Thread: Air rifle advice

Hi All,

Good Advice on the thread. If you are looking for a springer then one can not go wrong with HW77/97 or TX200HC/MKIII. Both quality airguns.

I have a question regarding importing. Is it allowed to import an air gun from abroad? I tried finding on net but not much information is available.

-Inder

My creepy Stoeger RX20 .22 air rifle
I had a brain fade one day in H&F when they were selling them for $299 – seemed like a powerful and fairly silent air rifle – scope and adjustable trigger looked good. I managed to get it reasonably accurate using Javelin rabbiter hollow tip slugs and had a couple of good kills.
I clamped a Southern Star slimline torch on the scope – couldn’t clamp it anywhere else – but probably not a great idea and didn’t get a chance to light up a bunny so have taken it off.
Had two opportunities in last week of so to head shoot a bunny laying low in the garden at about 10m – an eye looked like a good target – but both ran off
So I took it to a safe place to make holes in a cardboard box at 20m – 100mm to the left and 50mm high – no wonder the head shot didn’t work
So the next opportunity after adjusting the scope was a bunny laying low 30m down the lawn – buggar the fancy head shot so went for the middle – whack and he ran off – dog couldn’t find him – but he will be around somewhere
But back to the trigger – I adjusted it to the lightest setting – but there is so much creep that I have developed a jerk at the end of the creep. Is there anyway that I can get rid of the creep?
My thoughts on a Stoeger are not to be printed – it has a very strong spring and I have to bump the barrel to open it – that cant be good for the scope!

Originally Posted by Inder

Hi All,

Good Advice on the thread. If you are looking for a springer then one can not go wrong with HW77/97 or TX200HC/MKIII. Both quality airguns.

I have a question regarding importing. Is it allowed to import an air gun from abroad? I tried finding on net but not much information is available.

-Inder

You should be able to import a spring/gas ram or co2 air rifle without a permit. For a PCP you will need a permit and a firearms licence. for a pistol not much chance of getting a permit.

I finally got to the bottom of why the Stoeger RX20 would not shoot accurately on an ongoing basis
I have had four recent shots at rabbits about 15m away – they all ran off – dog couldn’t find them so must have been a clean miss
I decided to take it down to my range spot to have one more try to get it accurate with some new Gamo hollow point slugs – but thought I should check a variety of screws on the rifle and the scope – the rifle had come loose in the stock – the scope rings were also loose and there were signs that the scope had been sliding forward – I tightened them all – particularly the rear scope ring that was very loose
Down to the range and into a target on a box at 10m – it was about 75mm right and 75mm high – not that long ago that I had it reasonably accurate so something had moved badly – slowly got it into a nice group around the bull and then it went about 75mm right and 75mm high again – I checked the scope rings – the rear ring was loose again and the scope was still sliding forward – tried a couple more series of being accurate to being way out again – either the rear ring is stretching or the screws are stuffed
I resisted the temptation to try Loctite or similar and decided to take it back to Tauranga H&F where I bought it two years ago.
By chance, the Guy who sold it to me and set it up two years ago was at the firearms counter – other than some initial muttering about no warranty after two years – he decided to take the scope and rings off a new Stoeger that he had just set up and fit it onto my gun. After about twenty shots through their indoor 10m tunnel – we jointly agreed it was very accurate and very stable – nothing was moving!
Rob said they sell heaps of them and have no problems. He was going to try my scope out on the new gun and if it moved, he would do a warranty claim.
So how is that for good H&F service and a bloody good salesman! – well done Rob – you are a good buggar!
So I went down the hill to my range spot and put about 30 shots through it – I had to adjust it a bit to suit my hold and my eyes – but I got it into a nice group at 10m – I had to accept that Rob was a lot better with it than me – but the next rabbit that shows up at 10 – 15m is in for a surprise.
I have also switched to Gamo hollow point slugs – they look much more fragile at the front end that the Gun City Javelin hollow point slugs that I had been using.
I had managed to get a couple of back bone hits on rabbits using the Gun City slugs – they deformed a lot and did a heap of spinal damage – but was not humane kill – see picture of two deformed slugs
The trigger is still horrible – it is like a three stage trigger – initial slack – then a long sticky creep – then when I flinch it lets go – I wish there was a solution for the trigger

There is a "RC bearing" mod that can be done to some Stoeger triggers, google it to see if it works for yours.

I have a cheap ruger Hawk thing I got from guncity for like 160 bux, no scope just open sights. Noticed bunny's getting out of hand at work so got there early before anyone turned up. Was surprised how accurate it is, shot placed well kills them good too. Knocked of 6 in 20 minutes and another 4 at smoko while having me coffee.

I made a couple of rollers ages ago.
Put one in my slug gun (didnt do much other some yard plinking and cant remember the model, it's been a while), but it did help.
If I can find them you can have one if it suits

Originally Posted by Inder

Hi All,

Good Advice on the thread. If you are looking for a springer then one can not go wrong with HW77/97 or TX200HC/MKIII. Both quality airguns.

I have a question regarding importing. Is it allowed to import an air gun from abroad? I tried finding on net but not much information is available.

-Inder

I see what you mean.

If you happen to have a firearms licence in your home country you might be able to get a “visitor firearms licence” and a correso ding import permit as if the springer airgun was a firearm.

The two departments you will need to clear it with ate customs and the police. In principle, once you are here in NZ and have the spring airgun, you would be allowed to keep it, just as if youd bought it in NZ. Customs on their web site point you to the police website but you might be able to get more specific advice if you can figure out a phone number yo call and can afford to wait onthe line to get someone who can give advice on airguns.

You could also make a post on the forum asking for contact details of a lawyer specialising in firearms matters (there are a couple) and get in touch.

It will probably be quite straightforward.

My 2 cents of air rifles and what to get

.177 cal. Ignore most of the marketing around .177cal air rifles doing well over 1100fps But if this is your choice, buy heavy pellets of 9.5+ grains to drop the speed to well under 1100fps, buy doing this you will have a more accurate grouping and more energy behind the pellet for those far shots.

.22 is still the overall best all rounder caliber to get for bunny busting and possum control.

.25cal is my favorite, I use a Hatsan 125 sniper, ballistic calculated scope turret and is excellent accuracy with furthest kill shot on a hare at 80m so far to date.

.30cal available from the Hatsan range is very accurate with huge take down power, but the .25 will give you a better range.

Break barrels regardless of make and model will require maintenance, some brands more than others. The most importance is your scope and rings - don't skimp on quality on the scope mounts and make sure every 50 shots that they are tight. Second most important, is the breech bolt that the barrel pivots on is always tight - this is where a lot of the un-accuracy (is this a word?) comes from. I have often had to shim the breech on break barrels to remove the lateral movement when the shot cycle happens. Never ever dry fire an airrifle - I have seen a staff at GunCity dry fire a air rifle - they should have been sacked!

Learn the Artillery hold - see Youtube for this.

On a lot of new air rifles like Gammo and BSA (new BSA's are just rebranded Gammos with different stocks on many of their models) with the polymer barrel shrouds, the actual steel barrel beneath the polymer is not very strong and the barrels are easily bent!

There also has been a shift with manufactures making lighter weight air rifles, heavier rifles and wooden stocks actually make it more accurate to shoot. BSA's with Gammo running gear but with the wooden BSA stocks will outshoot the Gammo for accuracy because they are heavier. light + high power rifles kick like a wounded bull and are terrible to master.

You also want to spend some money on different pellets for see what your rifle actually likes to shoot, also dont skimp on quality pellets, H&N and JSB are two of the best brands, once you have decided on the best pellet for your rifle, don't change it.

light weight and PBA pellets - dont even bother...!