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BRK Team Shooter, Fady Kiwan has dominated the 2023 Benchrest World Championships – in fact, the Benchrest Rimfire and Air Rifle World Championships – held in Plzen, Czech Republic. He won two World titles and set a record score in the process. His gun? A BRK Ghost air rifle. The competition is sanctioned by the World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation (WRABF) and European Rimfire And Air Rifle Benchrest Shooting Federation (ERABS). No less than 237 competitors from 23 countries took part in a range of events between July 26 and August 4 in Plzen. Fady competed in three categories with the same gun using different barrels: – Light Varmint, 25 Meter range (17-Inch, .177 caliber barrel) – Heavy Varmint, 25 Meter range...

Is this the most powerful springer air rifle? And – if so – how would you manage shooting it? New on Pyramyd Air is the Gamo Magnum GR break barrel air rifle. In .25 caliber, the manufacturers claim is for a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 1,000 FPS using alloy pellets. Now, the lightest .25 caliber alloy pellets I can find are the 16.54 Grain Predator GTO lead-free pellets. If we assume that these are the ones used for that “1,000 FPS” claim, that would make the Muzzle Energy a huge 36.74 Ft/Lbs. WOW! Interestingly, the specs on the Pyramyd web page indicate that this is a spring/piston gun (in spite of the “GR” title which I originally thought stood for Gas Ram). The power comes from a massive, 33mm diameter compression chamber. Even...

The Midwest Elite Airgun All-N-One high capacity magazine is an innovative concept. It allows the user to buy just one high capacity magazine, yet use it with a wide range of PCP air rifles by simply buying and fitting alternative lids. Hard Air Magazine has previously featured the dedicated style of Midwest Elite Airgun (MEA) magazine. This – one magazine per airgun type – magazine has been available for a number of guns. We looked at it in Daystate Red Wolf fitting. The new All-N-One version will fit – so the manufacturer says – up to 21 different different airgun platforms, with yet more in development! Our heading photograph above shows the All-N-One high capacity magazine fitted to a Daystate Red Wolf. Interchangeable lids...

Now there’s a limited-time Brocock Concept XR special deal under way at Airguns of Arizona. It’s just $1099.99, that’s $200 off of the previous selling price. This deal applies to guns in stock in .177 and .25 calibers. HAM reviewed the Brocock Concept in its original iteration as the “Brocock Concept Lite”. It was a Gold Award winner with a 94% score on test. The major significant difference is that the Concept XR has sidelever cocking. Otherwise this HAM review also applies to the newer XR version. we loved it! BUY FROM AIRGUNS OF ARIZONA Brocock Concept XR Note that this Brocock Concept XR special deal apply to inventory on hand and ends on August 15, 2023, so you will need to act fast! Check out these other resources to...

As part of its 100 Year Anniversary celebrations, the Crosman Legacy 1000 is now available in the Crosman online store, Pyramyd Air and elsewhere. The 100 Year Legacy is a gold-embellished version of the popular Legacy 1000 Variable Pump BB/.177 Caliber Pellet Air Rifle. As with the Limited Edition Crosman 362 model, the Company is positioning it as a collector’s item that captures the essence of Crosman’s rich history. This rifle comes with a celebratory bonus of one of the 10 special edition 100 Year collectors tin of pellets, making it a must-have for enthusiasts and collectors alike. The full set of commemorative tins was described in this HAM post. This limited edition model includes an all-weather synthetic stock with gold...

The STUD Ultrapod is the latest product from STUD Loading Systems. It’s a monopod that’s designed for precision Benchrest shooting. The manufacturer explains that the Ultrapod is a precision elevating device that allows the bench rest shooter the ultimate in vertical, Point of Impact control. It’s a replacement for the common “squeeze bags” and other rear stock adjustment devices. The Ultrapod has a three-point base that can be adjusted for level with the built-in leveling screws and bubble level. Internally, there’s a double helical screw elevation system that is precision-adjusted using the external rotating collar. This screw elevation system provides a maximum of 2 Inches of vertical travel, with precision control over exactly...

Thank you to everyone who has participated so far in the new HAM Community! Entirely due to your support, the latest and greatest airgun Community has gained around 1,100 members and 3,500 messages in just its first month of life. That’s HUGE and a fantastic start that has far exceeded my wildest expectations 🙂 It’s only going to get bigger and better with time… Again thanks to you, there’s some great discussions taking place on a wide variety of airgun-related subjects. It’s YOUR COMMUNITY and you’re free to talk airguns in an open and pretty-well unrestricted manner! (You know what I mean, no bad language, respect for others, basic civility). Of course, the “traditional” Hard Air Magazine will continue to be published alongside...

VALUE FOR MONEY There’s no doubt about this! The Diana Chaser air rifle kit offers outstanding value at its Street Price of $142.99. For that price, you receive the basic CO2-powered action, two barrels (long and short) a rifle/carbine stock, a soft case to hold it all – at least when the gun is configured as a pistol – and a single-shot tray for pellet loading. When you add-on the 12-month warranty, two sets of sights (one for rifle use, the other for pistol), a barrel band and small bag of O rings, you have to say that it’s amazing how they can do it for the price! BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR Diana Chaser CO2 Air Rifle Kit 0.22 Diana Stormrider .22 Cal Magazine SPEED AND ACCURACY In rifle configuration, the Diana Chaser tested by HAM...

The Air Arms Kymira is the company’s celebration 40th anniversary PCP air rifle that’s available to special order in the USA from Pyramyd Air. Along with the new Ultimate Springers and XTi-50FT models, the British company is certainly on a roll this month with new “high bling” product introductions! Befitting an “anniversary model”, the Kymira will be manufactured in a limited run of 400 rifles. It also combines features from a variety of Air Arms PCPs that have been manufactured over the years. In the USA, the Air Arms Kymira will be available in .22 caliber, “high power” configuration. That translates to a shot count of 35 per fill with a Muzzle Energy of up to 30 Ft/Lbs. Air Arms explains that the receiver is panelled and...

A parallel airgun universe. What? Have I (finally) lost it? Well, no I’ve not lost it – or at least I hope not. But it’s true, there is a parallel airgun universe. I was there at the weekend and it was alive and well. What am I talking about? Please bear with me and read on… A Little Background Surprisingly for an ex-pat Brit, I never got into airguns until moving to the USA nearly 30 years ago. (I was shooting Lee Enfield and Mauser 98 firearms back in the old country). The credit for initiating me into airguns belongs firmly to a certain James Kitching. James – now sadly long departed – was the owner of the improbably-named “Fun Supply” airgun website. From there, I purchased my first air rifle. It was a QB78. It didn’t work. So...

Today we’re taking a first look at the Daystate Alpha Wolf air rifle. In many respects, this model has many similarities to the Daystate Delta Wolf that HAM reviewed in considerable detail in 2022. However there’s a fundamental difference in appearance due to the use of a beautiful laminated stock. While the Delta Wolf has its own look that’s not unattractive – at least in my eyes – the Alpha Wolf is undoubtedly beautiful! There’s also a difference in handling. I found the Alpha Wolf to be rather more balanced to hold, particularly when shooting offhand. Yes, this is not a light air rifle, but it certainly is comfortable to shoot from the standing and kneeling positions. This effect is undoubtedly enhanced by the 17 Inch-barreled...

The latest 13% Off Airgun Depot Sale is now running. Just use the promo Code BEACH at checkout to benefit. But note that this 13% off sale applies to Airgun Depot email subscribers only. If not, you get 12% off. So, sign-up for Airgun Depot emails before placing your order to benefit from that extra one per cent! So what to buy? The HAM Team suggests you can’t go far wrong with the new Umarex Notos PCP. It’s a great little gun and a HAM Gold Award winner, as you can see from our comprehensive review. BUY FROM AIRGUN DEPOT Umarex Notos Carbine As you’ll expect, some items are excluded from this sale. There’s also free ground shipping on orders of $179.00 and above delivered within the contiguous U.S. But you’ll have to be quick...

HAM readers first learned about the Limited Edition Crosman 362 multi-pump air rifle back in February 2023. But now that the gun is shipping, we can bring you additional details. Crosman enthusiasts pay attention! The action of the Limited Edition Crosman 362 is the same as that of the regular, synthetic stock version. That’s fine as in earlier testing, I found the gun to produce nearly 15 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy with 8 pumps and 19 Grain Crosman 19 Grain Premier Ultra Heavy pellets. However, at a Street Price of $399.99, the Limited Edition 362 is – shall we say – slightly more expensive that the regular model that sells for $109.99. So what’s the difference? Let’s take a look… First off, this limited edition version of the 362...

What’s everyone shooting? That’s a common question about airgun competitions. So here’s an analysis of the rifles, scopes and pellets that were used at the 2023 FPFT Grand Prix held at Rush, NY. But be under no illusions! It’s remarkably difficult to compile this information for an airgun shooting event. However Match Director Eric Brewer was successful in gathering a close-to-comprehensive list of the rifles, scopes and pellets that were used at this recent Field Target competition. So let’s take a look at what he found… Air Rifles Given that this was a Field Target competition, all the guns were in .177 caliber. This may be a somewhat unusual skew on the current air rifle market, given that .177 caliber sales are now minimal...

In this HAM Community Secrets 2 post, we’ll learn about colors and threads. Hopefully these are some ideas that will help you enjoy using the Community even more! HAM Community Secrets 2 – Color The default – or standard – color scheme for the HAM Community uses red, white and black for a bright, cheerful effect. However there is also a sophisticated, silver alternative color scheme that you can choose. You can move between these choices at any time, just by following this simple HAM Community secret… To change colors, scroll down to the foot of the page. If you hover your mouse over the “HAM Red” words, you’ll see a “Style chooser” option pop up. By clicking on the “Style chooser”, you see a range of options. In fact the...

So here’s the 2023 FLFT Grand Prix match results! The third annual FLFT (Finger Lakes Field Target) match was held over the weekend of July 15-16, 2023. A high-quality field of 35 competitors participated and there was some great shooting taking place! Day One of the match was held in the windy “open field” course (above). While – for Day Two – the challenging “woods course” was the venue. In the woods, it’s tough to actually see many of the targets – let alone hit them!!! Top scorer – with 112 – and WFTF PCP class winner was Paul Cray. That’s Paul behind his Thomas air rifle and March scope in typical pose, below. Paul’s an Irish ex-pat and very proud of his origins. Hence the orange, white(-ish) and green color scheme of his...

The Diana Chaser air rifle is not a particularly new model – it’s been around for several years. However it’s a popular and interesting CO2-powered airgun. That definitely makes it worth us looking at it… The thing that immediately comes to mind about the Chaser air rifle is that it clearly represents great value. The Street Price is just $142.99. Sure, this is not a “powerhouse” model – no CO2-powered airgun will claim that title – this is a dedicated plinker and short-range target or pesting gun. But you certainly do receive a lot for your money! Like the Umarex Notos PCP that HAM reviewed recently, the Diana Chaser Air Rifle clearly started-out life as a pistol, but evolved to rifle configuration. The main giveaway is that...

This post about how to achieve more shots from a SIG Virtus PCP air rifle appeared as the result of a question to the HAM offices. I suggested a larger capacity HPA regulated tank could work. Also I contacted SIG’s Airgun Product Manager, Rodd Rambo, for his suggestions. His comprehensive reply forms the basis of the information below. Thanks Rodd! As Steve indicated, the main thing you’ll need to be aware of when upgrading the HPA tank/bottle for the SIG Virtus is that the tank’s output pressure remains in the same range. The actual size/capacity of the tank doesn’t really matter other than just form factor. The tank which the Virtus uses is the same design used by paintball guns and technically any paintball tank could be...

The Hatsan Zada is a somewhat unusual entry into the airgun market. It’s available in .25 caliber… In fact, the Zada is unusual in a number of ways. Firstly it’s being sold at a very low price point. OK, let’s say it: it’s cheap! The selling price is just $129.99. Announced back in February, the Zada is shipping now in the USA at Pyramyd Air. Secondly, it’s available in .25 caliber. That’s in addition to the expected .177 and .22 calibers, of course. Third is it’s “black gun look”. There’s a non-adjustable, but “AR looking” rigid buttstock, combined with a “box magazine” outline to the stock ahead of the trigger and pronounced pistol grip. Doubtless these visual cues will appeal to a section of the market. Performance-wise, the...

The HAM Community is growing VERY fast! In just two weeks we already have over 780 registered members and 1,900 messages. So it’s time to share some HAM Community secrets that will help you to gain more pleasure from using the site… Firstly, let’s talk about how you see threads in the HAM Community. If you use a desktop computer or a tablet, you’ll probably see the main “Categories” in a double-column display. In fact, very much like this… If you’re using a phone, you will see a single column of Categories, so… Using the Categories, you can scroll down the screen and select the topic you wish to read about – or contribute to. Categories include FX Airguns, Other Airgun Brands, Hunting, etc. But here’s the first of our HAM...