Type:Pellet Rifle. Manufacturer: Beeman Model:Longhorn II 10611. Materials: Metal and Polymer. Weight: 8.5 pounds (3.77kg). Barrel: 18 inches (45.7mm). Propulsion: Spring Piston. Action: Single Action Single Shot. Ammunition Type: .177 and .22 Caliber Pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 1. Max FPS: 495 Claimed.
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is single action only requiring you to break the barrel and compress the internal spring piston before you can shoot it. This will also engage the safety which you have to disengage for each shot manually as an added safety measure. The actual trigger pull is pretty good overall. There is very little take-up but the creep is on the longer side but very smooth not requiring too much pressure. The release is also smooth but will take a bit of time to learn just exactly when it is going to release. There is an adjustment screw for the trigger but it is not advertised or explained in the manual exactly how this effects the trigger pull so a bit of trial and error may improve the trigger feel.
Accuracy: I have not performed any shooting tests with the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle so far, I hope to make that Video Review next week “weather permitting” as I want to get outdoors for this test to be able to shoot it at longer ranges. I expect the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to perform well in the accuracy department especially with the 4x32 optical scope installed. In terms of power I did notice that the spring does seem ot be fairly strong so I am hoping to get close to the claimed 495 fps even using .22 caliber heavier grain pellets.
Build Quality: The Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a China made Air Rifle but looks to be well made. It is mostly metal other than the synthetic modern stock, even the iron fiber optic sights are full metal front and back. I am not a big fan of the stock texture patter but it does work to add extra grip.
Realism: The Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not a copy of any real steel gun in production but does have that overall rifle shape to it so yet it looks like a gun but most people will be able to immediately see that it is a Pellet Rifle and that is exactly what it is since it is not trying to be anything other than that.
Pros:
Comes with two barrels for .177 and .22 caliber pellets.
Comes with included 4x32 scope and ring mounts.
Durable synthetic stock with modern look and pistol grip.
Can also shoot using included iron metal fiber optic adjustable sights.
Automatic trigger safety system.
Rated at 495 fps using .22 caliber pellets so top out at max Canada legal power without a firearms license.
Nice rubber butt-pad looks good and adds to shooting comfort.
Has a scope stop so your scope will stay nicely in place.
Really well priced for what you get which is two rifles one.
Cons:
Changing out barrels does require tools.
Not a big fan of the stock texturing pattern.
Made in China.
Comments: The Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a very affordable Break Barrel Spring Piston Pellet Rifle that offers two Airguns in one with it’s interchangeable barrel system allowing you to shoot either .177 or .22 Caliber pellets. You also have the option of using the already installed Fiber Optic fully adjustable sights or you can install the included 4x32 Optical Scope for potential longer range shooting. The modern looking synthetic stock with it’s pistol grip and rubber butt-pad will make shouldering this Air Rifle super comfortable and I would imagine help with accuracy at the end of the day.
In this Preview Unboxing Video I showcase three Pellet Guns from Beeman, one Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol and two Break Barrel .177 and .22 Caliber Pellet Rifles. I don’t go into a lot of details on each Airgun as I am leaving that information for my future Table Top and Field Test Videos. This video is mainly a heads up on these products with links to where you can buy them in our Online Replica Airgun Store.
Type: Pellet Pistol. Distributer:Umarex. Model:Ruger Mark IV. Materials: Metal and polymer build. Weight: 1.56 pounds (708 grams). Barrel: 5.3 inches (135mm). Total Length: 11 inches (279mm). Propulsion: Spring Piston. Action: SAO Break Barrel. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 1 round. FPS: 320+.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol is not too bad, I feel it is a around 6-7 pounds or so without measuring. In comparison to a real steel 22LR semi auto SAO trigger pistol, the trigger is much heavier but most of these 22LR pistols of this nature have what I would consider to be near perfect triggers. Over time once you get use to the pressure and release point accuracy with this pistol it is for sure possible.
Accuracy: I have not had the chance to really test fire this pellet pistol but will be doing so next week when I make my Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol. If it is anything like the Umarex Buck Mark URX which I imagine it will be, then I am expecting to get some good accuracy as the URX was able to get a nice under 1 inch shot grouping when I tested it a few years back. Velocity I am expecting to be up and over 300 fps even using lead pellets, I am hoping it will be in the mid 300’s
Build Quality: The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistolis a low cost target plinker that also doubles as a licensed Replica for that coolness factor so you won’t get an all metal super top quality build here. That said metal and plastics are well used and for sure details in the fit and finish have been improved over the Buck Mark URX version where I found the barrel felt a bit sloppy and the trigger was plastic. The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol has a much tighter barrel fit when closed and the trigger is now metal! Maybe Umarex watched my video back in the day and took some notes?
Realism: The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol most resembles the Mark IV Hunter edition and is pretty much bang on in terms of being a replica other than the tell tail hinge just under the barrel required for a spring piston design, there really is no way to get around this so I’m not going to criticize this minor difference. The real steel version is almost 3 pounds and so the pellet shooting version is a bit under weight so it would have been to have had more metal perhaps in the barrel and lower frame. Again since the pellet shooting version is a springer you will not have any working bolts or slide catches or a built in magazine.
Pros:
It's a decent Ruger Mark IV Replica!
Feels well built overall.
Expect it to have really good accuracy like the Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX since they share similar mechanical design.
Barrel locks into place much better than the Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX did.
Fully adjustable rear sight with fiber optic front sight.
Auto locking safety, just don’t forget to unlock before each shot
Actual metal trigger in this version.
Nice and compact, not too heavy.
Full Ruger licensed via Umarex.
Fairly low price tag.
Cons:
No built in rail for a sight system like the Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX but this is tru for the Hunter version.
Trigger pull could be lighter to match the real steel version.
A bit more metal would have been nice to get the weigth up closer to the real steel version.
Comments: I remember the Umarex Buck Mark URX being a super fun pellet pistol to shoot even though it is only a single shot airgun. Sometimes just getting back to the basics and taking your time to really place your shots and see how accurate you can be is more fun than spraying BB’s and pellets rapid fire and hoping you hit something. The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol is inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to shoot, no CO2, just a tin of your favorite pellets and you will get hours of fun for it while honing your shooting skills. And at the end of the day the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol is not a bad Replica Airgun if you are a collector of shot guns.
My Vimeo Table Top Review Videos for the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Break Barrel .177 Cal Pellet Pistol:
In this Preview Unboxing Vimeo Video I take a look at five very different products! A Spring Piston .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, an Airsoft GBB Pistol, a Compact Crossbow, a full auto CO2 Blowback BB Pistol and a PPC .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle.
First up is the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol which is a single shot replica pellet pistol that shoots .177 caliber pellets at up to 320 fps using a spring piston break barrel system. The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol is a target plinker with fully adjustable fiber optic sights and should be a lot of fun to shoot!
Next I take a look at a Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol from Action Army that closely resembles the Ruger Mark IV pistol with perhaps a more compact look. The Action Army AAP-01 GBB Airsoft Pistol is full blowback a full size drop out magazine and fiber optic sights. It also come with a threaded barrel and barrel extension for adding a longer barrel and much suppressor.
Next on my list of new items is the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow which is a 2.2 pound compact bolt shooting crossbow that sports a rail system with included adjustable iron sights that also allow for a red dot if you want to really customize it. The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow has a 60 pound draw and shoots arrows/bolts at up to 175 fps.
Another AR BB Rifle/Pistol from Crosman is the Crosman A4-P Full Auto CO2 BB Pistol which is essentially a pistol version of the AR Platform. If you like the Crosman DPMS SBR, R1, PDW then you will probably also like the Crosman AP-4. Like the others it uses dual CO2’s and shoots 4.5mm Steel BB;s in semi or full auto at 1400 rounds per minute until the 25 round magazine is empty.
Last included in this preview video is the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle. I’m a bit uncertain about this one as I am pretty sure it is the non detuned PAL version that requires a firearms license here in Canada as it shoots at full velocity (.22 caliber pellet at 950 fps). If that’s the case then it will not be available in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but may be available in the US Replica Airguns Store. If it is the detuned version or a detuned version becomes available in Canada then I imagine we will at some point have it in the Canada replica Airguns Store. That said the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle uses compressed air and shoots either .177. .22 or .25 caliber pellets using a latch system and rotary magazine.
In this Field Test Shooting Video I put the Webley Valuemax 22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle through my standard Replica Airguns Indoor Field Test protocol by first testing out the velocity and placing 5 rounds through my Chronograph to see what the actual real world fps is using 14.3 grain lead pellets. I then setup a fresh paper target 30 feet downrange and place 10 pellets into it to see what type of grouping I can get. If you have not already watched my Table Top Video for this Break Barrel Spring Piston Pellet Rifle then make sure to do so for more details, specifications and close up video.
Starting off with my real world velocity test for the Webley Valuemax 22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle, I went with 14.3 grain lead pellets which are I would say on the heavier side. Even so I managed to hit 478 fps which produced a nice 7.26 foot pounds of energy which by the way is almost 10 Joules! If you are wondering about Canadian legalities, as long as I do not go over 500 fps AND go over 4.2 foot pounds (both thresholds must be exceeded), then this Airgun is considered a non-regulated firearm and does not require a firearms license.
Moving on to the accuracy portion of my Indoor Field Test in the Replica Airguns Sea Can. As always I placed a brand new paper target 30 feet downrange and proceeded to shoot ten 14.3 grain lead pellets from a rested and seated shooting position to allow for best possible results with as little human error but I am imperfect so some human error is always present. I was using the open fiver optic sights on the Webley Valuemax 22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle rather than a scope even thought there is a dovetail rail with included scope stop. To be honest I was expecting a better grouping, something close to half an inch but on this day with this ammo choice I was closer to 1.5 to even 2 inches. I did see several pellets land in a tighter sub group but some came out of this group enlarging the grouping. I would like to try a different pellet choice to see if I can do better as I believe this rifle has way more potential.
In terms of power the Webley Valuemax 22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is about has high as you can go before it becomes a regulated firearm here in Canada so no complaints in that department. Again I was disappointed in the accuracy but I honestly believe a different pellet choice could fix that problem as I have seen often with other Pellet Rifles. Once the right pellet choice is made and granted a more consistent and tighter grouping is achieved, this Spring Piston Pellet Rifle could make a decent small pest control airgun!
Type: Pellet Rifle. Distributer:Webley & Scott. Model:Valuemax. Materials: Metal and polymer build. Weight: 6.4 pounds (2900 grams). Barrel: 17.7 inches (450mm), rifled. Total Length: 43 inches (1092mm) Propulsion: Spring Piston Action: Break Barrel. Ammunition Type: .22 Caliber Pellets. Ammunition Capacity: Single Shot. FPS: 499.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle is fairly nice There is a little bit of very light take up followed by a vert light release , the take up or travel length can be adjusted on this Air Rifle but that is the only trigger adjustment you can make and perhaps all that is needed.
Accuracy: I have not performed my Field Test Shooting Video for the Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle but I did get to take around 20 or so shots with it when I was trying to get it to diesel for me. It looks ot me like it is going to be nice and accurate as I was not even really going for accuracy and it seemed to already be grouping fairly tight. I was recoding fps using my Chronograph as I was trying to find out if by adding some oil to the spring piston chamber could get it to diesel which it never did for me, I was however to establish that the Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle shot right around 470-480 fps using 14.3 grain lead pellets which worked out to right around 7.32 foot pounds of energy. I will know a lot more when I do my official Field Test Shooting Video next week.
Build Quality: Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle is built to be a value priced Airgun hence the name (Valuemax), that said it is maid well enough with lots of metal and of course some plastic or in this case mostly nylon as the stock is a solid nylon piece. Other than the stock the plastic parts are found to be in the sights and trigger guard, everything else seems to be metal.
Realism: The Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle is not a replica or copy of any real steel gun in production but it does look like a traditional hunting rifle in basic shape so make sure to transport thank airgun as if it was a real gun. Either in a gun case or perhaps a blanket in your trunk and always obey any laws for gun position and transportation in your area.
Pros:
Inexpensive price tag for well made decent performer.
Initial test showed to have good accuracy and power! (more to come).
Fully adjustable sights with optical TRUGLO Fiber Optics.
Can add a magnified optical scope using the top built in dovetail rail.
Nylon fiber stock is durable and functional with the addition of a vented rubber buttplate.
Trigger feels decent and is also adjustable for travel length.
Rear thumb safety resets after each break of the barrel.
Nice light and short single action trigger.
Would be good for small pest control because of decent FPS and good accuracy.
Cons:
Included sights are mostly plastic.
The Valuemax version has a more basic less adjustable trigger.
Detuned down to under 500 fps for Canada import as non-regulated Firearm.
Comments: I am looking forward to performing my Indoor Field Test Shooting Video for the Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle to see what it can really do in terms of accuracy so stay posted for that video next week. Overall if you are lucky enough to already have one or can get your hands on one since this rifle is discontinued in some area, I think this is a great Break Piston Air Rifle especially if you live in Canada and want the most bang for your buck. I am not only talking about cost verses features, I also mean power and energy since the Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle is a .22 caliber Air Rifle that can shoot really close to 500 fps with a nice heavy grain lead pellet achieving decent energy levels reasonable enough for small pest control. The Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle is not feature less, it does include a reseting safety, anti bear trap system, dove tail mounts with an included scope stop, fiver optic adjustable sights and a vert ergonomic textured nylon stock. All in all great value for what you pay!
My Vimeo Videos for the Webley Valuemax .22 Caliber Spring Piston Break Barrel Rifle:
I often have people ask me what is more powerful in terms of one gun over another and which Airguns have more raw power, BB versus, Pellet, versus Airsoft, versus Paintball?
Well in this indoor field test shooting video I compare all of the above head to head to see which Airgun not only has the most raw power but also how well they perform on a target setup 30 feet down range since after all what does it matter how powerful a gun is if it can not hit the target!
The Airguns I used in this head to head shooting performance test where as follows:
Keep in mind the ammunition for each Airgun is very different not just in terms of materials but also their weight which will have a big effect on the energy they produce. For example for this test I used 4.6 grain 4.5mm Steel BBs, 4.6 grain 6mm Aluminum Airsoft BB’s. 6.9 grain .177 cal. Lead Pellets and 17.7 grain .50 cal. Rubber Paintballs.
Watch my YouTube Video to see how well each Airgun did in this comparison shooting test!
The Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver is an interesting Paintball pistol, it has a very different look and also uses .50 caliber Paintballs which are a little bit less common than the .68 and .43 caliber paintball gun I have been reviewing up until now. The Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver is some countries is marketed as a self defense gun but those versions do have a little bit more fps and foot pounds of energy. The version I am testing is not marketed here in Canada or the US as self defense products but rather as more of a training Paintball Gun.
Starting with my Chronograph velocity test I placed 5 Rubber Balls through my Chronograph using a brand new CO2. The Rubber balls I am going to say are a little bit heavier than standard Paintballs and Umarex claims the Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver is capable of hitting around 360 fps so with the heavier rubber balls I was expecting a little bit under the max fps. I was able to get an average of 328 fps so not bad at all.
Moving on to my accuracy test. I need up placing 10 of my 12 rounds into the paper target as I had two rounds that went off in what I am going to call an uncontrolled manor. The 10 rubber paintball rounds that did hit my paper target that was setup 30 feet down range all hit within about 6 inches of each other daily well centered left and right and a little bit low on the target. Gettin back to the uncontrolled shots, I had a situation where I pulled the trigger and the Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver went click as you would expect but no CO2 was expelled and so no round was shot. I thought perhaps the cylinder was caught up so I went to wiggle it to try and free it up. As I did so the gun went off without my finger anywhere near the trigger. I am glad I was using rubber balls since the rubber ball hit my cabinet leaning a biota a mark but really causing any damage. This happened twice with the same cylinder, the second time I was bit more prepared for it and had the gun pointed well downrange. I was not able to recreate this problem again so perhaps the cylinder magazine was not seated properly but this still concerns me a bit.
Overall I really like the Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver, it’s a pretty cool looking Paintball Gun with decent accuracy and power, you can even feel a little push back and barrel lift when you shoot it. I also like that you can preload a CO2 and puncture it whenever hypo are ready to shoot with a quick smack on the bottom of the grip. Just made sure to put the CO2 in the right way :)
In this SHOT Show Las Vegas 2020 Interview Video Scott takes us through a range of new products from Air Venturi.
Scott and I talk about the Air Venturi TR5 and how it came about to fill the hole the Baikal MP-61 left behind. We also talk a look at some new Air Rifles, a pumper called the Butterfly with a super cool linkage based system that makes pumping a lot easier. A PCP side lever cocking Air Rifle that I’m not even sure has a name yet but will be available in .177 .22 and .25 caliber pellet for around $299 US.
The only Air Venturi replica we looked at is a new Springfield Armory under lever Spring Piston Air rifle modeled after the M1A. Last up Scott went showed us how the Bada Bang targeting system is shaping up and looks to be almost ready for production.
We had a lot of great new Airguns that I reviewed this year at Replica Airguns. Some of them really stood out to me and so I made a video showing my Favorite Replica Airgun Picks of 2019. Of course there where many other Airguns that could has just as easily made this video but I had to draw the line somewhere and pick the ones that in my opinion where the best of 2019. Make sure to watch my Vimeo video where I go into some more details on why I liked each Airgun.
Below is a list of the top Replica Airgun Picks of 2019:
In a way I have already Field Tested the Air Venturi TR5 .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle, well at least in the Baikal version. The Air Venturi version is pretty much a knock of of the Baikal IZH MP-61 which not only look a lot alike but also performed very similarly for me, checkout my Baikal YouTube Video Review for comparison. All that said we can not get Baikal products here in North America anymore so it’s great that Air Venturi has recreated a very similar product for us to have in Canada and the US.
Moving on to the Field Test Review for the Air Venturi TR5 .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle, I first placed 5 shots through my Chronograph to see if the Air Venturi TR5 .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle did in fact shoot around 500 fps and in fact I was able to get all 5 shots up and over 500 fps averaging around 513 fps. Still within our Non-regulated firearm laws here in Canada since we where still under the 4.2 foot pound energy limit using 6.9 grain pellets.
As mentioned before when I shot the Baikal IZH MP-61 I was able to get very similar results but I did have an optical scope on the Baikal IZH MP-61 as compared to the Air Venturi TR5 .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle where I just used the open sights. In my opinion the Air Venturi TR5 .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle is good value for your money offering a unique design with excellent performance and getting as much power out of a pellet rifle as you can get here in Canada without requiring a firearms license.
Pick one up in our Canada or US Online Replica Airguns stores!
I made a similar video about how to hold your airgun a while back but sometimes they get a bit buried in all the video I make. I feel it's really important how you grip your gun even if it's only an airgun with very little kick or recoil. Proper pistol grip is something you should use no matter what so that you can carry it forward to what ever gun you are shooting.
More kick or recoil means a firmer grip is required to hold the gun so when shooting a powder burner with lots of kick grip becomes even more important.
In this video I go over the proper two handed grip to use when holding a pistol, which hand to hold lose and which had to grip tight, how to overlap your fingers and thumbs.
This year at SHOT Show 2018 I had the please of again interviewing Dani Navickas from Sig Sauer. Dani Showed me several new pistols and a new break barrel rifle Sig Sauer is offering this year. The Sig ASP20 Break Barrel rifle will come in both .177 and .22 caliber pellet shooting versions. The ASP20 has a lighter than most cocking effort of only 33 pounds using their proprietary GlideLite system, along with an adjustable ASP MatchLite trigger.
Another Target pellet airgun from Sig Sauer this year is the .177 caliber pellet shooting Super Target, styled after the Sig Sauer P210 firearm. The Sig Super Target is a single pump pneumatic single shot pistol designed for 10 meeter shooting with adjustable sights and a crips short light trigger.
Sig like several other companies has rebranded their own version of the KWC 1911 CO2 Blowback BB pistols. The Sig Sauer licensed BB 1911 is based on Sigs We the People line to celebrate the American people and their Constitution.
Another new Blowback Pellet firing Sig Sauer Air Pistol was also introduced at SHOT Show, the Sig Sauer X-Five. The X-Five uses their 20 round belt fed magazine and also has Sig's Cam Lever CO2 loading mechanism. You will also find a rear adjustable sight on the Sig Sauer X-Five Pellet Pistol.
Last but not least and perhaps one of the most interesting new products coming out later this year from Sig Sauer is the P320MHS APS which is another new rotary magazine Blowback Pellet Pistol. What's a bit different with the new Sig P320MHS is that it has a full size drop out magazine that holds the CO2 and belt fed pellet magazine. The P320MHS can also be fully field striped, has an open ejection port and is styled after Sig's real Steal M17 firearm.
Type: Break barrel pellet rifle. Manufacturer: Umarex USA. Model:Ruger Explorer. Materials: Metal and polymer parts. Weight: 4.45 pounds (2.5 kg). Barrel: 12 inches, metal rifled. Propulsion: Spring piston. Action: Single shot. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 1. FPS: 495.
Trigger Pull: I found the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to have a fairly light trigger, there is some initial take up with a smooth almost undetectable break or release point, I found that as I shot the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle the trigger seemed to be breaking in a bit which made it a bit hard to figure exactly when the trigger was going to release but I feel over time and once the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is broken in the trigger will become more predictable.
Accuracy: Since I have already made a shooting or field test video for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle, I can comment on its performance n this review! With 6 grain lead pellets (on the lighter side), I was able to get a 5 shot Chronograph average velocity of 485 fps. Using heavier 7-8 grain pellets the velocity slowed down a bit to around 400 fps. In terms of accuracy the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle performed well getting about a 1 inch 10 shot grouping on my paper target setup 30 feet down range. I know the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle can do better than this once the trigger settles down a bit since some shots went off unexpectedly.
Build Quality: The Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not an expensive air rifle and is more or less an entry level spring piston pellet shooter. That said it is built fairly well with a metal receiver, barrel and trigger setup. The modern looking stock is polymer and the steel barrel is coated in a synthetic soft plastic to help with long term durability. The real fiber optic sight is plastic so you will have to be careful with it as it does protrude a bit from the air rifle.
Realism: Since the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not a replica realism is not really a factor here but it does look like a gun so treat it as if it was a real gun since most people will not know the difference. Always transport and store any airgun safely and discreetly.
Pros:
Really great looking air rifle with a modern look to it.
Finish is very durable with its polymer stock and plastic/rubber coated barrel.
Fully adjustable fiber optic sights are easy to sight in and use.
Receiver is notched for ring mounts so you can add an optical sight or red dot to it.
Trigger is fairly light, just need some break in time with it.
Cocking effort is fairly easy at 16.5 pounds.
Great size gun for all ages.
Power and accuracy were good for an entry level air rifle.
Cons:
I did find the trigger break/release point to be a bit unpredictable but I feel this is a break-in issue and will become more consistent over time.
You have to remember to push that safety in with ever shot.
Comments: The Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is marketed as a Youth air rifle but in reality it would be great fun for all ages. I am a fairly large person at 6 feet tall and I had no problem dealing with the slightly shorter configuration. The trigger guard is nice and open and allows for large fingers which is not always the case with airguns designed for smaller individuals. The overall quality you get with the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle for the lower entry level price tag is very good and in terms of performance I feel you for sure get your monies worth with the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle.
I don't do a lot of Springer (Spring Piston) Air Rifle shooting tests or even reviews for that matter. Mainly for a couple of reasons: Number 1, my content is mostly focused around Replica style Airguns and Number 2, it's kind of hard to test out the longer range airguns in my 30 foot airgun range. That said I felt the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle would be a really great airgun to review since it is both affordable and even though it is targeted for the youth market, it really does make a great shooter for all ages.
I have not done a Table Top Review for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle but plan to shortly so stay posted for more detailed info on the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle down the road in that review.
So how'd we do during my Field Test Shooting Video for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle? Not bad I would say! Using about 6 grain rather light weight .177 caliber lead pellets I was able to get really close to the 500 fps claimed fps mark coming in just under at a 5 shot testing average of 485 fps. I did put a couple heavier grain pellets through my Chrony Chronograph and got closer to the 400 fps mark, still not bad for this lighter sprung spring piston air rifle.
In terms of accuracy, shooting at my paper target setup 30 feet down range in my Sea Can Airgun Range, I shot about a 1 inch 10 shot grouping. I was finding the trigger break-in to be a bit unpredictable during this testing which led to some premature shots going off so I do feel once the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is broken in and me getting use to the trigger break, I should be able to improve on this result.
Overall the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a really nice entry level airgun perfect for all ages and not just the youth market. It looks really cool, is easy to cock and has a very resilient finish. Oh ya it shoots pretty good to!
I was a bit surprised by the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol, it actually shot a lot better than I was expecting it to perform. I did have to aim rather low since the Umarex DX-17 BB Pistol likes to shoot on the high side but if you are shooting at closer in ranges then you won't have to adjust your aim point so high.
Getting into my performance testing for the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol, I placed 5 shots through my Chrony Chronograph and averaged 210 fps which again was very close to the Umarex claimed 200 fps, even a little bit higher! he DX-17 is a single shot repeater but because of the BB reservoir you can quickly reload follow up shots by simply point the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol a little upward while pulling the slide back and pushing it forward to active the spring piston and load a BB at the same time.
As I mentioned the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol shot on the high side, at 30 feet it's a good 8-9 inches high but I have a feeling that this is about as high as the BB's will rise since they are not going that fast and gravity will start bringing them back down. At about 10-15 feet out from a target the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol seemed to shoot about 3-4 inches high so not nearly as bad and this can be adjusted pretty easy by simply aiming a bit under the target you are shooting at. In terms of a 10 shot grouping theUmarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol got about a 4 inch grouping which I have to say kind of surprised me as I was expecting a much larger spread.
So for about $20 you kind of get what you pay for but I really think with the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol you perhaps get a little more! It has a really good trigger, seemed to be built pretty tuff, shot exactly right on the claimed fps mark and was even able to keep a reasonable grouping. And to keep costs down even more you never need to buy CO2 so that's another bonus.
Trigger Pull: The single action only trigger pull on the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is actually pretty good. It's fairly short with only a little bit of very light take up and then an easy release that has no added friction. So you will have to get use to when and where the release happens but it is a really decent trigger for such an inexpensive airgun.
Accuracy: I have only shot the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol a few times to get use to the mechanical operation of using this spring powered pistol since there is a very specific order in which you need to cock and load the Umarex DX-17 for proper operation. I did find the DX-17 shot a bit high for me at 30 feet out so I had to adjust my aim point about 5-6 inches lower to hit targets at this range. For further out shooting you many not need to do so since the fps is fairly low and I would expect the BB to drop pretty quickly. In terms of power being that the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is only rated at 200fps, well it seems sufficient enough for plinking away at targets and should have no problem getting through a pop can.
Build Quality: I was expecting this $20 low cost BB airgun to be fairly low quality in general but when I took it out of the plastic clamshell packaging I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality and how the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol felt in my hand. It has a good weight to it and the fit and finish are really good. Mechanical parts tolerances feel snug and the plastic used feels of good quality.
Realism: The Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol as far as I know is not a replica of any specific real steel gun in production but it does kind of remind me of a Browning Hi-power at least the back half and the way the frame angles up a bit in front of the trigger. Other than that it looks the part of a real gun. The DX-17 has what looks like real working parts on it with the slide catch, magazine release and magazine but plat all moulded into the airgun. Available at the:Replica Airguns Store
Pros:
At $21 Canadian its great value for a target plinker.
It actually looks and feels pretty good in person, better than I expected build quality and weight to it.
No CO2 required so very cheap to shoot.
Single action trigger is actually really decent, better than most airguns.
Accessory rail for adding a red dot or perhaps a tactical light.
15 round reservoir makes followup shots quicker and no fumbling around loading BB’s in-between shots.
Lower fps means if you do do something stupid you are less likely to have to make a trip to the doctor
Cons:
Pretty low fps so don’t expect any long range shooting or great penetration.
Sights are not adjustable and it seems to shoot kind of high.
Why not rifle the barrel and make pellets an option?
Comments:
I rarely review these super low cost airguns especially spring powered ones with low fps, it almost seems like why would you want any of that? But you know the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is actually a great little airgun and you really can't beat the price tag. You are also going to save a bunch of money not having to buy CO2 and once you load 15 rounds into the BB reservoir you can empty the DX-17 fairly quickly. Sure the power seems a bit low but it gets the job done and like I said if there was an accident, you are less likely to break that window or require medical attention. I think this would be a great add on to an existing order you might be making with us, that way you wouldn't have to pay for shipping for this one item and you get a fun little plinker for only $20 more.
My Vimeo Videos for the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol:
Power Sources Covered in this review: CO2 - Spring Piston - Variable Pump -HPA (High Pressure Air)
Pro’s:
CO2 Airguns allow for fast repeat shooting, great for action shooters, generally CO2 Airguns will supply a medium power range. No need to pump or cock your CO2 powered weapon in-between shots and a CO2 power source can allow for a very realistic action of the gun you are shooting.
Spring Piston Airguns are best suited of single shot situations, they can provide low to high power output depending on the spring used. Spring Piston Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Spring Piston Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures.
Variable Pump Airguns allow you to decide how much power your gun will have and can offer very high power output depending on the Airgun. Variable Pump Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Variable Pump Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures. Variable Pump Airguns generally have very low recoil and vibration.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns generally do not require pumping or cocking in-between shots and some even come in semi automatic or bolt action. HPA Airguns can have very high power output and even be used on larger game using large caliber ammunition. HPA Air Rifles have lower recoil and low vibration. HPA Airguns can be charged ahead off time so they are ready for use when you need them.
Con’s:
CO2 Airguns require the additional cost to buy the CO2 as they do not function without it. CO2 Airguns have a limited power output and lose power as you shoot and use up the CO2. CO2 Airguns are effected by hot and cold temperatures and will have less power in colder temperatures and may not even work in super cold environments.
Spring Piston Airguns require cocking before each shot. Spring Piston Airguns can have a lot of recoil and vibration, so much so that special optics must be considered when buying an optical sight. The action of the spring recoil can effect accuracy, especially if you are not use to the vibration and recoil or have spent some time practicing using a Spring Piston Airgun.
Variable Pump Airguns will require multiple pumps to achieved maximum power output which can take some time in-between shots. So you are going to have to work for each shot.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns require the use of a manual pump to fill their built in air tank to maximum pressure and it does take a lot of time to manual fill an HPA tank. Alternatively you can have the air tank filled at a shop or buy a pressurization system similar to a scuba tank out paintball setup, the cost of this setup can be very high but will save you the castle of manually pumping air in to your HPA Airgun. HPA Airguns are generally a little more bulky then other Airgun systems since they have to accommodate fairly large air pressure tanks.
Power: Generally speaking a longer barrel is going to allow for more power. If you compare most CO2 pellet pistols to CO2 Pellet Rifles, you will find that the CO2 Pellet Pistol will generally shoot about 300-400 fps using a standard lead Pellet. On the other hand many CO2 Pellet Rifles can get up to as high as 600 fps which is much better speed for humanly shooting some smaller pests.
If you are talking about Springer or Variable Pump Air Pistols versus their Air Rifle counterparts, again the Air rifles will generally shoot with much more power. I have seen some none CO2 Air Pistols shoot up into the 500-600 fps range but again compered to none CO2 Air Rifles, they can even double these numbers.
Some of you may ask about Steel BB Pistols and Rifles. I personally would never really sue this type of ammunition for pest control simply because most BB Rifles have much less raw power than Pellet Rifles and steel BB’s will not be as accurate at any type of longer distance.
Stability: When holding any rifle from the shoulder, you have three point of contact with your body spread out in a much longer distance than a two handed pistol grip. Holding steady even without a rested position is much easier using a rifle. Even when using a rested position, the rifle will more stable.
Accuracy: A big factor in accuracy is stability but there are also other factors to consider. Barrel length its self does not make the gun more accurate, you only need a few inches of barrel length to get constant accurate results from a gun. What makes longer barreled guns more accurate is the distance between the rear and front sight. The closer the sights are together, the more margin for error there is, the longer you spread out the sights from each other, the more accurate the sighting system becomes.
Overall More Humain: When you consider Air Rifles tend to have higher power, better accuracy and overall more consistency than shorter barreled Air Pistols. The logical choice for humanly shooting a Pest is to use the Air Rifle. The last thing you want to do is make any animal suffer, even if it has been causing a lot of havoc around your home or farm or place of business.
