist scrub with a brass brush, then followed with the Ballistoll muti oil till it was clean and dry. Then I re-crowned the barrel. It is usually offcenter and tones of machine marks from the factory.

Next, get some quality allen head 5mm bolts for the stock. I got my a couple mils shorter then the ones in the gun because they seem to bottom out. Locktite those suckers in there. I was shooting much much better after securing the stock.

Now lastly, the scope/barrel droop. These things from what I have read and experienced shoot way low to where zero is on the scope. In fact I am maxed out on elevation with crosman Premier Hollow points. The JSB jumbo exacts are still hitting 6 inches lower at 10yrds. To correct this I ordered the Burris signature medium scope mounts and the adjustable kit for them. You can zero the scope without touching the knobs on it except to fine tune it.

I ordered the mod kit with the brass bushings for the pivot and the centering washers for the piston. Waiting for those to arrive so I can install them.
I also ordered the GRT-III trigger. I'm hoping this will be a flee killing gun when it is all done.

Hope this helps some. I was really happy with how quiet mine turned out to be.

[Lambchops]

IMO i've heard more bad things about Crosman than Stoeger. I own both and I can attest that a Stoeger is much higher quality.

IMO, Nitro Pistons, and the Stoeger X20s are very similar in terms of noise. Also, very rarely have I heard of anyone have to shim a scope on the rifles you've mentioned. Most shimming problems are found on RWS. Speaking of RWS, I suggest you get a 34 instead of the ones you've mentioned. You can never go wrong with German quality.

[amb5500c]

Welcome to the GTA.
Richard

[thekid]

The stoeger, benji, crosman,Gamo all share the same roots....B19 variant.

Edit:
Welcome to the GTA

[gaspipe]

Hi Chuck, welcome.  I would have never guessed myself that such a thriving community existed that revolved around air guns.

I find the weight of my NP AW very close to my larger center-fire rifles, and as such I tend to get the same sore shoulder syndrome carrying it around.  Makes for a nice steady shooting platform though.  One thing I've learned after seriously modifying a nice Harris bi-pod to fit is that bi-pods+break barrels don't work.  I also found I have to use the force and the artillery hold to get the lovely b1t@h to group, but when it starts coming together, whooooweee!  You'll see.

[Airik]

... clean the barrel, it is filthy from the manufacturer. I did the J&b paist scrub with a brass brush, then followed with the Ballistoll muti oil till it was clean and dry...

Don't use any brushes in airguns.  Airguns usually have a softer metal in the barrels, due to the unneeded use of denser metal of firearms, because, well, airguns don't have explosions going on inside during every shot, lol .  Use a thick plastic weed wacker line to push a soaked gun patch with Goo Gone through the barrel.  Then more soaked patches, then dry ones, etc.  Any "brush," whether it be brass or not, usually has a steel "core" -- Not good.

P.S.  A seasoned barrel is best with washed pellets, from what I've experienced.  No need to clean a barrel unless its favorite pellet starts going berzerk (after the initial cleaning after the first 50 shots).  And them break barrels need over 500 shots to "break in" .

P.P.S.  Welcome to the forum, guys.  Years-worth of reading here, from the top pros in the hobby.

[shadow]

Sounds like your off to a good start and welcome to the GTA family. Ed

[Airik]

Speaking of RWS, I suggest you get a 34 instead of the ones you've mentioned. You can never go wrong with German quality.

RWS 34 Diana's are German engineered, but I hear they are made in China these days.  Umarex.

Edit:  Not sure though.  I know they outsourced the barrels for a bit.

[Wild West Shooter]

Hi Chuck, welcome.  I would have never guessed myself that such a thriving community existed that revolved around air guns.

I find the weight of my NP AW very close to my larger center-fire rifles, and as such I tend to get the same sore shoulder syndrome carrying it around.  Makes for a nice....

Might I recommend the bone collector for you in this case, as it is the lightest full size Airgun I have ever held.  It is MUCH lighter than my D34; and I have had various crosman guns including the trail that I ended up returning until I got to the most expensive gun at walmart; the bone collector.  the bcbw with a laser or lightweight optics of some sort is about half the weight of of a scoped trail... and that difference will be multiplied in terms of ease of carry and reduction of offhand fatigue.  Even with the same scope it can be 3+ pounds lighter than my 34 which is The difference between being difficult to shoot offhand and being nearly effortless. 

Sometimes I even remove the synthetic panels on the sides of the bcbw to get it even lighter, and what results is a 3.5 pound gun that approaches magnum type fps.  Thats why I have her mounted with a laser: it's just exaggerated, racecar-type lightness that I want from the platform.  I have heard of people getting lemons but just return it if for a different one if that happens... the bcbw is not hold sensitive at all either, I was getting quarter sized groups at 30 yards standing up offhand before I had even heard of the artillery hold.  And that was with the terrible scope it comes with.

Just my 2c if you might be looking for something easy on the shoulder.

[Wild West Shooter]

Speaking of RWS, I suggest you get a 34 instead of the ones you've mentioned. You can never go wrong with German quality.

RWS 34 Diana's are German engineered, but I hear they are made in China these days.  Umarex.

Edit:  Not sure though.  I know they outsourced the barrels for a bit.

They stopped outsourcing.  There was an open letter from one of their executives floating around about why theh stopped

[Ol'DeadEye]

My Benji Trail All Weather 22 cal is stock right of the box except for the GRT-III trigger.
Never been touched except for an initial barrel cleaning with Goo-Gone.
No problems of any kind.  Blue Locktight on the stock mounting screws.
Scope mount is perfect for a springer (nitro).  Welded on and aligned right.
I just shoot it,  when I can get away from my PCPs.
It's probably the last springer I'll own, I like my PCPs so much.
I have a Gamo BigCat 177 cal with the GRT-III trigger that I keep around for a loaner.
BigCat is the closet queen, hardly ever sees the light of day.
I like heavy rifles; seem easier to hold steady.  But then I don't lug them around hunting.
No airgun hunting allowed in Pennsylvania.

[gamo2hammerli]

Welcome to the GTA.  Looks like a good first purchase.  Now you'll have to experiment to see which pellets the rifle likes best.....that's the most fun part....you get to shoot alot.

[Dockey 454]

I'm partial to RWS, and as already mentioned never any metal brushes or rods in the barrel. Welcome to GTA.

[Ol'DeadEye]

If my experience is of any value to you, try Crosman Premier 14.3g  Ultra Magnum (Domed) to start.
They work in ALL my guns.
I have a wide selection of pellets and none outperform the CPs.
They are my baseline pellets.
Some more expensive ones are as good, but not any better.
That has been MY experience, for what it's worth.

[tenmilegambler]

I agree with Ol'DeadEye, the ultra mags work well in my NP also, not as well as the H&N but good enough. Just  a lesson I learned on mine, took minimum of 500 shots before it settled in, no sense in using expensive pellets for break-in. That said my NP is a proven performer even after 4000 plus rounds and hours of enjoyment. Have fun!!!!!! the most important thing we do. Must have the trigger. I think you will be impressed with these airguns.

[mtbdrew]

Welcome to GTA

[Airik]

"Oh, a little BB gun."  <<--- I've heard that before.
Go show 'em otherwise. 

[Wild West Shooter]

what do u guys think about this product??

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/stoeger-airguns-cleaning-rope-22-cal?a=3913

no steel rod to mess things up, just brass and nylon.

[02stampede]

Congrats on the new NP!



Just clean the barrel (don't use a wire brush!) and start shooting. The first 50 shots or so maybe be louder than normal but after that, they quiet down pretty good. It will sound more like a "thud" than a "pop".

Get at least 500 pellets through it before you start worrying about accuracy. As the rifle breaks in, accuracy will improve. 1" groups at 20 yards or so is very doable.

You will more than likely have to experiment with multiple types of pellets to find one your gun shoots best. Every barrel is different and it's just trial and error. There are sampler packs available that can save you money when searching for the best pellet.

If it shoots all over the place (shotgun groups at 10 yards) check the crown as mentioned earlier.

Experiment and practice your hold. Some like a more firm grip, hand further up on the stock, etc.

You can build a duct seal trap to quiet down the impact of the pellet and they also provide a safe back stop.