The Talon: A real PCP bargain!

by Harley Ayre

I get lots of questions from shooters who want to break into PCPs guns but are concerned about the high prices. Well, I've tested the heck out of the AirForce Talon, and I can recommend it to anyone! No, I don't mean the Talon SS. That's the quiet rifle with the shrouded 12" barrel. It's a great air rifle, too, but I want to talk about the Talon today.

Basic specifications
The Talon is the least expensive AirForce rifle. It has an 18" barrel and comes in both .177 and.22 calibers. Because all AirForce airguns feature rapid barrel changing, you can swap the caliber or the length of your barrel in about five minutes. The Talon is lightweight, at just 5.5 lbs. The reservoir, which also serves as the rifle's buttstock, comes off in seconds, making the gun very transportable in a small package.

The 18" barrel
Let's consider the barrel that comes with the rifle for a moment. At 18", it delivers higher velocity than the 12" barrel on the Talon SS. The muzzle energy potential for a .22 caliber Talon climbs up over 30 foot-pounds when heavy pellets are used. And that's great because the 21-grain Beeman Kodiak is wonderfully accurate in this rifle. The best pellet by far is the 16-grain JSB Exact, and Beeman Field Target Specials are no slouch, either.

Power adjustability
All AirForce air rifles have a power adjustment wheel, but on the Talon it's notable. The 18" barrel gives you tremendous adjustability. Not only does the top end go higher with this barrel, the bottom end also goes lower, and with more consistency! The Talon is more adjustable than the SS, unless you install either the 18" or 24" optional barrel on the SS. Fine velocity variations in the middle ranges are also possible.

Noise
The Talon is not loud like the Condor, but it's louder than the Talon SS. When you dial back the power so the pellet moves as fast as the SS at its top speed, the difference on sound level isn't that great. And, on low power with the pellet squirting out at 450 f.p.s., the Talon is positively a whisper!

Accuracy
Let's clear this up right now - a long barrel does not increase accuracy - at least not with airguns (it may help with primitive black powder rifles). On some guns that have both the front and rear sights mounted to the barrel a longer barrel increases the sight separation, making it easier to sight with precision, but all the AirForce air rifles must either be scoped or mounted with AirForce open sights that attach to the frame instead of the barrel. So, a longer barrel contributes nothing to the sighting precision.

On a calm day, you can expect to shoot groups under one inch in size, center to center, at 50 yards. If your gun doesn't do that for some reason, clean the barrel with JB Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound on a brass brush. Starting from the breech, run the brush through the barrel. Go 20 times in both directions, then remove all traces of cleaning compounds with dry patches. That will restore your barrel to top accuracy.

Since I mentioned the AirForce open sights, I must say that they are one of the few accessories I don't care for. They're fiberoptic and extremely adjustable, but a scope brings out so much more potential accuracy that I see no reason to get the open sights.

Bipod
After a scope, a bipod is the number one accessory an AirForce airgun buyer purchases. There's good reason, too. Besides shooting stability, the bipod also makes it easy to set the rifle down almost anywhere. It acts as a portable rifle stand. Folded up for offhand shooting, it stays out of the way and is so light that it adds next to no weight to the gun. If you buy any AirForce air rifle, plan on getting a bipod, too, at some time.

AirForce sells a lot more SSs and Condors than straight Talons, but that's not a reflection on the rifle. In fact, the Talon is the best deal in the whole AirForce lineup! If you shop prices, you'll soon discover that it's a pretty good deal for all PCPs, as well.