Days of Old

[Muskett]

There just wasn't the bombardment of entertainment and MSM in those days. Making Airfix models, Blue Peter, and going off with the air rifle was the entertainment.
AGW was the source of all information. Then save up and buy what sounded fantastic and what you could afford. But the greatest test was simulating the same results as stated in the magazines!!! Thousands of pellets later an Airsporter S can't head shoot a wood pigeon at 35m. 20m was more like it with practice.

I fast switched from a Webley MKIII .22 4x20 scope to FWB 124 3-9x40 with one piece mount. That rifle I did master, and even gave my own light tune to. I could reach out to 35m, but rarely did so as I could stalk in close enough to make sure. 20 to 25m was the norm; head shots too.
Later I shot Theobens. To then take a break for years shooting 7.62... Since then I have shot most what was in those early magazines. Most rifles of those days could be said to be fair for farmyard ranges. Original 45, FWB Sports, and HW77/80 stand out as better than fair. Maybe Webley Omega and BSA Goldstar might creep into that list. Theobens were my choice for a while but whopping expensive, though held their value well. Inflation and trading second hand helped.
All a bit disappointing that the rifles weren't as good as the media hype. Little in the magazines I hadn't worked out myself. However, the AGW and AG were entertainment if a bit repetitive. Good times for sure.