Airgun myths & legends

[Billm]

Yes, the myth ive seen propagated extensively, leading to multiple HEATED debates, is that GA is absolutely the wrong drag law to use for slugs and G1 is wrong for pellets. In reality (actual shooting and mapping out trajectory curves relative to what ballistic apps predict), and as @wolfmangreg commented, the trajectory curve (and the BCs) dont change enough to matter, whether using GA or G1.

The "GA for pellets and G1 for slugs and n'er the twain shall meet" crowd are dying on the hill of semantics. Academically and theoretically, sure GA for pellets and G1 for slugs. But in the real world of throwing lead downrange and wanting it to go to a very specific place, it simply doesn't make much of a difference.

Thanks, I was pretty sure that was your position.

 

[hameditor]

Here's another one that I have heard a couple of times:

"Oh you don't need more than a 4X scope for airguns as they don't shoot very far".

Yes, really...

 

[AtlasAirguns]

Myth number two (and this one I really dislike):

Airguns make good self defense weapons.
They don't.

Anytime I see a self defense airgun video, I dislike.

 

[AtlasAirguns]

Today's rifles are very accurate. Just accurate enough to show you how bad you really are, if you're sharp enough to realize it.

True. The consumer market though is led to believe that in real world conditions (light to medium wind) you can and should expect ridiculous accuracy. I can't tell you how many times I've posted honest groups and people have commented that they can one hole with an avenger at 100. I always ask them for a video to demonstrate such an assured result, but to this day not one video has ever been produced. Mind you, they could shoot 20 cards and show the one good one, but they haven't ever even produced that.

But that is my 2 cents. Not ripping on affordable brands at all just the claim (regardless of price point) that you can overcome subsonic physics.

 

[Billm]

True. The consumer market though is led to believe that in real world conditions (light to medium wind) you can and should expect ridiculous accuracy. I can't tell you how many times I've posted honest groups and people have commented that they can one hole with an avenger at 100. I always ask them for a video to demonstrate such an assured result, but to this day not one video has ever been produced. Mind you, they could shoot 20 cards and show the one good one, but they haven't ever even produced that.

But that is my 2 cents. Not ripping on affordable brands at all just the claim (regardless of price point) that you can overcome subsonic physics.

I agree with you 100%. I was just making the point that most of them are more accurate than we shooters are, at least in my case. Michael Thomas Niksch creator of the Thomas rifles, of which a lot of shooters consider to be the pinnacle of airgun accuracy made a post stating that he did not believe an air rifle could be manufactured that didn’t throw flyers. Yep, some people value their ego more than their personal integrity.

 

[AtlasAirguns]

I agree with you 100%. I was just making the point that most of them are more accurate than we shooters are, at least in my case. Michael Thomas Niksch creator of the Thomas rifles, of which a lot of shooters consider to be the pinnacle of airgun accuracy made a post stating that he did not believe an air rifle could be manufactured that didn’t throw flyers. Yep, some people value their ego more than their personal integrity.

At IPAC with slugs at 150yd, the cards were wildly bad. Half the people shot watermelon sized groups, and minutes before those same shooters talked about 300yd shots and all that jazz. One of the benefits of sitting back and spectating is seeing such scenes unfold. 10% did well, but it made me think about the efficacy of airguns in small bore for greater distances. I came away reminded that 100yd bench is still the gold standard.

 

[Solo1]

Ive shot here with slugs and pellets @ 100 when it was pretty calm. My scores with slugs if better are usually only better by a couple points. The 22 drs 700 with solid barrel is the first gun that i can get good groups out of without my form being 100 % perfect and some other guns even if my form is perfect are only meh. The only other gun that slings slugs pretty easily is the ghost 177 28” barrel with 13’s !

 

[wolfmangreg]

Here's another one that I have heard a couple of times:

"Oh you don't need more than a 4X scope for airguns as they don't shoot very far".

Yes, really...

Clearly, they are unaware that airguns can reach a zillion feet per second. Says so right on the box!