Field target on a budget

by Harley Ayre

If you are reading this blog, you're interested in precharged airguns. The three top reasons for this interest are:

1. Hunting
   
2. Long-range target shooting
   
3. Field target
   

If field target interests you, you must know about AAFTA - the American Airgun Field Target Association. Their website holds a lot of information about the sport. You will probably be most interested in the rules, which they have put in the handbook. Look under "Shoot Rules" for a description of how a match is run and scored.

Rifle choice
But you are also interested in the guns used for field target. A quick search of the internet and all available printed articles (there aren't many!) show shooters using exotic PCP rifles with expensive scopes, wind gauges and other equipment that looks pricey. That's just in the precharged class, but that's all we're looking at here. The truth about the equipment, however, is that it doesn't have to cost as much as you think. You do need a good PCP rifle in .177 caliber, and you need a good powerful scope mounted on it. A Falcon rifle makes one of the best field target rifles in the world, but if you're on a tighter budget, there's another rifle you'll want to look at - the Air Arms S200. It's a force to be reckoned with!

Target rifle to PCP
The S200 is an example of American hobbyist ingenuity taken to the world-class level. Back in the late 1990s, when some custom airgunsmiths were just beginning to modify 10-meter rifles for field target, several clever field target shooters wondered whether the inexpensive Tau 200 CO2 target rifle could be converted to a PCP. It could with a valve change and hammer/spring adjustments. Voila! The first Tau 200 PCPs were born. Since the rifle already has a fine Czech Republic barrel (they can really rifle a barrel!), it was accurate from the get-go. Air Arms wisely took note of what was happening in this country and quickly secured a deal to import the rifles for themselves - as a PCP field target model!

And, YOU are the winner!
You win because the price has been held in check (no pun intended). Air Arms knows the U.S. is an important market for them, so they do their best to hold prices low, despite the U.S. dollar's continual slip against the Euro. The result is a rifle that can take you to the national championships for way less than $500. Or, if you just want a good shooter - here you go!

Let's examine the gun
The S200 looks like the 10-meter rifle it descended from. But that isn't all bad. In the favored AAFTA sitting position, the short pull (distance from trigger to butt) and deep, flat forearm are exactly what you want. And, the trigger is great. It's not as nice as a world-class 10-meter rifle, of course, but you won't have many complaints. Let's take a look at the potential power. It says 9 to 20 foot-pounds. Note that this rifle comes in both .177 and .22. The .177-caliber model is the only one you want for field target, and its power range is up to a top of about 14 foot-pounds without modification. That would be a 10.6-grain Beeman Kodiak Match pellet moving at about 770 f.p.s. I've shot several matches with a PCP at that velocity and can tell you that it is possible to do very well. The British FT shooters, who are the best in the world generally speaking, shoot at slower speeds than this all the time without a problem! If you still want more speed, use a 7.9-grain Crosman Premier. It'll speed things up to about 830 to 850 f.p.s. Remember that speed, alone, is not the best criterion for pellet selection.

Pick a pellet
The ONLY way to select a good pellet for ANY airgun is to shoot it at the distances you plan on shooting. For 10-meter shooters, that means they only care what a pellet does at 10 meters. Who cares if it completely destabilizes at 60 feet and can't hold a group? As long as it prints the smallest groups at 10 meters, that's all that matters. Field target shooters have to worry about accuracy out to 55 yards, because that is the maximum distance they will encounter in a match. That's a long distance for a pellet to travel, so that's the distance you want to test pellets at. Closer shots will always be more accurate. Don't overlook JSB Exacts and Beeman Field Target Specials. Either one could turn out to be the best for a particular rifle.

Scopes
Most field target shooters want their scopes to have very high magnification, so they can see the target clearly when they adjust the parallax to determine the range. High magnification also helps the precision of your aim. I'm going to recommend the 8.5-25x50mm Mueller Eraticator as my first choice. This scope has a target reticle, which usually isn't good for field target. The thin crosshairs and tiny dot at the center can easily get lost when the sun is playing tricks with your eyes. However, this scope has an illuminated reticle that will make it stand out in situations like this. Leupold scopes had this problem a lot, until airgunners became sophisticated enough to start buying their scopes with visible reticles. With this Mueller scope, you get the precision of a Leupold at less than half the price! The 4-16x looks nice, as well, but I would go with the more powerful scope because it will stretch your precision rangefinding ability out to 35-40 yards. You'll still be able to rangefind at 55 yards, but the image will not be large enough to get an accuracy of less than one yard, which is what I am talking about.

The Swift scopes also represent good value for field target shooters - especially the 8-32x50mm. It's more expensive and it doesn't have an illuminated reticle, but it does have a fine duplex reticle that helps in those times of difficult visibility.

It's up to you
It takes an investment to get into field target shooting - no one denies that. With the S200 rifle, you can have a precision shooting machine for about the same cost as a good springer that could never keep up with this rifle. If field target has been your secret airgunning passion, here's a way to start enjoying it that much sooner!