30 feet is not really a long enough distance to test out a Spring Piston Break Barrel Air Rifle but it’s been pretty rainy outside as the weather here in British Columbia has progresses into full on rainy fall weather. So we will have to make do with the 30 foot limitation I have here in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. At least it is warm and the lighting is perfect :) In this Filed Test Shooting Video for the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle I test out the velocity in fps along with the accuracy at 30 feet away. For both of these tests I use 15.43 grain .22 caliber Gamo lead pellets. If you are more invested in details and specifications along with some closer up video then watch my Table Top Video for the Beeman Black Panther.
Beeman claims just under 500 fps for the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle but it is unclear if this is with .177 caliber or .22 caliber pellets and what kind of pellet are being used? Light weigth Alloy or standard Lead pellets. I decided to go with the .22 caliber barrel for all my testing but may try out the .177 caliber barrel in a future update Field Test Video. I placed 5 shots through my Chronograph using the 15.43 grain .22 caliber lead pellets and was able to get an average velocity of 422 fps. The slowest shot was 418 fps with the fastest shot hitting a max of 429 fps so all fairly close together. In terms of energy output, a pellet that weighs 15.43 grain travelling at 422 fps has a foot pound energy of 6.1.
I am not the best shot when it comes to sprig Piston Air Rifles, but I did my best here. I shot a total of 8 shots on the paper target and the main group was about 1 inch in diameter, this consisted of 6 pellets in that main group with 2 pellets that came out one shot a bit high and one shot a bit to the right. I was using the built in post and notch fiber optic sights rather than installing the 4x32 scope. After all the target was only 30 feet away. I am pretty sure one could easily get a .5 inch grouping at this range with perhaps a 1 inch grouping at distances closer to the 50-60 foot mark, which should make this a decent pest control option when using the .22 caliber ammo as I feel it would get the job done with a bit more authority.
The Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle comes with two barres offering the ability to shoot using .177 caliber pellets or .22 caliber pellets with a quick barrel change. .177 caliber pellets could be used for smaller pest control but I would mainly use the .177 barrel for basic target practice as .177 caliber pellets are definitely cheaper than .22 caliber pellets. When you do require that slight additional stopping power, then go with the .22 caliber barrel for sure!
Type: Pellet Rifle. Manufacturer: Beeman Model: Black Panther Dual Caliber. Materials: Metal and Synthetic Plastic. Weight: 7.2pounds (2.3kg). Total Length: 44 inches (111.8cm). Barrel: 16.75 inches (42.5cm). Propulsion: Spring Piston. Action: Single Action Single Shot. AmmunitionType: .177 & .22 Caliber Pellets. AmmunitionCapacity: 1. MaxFPS: 495 Claimed.
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber 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 security measure. The actual trigger pull is I would say a medium pull with an easy first stage then a more firm second stage. I am pretty sure the Black Panther uses the Sportsman tigger setup which does have some adjustment for trigger pull as far as I am aware of. Once I get a chance to shoot the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle I will be able to tell you more about how the trigger feels.
Accuracy: I have not performed any shooting tests with the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle so far, I will be making a Video Review next in the next few weeks “weather permitting” as I want to get outdoors for this test to be able to shoot the Black Panther at longer ranges. I expect the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to perform well in the accuracy department using the 4x32 optical scope. In terms of power the spring does seem to take a bit of effort so I am hoping for a decent fps in both .177 caliber and .22 caliber!
Build Quality: The Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is made in China but looks to be fairly well made. It is mostly metal including the front and rear sights with a synthetic plastic stock and feels good to hold resting the cushioned rubber butt-pad to your shoulder. The stock and trigger guard are a one piece design, that said the trigger guard is fairly thick so it should stand up to some abuse.
Realism: The Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber 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 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 a Replica Airgun or copy of any real steel rifle in production.
Pros:
All Weather durable ambidextrous synthetic stock.
All metal front and rear fiver optic sights.
Can shoot both .177 and .22 caliber pellets for multi purpose shooting.
Sportsman trigger (adjustable) with automatic safety system.
Comes with included 4x32 scope and mounts.
Very solid build at 9.92 pounds.
Nice cushioned rubber butt-plate looks good and adds to shooting comfort.
Has a scope-stop so your scope will stay nicely in place.
Cons:
Hard to tell if the claimed 495 fps is for .177 or .22 caliber lead or alloy pellets?
Hard to find this exact gun for info, not even on Beeman’s own website.
Made in China.
Comments: The Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is designed to be a more affordable Break Barrel Spring Piston Pellet Rifle with metal where it counts and a synthetic stock for durability and resiliency to weather conditions. You do have the option of shooting either .177 caliber pellets for a faster flatter trajectory or if you use the .22 caliber barrel, you benefit from perhaps a bit more downrange energy and less effect from windy conditions. You can also choose between shooting with the open fully adjustable metal sights or install the 4x32 scope for longer range shooting. You for sure get a versatile Spring Piston Air Rifle with the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle at the end of the day.
In this Replica Airguns Unboxing Video I take a look at 6 Airguns consisting of 2 Paintball Pistols, 3 Airsoft Rifles and one Pellet Rifle. This is not a full review in any way but is rather a preview of what i will be doing full Reviews for over the next several weeks.
In this Field Test Shooting Video I go outside for a bit of a change and test out the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle Combo to see what the real world velocity is and what kind of accuracy I can expect shooting at much further out ranges than my Sea Can Airgun Range offers me. If you want to know more about specifications and details for this Break Barrel Spring Piston Air Riffle make sure to watch my Table Top Video for information along with more closeup video.
Starting with the velocity for the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle Combo, Beeman claims up to 495 fps but does not say weather thesis for the .22 or .177 caliber barrel? I placed 5 rounds through my Chronograph using the .22 Caliber barrel option and was able to average 432 fps using 14.3 grain lead pellets which gave me an energy of 5.93 foot pounds. I would say it is safe to say that you can hit close to the claimed velocity of 495 fps with .22 Caliber lead pellets but would need to be using a bit light grain pellets closer to around 10 or 11 grain. I did not test .177 caliber pellets but they are even lighter and will have an even higher velocity most likely be over 500 fps.
While I was testing velocity to make things more efficient I also placed my shots on a paper target setup around what I estimate to be around 80 feet down range. Now I admit I am not the best long range shooter especially with Spring Piston Air Rifles but I was able to get around a 4 inch grouping at this distance with two shots on top of each other and the other three where more sporadic but I’m pretty sure the spreed was mostly because of my shooting skills with a rifle like this. I was using the provided Beeman 4x30 optical scope for this test rather than the open sights. My pellet choice was .22 Caliber Crosman Premier Hollow Point 14.3 grain lead Pellets.
What I like about the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle Combo is for sure the smooth trigger, the ability to change barrel to either .177 Caliber or .22 Caliber and I like the feel of the stock with its modern look and pistol grip for a comfortable hold. I was not a fan of the 4x30 scope as it seemed a bit fuzzy to me, maybe the optics where off on mine as the other Beeman 4x30 scope that came with the 1042 I tested was super crisp? Lastly I have to say the break barrel on this spring piston does take some arm strength so if you are smaller or not as strong then you may have difficulty cocking the Beeman Longhorn II 10611 .177 .22 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle Combo. All in all it’s a good overall springer with lots of features for a relatively low cost.
In this Field Test Shooting Video I get outside for a change and test out the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to see what the actual velocity is and what kind of accuracy I can expect shooting at much further ranges than my Sea Can Airgun Range can offer. If you want to know more about specifications and details for this Break Barrel Air Riffle make sure to watch my Table Top Video for information along with more closeup video.
Starting with the velocity for the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle, Beeman claims up to 475 fps but based on how light the spring feels when cocking this Airgun I was not expecting to get that high of fps. I placed 5 rounds through my Chronograph and was able to average 361 fps using 14.3 grain lead pellets which gave me an energy of 4.14 foot pounds. This isn’t bad in terms of energy but I would not suggest this Air Rifle for pest control because of the lower fps unless you are shooting really small pests at closer ranges.
While I was testing velocity to speed things up I also placed the same rounds on my paper target setup around I would say 80 feet down range (Best guess). Keep in mind I am not the best long range shooter especially with Spring Piston Air Rifles but I was able to get around a 3 inch 5 shot grouping at this distance with three of the shoots all within about 1 inch of each other so not bad for me. I was using the provided Beeman 4x30 optical scope which was nice and crips. My pellet choice was .22 Caliber Crosman Premier Hollow Point 14.3 grain lead Pellets.
What I like about the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is the easy to cock break barrel, the optical scope, the nice wood finish and its overall performance. I did feel the trigger was a bit heavy and it would be nice to have just a bit more power but that would come at a harder to cock break barrel. If you want an easy shooting and overall good looking lower cost Spring Piston Pellet Rifle in .22 caliber then I would recommend the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle for sure!
Type:Pellet Rifle. Manufacturer: Beeman Model:1042. Materials: Metal and Wood. Weight: 8.7 pounds (3.9kg). Barrel: 16 inches (40.6mm). Propulsion: Spring Piston. Action: Single Action Single Shot. Ammunition Type: .22 Caliber Pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 1. Max FPS: 475 Claimed.
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber 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 fairly short and light. There is about 2mm of take-up and then a crisp short release with virtually no creep. The trigger is not adjustable but it feels nice as is.
Accuracy: I have not performed any shooting tests with the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle as of yet, 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 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to perform well in the accuracy department using the 4x32 optical scope. In terms of power I did notice that the spring does seem ot be fairly light weight so I am wondering I fi will get close to the claimed 475 fps using .22 caliber lead pellets.
Build Quality: The Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a China made Air Rifle but looks to be well made. It is mostly metal with a European hardwood stock and feels good to hold resting the rubber butt-pad to your shoulder. I would have lied to have seen the trigger guard being made out of metal rather than plastic.
Realism: The Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber 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:
Nice European hardwood ambidextrous stock.
Ported Muzzle Break is looks goos and may enhance performance a bit.
.22 caliber with close to 500fps so as much energy as you can get without a firearms license in Canada.
Sport trigger with autumn safety system.
Comes with included 4x32 scope and mounts.
Very solid build at 8.7 pounds.
Nice rubber butt-plate looks good and adds to shooting comfort.
Has a scope stop so your scope will stay nicely in place.
Cons:
Does not come with included iron sights.
Really hard to find this exact gun for info, not even on Beeman’s website.
Made in China.
Comments: The Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a very affordable Break Barrel Spring Piston Pellet Rifle with a really nice European hardwood ambidextrous stock. I like that it has that clean look with no iron sights but rather the included 4x32 optical scope which I am sure will really help with accuracy at further out distances. I hope my Field Test Shooting Video for the Beeman 1042 .22 Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle will do it justice as a target rifle, I am not sure if this one will be any good for pest control as I have my concerns about the fps but will find this out shortly.
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 Field Test Shooting Video for the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol I perform two main tests to find out what the velocity and accuracy capabilities are for it first using my Chronograph and shooting several rounds through it averaging out the fps. For the second test I shoot 7 rounds into a fresh paper target 30 feet down range to see how tight of a grouping I can get.
For my Velocity test Beeman claims the P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is capable of around 410 fps using standard lead pellets which I found to be a very close estimate as my results using 6.9 grain lead pellets achieved a 4 shot average of 404 fps so only 6 fps off the claim. There are lighter lead pellets out there and even lighter alloy pellets so higher velocities are possible using less grain pellets but a decent grain pellet hitting 400+ fps is not bad considering only one pump is required to get max velocity from the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol.
Moving on to the accuracy portion of the test I setup a fresh paper target 30 feet away and proceeded to put 7 rounds into it shooting from a seated and rested shooting position (sand bag up front, seated in the back). I was a bit surprised to only get a 1.5 inch grouping but it seemed like there where three separate sub groups that each overlapped within themselves? I think perhaps when I pumped the gun I may have been disrupting the rear sight a bit as it does have some play in it for adjustments so you want to be careful not to place your hands on the rear sight when cooking the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol. Out of the box the shot placement was fairly well centered with two of the rounds right dead center of the bulls-eye.
I kind of want to do a retest at some point maybe with a different pellet and also making sure not place my hands over the rear sight when cocking the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol as I feel this Target Pellet Pistol is capable of .5 inch groupings. The trigger is really nice and the rifled barrel is a decent length with easy to use sights so this Air Pistol should do a bit better than I was able to get shooting it on this day. Either way it is a really fun gun to shoot and with a bit of time figuring it out I am confident you can get better results than I did.
Trigger Pull: The Single action only trigger pull on the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is excellent, super light with just a little bit of take-up, the release is very predictable, one of the best target pistol triggers I have reviewed for sure. There is no adjustment but I do not feel it is nessisary at all.
Accuracy: Spoiler alert! Before posting the written version of this review I did make the Field Test Shooting Video so I can give you a little bit of a heads up on how well the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol in its Field Test Shooting Video. In terms of velocity it was really close to the 410 fps using lead pellets and for accuracy I was pleased with there results but feel the gun can do better than the result I got on this day, perhaps a different pellet choice, some more break in time or maybe just me shooting on a different day. That said I confident this gun is very capable of getting groupings under an inch in the right conditions, maybe even 1/2 an inch.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is good considering it is a sub $100 target pistol with a great trigger, fully adjustable fiber optic sights and only one pump to get maximum velocity. The outer shell is polymer while the pump and valve body are aluminum with the barrel and main valve made out of steel. the trigger and latch are also metal.
Realism: The Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is not really a replica of a real steel gun in production per-say but the pistol grips are very Walther P series looking so if you are Walther owner or like the grips on the Walther P series guns then you will enjoy the hold of the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol.
Pros:
Reasonable price for an accurate full featured target pistol.
Safety automatically resets to the safe position when you pump/charge the pistol.
No need for CO2 so very inexpensive to shoot.
Virtually no recoil or vibration like you find in spring piston airguns.
Fiber optic front and back sight, also fully adjustable for windage and elevation.
Quality materials where you need them for expected long life and use.
Only requires one pump for full 410 fps power.
Works great for left and right handed shooters.
Good if you like Walther type pistol grips, same shape and feel as many P series pistols.
Excellent trigger feel and pull.
Cons:
Loading pellets is a bit awkward.
Have to pump it for each shot, no action shooting here.
Not rally a replica if that’s what you are after but generally most Spring Piston or Pneumatic Airguns are not replicas with a couple exceptions.
Comments: So the Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is not really a Replica or even an action shooter but it does have its place in an airgun collection. I love blasting pop cans just as much as the next person but sometimes I like to slow things down and see how accurate I can get with an Airgun and not be too concerned that the gun is interfering with the accuracy. This is one way to really improve your shooting skills and having to work for each shot makes it that much more rewarding. The Beeman P17 2004 Single Stroke .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol allows you to have a great time honing in your shooting skills for not a lot of cash up front and cost per shot is only whatever the pellets cost you.
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.
