Henry Rifle Forums

I've been putting in a lot of serious airgun range time, shooting from a rest and punching paper for group size. Definitely not my preferred offhand and fun plinking, but I've become a bit OCD about pushing my springer shooting to see if I can get my springers to shoot close to the same 50 yard accuracy level as our PCPs. After all, our springers are top of the line and I've been shooting springers for many years, now. So how close have I come to getting my springers to shoot with the same accuracy as our PCPs at 50 yards?

As far as average group size or even smallest possible group size, the PCPs can't be beat. Just that simple. That doesn't mean, though, springers haven't performed well at 50 yards, especially in terms of shooting consistency and it's consistency, rather than smallest group size that is the biggest challenge with a springer and what I most value in a springer.

Surprisingly, it's not as simple as picking the springer with the least recoil as the best choice for accurate and consistent 50 yard work. In fact, much to my amazement, it's been the springer with the sharpest and snappiest recoil that has most impressed me for 50 yard work. It's one of our FWB Sports that's so far been the most consistent shooter for me. Go figure.


Using two inch bulls, I've gone as many as 25 shots in a row with the Sport keeping every shot in the bull. The limiting factor for me with the FWB Sport is the cocking effort. It's enough to catch up with me after 25 shots or so. After all, this break barrel is our most powerful springer. That said, it does cock very smoothly. Here's 16 shots in a row.
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Just in the nick of time, too. I was getting ever more tempted to just go PCP and forget springers, altogether.

And when it comes to shooting steel at 50 yards, the Sport slaps steel very hard, same as our PCPs, because the velocity is right there with our most powerful PCPs.

By the way, that dueling tree that Al recommended is great. Lots of fun for 50 yard work and the silver finished paddles show up welt that distance.


Now that my faith in springers has been restored, time to lighten up and go back to some fun shooting.

Im glad you like that dueling tree. I love mine but my animals were painted white when I got mine. I like that little target holder in the top also. Those yellow silly wet targets look familiar to I also have 2 sets or those. That chicken spends alot of time laughin at me. Nice shooting with the springer. I have yet to try at 50 yards but someday will get that done when my neighbor and I can get together and use both backyards. Maybe someday I will get close to a PCP but right now the Weihrauchs are both the only game in town at my house

Yeah, those chickens are tough at even 30 yards with the springers. PCPs make short work of them at 50 yards. That's the difference between springers and PCP.

For the sake of comparison, here's some typical PCP groups, as in groups I can repeat on demand when there's not too much of a breeze. Shot this week, too, along with the springers. Made for a very fair comparison.


And here's the PCPs that shot those groups. Top to bottom: CZ 200S, Daystate Revere, Daystate CR97


That's why springers can't compete directly with PCPs. In the few target sports that even have folks shooting springers, the springers have to have their own class.

Well all three of those rifles are sweet as can be. But my fav of that bunch would be the Daystate. I have looked at some of the other lower end PCP's but that Made in China mark turns me away. The Avenger is a nice rifle but as I said Made in China just doesnt do much for me. I considered a Crosman Cayden but by the time you buy all the other gear its a major investment. Ill just spring it for now.

Not too crazy about all the China made guns, either, but what really concerns me are all the scopes now made in China. Oh, they're functional enough, but I really miss my Nikons. The scope I have on that FWB in the above pic is the Leupold Freedom 3-9x EFR. Not crazy about spending so much, BUT the Leupold is so much lighter and compact than all these Chinese made airgun scopes and the optics are excellent. I'm just going to bite the bullet and buy a couple more Leupolds.

The Daystates are top tier PCPs for sure. The Czech made CZ, though, is a super gun for the money. You can still buy the 200T target version for $500 and construction quality is typical CZ. You can shop around for a used 200S, given these CZ 200 series guns have been around a very long time and have a great track record for accuracy and reliability.

That’s a nice trio of airguns. I’m glad I picked up a couple Nikons last winter.