AOA Blog

It occurred to me the other day, while I was repacking an airgun, that some of the good readers of this blog might want to know what actually happens when I test an air rifle or air pistol.

We’ll get into that in just a moment, but first a few words of appreciation are in order. A hearty thank you is due to all the good folks who take the time to read this blog. If it weren’t for you, there wouldn’t be any reason for www.airgunsofarizona.com to continue sponsoring this blog. In addition, I am particularly thankful to the people who not only read the blog but respond to it with comments. Very often you provide useful information and spark ideas for additional blogs in the future, so thanks! Another big thanks needs to go out to the crew at www.airgunsofarizona.com who supply me with guns, scopes, pellets, and ancillary equipment to help make this blog happen.

Of course, it goes without saying that doing this blog is a pretty neat job. I am allowed to play with all the latest, coolest toys in the world of airgunning, and then I get to tell you about them. What fun!

The actual process begins when the UPS guy (aka Brown Santa) deposits a long rectangular package on the front stoop here at El Rancho Elliott.

The next step, since Airguns of Arizona routinely double-boxes its shipments and surrounds the inner box with a generous layer of packing peanuts, involves extracting the inner box(es) that contain the airgun(s). It’s at this point that my battle with an alien life form – packing peanuts – begins. I am convinced that they are alive, intelligent, and animated since no matter how I try to control them, they always manage to escape. They run, they hide, they make rebellious teenagers look like Mother Teresa. Since I don’t remember them being around when I was a kid, they must be from another planet. I think NASA is aware of the problem.

After I get the rifle or pistol box extracted from the outer packaging, the fun begins. Usually I will quickly unpack the gun from its factory box, figure out what caliber it is, grab some pellets, and, regardless of the weather, go outside for a few quick shots, just to get an initial “feel” for the gun.

On a couple of occasions, the entire gun review process has stopped right there. In one case, an air rifle with a hollow synthetic stock produced such a loud resonant sound on discharge that, after three shots, I wanted nothing more to do with it. In another case, a prototype of a pistol had a trigger pull weight in excess of 12 pounds. During my initial attempt to shoot the pistol, I thought I had left the safety on. Later I tested the trigger weight with my Lyman digital trigger gage, and it went off scale before the shot discharged. I called the manufacturer and reported that the pistol was a non-starter until the problem was resolved. Most airguns, however, sail through the initial “get acquainted” process.

As soon as the weather cooperates, it will be time to get serious. I’ll fit a scope to a rifle, sometimes a scope or red dot to a pistol, and shoot groups. With rifles, typically I will shoot from a casual rest consisting of some old cushions on top of a WorkMate. Frequently I’ll shoot pistols from a sitting position wearing my SteadyAim harness because I find it difficult to shoot pistols from a rest. I’ll try different pellets and do my best to shoot the tightest group I can. Usually I start at 13 yards and then work my way out to 32 yards with a rifle. When group shooting is going great, it is enormous fun; when it is not going so well, it can be frustrating, but it is always interesting and instructive.

After shooting groups, I’ll measure the speed of the pellets with my Oehler chronograph and test the weight of the trigger. During the process, I am taking notes and collecting impressions and thinking about what I am going to tell the readers of this blog. At some point, I’shoot photographs of the airgun, usually outside on an overcast day, to reduce reflections off shiny surfaces. The next step in the review process involves repacking the airgun, shooing those pesky alien packing peanuts back into the box, and returning it to www.airgunsofarizona.com.

My goal in writing the blog is to deliver enough information so that you, the reader, can have some idea of what it is like to shoot the airgun in question. I always appreciate your comments, feedback, and suggestions.

Non-airgun-related postscript: Recently I put together a small book (20 pages) that combines my Christian faith with my passion for sky photography. It’s entitled “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God,” and it’s a free download available here: http://198.154.244.69/blog/about-jock-elliott Just click on click on Download to open or save the file. If you choose to download it, I hope you enjoy it.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott