Spring gun revival (again.....)

[Phil Russell]

I must admit at being at complete odds to all these posts regarding the challenges of the springer etc..
Maybe im the odd one out, or it could be that i tune my springers to the machinists level, removing much of the issues associated with the spring mechansim ... also only purchasing the highest quality versions.
.

I suggest that you may well be the odd one out and you should be proud of yourself that shooting a springer poses no challenge and also that you have the skills necessary to tune a springer to a high level such that the challenge posed by standard out of the box rifles is minimised. OK, I added a few words to your text but I believe they convey the gist of your meaning.
But please do not, for want of better words, 'look down on' those people who do not possess your skills. To the vast majority of springer shooters, mastering the beast is an integral part of the fun and character of the rifle. The pleasure derived from mastering the rifle and seeing your own skill level rise accordingly can be very satisfying. It is, to the majority, a superb way of developing shooting skills.
Cheers, Phil

[clarky]

I suggest that you may well be the odd one out and you should be proud of yourself that shooting a springer poses no challenge and also that you have the skills necessary to tune a springer to a high level such that the challenge posed by standard out of the box rifles is minimised. OK, I added a few words to your text but I believe they convey the gist of your meaning.
But please do not, for want of better words, 'look down on' those people who do not possess your skills. To the vast majority of springer shooters, mastering the beast is an integral part of the fun and character of the rifle. The pleasure derived from mastering the rifle and seeing your own skill level rise accordingly can be very satisfying. It is, to the majority, a superb way of developing shooting skills.
Cheers, Phil

...."please dont look down on people who dont possess my skills"
Well there is no hint in my post that suggests i look down on anyone and the primary reason i provide a service or advice to anyone who needs it, especially if they are a fellow springer shooter....to help them.
Its simply that i do not share the same enthusiasm for seated shooters with gigantic stocked PCP guns and associated parafinalia....because thats not what field shooting is about.
I have simply found that with tuning levels similar to what Tony Hall or Tony Leach can perform, i have rendered the need for the PCP surplus to requirements for me personally ...
This is not to say that the PCP cannot outshoot a springer on paper but the associated hassle to do so just aint worth it to me...
The bottles or pumping, being aware of your pressures and power curves....running out....having to think constantly about air and availability....i just cannot be asked when im grouping into an inch at 45 yards.

[Phil Russell]

Hi Clarky
Thank you for the clarification. You are, however, in a privileged situation in that you are able to modify your rifle and have the inherent ability to shoot it at a high level such that shooting is not as much a challenge as it is to someone with far less experience and shooting a standard production rifle that has had no work done on it. So, maybe I put it rather wrongly in my first post: it may not be a challenge to you but it will be to far less gifted shooters. And I suggest that even with a highly tuned rifle, springer shooting is still a challenge to the majority.
And if people wish to spend cash on their hobby and buy all sorts of equipment to aid their shooting (and I include rifle tunes here) and hopefully improve their performance, why not? I too have seen shooters with very expensive FT PCP rigs who missed a big 25yd kill even after spending ages fiddling with range finding and scope fiddling. But hey ... they were having fun in their chosen sport.
Cheers, Phil

[LESS THAN FORTUITOUS KENNETH]

I too have seen shooters with very expensive FT PCP rigs who missed a big 25yd kill even after spending ages fiddling with range finding and scope fiddling. But hey ... they were having fun in their chosen sport.
Cheers, Phil

Didn't know you'd ever seen me shoot Phil?

[Phil Russell]

Didn't know you'd ever seen me shoot Phil?

If I had known it was you I would have said 'hello'.
Seriously though, all shooting is a challenge and it is more of a challenge to some than others. I have no doubt that PCPs are more forgiving of positional changes than springers but I still love shooting a springer despite the yoga positions I am forced into at an HFT shoot resulting in a less than perfect hold. Yes, there are times when I wish I did not have to do it; when the back creaks, the bones groan and it takes me longer to get up after the shot. But in a way it is enjoyable and seeing others in the same predicament somehow eases the pains (!!).
It is also enjoyable watching a true master of the craft knocking targets down in bad conditions.
Cheers, Phil

[bozzer]

It is also enjoyable watching a true master of the craft knocking targets down in bad conditions.

That's probably my main point Phil. I'm not sure there are any.

[Amac]

Not sure about that Col. I still think that there are one or two shooters around who are capable of competing with the top PCP shooters occasionally. I would agree though that it is indeed much more of a challenge even for the best springer shooters to nail many of the tricky targets found on today's national level courses. I intend to try this myself during 2018, only because I have finally realised that the challenge and personal enjoyment of shooting a spring powered gun far outweighs any desire to just get a good score with a PCP.

Many of us have used springers in the field for a long time with similarly good results Clarky. The problem is that with the difficulty associated with competition course were you have to take the shot, that 15mm kill zone with a gusting 15 mph wind take some dropping, particularly with a springer as you will know.

Phil, it is clear that you are experiencing similar physical woes to myself as we amble around a course displaying all sorts of strange body positions! Those youngsters have it all to look forward to.

Have a great and successful new year everybody!

Andy