Start a field target club!

by Harley Ayre

You don't know any other airgunners in your area and there are no places to shoot field target. You hardly know what field target is, except what you've read on the internet and in magazines. Join the club! Or, better yet, start one!

You're probably SURROUNDED by airgunners!
There are airgunners (plural) on Kodiak Island, so you are probably not alone in your hobby, regardless of where you live. When I got started in adult airguns, I thought I was alone, too. Then, I found ONE GUY who liked to shoot, and together we started shooting at field targets. We met at a gun show.

We were pathetic!
We knew nothing about FT, except that it existed. We didn't even know there was an American Airgun Field Target Association (AAFTA), let alone that they have a website with their full rule book online! What we did was buy two field targets at a local gun store. Actually, what we bought were not official field targets, they were knock-down targets for .22 rimfire that happened to LOOK like field targets. As I said - we were pretty naive.

We took our two targets out to a piece of land my new buddy owned and we staked them to the ground with landscaping spikes. Backing up 30 yards, we started knocking them down - whoop-de-do! After a few minutes of that, we were bored. The kill zones on our targets were 2.5" in diameter, so it was pretty hard to miss. We backed up to about 40 yards and made things harder. A LOT harder, as it turned out! The farther back you are from anything, the harder it is to hit with an airgun. I enjoy reading the forums where the guys talk about 50-, 75- and 100-yard hits they make. I can tell by what they say whether or not they've ever shot an airgun at those ranges.

We grew
A local guy heard of my friend shooting field target, and he asked us to come by and give a demonstration to a few of his friends. By this time, my friend and I owned four targets, and two of them were the real deal! We set up the four targets in a woods setting and shot at them from two different firing points - making a total of eight targets. Two shots at each target from each position made for a 16-shot impromptu match!

The other guys didn't even own adult air rifles, so I loaned them my TX200 and my de-tuned Career 707, and my friend loaned them his RWS 45. We all had a good time, and the other three guys decided to try this for real. Each of them bought a field target and I bought another one, which gave us a total of eight targets. Our first "match" was shot at those eight targets with two shots each from two different firing positions. The total was 32 shots. One of the guys brought a Diana 27, which didn't do well, and I loaned my Career, TX and my FWB 124 to anyone who wanted to use them.

That day, a club was born. Each shooter then bought an adult air rifle and one additional target, bumping our club total to 13 targets. The next month, we held our first match under AAFTA rules. Two other local guys, who heard about us from some of the guys in the group, joined in. Within the next four months, our ranks swelled to 15 shooters and 20 targets. Guys started buying PCPs and better scopes, and we never looked back. That club is still in operation today, nine years after we held the first demo shoot. They charge a five dollar entry fee now and they own more than 60 field targets, plus a lot of fancy support equipment.

You can do the same thing if you want to. All it takes is one field target and an adult air rifle, and you're off and running. Targets are sold many places, so you won't have the difficulty we had finding them 10 years ago. Adult airguns are available on this website, including great field target rifles!

Why .22 caliber interest is on the rise

by Harley Ayre

Twenty-two was the airgun caliber of choice in America until the 1970s, when the rise of the Beeman company changed American airgunner's tastes. It was good for Americans to experience .177, as well, because it has some benefits. Low cost is one of them, and the accuracy of .177 is undisputed - being fully the equal on .22 and the other calibers. But for hunting and long-range shooting, .177 is in last place.

For hunting, you want .22!
The .22 pellet has so many advantages when it comes to hunting. First, it is almost twice the weight of .177 - and sometimes well above that. Weight is important for hunters because it retains the energy imparted by the air rifle. It also helps buck stray wind currents, though all diabolo pellets have a problem with wind. The second big advantage of .22 is its size. It punches a much larger hole in game, and that is desirable because of the shock it transmits to the animal. The .177 has often been criticized for shooting clear through a game animal without causing enough immediate damage. The animal can then escape - something no responsible hunter wants. But, .22 reaches out and smacks the target with a resounding thump!

For long-range shooting, it's .22!
Though .22 moves slower than .177 in most spring airguns, in powerful PCPs the velocity advantage is nonexistent. Both calibers are up against the supersonic barrier. So, .22 carries its velocity further downrange with the added weight of the pellet; with the increased wind resistance, it is the long-range rifleman's caliber of choice.

What pellet?
On the subject of pellets, which one is good for hunting and long range? There are three winners right here at Airhog. The Beeman Kodiak is a long-time favorite. Its extra weight is perfect for more powerful PCPs, such as the FN19-SB with its 19" barrel, the Prairie Falcon 25 with its 21" barrel and the AirForce Condor with its 24" barrel. As you know, barrel length is one way to get power in a PCP rifle, and these three have what it takes to launch the 21-grain Kodiak far downrange.

The other two pellets that are good in most air rifles and in all PCPs are Crosman Premiers and JSBs. Premiers and JSBs vie for most accurate pellet in most rifles, with JSB taking the honor about 75 percent of the time. These are the pellets that will shoot the half-inch groups at 50 yards in .22 and also in .177, if the day is very calm.

What about .25 caliber?
Twenty-five caliber holds a mystique for American airgunners because it seems so rare and exotic. Only a few American airguns have ever been made in this caliber. About 10 years ago, .25 caliber was a good choice for a PCP rifle because heavy .22 pellets weren't available. But that has changed, and 28-grain diabolo pellets are now common. Solids up to 37 grains are also available for the few rifles that can stabilize them, such as the Condor. You don't need to go to the more expensive .25 caliber pellets to get the weight you need for serious hunting. I'd say that .25 caliber has lost some of its luster, though the caliber will probably remain simply for the novelty.

All things considered, a shooter with a .22 PCP has the right equipment for long-accurate shooting.