A buddy and I have been kicking around the idea of having air gun PRS match and we are curious to get a sense of support?
Why air gun?
1) Since distances are shorter, it is easier to find a property where matches can be held
2) They are quiet so it draws less attention by local antis
3) Its good practice for 22LR and even center fire PRS
4) It gives us all a chance to get together and build friendships
5) It is just plain fun
We can see the need for different classes as the ballistic performance differences can vary wildly between different rifles, speeds and ammunition.
Our testing has landed us on what we consider the "ideal" rifle to use, (Weihrauch HW100 with solid barrel not FSB) but there are many others that could compete. Obviously PCP is ideal.
You may have seen some of the recent videos from 22 pinkster where they had competitions between 22lr and air rifle and the performance out to 300 yards was quite similar, but obviously those air guns were top speed, and likely too hard core for what we are proposing.
Cost is certainly a factor as an HW100 is not an inexpensive rifle, ($1,500 to $1,700) but the payoff is that it is cheap to feed and can be used more often than 22lr and centerfire due to site accessibility.
We have been running the 13.4 grain .177s at around 400 FPS and are pretty much hitting postage stamps out to 50 yards. Obviously we could increase regulator pressures and go faster and work with the 16 grain 177s but we are getting into more advanced class.
We are thinking that keeping it under 500 FPS is a nice balance of performance and safety, but we are also thinking of the over 500 FPS class... and the HW100 is also available in an under 500 FPS model.
We are located in southern Ontario, and would be looking for support from shooters in this area, but invite others to consider the same.
Is this something that sounds interesting to you?
Are there many of you who are already tooled up to participate.
My rifle looks something like this, but with a longer barrel and different scope and rings.
Why air gun?
1) Since distances are shorter, it is easier to find a property where matches can be held
2) They are quiet so it draws less attention by local antis
3) Its good practice for 22LR and even center fire PRS
4) It gives us all a chance to get together and build friendships
5) It is just plain fun
We can see the need for different classes as the ballistic performance differences can vary wildly between different rifles, speeds and ammunition.
Our testing has landed us on what we consider the "ideal" rifle to use, (Weihrauch HW100 with solid barrel not FSB) but there are many others that could compete. Obviously PCP is ideal.
You may have seen some of the recent videos from 22 pinkster where they had competitions between 22lr and air rifle and the performance out to 300 yards was quite similar, but obviously those air guns were top speed, and likely too hard core for what we are proposing.
Cost is certainly a factor as an HW100 is not an inexpensive rifle, ($1,500 to $1,700) but the payoff is that it is cheap to feed and can be used more often than 22lr and centerfire due to site accessibility.
We have been running the 13.4 grain .177s at around 400 FPS and are pretty much hitting postage stamps out to 50 yards. Obviously we could increase regulator pressures and go faster and work with the 16 grain 177s but we are getting into more advanced class.
We are thinking that keeping it under 500 FPS is a nice balance of performance and safety, but we are also thinking of the over 500 FPS class... and the HW100 is also available in an under 500 FPS model.
We are located in southern Ontario, and would be looking for support from shooters in this area, but invite others to consider the same.
Is this something that sounds interesting to you?
Are there many of you who are already tooled up to participate.
My rifle looks something like this, but with a longer barrel and different scope and rings.
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