PANSAL squirrel shoot

I am looking forward to PANSAL a western Idaho squirrel shoot  that attracts airgunners from 4 or 5 western states. There are all kinds of air guns. Most are high performance and have price points far above the air rifles we knew as kids. This squirrel shooters take their air gunning seriously. Many drive across several western states to shoot ground squirrels and camp out in the desert where a dusty gravel road, and distant microwave tower are the only signs of the 21 century.

Ought to be some great air rifles there as well as a lot of good stories.

A question for PANSAL airgunners. Have you ever stopped to wonder about airgunners who spend $500 on a “starter” PCP rifle and then put up with more grief than any  $500 .22 rimfire would hand out? Airgunners are a patient lot, but why would they do that? I think I have a few answers.

High performance air guns are a small market for a product for which the engineering Is not completely worked out. So you have to expect some problems.

Airgunners have staked out their shooting sport In a place that is definitely outside of the mainstream.

More Tomorrow.

Ron

Maryland Challenge

The Maryland Challenge is a course of fire Arimo Dave found on AR-15.com. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_118/299009_and_34_Marksman_s_Challengean34.html

It is 20 shots on a silhouette target at 25 meters. The target is the 300 meter silhouette reduced for the shorter range. The objective is to shoot 20 shots in two minutes. A hit counts as one point.  One poster compared 17 out of 20 hits to shooting expert on the Army course.

I tried the Maryland Challenge at 50 yards. Shot ten shot strings from sitting at 50 yards with the Magpul sights. Target was a 3X5 index card painted black. The target on the left was a sighter and after sucking it up and taking one click of right windage I shot the target on the right .

I called the one miss. I definitely have to work on my breathing. Things would get fuzzy if I forgot the breath between shots.

I shot this with the rifle shown. It is a Benjamin Armada equipped with Magpul MOBUS sights. I did not use a coat or a glove. Pellets were Crosman Premier Hollow Points. Velocity was about 800 fps.

Airguns rock,

Ron