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DaveR · Member

Hey guys,

I recently went to a range with a friend of mine and decided to try stretching out my Beeman Elite X2 to 50 and 100 yrds. Being a springer I knew this would be a true challenge more of MY shooting than of the gun. I did alright at 50, but at 100 it was pretty rough.

I was using the .22 barrel with RWS Meisterkugeln pellets. The gun seems to like them. I may put on the .177 barrel and see if the added fps make a difference.

Does anyone have suggestions on long range shooting with a springer?

I would also like to give my Benjamin 397 a few rounds at 50 and 100 and see how she does? Suggestions on pellets for that?

Thanks in advance for humoring my curiosity.

rsterne · Moderator

First suggestion is to try and find a round nosed pellet that the gun likes.... Wadcutters tend to lose accuracy at longer ranges.... and they have a dismal Ballistics Coefficient so they bleed off velocity very quickly.... causing a rainbow trajectory at long range.... Try Crosman Premier, JSB Exact, H&N FTT....

Bob

DaveR · Member

Fantastic. Thank you so much Bob. I appreciate the input.

-Dave

Slavia · Moderator

I do it all the time. I use a modified Crosman G1 in .177 with the scope that came with the rifle (3X-9X, 32mm, AO, mil-dot reticle). I use Crosman Ultramag 10.5 grain pellets (round nose) and a Ram-Line bipod. The target is a 10" pot lid bolted to a bicycle carrier rack:

1. Rsterne is completely right about finding round nosed pellets that your gun likes. It makes a big difference.

2. My range has a 100 yard berm that has been "tenderized" - this is good. In dry weather I can use the little puffs of dust to see where I'm shooting, and the mil-dot reticle mades it easy to compensate.

3. I use the pot lid because I can tell when I hit it. If I shoot at paper I spend all my time walking back and forth just to find the little holes. The sound and how the lid flexes tell you where you're hitting within the disk.

4. 95% of shooting a pellet at that range is "reading" the wind. You look for mirages that might indicate updrafts, leaf and grass deflection, the feel on your face, noise from trees that indicates an approaching gust, etc. A little puff can send you off several feet.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Are those bicycleparts, Slav? Razz

Slavia · Moderator

The stand is a rear carrier from a junked bicycle (county recycling center). The pot lid (saucepan) cost 50 cents at a thrift store.

bobtodrick · Member

I've got less power than you, but I agree with those suggesting domed pellets.
At 30m my Slavia is very accurate with Meisters...but at 50m groups grow from .75" to 4 or 5". Switching to JSB Exacts (domed) brings the groups back to about 1".

Slavia · Moderator

DaveR · Member

Excellent. I appreciate all the input.

LDH® · Member

I can bomb squirrels sitting on the fence posts by shooting down the fence line at 100+ yards all day long with Polymag Predators and a 4X32