Type: Break Barrel Pellet Pistol. Manufacturer: Gamo Model:P900 IGT. Materials: Mostly plastic build with some internal metal parts. Weight: 1.28 Pounds (580 grams). Barrel Length: 6.25 inches Total Length: 12.52 inches. Propulsion: Gas Piston (IGT) Action: Break barrel single action trigger. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets.. Ammunition Capacity: 1 round. Max FPS: 400 fps using PBA Platinum pellets (about 5 grain).
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol uses what Gamo calls their SAT or Smooth Action Trigger system. Overall the single action only trigger feels pretty good, not super light but also not overly heavy. The Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol has a short take up with a very predictable release point. I found it fairly easy to use and shoot with precision.
Build Quality: The Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is mainly made out of plastic, pretty much everything is plastic including the trigger but there will be internal metal parts where they are required. That said the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol feels well made with fairly heavy plastic throughout. The Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is not super heavy but feels hefty enough in the hand.
Realism: The Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is not a replica of any specific pistol in production and has a very modern look to it. I would say it looks more like an airgun than a real gun and that’s exactly what is’t supposed to be so this is not a negative in this case.
Pros:
Reasonable price for a target pistol.
Performed well, can easily get .5 inch groupings from 30 feet away.
No need for CO2.
Inert Gas Technology (IGT) has less vibration and no reduction to power over time.
Fiber optic front sight.
Adjustable rear sight for windage.
Inexpensive to shoot.
Made in Spain.
Ambidextrous design.
Reasonable trigger pull.
Cons:
Not supper powerful. Shot around 300 fps with standard lead pellets.
A bit hard to cock because of such a short barrel.
Rear sight is only adjustable for windage and not elevation.
Comments: The Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a nice overall low cost target pistol with a very modern look and Gas Piston technology. In terms of performance the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol tested well for me shooting accurately with a consistent 300 fps velocity which is what you want in a target pistol, consistency over raw power. I like the overall design and look, the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol feels good in the hand and easy to shoot, the trigger is not overly light but is also not too heavy by any means. My only complaint is the cocking effort involved because of such a short barrel and I also noticed a bit of a stickiness with the cocking effort but I have a feeling this may break in over time or perhaps a drop of oil in the hinge area may do the trick. If you want a modern looking target pellet pistol with good performance than the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol will for sure fit the bill!
My Table Top Review for the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol:
For this Field Test Shooting Video Review of the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol I test the power and accuracy to determine what the real world (fps) Feet Per Second velocity and how tight of a grouping I can get for 30 feet down range.
For the power portion of my Indoor Filed Test I shot five RWS 6.9 grain lead pellets through my Chronograph with an average velocity of 305 fps. This resulted in a 1.43 foot pound energy rating. My slowest shot out of the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol was 289 fps and the fastest shot was 311 fps. Gamo claims the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol can achieve 400 fps but this would be using lighter alloy pellets like PBA Platinum pellets.
Next I setup at a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and proceeded to place 8 shots into the target using a seated and rested shooting position. My first shot was a bit high as I was getting use to the trigger but the following 7 shots all grouped within about 3/4 of an inch, 6 of them all within a half inch of each other so the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is for sure capable of 1/5 inch groupings from a 30 foot distance. The placement of the shots grouping was a little bit high and to the left. since the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol has an adjustable trigger for windage I could easily center the grouping right in the middle. In terms of elevation there is no adjustment so I would need to manually adjust this on the fly depending on the distance I was shooting at.
The Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol performed very well for me, the power is what you would expect for a target pistol, I would not recommend the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol for any pest control. Accuracy was very good and I feel once getting use to the trigger you shoudl be able to get shots all within a 1/2 inch at 30 feet. The trigger is not super light but by no means is it heavy, the take-up is short with a predictable release, I found the trigger to work well overall. My only complaint is cocking the Gas Spring as the barrel is short and it does take some effort to do this, especially getting it started off, once you get past the first little bit it does get easier to cock. If you’re looking for a nice accurate target pellet pistol at a relatively inexpensive price point then for sure consider the Gamo P900 IGT .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol.
My systems setup for a more powerful airgun as I was shooting .22 caliber lead pellets with about 11-12 foot pounds of energy. Direct hits passing through the 3/4 inch cut outs had no problem laying down the metal paddles and resetting the paddles was a lot easier than I though it would be even way back 50 feet.
I did not have my Sig Sauer Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Air Rifle perfectly sighted in so I did have to aim low and to the left which made it a bit harder dropping the plates but I did manage to get the job done at least for providing a decent test video fo the Rx Target Systems for the purposes of this video.
Make sure to not only watch my Field Test Shooting video included in this post but also checkout my Rx Target Systems Preview Video where I show it up and close and also go into more details on the Rx Target Systems and how modular and versatile it really is.
I want to thank David Bitkowski from Rx Target Systems for providing me with this sample unit to share with the Replica Airguns community. This video is only a Preview video as I wanted to get the RX Target System out there before I follow up with my actual Table Top and Shooting Videos for it.
For now here are some of the key points I want to get out to everyone:
Mission: Rx Target Systems are meant to bridge the gap between firearms and airguns. They allow high precision shooting on a reactive, three- dimensional, rugged target that can be carted around in a back pack. What makes Rx Target Systems unique is that it is a system. It is so modular and adaptable with interchangable faceplates and paddles. Rx Target Systems are not going to break or get dented or dissembled on the range as many of the lighter gauged steel targets on the market today vs today’s high powered airguns.
Modular
One base allows interchange of faceplates for different target configurations
One threaded axel allows interchange of paddle from 10 gauge to 3/8 inch-thick paddles
Portable
Mount it on a shelf indoors
Mount it on a sawhorse outdoors
Carry it in a backpack or duffle bag- its 10 pounds
Rugged
Solid steel design
Faceplates from 10 gauge to ¼ inch thick
3-Dimensional
Faceplate is offset from paddles
Clipping the aperture does not guarantee a score
Intentions of target configurations
Standard 1 inch bulls.- represents kill zone of many small game at 30 yards, great for sighting in prior to the hunt. Also is ¼ scale of bull used in rapid fire pistol when shot from 8.3 meters. (25 meters distance/100mm bull)
1.2 inch bulls- represents the 4-10 ring of the NRA 10 meter air rifle target. Gears the shooter to consistently hitting the “black” of that target on paper
AAFTA style- represents common kill zones found in American Airgun Field Target Assosciation using 1.5”, 1”, ¾", ½", and 3/8”.
WFTF style- represents common kill zones found in World Field Target Federation using 15mm, 25mm, and 38mm apertures
10-15- Inspired by customer request, uses 10mm and 15mm apertures. High-Precision shooting.
The Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle is one that you are really going to want to take outside and set targets up around 50-60 feet await make it a little more challenging adn I do plan on getting outside with the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle in a bit once the weather gets a bit nicer and have some fun shooting at longer ranges. For now I wanted to at least get out my Indoor Field Test Shooting Video where I can Chronograph the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle and also see what it can do shooting at 30 feet out.
Sig claims the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle to shoot .22 caliber lead pellets at up to 700 fps with a power output of 12 foot pounds. Using 14.5 grain lead pellets I placed 6 rounds though my Chronograph and averaged 585 fps with the fastest shoot hitting 611 fps. Keep in mind there are much lighter lead pellets out there and when it comes to alloy pellets they drop in weight even more so hitting 700 fps with a light grain lead or alloy pellet is very realistic. What about Sigs claimed 12 foot pounds of energy? I did the math and using a 14.5 grain pellet with a maximum velocity of 611 fps, these numbers produce just a hair over 12 foot pounds! Mission accomplished :)
What about accuracy, I have seen a few claims online that the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle is not the most accurate Pellet rifle out there and you know what I don’t think that was the absolute intension when Sig thought this one up. After all it is a semi auto high capacity Airgun replica, not a target rifle. I still like to find things out for myself so of course I performed my accuracy test for the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle shooting 10 rounds into a fresh paper target from 30 feet back using a seated and rested shooting position. For this test I was using a red dot scope with a 3x magnifier on it. My first 10 rounds did OK producing just over a 1 inch grouping, not super great but most of the rods (8 of them) all struck the target within about 3/4 of an inch.
At this point decided to empty the rest of the magazine so about 15 rounds on the same target to see if the grouping stayed the same or maybe even speed out a bit. I was a bit surprised to find that my second 15 shot grouping all stayed within the higher 10 shot group again producing about a 3/4 inch grouping with just those two first test outliers? Maybe it was me, maybe it was the pellets, maybe it was the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle? The good news is you have 30 rounds to hit your target so even if a couple of them stray a bit you still got 28 left to get the job done.
The Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle is one of the coolest Air Rifles I have tested and now own, not only is it a great Replica Airgun but it also performs well and can be used for plinking or small pest control. All at even a fraction of the cost of shooting 22LR rounds and that’s not even that expensive compared to 9mm and larger ammo. Let’s hope Sig Sauer makes a detuned Canada version so we can offer it up in our Canada Replica Airguns Store and if you live in the US then checkout the US Store for Sig Sauer buying options.
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.
Here we go again, another round of SHOT Show videos brought to you direct from Replica Airguns!
As always I like to start off with a Teaser Video with a few quick clips of some of the new products I had the opportunity to take a look at at this years SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas.
I will be rolling out Interview Videos as quickly as I can edit them and put them together for the following Airgun Related companies:
Sig Sauer
Umarex
Crosman - Velocity Outdoors
ASG
Air Venturi
Chiappa
So sit back and enjoy this years Replica Airguns SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas Teaser Video!
I have not officially done a Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle other than my quick outside shooting test where I simply shot a bunch of rounds at some pop cans just to see how the Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle would work for me and it did perform well during that test.
Jumping ahead to a little while later when I went to make my Official Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle. I found it was not performing well at all, shooting well under the 410 claimed fps closer to 200 fps which was a surprise since it seemed to do a lot better for me on my previous test. I even changed out the CO2 but still did not get any better results. I racked this up to maybe being a defective gun and so I went about getting my hands on another Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle.
Guess what? Same thing with rifle number two. Very poor fps, again almost half of the claimed rated velocity. So at this point I decided I was goring to make the Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle and let the results speak for themselves… I also thought it would be fun to compare it to the Classic 1938 Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun since I figured they would both get similar fps and accuracy and be rather comparable at the end of the day.
I do have to say that the Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle did make me eat my words and I am happy it did since I really like the Umarex Legends CO2 BB Lever Action Cowboy Rifle and wanted it to do well!
Usually I state all there results for My Field Test Shooting Videos here in the written article but I kind of feel it is best if you just watch this one from start to finishes since the video result s did turn out to really surprise me in the end.
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!
Here we have three very different products I Unbox and Preview for everyone. A Spring Piston multi-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle, a single action BB/Pellet revolver that’s not a Colt! And a really nice looking Semi Auto Blank Pistol in a Chrome finish.
Let’s start with the Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. I think this is a really well thought out Air Rifle. It’s “almost a Bullpup” in design but it does actually load in front of the trigger just a bit, that said most of the spring piston is behind the trigger setup making it really compact yet with a longer than normal barrel compared to regular Break Barrel Spring Piston Air Rifles. The Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle also has a side lever cocking mechanism along with a 5 round auto indexing magazine which makes it much quicker to cock and reload for fast follow-up shots, again compared to a standard Break Barrel Air Rifle, not to mention no barrel droop! The Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle has a claimed fps of up to 500 so we are getting the max amount of velocity possible for our Canadian laws without making it a regulated firearm and requiring a PAL license. And by the way the Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle does come in both a Lime Green and all Black version just in case you are not a fan of the Lime Green finish I show in this video.
Moving onto the Schofield No. 3 BB/Pellet 6 Shot Revolver Replica, if you like single action revolvers then take a look at the Schofield No. 3 BB/Pellet 6 Shot Revolver Replica. It’s a lot more bulky than a Colt Single Action Revolver and also has that top Break design that makes reloading quick and easy. The version we are selling inner Replica Airgun Online Store is the kit version that comes with 6 BB shells and 6 pellet shells so you can take your pick on ammo types. The barrel is not rifled so Steel BB’s will not hurt the Airgun and since pellets are skirted they do not need a rifled barrel to fly straight and true. You can expect around 445 fps for the Schofield No. 3 BB/Pellet 6 Shot Revolver Replica.
I though I would feature the fact that we recently added some of the Tokyo Marui product line to our Canada Replica Airguns Store. Tokyo Marui is said to be one of the best Airsoft products on the market and they have been around for a while so they have had time to get it right! As Tokyo Marui is a Japanese based company they are restricted to only being able to use plastic frames and slides but even with this limitation the Tokyo Marui products that I have personally looked at are extremely well made.
Type: Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by Umarex. Model:Walther PPS M2. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.25 pounds (567 grams). Barrel: 3.34 inches, metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2 x 1. Action: Semi auto single action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 18 round drop out metal stick magazine. FPS: Claimed 340.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Walther PPS M2 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is single action only so you will need to rack the slide before you can fire off the first shot. The trigger reset does not change even when cocked so there is a fair amount of take-up but it is very light right up until the release where you then feel the actual trigger pull. The release weight is fairly light.
Build Quality: TheUmarex Walther PPS M2 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is not super heavy but because of its small size it does feel solid in the hand. Fit and finish are both good and you will find metal parts in all the right places like the slide, trigger, barrel, magazine, slide catch release and lost of other metal parts internally.
Realism: The Umarex Walther PPS M2 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is a really good replica when compared to the real steel version. For the most part it is really hard to tell them apart just looking at them. One difference is the trigger, you will find a trigger safety on the real steel version versus no trigger safety on the BB firing airgun. I am not talking about the cross bolt safety here as this is also unique to the Airgun version and not on the real still pistol. Available From: The Replica Airguns Store.
Pros:
A lot like the previous version PPS but more modern looking with smoother edges.
Nice overall believable replica of the real steal Walther PPS.
Fully Walther licensed via Umarex.
Easy to use and see white dot sights front and back.
Great small size weight and feel to it.
Working slide catch and release locks back after last shot.
Fit and finish is good.
Smart built in Allen key/spring system.
Stick mag but the butt plate hides the CO2 screw nicely.
Recessed barrel looks the part.
Expect decent blowback feel since it has a heavier slide spring than the previous PPS and that version even had decent blowback recoil for its size.
Cons:
Not field strip-able.
Only partial blowback action with stick magazine.
Comes in clam shall packaging and has ugly warning instructions on slide.
Comments:
I like the format of these small compact conceal cary gun like the ASG Bersa BP9CC, of course the first generation Umarex Walther PPS Blowback and now the new Umarex Walther PPS M2. Small sized compact guns like the Umarex Walther PPS M2 here in Canada are considered Prohibited making them off limits for most Canadians even with valid Restricted handgun licenses so the BB firing version many be as close as you are going to get to owning a prohibited pistol here in Canada. I look forward to putting the Umarex Walther PPS M2 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol though its paces when I do my official Field Test Shooting video here in the Airgun Sea Can Shooting Range.
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 John Wayne Lil Duke Giveaway didn't go exactly as planned as we had that YouTube Airgun Channel scare shortly after the original announcement so not as many people knew about it but we said we where going to giveaway two John Wayne Lil Duke BB Rifles and so that's what we are going to do!
Make sure to watch my Youtube video and find out if you won or not and congratulations to the two winners! For those that did not win this time around, you can still get yourself a John Wayne Lil Duke BB Gun by heading over to our Replica Airguns Canada or Replica Airguns US online web store and purchasing one the conventional way!
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.
First I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, hopefully you get all the toys you have been wanting! Maybe we can help you out a little with that over on our Online Canada and US Replica Airgun Stores.
I also have a new Red Ryder Type BB Rifle to show off, this one is John Wayne licensed and called the John Wayne Lil Duke. At first glace it looks a lot like a Red Ryder but it has the large loop styled lever which is designed for easier use when wearing gloves, perfect for our Canadian weather ;) The John Wayne Lil Duke Lever Action BB Rifle has a really nice fit and finish, perhaps even a bit better than the classic Red Ryder BB Gun. I really like the real wood stock finish.
Another nice touch is that the John Wayne Lil Duke Lever Action BB Rifle comes with a lasso scope rail that you can attach just behind the rear iron sight to accommodate dove tail scope mounts. Just make sure to really tighten down the rear screw as it comes loose super easy due to the spring vibration. I would even recommend adding a bit of lock tight to the screw to be sure.
Here are some of the main specifications for the John Wayne Lil Duke Lever Action BB Rifle: 4.5mm Steel BB's, leaver action spring piston, 350 fps, 550 round magazine, 2.5 pounds, smooth bore 9.5 inch barrel, adjustable rear sight for elevation, included scope mount for 11mm dovetail rings, metal and wood build.
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!