what a difference the correct pellet would mean.
I've a .20 caliber Beeman RX-1 i purchased brand new numerous years ago that I've shot on and off over the years with mixed results; some good...some NOT so good.
i purchased some bulk pellets from a commonly known, popular, American airgun manufacturing company that i had some very good results with at closer ranges (within 25 yards) so i purchased two more tins of them without hesitation.
i use a BSA, airgun, 2-7x32 scope on this particular rifle that is secured to the rifle with a good secure airgun rated scope mount so i know that it's not the scope and the mounts. the rifle also has the correct pressure setting in the gas piston and the tension is set correctly for the barrel/receiver tension.
recently, i spotted a game animal at a lasered range of 63 yards and fired at it only to see the pellet strike be off by nearly a foot at the measured 63 yards. i was dumbfounded.
back to the range with the pellets...
i was shooting at a measured 50 yards at my back yard range and it's backstop. i have three, 4", steel discs that i use for targets on the back stop so i know for sure when i get a good, solid, 'hit'...and, they will show a fresh "splash" of the pellet strike.
i was horrified to find that i was able to hit the disc only two out of ten shots from a shooting rest!
i decided to check pellet size to see if there was a problem there. i have a set of pellet sizing dies that i routinely use and i decided to use one to check if the pellets were of sufficent diameter to fit the chamber/bore correctly.
i was dismayed to find that every pellet, LITERALLY, fell thru the die with no resistance whatsoever utilizing the smallest of the dies.
i searched my stash of pellets and came up with a tin of Beeman Crow-Magnums in .20 caliber and decided to try them after sizing them.
what a difference that made! every shot was in it's mark after that!
now, I'm not much of a .177 fan unless it's in the magnum rifles and I'm not gonna run out and buy bigger caliber air rifles (i have .22 and .25 caliber PCP rifles as it is) but...i think that .20 caliber is just about the smallest bore air rifle i care to get involved with in a more than 'casual' use scenario with so that's why i pursue the .20 gas piston. (i think i would convert it to a .22 if i could find a good barrel for a decent cost, though)
this Beeman RX-1 is such a solid, well made,dependable, accurate rifle, i could never part with it; it wreaks of quality. it's made in Germany for Beeman by FWB or HW, i don't recall which at the moment.
it's NOT an easy rifle to shoot. it's difficult to cock (after all, it is a magnum rifle)heavy in hand, and has heavy, noticeable, recoil...but once you learn to "live with it", it's not that bad at all.
but, i do prefer form and function over appearance for the biggest part and the Beeman has all of it. that's why a person will pay a premium price for the Beeman line of air rifles.
anyway...i now have to go a bit farther with researching which pellet to shoot from this fine rifle to maximize it's potential.
