Club Tests - Rifles - The Villages Air Gun Club

Club Tests - Air Rifles

Baikal MP 532

Baikal 532

Today we tested two Bailkal 532 rifles with 3 different shooters. The pellets we used were the RWS Basic match 7.0 grain. The temperature was about 65 degrees with a very light wind. We did have some sun glare coming in at the shooters.

The shooting was done off of a single point rest at 10 meters. The 10 meter 5 bullseye targets were used with two shots being fired into each bullseye. You can see the performance by looking at the targets. The overall performance was the gun was very capable of shooting one hole groups. All three shooters agreed that the gun could do it but they were having issues with the sun glare and personal movement. Overall all the shooters agreed this is a very good gun for competition and was very reasonably priced for the quality. Attached you will see the targets and two of the shooters on the single point rests. To see the targets shot during the test CLICK HERE. If you have any questions contact Gary.

Crosman Challenger 2000

We had had six of these guns on our range over the past several years. We have had mixed reviews on this gun. The gun performs well but it seems to break down a lot. This gun is powered by a single or double 12 gram CO2 cartridge. With one cartridge the shooter can expect 40 – 45 good shots. We have had one gun modified for a bulk fill thru MAC 1 air guns. With a bulk fill charge we experienced approximately 60 good shots. This in turn reduced the cost of CO2 by 50 percent. We filled from a 20 ounce paintball tank to the rifle. I cannot recommend this gun just because of the breakdown rate. The gun was nice to handle, light weight, nice adjustable stock and a crisp trigger. We were purchasing these guns a couple of years ago for around $350 and we have had no shooters in the last two years who purchased one. We have heard they have made advancements in this model but we have no one willing to put out the $600 for the new model. This gun is no longer in new production.

Daisy 753 Elite - Test

During competition shooting we used two shooters to test the performance of the Daisy 753. One rifle was equipped with a Walthers red dot and the other had a Millet red dot. The temperature was in the upper 50's . Very low wind and medium sun. The shooting was done off of a single point rest and both targets were shot with RWS basic match 7.0. The overall performance of the gun was very close to the upper end German and Russian guns at a very low cost to the shooter. These guns are also capable of shooting a one hole group but slightly larger than the higher end guns. But for the bargain price they offer the shooter a competitive gun that is reliable and very consistent. The one advantage with the Daisy is the warranty. They stand behind their guns for one year and after one year they charge about $50 for any repair no matter how great it is including replacing the gun. We have had a couple of shooters have their gun totally replaced with a new one (how can you beat that). Both shooters agree that this is a very good gun to start with and to continue shooting with. Daisy price to club members: $257 (vs MSRP $644, Street Price $405). To see the targets shot during the test CLICK HERE. If you have any questions contact Gary.

Daisy 853 CMP

This is a test of a Daisy 853 rifle purchased from the CMP program for $100. The gun that was received was in very good working order. The gun did have some bumps and scratches on the stock and some shooting stickers on the butt of the stock. The member removed the stock and reworked it to its original condition. The metal work on the gun was in very good condition with a few minor nicks and scratches. The original target sights were removed and replaced with a Millet red dot scope. The gun was also tested with the original 853 sights and it performed quite well. The only problem was the iris openings were a little large for our members’ choice in shooting. The gun was tested on a day when the wind was a little gusty and about 90 degrees. The pellets were RWS basic’s fired off of a rest. The gun performed as well as a new gun and shot a target of 90 points. Our member feels he may do better after getting use to the rifle and the red dot that he placed on it. It would be hard pressed to find a competition rifle for $100 that would shoot this well. These guns are not always available and you must go to the Civilian Marksmanship Program site to see if they are available. The only risk is you will not know the exact condition of the gun you would be getting. They claim to replace any parts that may be worn or not acceptable for competition. This is a great gun to consider if you are an entry level shooter.

Daisy 853 (not CMP)

This is one of the club’s most popular guns and sells for around $220.00. This gun is the same gun as the CMP gun we tested but it is brand new and comes with a complete factory package. With the factory package you will receive 5 shot clips (2 of them) which some of our shooters prefer. It also comes with extra stock spacers (3 of them). It also comes with a cling which we do not use. It comes with three front aperture sights. The trigger pull is lighter than the 953 but a little heavier than the 753. The trigger pull does lighten up with use. We also found out that the accuracy improves after shooting a tin of pellets (500 shots) thru the gun. The gun is capable of shooting a 90 point target in competition and the gun is quite reliable. We have very few problems with this gun. A few of our members have been shooting this gun for 5 or 6 years without being serviced. You can look at the CMP target for the type of result you will get from this gun. The gun also comes with a single shot loading ramp which is the preferred loading system for competitive shooting.

Daisy Avanti 887 Gold Medalist

Daisy Avanti 887 Gold Medalist - CO2

This rifle is very similar to the 888 with a few upgraded features. The main feature is the high rise stock and the upgraded Avanti sights that are the same as the 753 Elite. The trigger pull is crisp on this rifle and is very similar to the 753. Due to the upgrades and the Walthers barrel this gun shoots right with the 753. The only thing you gain is you are not pumping the gun. The initial cost is about $60.00 more than the 888 or the 753 Elite.

Daisy Avanti 888 Medalist

Daisy Avanti 888 Medalist - CO2

This is Daisy’s Co2 powered competition rifle. This rifle is very popular with ROTC training and some 4H clubs. The advantage of this gun is that you do not have to pump it. With a fully charged cylinder we are getting 200 plus full power shots. On days when the temperature is below 50 degrees the rifles become temperamental. Co2 changes speed as the temperature drops along with the amount of shots. The temperature for this gun is recommended at 60 degrees to 80 degrees. We recommend this gun for our lady shooters or people who have a difficult time pumping a rifle. The one disadvantage to this rifle is that you must purchase a Co2 filling system and this can cost about $100.00. The performance of this rifle is the same as the 753 Daisy Elite. We did not enclose targets on this one because they are the same as the 753. This gun is also equipped with the Walthers barrel. The sights on this one are a step down from the 753. They are the same sights that are used on the Daisy 853 which is a very popular gun that is used within the club.

Daisy 953

The Daisy 953 rifle is a single pump recoilless rifle. This rifle fires a pellet at about 500 feet per second. This is Daisy’s entry rifle into a competition setting. The gun comes equipped with a composite plastic stock and open blade sights. The gun that we tested was equipped with Avanti sights. The rifle performed well and was capable of shooting a 10 meter target with an average score of about 90 points. While testing the gun we shot a sight in test target with a group that averaged about 3/8 of an inch. The day we tested the gun it was about 70 degrees out with a slight wind. This gun has shot over 1000 rounds which polished out the barrel. For a low cost gun it performed very well and would be a good starting point for a shooter entering into competitive shooting. We also tested the gun with a red dot (Millet red dot). The gun performed a little better for us mainly because of our test shooter. Our shooter felt he had more control with the red dot. The only drawback was a heavy trigger pull. This gun is still the best we found for an entry level gun.

Feinwerkbau 150

This gun is also in the same family as the 300 model. This was the earlier version of the gun at a lower price. Basically the same gun with a little less polish and high quality wood. It is an excellent shooter and this gun is also capable of shooting one hole. This gun was also sold thru Daisy as a Daisy 150 competition rifle. The guns are basically the same except for the name on the rifle. They were both built by FWB. This gun sells for a little less than the 300’s in the range of $300.00 up to $700.00 depending on condition.

Feinwerkbau 300s

This is an older match rifle made in the 1980’s that is still performing well. We have a couple of our shooters that are competing with this rifle at this time. This rifle is still capable of shooting a perfect 100 point target at 10 meters. Let it be known that these are older style rifles and most of them will require some servicing and maintenance. These are considered a recoilless rifle; on this rifle the whole action slides on a rail to a shock absorber to remove the recoil. This is a highly machined German rifle with excellent workmanship. Even though this gun is old, it is still a contender in competition. These guns were built for a lifetime of use due to their fine workmanship. These guns range in price from about $350.00 to $700.00 in a used model in good condition. I hope you have luck in finding one of these rifles.

FWB 300 Running Target Air Gun

We have one of our members who has one of these rare & unique rifles. This is one of the highest quality rifles FWB ever produced. This is a highly sensitive gun with a very sophisticated trigger system. This gun is capable of shooting one hole groups all day long. Even though this is a very rare gun, it is a very sought after treasure to own. This rifle will take some time to get use to because of the balance points being slightly different than the 300 S. If you can find one of these at a reasonable price you will have a piece of air gun history at its finest. These guns sell in the used market upwards of $750.00 depending on condition.

Feinwerkbau 601

On 1/13/12 we tested a FWB 601. The other guns in this family include the FWB 600 and the 603. They are basically the same gun, the 600 being the first one in the line and the 603 being the last offering. All of these rifles shoot the same speed and are approximately the same weigh and physical size. The test today was with an outside temperature of 48 degrees and a light wind. The shooting was performed off of a single point rest shooting RWS R-10 pellets. The gun performed well shooting over 194 out a possible 200 on the targets. Some of the performance may have been reduced because of the cold weather. But overall, this gun will compete in any 10 meter match. The costs of these guns used vary in price from the new models of $2800 to the older used 601 which runs about $650.00 and up, depending on condition. These guns are ruggedly built for years of competitive shooting. To see the targets shot during the test CLICK HERE. If you have any questions on this test please contact Gary.

Feinwerkbau C60

This is a very fine German made CO2 powered competition rifle. We have four shooters using this type of rifle in three different forms. Two rifles are the standard competition rifle, one is a running competition rifle and the other is a junior competition rifle. All the rifles perform excellent off of a rest and they are all capable of a one hole string of shots. The standard rifles are the preferred rifle because of the weight and balance for competition shooting. The running rifle has one drawback being that it is set up for scope shooting which is not allowed in our competition. The running rifle that we are using had been fitted with a red dot which is allowed and performs excellent. Our newest rifle to the collection is the junior rifle which is extremely light (approximately 3 – 4 pounds lighter). The gun performs well from a rest, however it is a little difficult in an open air range such as the one we use. This would be a better for an indoor range. The rifle would be great for a lady or junior shooter because of the weight. This gun is only available used now and the price runs between $600 and $1,000.

IZH Target 60

This is a Russian produced rifle made to replicate an AK 47. The model I shot was on the weak side for 10 meter competition. It would shoot approximately a ¾ inch group. The speed of the pellets were on the low side, just a little over 400 feet per second. The gun looks impressive but lacks target quality capabilities. The gun sells for approximately $140 to $160 new. The bad part is the receiver is made of plastic and I believe this contributes to the lack of accuracy in the gun. A better gun for the same money would be the Daisy 853 from the CMP program.

Tau 200 Jr.

This is a Co2 powered rifle that was modified by MAC-1. The rifle shoots excellent, capable of 1 shot groups. The gun will fire 125 to 150 shots per charge. The rifle is filled from a bulk fill system off of a 20 oz. bottle. The gun has had a trigger job done. The weight of the gun is light approximately 6 lbs. This makes an ideal gun for a lady or a junior shooter. I also shot a non modified model that took standard 12 gram Co2 pellets and also has a factory bulk fill system. With the Co2 cartridges you will get approximately 45 – 50 shots. With the bulk fill from the factory you will get between 35 -40 shots per charge. The factory rifle does come with an adjustable trigger and adjustable stock. This makes an ideal entry level competition gun. Price on this gun is around $600.00 new and about $350.00 used.

Tech Force TF79

We have tested the Tech Force 79 which is a CO2 powered competition rifle. This gun fires at about 700 feet per second with a 7 grain pellet. The gun is powered either by two 12 gram cartridges or it can be bulk filled from a CO2 tank. In the test we performed the two 12 gram cartridges were used. The gun was equipped with a red dot sight and a modified frront barrel band. The gun performed well, the manufacturer claims groups of a 1/2 pellet wide at 10 meters. We have not been able to reproduce this claim. One of the problems with this gun is that it is not consistent. The gun will shoot well for a couple of matches and then drift off target. This gun is relatively low priced at $150 to $200. This gun was selected from the Archer Air Gun Company. The Archer guns seem to perform better than the Tech Force although both guns are made at the same plant. The guns from Archer can be tested and tuned before you buy them for a fee of approximately $20.00. If you have any questions contact Gary. We have used these guns for several years with mixed reviews. All of these guns come out of the QB78 family. This will include the basic QB78 (approximately $90.00) to the QB79 target series (approximately $150.00). To review the test target click HERE.

Walther LGR

We have had two of these on the range with one shooter still shooting this rifle. It is a single lever pump that is recoilless. This gun performs very well even though it is older technology. With this in mind, older technology doesn’t hurt in our casual type competition. Most of our shooters are of a senior generation who just enjoy shooting. This type of gun performs well for this type of shooter but can only be purchased used because of the age of the gun. A good gun will cost between $450 and $600.

Winchester 1000

This is a break barrel gun that will bring up your arm strength. The gun shoots at about 1000 feet per second. The gun has a very hard recoil and the trigger pull feels about 8 pounds. The accuracy was hard to calculate because of the heavy trigger pull while shooting. The model we had was made in Turkey and the workmanship looked good. This would not be a great gun for competition shooting but will control varmints in your yard. The price on this gun is around $120.00. This gun has a heavy cocking effort which makes it difficult for a person with limited strength.

Gary's Favorite Air Rifle

New King - Circa 1897