Sky Bandits Beware!

Ladobe · June 23, 2008, 06:48:30 PM

Finally took a plunge yesterday I had planned to do years ago and just never got around to. Back from well before Beeman stopped being a distributor of them.

Found and bought a nearly brand new Beeman Crow Magnum IV in .20 caliber to wreck more absolute havoc on the pigeons who regularly raid my song bird, dove, quail and cottontail feeders, and killed many of the small puff ball baby quail I had earlier this season.

I have been after them with the only 2 pellet arms I had, both Daisy 717 .177 Target pistols. They are easily accurate enough even out to 30-35 yards, but so underpowered. So much so that even at 15 yards short of head shots or ones from an angle that would let the pellets crawl under the feathers, most just fly off to return later in the day to Café Ladobe.

So enter the CM IV, which can drop jacks in their tracks at 60 yards. In a couple of days when the rifle gets here and I can get the Weaver V-16 mounted on it, Sky Bandits will start to become an endangered if not extinct species at my place.

Only fly in the soup... I hope I can cock it without splitting a gut. Takes 60 pounds worth, so it is not a good choice for target shooting or informal plinking.

Larry

HaMeR · June 23, 2008, 07:13:10 PM

Nice lookin rig Larry.

That otta lay the smack to those damn pigeons.

BTW-- On another Forum I frequent the air gunners over there say the springer style guns shoot with a reverse recoil which tends to eat up scopes. I don't know anymore about this than what I've read tho. Good Luck bustin those pigeons!!

alscalls · June 23, 2008, 08:13:08 PM

I have two Beeman R-9's one in .20 cal. and one in .177 cal. I love em both and now ya can choose from a wide range of pellets two. Some are even hand turned to very tight tolerances and packed in soft foam to keep the dings out.
I just use the beeman crow magnum hollow points, they say it is the largest hollow point........I just know it wacks the crap out of stuff!!

You can also buy a pellet seater to seal the rear of the pellet to the chamber for a more constant air seal.
My next on hopefully will be pneumatic and clip fed but they are real pricey right now.

Hawks Feather · June 23, 2008, 09:35:11 PM

You guys start talking air guns and I will have to get mine out and start shooting them again.

Jerry

Ladobe · June 24, 2008, 05:42:46 AM

The Crow Magnum is not a springer in the sense that it does not use a coil spring for power. It uses the Theoben high efficiency gas ram system with a piston, floating weight and seal that are very consistent, very reliable, have no maintenance and do not loose power even over 10's of thousands of shots fired like a springer starts doing almost from day one. The HE system also deadens recoil, but the rifle is so powerful it still requires a scope and mount that are built to take heavy air gun recoil. This one is coming with a special dampening scope mounting system that will also help scopes survive. The Weaver V-16 is rated for heavy recoiling air guns, but if it doesn't survive, I'll buy a Hawke Air Max for it and that will be the last scope it will ever need. I'll be shooting the Crow Magnum HP's, Beeman Kodiak and JSB Diablo Exacts in it. Two of the heaviest hunting pellets offered in .20 caliber, and the most consistent and precisely made LR pellet there is. All are known for giving extreme precision in this rifle, and the hunting pellets for being the deadliest there is on game. The CMHP will expand to double caliber even on a pigeon, the Kodiak has the weight to buck air currents and retain high energy, the Exacts offer long range precision. No doubt the 10 meter and precharge pneumatics have gotten very pricey, but this rifle was not cheap either. New in 2004 it set the original owner back $1445 plus the professional trigger job, special scope mount and logo rifle case. It's only been shot about 300 times, so its not even broken in yet and is still virtually brand new. This one also has a nicer piece or wood on it. With twice the cocking effort required over a springer, I may have to build a cocking stand for it, but I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun to play with and very deadly on game.

Get them out Jerry. I was joking with a long time hunting buddy last night on the phone that always came down from WA for the annual 10 day Digger Wars shoots I hosted. I suggested I ought to schedule another one, but unlike the last one that was "The Year of the Seventeens" (.172 firearms only), make this one air guns only. He has a RWS 48, so he's game (he'd show up if it was slingshots or rubber bands). We would have to lift the gentleman's agreement at Digger Wars though that states no shots can be taken under 150 yards. If I changed it to 75 yards, with the CM I'll be getting most all of the squirrels.

KySongDog · June 24, 2008, 07:04:24 AM

Have any of you guys ever tried the Aguila Super Colibri .22 ammo? It is a 20 gr bullet powered by the primer only (no powder). 500 fps and 11 ft pounds at the muzzle. It is extremely quiet out of a single shot rifle (although they don't recommend shooting it in a rifle) For close in targets it might be an alternative to consider. It'll eat up tin cans easily.

Another alternative is the CCI CB long. It is a bit more powerful than the Aguila but is a little louder too I think.

Semp

alscalls · June 24, 2008, 04:51:10 PM

Cool air rifle target...........................Paintballs

nastygunz · June 24, 2008, 06:37:05 PM

Semp I use the .22 caps out of both rifle and revolver they work slick and are actually quieter then my airgun. I just whacked 2 squirrels out of the bird feeder this past weekend.

Ladobe · June 24, 2008, 06:47:38 PM

500 MV and 11 MV verses 900+ MV and 25 ME shooting a pellet still retaining more velocity and energy well past 50 yards than the Colibri starts out with is like comparing a five and dime cork pop gun to a top of the line Weatherby Magnum.

:roflmao: Alternative :roflmao:

Sorry Semp, I couldn't resist.

KySongDog · June 24, 2008, 07:18:30 PM

Quote from: Ladobe on June 24, 2008, 06:47:38 PM
500 MV and 11 MV verses 900+ MV and 25 ME shooting a pellet still retaining more velocity and energy well past 50 yards than the Colibri starts out with is like comparing a five and dime cork pop gun to a top of the line Weatherby Magnum.

:roflmao: Alternative :roflmao:

Sorry Semp, I couldn't resist.

No problem, Ladobe.

For those of us who can't afford a $1,500 BB gun, I thought it might be a reasonable alternative.

Semp

HaMeR · June 24, 2008, 09:21:46 PM

Looks like you did your homework Larry!! Good to hear you've got a good rig that otta give you a lot of years of service!!

KySongDog · June 25, 2008, 11:34:35 AM

Hey Ladobe

Are you by any chance visiting Wimbledon? Looks like they need your help. :roflmao:

See Pigeons

Semp

Ladobe · June 25, 2008, 05:28:43 PM

Saw the link to the story on another site yesterday. I couldn't help them even if the rifle had been here... I kind of like the idea of poop on yuppie Gucci Sunbonnets.

BTW, its here! Pictures didn't do it justice - not even close. What a finely made and beautiful shooting machine. No scope mounted yet, but you just know I couldn't wait. Took a pop at the trunk of my small globe willow tree just looking through the scope rings with a Beeman Kodiak pellet... and torn out a huge chunk. Opps! No doubt that this rifle will kill pigeons and much, much larger game... AND quarter AND bury them.