AOA Blog

Today’s article comes from a new writer to this BLOG, but a known person in the airgun community.  We are proud to have on board, Steven Scialli from the Airgun Exploration & Advancement Channel on YouTube.

Without further delay we give you Steve’s first entry:

I can remember a time not long ago when it seemed like not much shot well without a tune up and word on the street was that airguns were for kids. A lots changed in 15 years. Before the arrival of the internet sensationalizing the long range airgun kill, most of us were perfectly content to spend our winters plunking away in our basements or across the backyard come summer. To dispatch the occasional feeder-burglar without the neighbors finding out was to declare airgun victory… and afterwords, the rifle would go right back into the hallway closet. After all, with the rimfire touting hundreds of 50 yard rabbit dinners and firmly rooted at the front of the safe, it never even occurred to most of us to try with the old windgun… that just wasn’t the culture here in the States back then. So what happened?

We’re evolving. With costs of powder burning ammunition on the rise and background checks & special permissions becoming evermore obstructive, some of us began to look for a better way and although we didn’t know it then, collectively we were seeking the same light. Luckily for us, industry entrepreneurs were counting on it and were already well along in the development of economical, powerful, good handling, good looking, quiet, and insanely accurate airguns. With our methodology & second amendment rights never in question until recently, many of us hadn’t looked up but for those that did, are today enjoying a world of performance & value without the headache.

Still looked upon by the masses as a stocking stuffer, these machines of excellence have migrated firmly into; “can kill your ass at 100 yards” territory and most Americans still have no idea. For those of you that don’t live stateside, we are of a gun culture but unlike our friends across the oceans, the word gun is always synonymous with gun powder. Powder burners are everywhere here, transcending age & gender, and apart from the lobbyists & current administration, are a part of Americana held in high regard. I own them myself and being a police officer by trade, I was sourced of it’s allure. But I sense a change in the wind… a shift in acceptance if you will, and we’re right on top of it. America has begun to furrow a brow at real guns and it’s become fashionable for White House administrations to do as they please without the support of Congress. My advise is that if you like your shooting lifestyle, you may want to get involved or at the very least, take a harder look at air power.

I get it all the time on my YouTube channel… “$1,800 for that? Why not just buy a real gun?” I make it a point never to answer.. not out of laziness or arrogance, but because the answer was in the video they just watched and they didn’t even realize. Pneumatic newcomers take note: airguns are more fun to own… it’s really that simple. Our popgun crowd all seem to be cut from the same cloth. We like our toys sophisticated, reliable, handsome, hi-performing, and above all… we like them damn civilized. Tall order, right? Nope. Enter the modern airgun.

Invest $100 to $500 and you’re taking home a more primitive degree of civility, granted, but virtues common to the price point are power, accuracy, reliability, good looks, and darn good triggers. Raise your sights to over $1,000 and you’ve entered a realm of lavish air-power pampering that’s hard to put into words until you’ve tried it. For those of you previously propelling via chemical reaction and whom have already been assimilated into the gang, you know what I’m talking about. These guns generate 20-40 foot pounds of energy with ease, and are more than accurate enough to take head shots on 10 pound critters out past 100 yards. They’re well made and while of course you can get one with issues now & then, by and large they’ll last long enough to pass down through generations. The glory isn’t in the performance though… not really. It’s in the shooting experience. These guns are generally recoil-less, are often fitted with silencers from the factory, fit ya like hand in glove, transmit super slick firing cycles, and can even be had with enough chutzpah to take down wild game like bear & elk. The fact that competition barrels & triggers are also the norm is only triumphed by the piece of lumber or polymer that gun calls home. Sure there are some pieces of support equipment that you’ll need to make it all go boom but that’s all part of the fun… fun we’ll save for another day.

Although modern airgunning is in it’s infancy in America, over the past decade it’s gained great momentum in variety and sophistication. Perhaps shooting enthusiasts are being pushed there, perhaps they’re bored with powder and just want a change, but one thing’s for certain… EVERYONE that picks one up and shoots it for the very first time says the exact same thing, “that’s an airgun?”

So go grab a friend and show em’ a better way.

YouTuber & Columnist,

Steve Scialli

AEAC

Has it really been nearly seven years and over 350 blogs? That can’t be true. It seems like just yesterday I got a phone call from www.airgunsofarizona.com They had seen my writing in one of the magazines – perhaps it was Precision Shooting or The Accurate Rifle – and they wondered if I would like to do a weekly blog for them.

It didn’t take long to say “Yes,” and a wonderful partnership was born. Airguns of Arizona would send me air rifles, air pistols, and various accessories, and I would write about them. The good folks at AoA were remarkably light-handed. Not once – ever – did they ask me to change how I wrote about something. Their attitude was always: “tell the truth,” and that policy, I think, has served everyone well.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to write about hundreds of air rifles and air pistols. I’ve also written repeatedly about safety – a big thing in my universe. Make no mistake about it: airguns should be handled with all the care and respect you would give a firearm. You owe it do yourself and those around you, at all times and without exception.

Along the way, I’ve also had the opportunity to talk to airgun designers and manufacturers and to interview airgunning champions about how they shoot and train. Exploring the previous years of posts in the blog will uncover a wealth of useful information. For those who are new to airgunning, checkout Airguns 101 — http://198.154.244.69/blog/airguns-101 . It comprises a basic course in the essentials of airgunning. Originally the material there was destined to be included in a book, but last year, faced with a tough winter and little opportunity to shoot, I turned the chapters in the book-to-be into a series of blogs.

And that brings me to a common misconception about the blog. Many people assumed that, because I was writing for Airguns of Arizona, that I am located in Arizona. Nope. I’m in upstate New York, where we have winter. As a write this, there is snow on the ground and the wind is howling. Some years, we had “open” winters which allowed me to keep shooting. Other years, I concentrated on pistols during the snowy months. Last year, it was Airguns 101 that kept the blog going.

The folks at Airguns of Arizona have been absolutely wonderful to deal with: kind, patient, and helpful. I couldn’t ask for better partners in doing a blog. And the readers have been wonderful as well, offering useful comments and asking insightful questions.

Early in 2014, however, I found out that sometime during 2013 or late 2012, I had a heart attack. I didn’t know that I had a heart attack, but it left me with permanent scar tissue on the heart muscle. So I’ve decided to slow down and give up doing a regular weekly blog. I will still show up here from time to time, testing guns and interviewing people. So I won’t be gone from the blog, just not here as often.

In meantime, I am continuing to pursue my passion for combining my Christian faith with photographing the sky. After all, “the Heavens declare the Glory of God.” Here’s a link to my free e-book with the same name: http://198.154.244.69/blog/about-jock-elliott You don’t have to sign up or give your email. You’ll also find a link to my one-and-only YouTube video.

So am I riding off into the sunset? Actually, it’s more like I’m riding off to photograph the sunset. But I’ll be back from time to time, and I wish all of you my very best.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott