New air rifle | SouthernPaddler.com

New air rifle

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jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
I finally broke down and bought myself a quality air rifle. It's an RWS model 34 Meistershutze Pro in 177 cal. Sounds high fallutin, but it's nothing fancy.... just a well built, no-nonsense plain jane shooter. I followed some sage advice from bearridge and Tom @ Buzzard Bluff and spent $150.00 more and got something better than the run of the mill Chinese product.

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It's a spring piston gun and takes a bit more practice to shoot well ,but so far I'm shooting it pretty decent. Another friend suggested I use Meisterkugeln pellets and they shot great for me right off the bat. So well, that I went ahead and ordered several thousand.

I've been giving the local starling and sparrow population a bit of grief and hope to take a few squirrels with it this fall. Best thing about it is that I can shoot in my back yard with a gun that acts very much like a 22 LR and not draw attention from the neighbors.


Joey
 
K

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
You must be getting old, Joey. You didn't MAKE THAT GUN YOURSELF. I figured you'd come up here to Michigan, mine the iron ore (Piper San can show you where to get it), smelt it down, cast it, make it into steel by mixing in carbon you'd home made from burnt coconut husks and corn shucks, use a bamboo skewer to drill the barrel, and maybe another skewer to cut rifling grooves, etc. etc.

sigh Now, (sobbing heavily into beer) I've lost faith in the human race. (moaning and wailing permeates the air, gnashing of a couple teeth grinds in a distant background)
 
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Jimmy W

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2006
611
1
north georgia, USA
I have a RWS 34, but it isn't the Meistershutze Pro version. Mine has iron sights and no butt pad and is a 22. I do have a 4X scope on it. It shoots good as long as I do my part.
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Jack, don't think for one minute I didn't consider building one from scratch. :roll: Well, I might have actually bought a couple of hunks of steel instead of making it from ore. Anyway, I figured I'd do my part for the German craftsmen.

It's a fine piece of machinery. Opens and closes like an expensive double barreled shotgun.
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Jimmy W said:
I have a RWS 34, but it isn't the Meistershutze Pro version. Mine has iron sights and no butt pad and is a 22. I do have a 4X scope on it. It shoots good as long as I do my part.
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This one came with a 3-9x40 scope. I like a lot of magnification -- I keep it on 9 power for all shots over 10 yards. It's easier for me to shoot with the higher powers. It's been very accurate so far. I thought about the .22 version, but I'm mostly a plinker and .177 is a bit better for that. .22 is a better choice for hunting, though.
 
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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Kayak Jack said:
With an accurate .22, even a single shot, a guy can stay well fed -
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With a single shot you better be a good shot or plan on going hungry. :roll: It is not recommended but a 177 sure will put a hurting on some tree rats , one shot at a time into there thinking area. ( Talking about 30 or so feet in shooting distance at the max , close in brush hunting )

I know a 177 is for feathers and a 22 is for fur as the general rule. Following that idea what has me confused ( something easy to do ) Lets say a 177 pellet is at 1,200 feet per sec and from the same type/brand/make of the rifle a 22 it is normally 900 feet per sec. Or 300 feet per sec less with a very small weight difference in the weight of the pellets.
I would think the smaller pellet and faster one would have more penetrating power then the slower and larger one which could offer more shock on impact. It seams that either would furnish a supper.

Just thinking out loud since I have both a 177 and a 22 , the 177 has a scope on it and delivers the pellet where the cross hairs are on the target and delivers the goods. The 22 I have had since I was a pre-teen kid.......with good eyes back them. ( Both pump up rifles , Crossman , 22 , Benjamin 177. )
Sure would like to have one like Joeys someday , a let less pumping. :D

Chuck.
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Chuck, I've read about the .177 for feathers quite a few times. Probably is a good general rule but any pellet going 900 fps. is going to ruin a squirrel's day pretty quick IF it's in the right place. A .22 LR bullet in the hind leg won't stop a squirrel. I think my gun will work out fine for the few critters I might take every year.

Joey
 
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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Dam... You guys are quick , posted while I was editing mine. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Joey......

Don't know if you have done this or not....... A pellet rifle is one handy thing to use at night when out getting some Bull Frog Legs for a meal..... It reaches out a lot further then any gig can. Haven't tried it with a scope mounted on the rifle but all I can see is it would make the sight picture a lot easier , just aim between the glowing eyes.

The way the laws have changed it would be best to check them out before doing that but back when we were doing it ( the late 50's and early 60's ) no one cared. Heck , no one was around to even care back then. :D
 
J

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Chuck, I don't know all the laws but I seem to remember that you can't pierce the skin of a frog with any device. That usually meant hand catching or a spring loaded gig with rounded jaws. A .177 pellet at 900fps would definetly do some piercing.

There's not a lot of difference in the actual weight between the 2 calibers but percentage-wise there's a big difference--- from 50% to 100% weight increase. If you plug that into one of those energy formulas, it amounts to a lot. But , I'm with you, a .177 in the right place will do the job on a lot of small game. As in boatbuilding and so many other things, "less" or "weaker" does not equate to "not enough" or "inferior".

Joey
 
K

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
With a .22 and a frog, I never shot the frog. I put the ball right beside him and stunned him. Just picked him up. An easy way is to use a fish pole with a short line, and tie a small piece of some red material onto the hook. Frogs jump to bight it, and often try again if they miss. Swing him into the boat/up on shore and into a pail (with cover).
 
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islandpiper

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2006
2,556
4
Ponchatoula, Louisiana
www.islandpiper.com
How'd you find that out??!! And, it was just cotton tails, not jacks.
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It is one of the old standard JACK BUNYON stories. Jack Bunyon, of course, is the older brother of Paul Bunyon.

Sort of off track here, but not by far: i've been working to reseal my old Crossman 101, C. 1947. I bought the seal kit. Then bought a part which was missing (??). Assembled it all per the manual and it still won't shoot. So, off it goes, with a pocket full of money to a fellow who does this for a living. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.

piper
 
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