Hi guys,

This last Saturday found some time and went to the range with the Prairie Hawk 8mm. It was a clear sunny day and the temperature was close to 85 degrees.

This was the first time that I shoot it since its arrival to Puerto Rico. Zeroing the scope at 50 yds. was a very easy task and immediately I moved to 100 yds.

I did shot a couple of paper targets, but mostly all my shooting was done to spinning steel targets. This time I wanted to challenge myself, so I got a 2” by 2” square steel spinning target.

It didn’t lasted long before it was all bent.

This time I didn’t shot trophy groups but it’s funny because at 100 yards a 10 shots group that started as a good one, suddenly a flyer at 11 o’ clock and the next shot another flyer at 7 o’ clock. The funny thing is that the next two shots were right over the two flyers. You will see six shots close together and two double shots. (The flyers)

Here is a guy that had never shot an air gun before in his life. I did explain how to aim to the target at 100 yards and two for two. He was shooting at the other spinning target that I showed on a previous post. What a happy face!

This rifle packs enough energy to spin the larger spinning target three times at 100 yards. I was impressed.

Just a note: the setup that I was using was a carbon fiber tank connected directly to the rifle with the regulator set at 3,800 psi. I was shooting the 190 grains twin tail slugs; actually I shot 100 of them. When I started the session the cf tank had 4,300 psi, after the 100 shots the tank still had 3,500 psi.

For my next trip to the range I plan to lower the regulator to 2,500 psi and change the slug for the 100 grain bishop. I’ll bet that I could squeeze at least 100 more shots out of this tank. I’ll keep you posted.

All in all I had a great time!

Julio

Excellent Julio!

And, I spent some of the morning still carrying in things from the Mississippi shoot. And putting away a few things that I'd set off to the side of the driveway to pack the War Wagon. Had to hook up the trailers, pump up a bunch of small tires on hand carts and wagons .... etc. All in a freezing wind. And there you were .... sitting shooting in 85 degree weather! I sure hope someone in a warm climate decides they need a live in airgunsmith! hehehe.

Glad the gun did so well. Gosh ... you really got some fine air efficiency out of it.

Just for kicks ... run a few oiled patches thru the barrel when fliers start to appear. Just could help. Then too ... that's a very complicated slug. While Jerry and Company do a great job ... very small differences can appear. You need to sort critically. BTW ... I do a half decent job of casting too ... and I set aside a bunch of slugs at the range (for shorter range blasting). Just a thought. Now ... I better leave before Jerry gets here ....

I love to see the guns go to the range. Love to see the reports. Gosh ... you and Kent posted shooting!!! It's ... like Christmas ... or something ...

Gary

Hello Julio,

Looks like great fun! 85 degrees in December? It is a balmy -15 F here!

Nice shooting, looks like you almost got a clover leaf?

Pedro

Very nice and informative post. Airguns and there power/accuracy still amaze me to this day. Gary is da man

Hi Gary and Pedro,


85 degrees in December is normal for the Tropics. Here the weather is really steady.

Yes Gary, I need to pay more attention when selecting the slugs. Last Saturday I just took them out of the bag, oiled them and shoot them. No critical selection was done during the shooting session.

Thanks for the advice...

Julio

Hey buddy,

That range looks like the same one I've seen in other pictures, from other posters on the yellow forum. Any idea how many ranges are on the island? Have you ever met any other air gun shooters there?

I noticed that after pulling back on the heavy hammers required for big bores that my groups opened up after a while. I suspect the shooter gets tired and shakey from pulling back on the heavy springs.

Way to pound that spinner!

Lon

Hi Lon,

I believe that we have ten or twelve ranges on the island. All of them were built using the same layout plan, that’s why they look so similar… (I’m just kidding) Close to the Metropolitan Area there are only two.

I know that there are two other guys who shoot air guns in this particular range. One of them owns an Eun Jin Sumatra .22 and a Marauder .177, the other guy owns a Sam Yang Big Bore 909. Maybe one or both of them are posting in other forums.

I know that on the West side of the island there is a group of maybe 25 shooters that organized a FT circuit a few years ago and it’s still active.

Yes, I can testify about the shooter getting tired after pulling the heavy hammer spring.

Hey Lon I would like to wish good luck to you in your condo mission!

Julio



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2010 03:51PM by Julio.

Julio,

Thanks, I'm going to need all the luck I can muster with the Miami condo thing.

I think it's the FT group I see posting from time to time. I asked one of them if they knew a guy named Julio and he said, "The handsome guy on the east side with all the neat big bores?"

Lon

Julio:

Beautiful weather,beautiful gun. I must admit to some jealousy, sitting here in 30 degree weather...at least its not colder (like where Gary, Jerry, Jim, Joe...hey I'm feeling better already ).

Karl

Julio
A great looking day, a great range, a special gun and 100 shots. What more could you ask for!
Cheers
Neil

30 Degrees! Hah!!!! I'd be wearing shorts!!@!

Hey, the sky looked just like your picture here today! It was 20 degrees out but it looked really nice.... Know what I like about Winter? Not a (this term has been deleted by moderator) thing!

The efficiency of that gun is remarkable. I think the builder ought to get to the patent office!

Gary's right about sorting the slugs, there can be tiny flaws that only show up at extreme range or power conditions. Those were not "match grade" either so there will be the normal variation in weight. It could be that we had to refill the pot to get that order of fairly heavy slugs done and it is inevitable that if the lead is changed during casting, the weight of the slugs changes a little bit (unless everything you have to melt is exactly the same). Having both fliers doubled is kinda odd though. Bet you can't do that again!

I hope the Bishops work for you. I don't know that there is any test data on those in your gun...

Hi Jerry,

We did some shooting at MS with the bishops. Certainly I have no recorded data.

Hopefully I'll go to the range on Saturday and bring the camera with me. I'm running out of 8mm slugs, so an order is on its way.

Take care,

Julio

Yes - I recall the 8mm were new then ... and you gave them an excellent field trial. Even hitting the targets at the 140 yard ... knocking the heavy steel over as I recall. And those were the ones you were "edge shooting" the twisted targets at 100 yards, I think.

The fact that you can set the gun to shoot the bishops from a 2,500 psi fill makes a great way to get the most from the tanks. Hope you have fun.

Yes please - take pics.

Gary

Just looked at your post again Julio. Great session - wish I'd been there. ;?)

I was wondering if they would allow you to set out some wood blocks, etc. It would be fun to note the power those huge long 8mm slugs pack. The steel swinger target shows it. That's true. I like splinters and big blown out chunks of wood too. haha. I'll bet that, if you would set out some blocks of something like 2 by 8 or 2 by 10 framing material (that would actually measure 1 1/2" thick by 9 1/4" wide) you can stick a target on the front. If they were set one behind the other - with about 6-12 inches between them, I'll bet the slug would go thru a couple of them.

Fun to watch on video with telephoto.

I've got to get something back out to the range. I'm just been building - and it's been so cold for my old bones.

Hey - we need some more "smilies" too. I'll have to draw some ....

Gary

I thought all the MS shooting was with the long slugs and that was why they got used up so fast! It's great that the Bishops are accurate as well. A lot less lead in the Bishops...