An old MARINE CORPS buddy stopped in to spend a few days. Our plan is to go to Compasseco and check out the Crosman, Benjamin, and Remington Nitro Piston air rifles this week.

Today he had stopped by Wal-Mart on the way to my house and found the Crosman Storm XT on "Clearance" for $89(down from $109). The lady told him if he didn't like it, to just bring it back. So he decided to get one. (Still planning to get a Nitro Piston in 22cal and perhaps let his wife have the 17cal Storm XT.

We mount the scope and the rings came equipped with a "Pin" in the Rear Ring to prevent the scope from moving during recoil. Went on with no problems.

We got "maybe" 50 shots through it and it shot real well. No "Broiiiiiiing" sound and the regular old Crosman Pellets were cracking right along. (I need to weigh one of them, but haven't done that yet.)

The scope does not have an Adjustable Objective, which makes getting a really clear sight picture at 10yds a bit of an impossible challenge. The scope does have nice small "Bars" on the Vertical and Horizontal Crosshairs, similar to where you would expect Mil-Dots to be. We have not confirmed the Spacing between them however.

Once it was Sighted-In, we moved the Target back to 25yds and the Sight Picture was much better. Even got a few 3-shot groups which could be covered with a dime. Didn't have time to measure them and don't imagine it would be meaningful with this low Pellet count through the barrel anyhow.

Trigger is not real impressive. We plan to take the rifle apart and either "Fix it" or "Destroy it".

But, for $89, it appears he got his money's worth.
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Anyone else have one?

You should still be able to adjust the front lens, either by removing the front locking ring or there may be notches in the lens carrier that you can turn it with.

Thanks for the Tip. I'll look for it today.

Just do not want to mess up the Internal Seal and let the Nitrogen out. He lives in sunny Florida and gets a good bit of rain.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Thanks for the Tip. I'll look for it today.

Just do not want to mess up the Internal Seal and let the Nitrogen out. He lives in sunny Florida and gets a good bit of rain.

Hey little buddy,

Visit the Medium Bore Rifles thread titled

"Hot Core's Elk Hunting Experience???????"

Hey Specialist, We decided against messing with the Scope. Sure appears to be tightly sealed around the Front Lens.

Did get a chance to weigh some of his Pellets:
1 @ 6.1gr - A piece of the Skirt was missing.
8 @ 7.7gr
7 @ 7.8gr
2 @ 8.0gr - Flat Tip had a small spot extending from the Mold Flash Line.
1 @ 8.1gr - Flat Tip had a small spot extending from the Mold Flash Line.

I did adjust the Trigger a bit and it is a good bit better. Did not bother removing it from the rifle since we didn't want to take a chance on a small part "departing" the area.

The Non-Adjustable Objective on the Center-Point Scope is a problem.

It's always a pain with airgun combos, the cheaper scopes are usually firearm scopes set for 70y.
Useless when you need to see a rat under a dark bush at 8y.
So many new shooters are put off by that, I wish the shops would get this sorted out.

The Non-Adjustable Objective Scope issue is a problem no doubt.
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Went back and Weight Sorted all the 17cal Pellets he had:
28 @ 7.7-7.8gr
24 @ 8.0-8.1gr
None at 7.9gr which is probably due to the ElCheapo electronic scale I was using to do the sort. The really cheap models do OK for an accuracy of 0.2gr all the time, but occasionally skip a 0.1gr reading.
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My buddy was so pleased with the Crosman Storm XT that he decided to go back and get another one. Basically one for him and one for his wife. Well, he discovered they had been lowered from $89 On Clearance down to $45 On Clearance. He had his other receipt and asked the Customer Service lady if she could adjust the price he had paid the day before to the new price and she did!

So, for $1.06 more, he had two of the rifles. And he ended up "giving" the newest one to me. So, we go try them out again today. Mine needs a Trigger Job real bad, so I'll mess with it later this week. Too many other things in the way right now.
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Yesterday we had driven to Compasseco in Bardstown, KY to look over the Tech Force line of Air Rifles. Got to meet one of the Design Engineers and we sure had a fine time looking at all their products.

My buddy is giving serious thought to a Tech Force PCP. He needs to see about an Air Tank and such stuff prior to making a commitment to a PCP, but it looks like it is just a matter of time before he has a new Tech Force PCP. They are not overly expensive, the Tube is 3x as thick as a Benjamin Marauder, Seals are about $2 if you ever need one and the guy we met has Videos on You Tube showing how to work on them. And a local ROTC Team placed 3rd in state against Teams using air rifles costing 4x-5x as much.

The "Trigger" is an easy to get to excellent design. It appears that it would be real easy to remove the original Trigger Spring and replace it with one from a Retractable Ball Point Pen. Plus it has Adjustments for Sear Engagement, Over Travel and (I believe) the Pull Weight.

He did buy a Tech Force Scope with an Adjustable Objective and it made a HUGE difference in the ability to see the Target clearly.
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Once I get the current Trigger sorted out on the Crosman Storm XT, it appears that it will be worth much MUCH more than "what I have in it" - $0.00.

Removed the Trigger and looked it over. It had a couple of dings in the Sear Bearing Surface and was coated in something resembling Parkerizing.

Got out the Trigger Adjustment tools(files and stones) and got that surface polished up. Put it back together and off to try it.

Better, but not where it needs to be. Looks like I'll need to "bend" a new Spring-Steel Sear Spring for it. And the Trigger Return Spring might get replaced as well, just have to see how it goes.

Shot it maybe 50-60 times and had two groups which amazed me. The rest of the groups were OK, but nothing to brag about. I feel sure that once the Trigger is sorted out, it will help a lot.
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Went to Wal-Mart and the only Pellets they had were the Crosman Premier in the Domed Hollow Point style. Went to Weight Sort some of them and after about 40, they all weighed 7.9-8.0gr, so I stopped and dumped them back in the Tin. Clean and straight, with no deformed tips or skirts.

Did notice that when you insert these Pellets into the Chamber that they are a sure enough "snug fit" as the Nose enters. Seem to fit just a bit tighter than the Flat Nose Wad Cutters that my buddy had.

Hollow points aren't much use in airguns they are not so good for longer shots and don't really expand much. It's all accuracy with a pellet gun, where you hit them not how hard you hit them.

Shouldn't have to force 'em in, that's one reason I like break barrels, you can easily feel if the pellet is a good fit.
Some folks use a pellet "seater" a tool to push them in a small amount for better consistency, they say.
But I don't bother you can usually find the right pellet without that hassle.
You can get different head sizes, over and under exactly .177 or .22.
That's usually what is the most important thing, for good accuracy.

If your really into it you can get the packs of 50 kinds of pellets from Pell Pax.
But usually it's one or two of a very few pellets that will be best.

Careful ... once you get into airguns it won't be long before you are going to want something NICE.

quote:

Originally posted by The Specialist:
...Careful ... once you get into airguns it won't be long before you are going to want something NICE.

Hey Specialist, I do believe it is already too late to keep me from wanting a really nice one.

Ralph called yesterday and has already located two Air Cylinders in his garage. The trip to Compasseco got him all fired-up as well. Once he actually handled some of their different stocks, it was like setting the hook.

I'm still leaning toward a 22cal Nitro Piston, but Ralph is nearly ready to go the PCP route in 22cal for Squirrel Hunting.
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I hope to get this Trigger in the Storm XT farther apart this week. Gotta see how it is built before I can do anymore slicking up.
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A sincere Thank You for sharing all your info about the Air Rifles and Pellets.

Just placed the order for the GRT-III with Charlie. Sure am looking forward to trying it out.

Shot it a bit more today prior to the GRT-III Trigger getting here. I tried 4 different Pellets, but didn't get enough through it to say any of them(all Crosman) are really bad.

The Premier Hollow Points do seem to be more accurate than the Destroyer, the Pointed, and the Wadcutter - in this specific rifle. However that may change when the new Trigger gets installed.

The GRT-III arrived and I got it installed. The Safety would not work, but the "email Instructions" mentioned what to do. Took a couple of strokes with a File and the Safety is fine.

Whoever is responsible for the original Trigger at Gamo, which is apparently used by Crosman, needs his clinton kicked completely over his head, his house burned, truck beaten with a sledge and dog shot. An absolutely pitiful and pathetic trigger - UNTIL - the GRT-III got installed. Now it is both Crisp and Light.

The GRT-III ($32 in the USA from CharlieDaTuna) turns the near worthless rifle into something worth shooting. REALLLLLLLLY looking forward to doing some shooting with it this coming week.

Got to go try out the new GRT-III Trigger today and it is absolutely amazing. Still a "Springer" with the Bounce and Torque, but the new Trigger makes shooting it a lot of fun.

I tried four different Crosman Pellets and here are some impressions on how they did in this specific Springer. The results may be totally different in someone else's air rifle.

All weights given below are Averages. They are all pretty consistent with the Destroyer and Premier Hollow Points being the most consistent throughout the tin.

1. 7.4gr Competition Wadcutter - My rifle just does not like this Pellet. Wide and wild Patterns. I thought it was just me at first, but the other Pellets indicated this one is just not going to shoot well in my rifle. Very "loose" when inserted into the Chamber.

2. 7.4gr Spire Points - Nearly as inaccurate as the Wadcutters and also a somewhat "loose" fit.

3. 7.9gr Destroyer - They actually surprised me at just how well they shot. I got some nice small size groups with them and they were a "Snug Fit" going into the Chamber. $2.00/250 at Wal-Mart is a real deal on these for me.

4. 7.9gr Premier Hollow Points - Also great accuracy and a Tight Fit in the Chamber. You can feel the Pellet begin engraving the rifling as it is inserted. $6.97/500 at Wal-Mart.

Perhaps my rifle just prefers the 7.9gr weight, but I suspect the "Trick" was the Snug and Tight fits for the Destroyer and Hollow Point Pellets.

I find the Hollow points good but after 25 / 30 yards they start to go astray.
If your getting good groups with them at shorter range but not so good farther out, try to find some RWS Superdomes, or JSB pelletts.

Also there are different head sized pellets, like 4.49mm 4.51mm and 4.52mm.
Slightly larger and slightly smaller than .177 or 4.50mm.
That can really make the difference if you can't find one your really happy with.
If it's all working well I expect a good .177 springer to do an under 1" 3 shot group at 35y.

Thanks Specialist.

I was just talking to a buddy in Califoney last night and he mentioned the RWS Pellets too. I've looked at the "vast variety" of Pellets available at a couple of the Air Gun sites and it is indeed amazing to find so many available.

I was sitting just looking at 25yds this week. I'm not sure if I've ever taken a shot at a Squirrel beyond this distance. I need to get into the woods and see if that is True or Bologna.

Also appreciate the info about 3-shots should be able to make it into 1" at 35yds. With very few(maybe 200) Pellets through this rifle, the Crosman Destroyer and Crosman Premier Hollow Points may be close to that. Just have not shot it at that distance yet.
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Ordered a second GRT-III for my buddy's rifle. I expect it to arrive tomorrow and then I'll send it on to him.

Decided to change the Center-Point Scope on the rifle to an old Leupold EFR I had laying around gathering dust. The C-P was fine out to maybe 18-20yds and then the lack-of Parallax adjustment cause the image to shift. Could just be that I needed to put in my Contacts that I wear when Hunting. But it is swapped now.

Messed with the GRT-III Adjustment Screws a bit and it is extremely crisp and light. However, the Safety will not work at this setting. The Trigger Instructions explain how to adjust the Trigger for this, so it is just getting that done to have it working properly.

Now that this one is working - as all air rifles should come from the Factory - it is indeed a real pleasure to use.

Thanks again for all the "help" you guys have provided. The goading into buying the GRT-III mkes such an amazing difference.

I ordered the secong GRT-III for my buddy's Storm, got it, sent it to him and he has it installed. He is also AMAZED at the HUGE difference. His needed "zero adjustment" after installation to work just like he wanted it to.

He has found the Gamo "Rocket" pellet to penetrate extremely well coming from his Storm and is very accurate.

He also found the Crosman Competition Wadcutters to be an extremely loose fit in his rifle and accuracy is pitiful.

The more we talk, the closer he is coming to getting a PCP for the Squirrels and general fun shooting. He goes back and forth between calibers, but 22cal seems to be dominant.

As I look into the Crystal Ball( ) I still see a 22cal Nitro Piston in my future.

As long as the thing will do 850 / 900 fps then .22 is better.
We have the stupid 12fpe rule, over that and you have to register the gun, then you are restricted where you can shoot etc. like a firearm.

So here a .22 under the 12fpe rule is pretty useless as it's doing 600 fps. Shoot at a Crow at 30 yards and it will duck, laugh at you and fly off.

quote:

Originally posted by The Specialist:
Shoot at a Crow at 30 yards and it will duck, laugh at you and fly off.

Now that is BAD!
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Got a call from Ralph 20JUN10. All the Father's Day festivities were yet to come, so he had a few minutes before they arrived.

He walked off 47 BIG steps, which he guesstimated to be about 45yds. Fine tuned the new Tech Force AO Scope for that distance and proceeded to stick 3-Crosman Premier HPs into 1/2" and surrounding the very small " + " on the Target. Said to be sure and say "Thank You" again to those of you who recommended the GRT-III.

Then he tried some other Pellets which did not do quite as well, but he was pleased anyhow.

The Crosman Storm XT has a small "Roller" that extends out to the side on the Cocking Rod. The Cocking Rod attaches the Barrel to the Piston. The Roller looks like it should roll along a machined-out surface made for it, inside the stock. But, I do not think the Roller touches that surface all the time, because the surface in both of our rifles is very rough. Had it actually been Rolling over that roughness, I beleive I'd have felt it. And the Synthetic Roller shows no indication of damage by the rough surface.

It looked like some End Grain Raised along that surface when the Stain/Finish was applied. But, it was really rough. Ralph mentioned it to me and when I got inside mine the last time, I saw what he was talking about.

Needed to "Sand it down", but the location made it difficult to get to with Sand Paper(no room for the fingers) or a Sanding Sponge(sponge too wide).

Thought about it for a bit and went to see just what kind of small Grind Stones I had for my "generic" Dremel Tool. Have a 249 piece Accessory Kit from Harbor Freight and there were all kinds of Stones in it. Got one out, stuck in in the motor and used the end of it to smooth out the roughness. Had it polished in maybe 3-4 minutes. Worked great.
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Trying to decide on which new Stain I want on the stock. And then apply a Semi-Gloss or Satin Polyurethane inside and outside the entire piece of wood.

It seems like the old stain is a slightly Redder version of Colonial Maple, and with a Dull non-gloss finish.

When describing the original factory stock, the color of a Red Brick is about as close as I can get. And just as Dull, which is fine for taking the rifle into the Woods.

However, Ralph has goaded me into redoing the stock. He has shown me some really excellent looking stocks that he has refinished.

So, I started on my Brick Red stock with a Sanding Sponge. Messed with it for 45min and had it in good condition. However, the Brick Red stain was still visible, I did not attempt to remove all the original stain. This bit of "laziness" turned out to be a good thing. Ralph ALWAYS takes all of the old Stain off so he can use his own concoction.

I used the Air Compressor to blow off the loose Sanding Dust and then wiped down the stock. Looked around, found a can of Colonial Maple stain and put a coat of it on. The instructions say to make the wood wet with it, let it set for 10min and then wipe the excess off. I've never had good luck with that method.

So, I put on some Nitrel gloves, folded a Paper Towel into about a 2" square and "Wiped On" the stain. Plus I kept wiping until it soaked in or mostly dried to a tacky state.

After the first coat of Colonial Maple, the actual color did not appear to change very much, but it was not quite as Dull. Thought about it overnight(while I let it totally dry) and decided to go with Dark Walnut stain on the next go-round.

Used a Scotch Brite Pad all over the stock, wiped it down, put on a coat of the Dark Walnut just as I did the first stain application and hung it to dry for 24hrs. The next morning, I repeated the Scotch Brite wipe-down and applied more Dark Walnut stain.

I walked by it about 10hrs later and it was beginning to look pretty good, The Dark Walnut was giving the dull Brick Red Beech or Birch wood some character. But the real surprise was that the Brick Red original finish was now making the stock actually begin to look like Walnut. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. More thoughts about it overnight.

Decided to go with one more coat of the Dark Walnut stain and it is drying right now. It is absolutely amazing to me how the Brick Red original finish provided the perfect "background" for the Dark Walnut stain to give the wood an amazingly close appearance of real Walnut. Whenever I did this before on other woods, the light wood tended to just turn almost Black and in no way resembled Walnut. It seems the Brick Red initial stain is what I've needed as a Base Coat for years on Beech or Birch wood stocks.

Tomorrow the stock gets the Scotch Brite again and then an initial coat of Satin Polyurethane. Not sure how many coats I'll apply. But after the first one, I plan to put a MARINE CORPS emblem on the right side of the stock. Then subsequent coats will seal it in place.

You hunt Elk with one?

Rich
DRSS

I'm sorry. I just don't know what came over me...

Rich
DRSS

I know what came over you, the same stupidity as you always spew. Wheatstone Bridge???

glad to see I am not the only one who thinks Rich is a few fries short of a happy meal.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
glad to see I am not the only one who thinks Rich is a few fries short of a happy meal.

x2
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Welllllll, time for a few laughs at myself.

I was/am a bit pressed for time during the day. Consulted with two buddies about the Stock Refinishing and was "Bragging"( ) about how well the stock looked. Always turns into a disaster after a Brag.

One suggested a "Spray" Polyurethane, the other suggested to use either Linseed Oil or Lemon Oil. Huuummm! Had a can of Helmsman Spar Varnish Satin Polyurethane on the shelf and decided to go with it. What a mess!!!

Got to get the old Zip-Strip out and begin ALL OVER!!! And it ...., better not say how good it looked AGAIN or I might get Snake Bit today.

The Zip-Strip removed the mess and I put one coat of the Colonial Maple back on it, just like I originally did. Now a couple of days for the Dark Walnut Stain and I'll try the Spray Polyacrylic.

Wellllll...., more !!! Better than .

Have the stock back to a "reasonable" level, but it sure dosen't look as good as it did the first time. Decided to go on and spray the Polyacrylic on it. Put the Recoil Pad screws in the stock, tied some heavy string around them and made a Hook from a wire coat hanger. Hung the stock outside where the sun would be on it. That eliminated all the "Tackiness" of the Stain in about an hour.

Shook the Polyacrylic for the specified 2-min, got up-wind and gave it a shot. Had something come out of the can that looked like pieces of broken Silly String - which stuck to the stock. Didn't have a "Wipe Cloth" with me, so my hand went into an Automatic Reflex Mode and wiped the junk off the stock.

No harm done though. (ALWAYS give a short Test Spray to the side first!!!) STOPPED, washed my hands, re-re-re-checked the stock and went back to spraying. Wind came up which made a smooth application difficult - of course.

Can says let it dry 30min, scotchbrite, and then apply more. I let it dry 2-hrs. Got 3 coats on it and the wind kept aggravating my efforts. Looked at it real close last night and there is a very small patch of "Orange Peel" texture in one spot. I figured there would be more. So, I need to sand that down and hope for lower wind gusts today.

Otherwise, I should be back up and shooting before much longer.

Had to Zip-Strip - AGAIN!!!

The sanding just turned the Polacrylic into small, soft Poly Balls - aka another mess. Fortunately the Zip-Strip erased the disaster just as it had previously. Over 50 years ago, my Grandfather taught me not to let an Inaminate Object get the best of me, so I started AGAIN!!!

I have the Staining down to where it can be done fairly quickly. Came out OK, but still not as good as the first time. Some of the sanding did remove a slight bit of the Brick Red original finish and it appears slightly different. But, really OK.

A buddy in NC told me to spray on the Poly "in the shade" not out in the sun(95deg). He surmised the wood had gotten hot and Flash Dried the lighter spray portions of the Poly as it was going on. Apparently he was correct. It is going REALLLLLLLY well right now - no runs, no drips, and no errors.
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Reminded me of a guy, Earl, who worked at GTE - Huntsville as a Quality Assurance Inspector. He was Inspecting a product called Feature Phones and I noticed he was wearing very DARK colored Shades(sun glasses) and a Snap Brim hat. I watched him for a few minutes and asked "WHY?" he was wearing the Shades.

Earl handed me a phone and asked me to look it over, which I did and it looked just fine. He looked at it through the Shades and said it looked fine to him too. Then he removed the Shades and from about 3' away noticed the tiniest spec ( . ) on the front of the phone and pointed it out to me. He was correct, it was there, but it wasn't anything to Reject the phone over. So, he was wearing the Shades to keep from seeing those non-rejectable differences.

Thought about Earl and the stock looks GREAT at 3'. Don't even need the Shades.

Had the Storm out maybe 4 weeks ago and the stock felt "sticky". Even though it had dried well in the blazing hot sun for a couple of days. Decided to coat the Polyacrylic with Johnson Paste Wax(same stuff I used on Termite Food stocks for many years). That fixed the "sticky" feeling.

Went yesterday in some nice brisk breezes and shot it at 10yds with some of all the Pellets I have on hand.

Crosman Storm XT 0.177 – groups (and patterns ) shot at 10 yards:

Gamo
0.35"…Rocket
0.72"…Hunter(Domed)

Crosman
0.37"…Premier Hollow Point
0.72"…Destroyer
0.87"…Pointed
1.02"…Wad Cutter

Daisy
1.02"…Wad Cutter
1.12"…Hollow Point
1.97"…Pointed

Looking forward to trying the Gamo Rockets and Crosman Premier Hollow Points at 25yds. I'll guess that would be the MAX distance for this particular "Springer" to be able to hit a Squirrel in the head(maybe).

Dam ... I applaud your determination.

Something to keep me outa trouble.

Interesting that the Rockets and the hollow points do so well.

Remember that was " 10 yards ", not a very long distance. What surprised me the most was that both the Crosman and Daisy "Wad Cutters" shot rather large Patterns - of the same overall diameter.

quote:

Gamo
0.35"…Rocket
0.72"…Hunter(Domed)

Crosman
0.37"…Premier Hollow Point
0.72"…Destroyer
0.87"…Pointed
1.02"…Wad Cutter

Daisy
1.02"…Wad Cutter
1.12"…Hollow Point
1.97"…Pointed

Good post....thanks

Would you expect a .22 cal to do as well?...better?...

No idea. Perhaps the other guys with more experience can provide the info. I did notice somewhere on here that JDollar mentioned 1/2" groups at 50yds(5x the distance I was shooting) with his 22cal Air Force rifle.
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Talked to Ralph last night and he wanted me to relay his Off-Hand shooting yesterday.

Ralph grabbed a handfull of Crosman Premier Hollow Points and headed out into the back 40. Walking along and happened to spot a Squirrel easing around in a tree. So, Ralph decides to load up and blast it. The Squirrel apparently notices Ralph and is now curious about all the arm waving(cocking and loading the Storm XT) and low muttering, so the Squirrel is sitting and watching.

Ralph gets the rifle loaded and ready to go. He gets into a Classic Off-Hand stance, but immediately notices the Reticle is "swinging" over a rather LARGE area of tree, with an occasional glimpse of some Squirrel fur. As the reticle is approaching the Squirrel, Ralph sends a Crosman Premier Hollow Point on it "deadly mission". But no such luck. Only the limb suffered.

The Squirrel decides something is not right and begins s-l-o-w-l-y moving along. Meanwhile back at the Fire Control Center, Ralph is once again Reloading the Storm XT - without taking his eyes off-of the Squirrel. He has to look at the rifle to get the Pellet in the correct direction and into the Barrel. Looks back to find - nothing - no Squirrel to be seen anywhere.

That is OK, there will be plenty of days ahead to blast Squirrels over in the Pecan trees.

So, Ralph sets up a Target at 20yds and proceedes to - Fine Tune - his slightly rusty Off-Hand skill. Shot about Five 5-shot groups and he said they could "probably" be covered with a Playing Card. He was not overly disappointed because it has been awhile since he has done any Off-Hand shooting.

However, the Reloading issue, while trying to watch the Squirrel, was a problem he has anticipated for at least 3-years. Now that he has gone through it, the Benjamin Marauder PCP, which has the Rotary Magazine, is once again moved up on his interest list.