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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Hartlepool
    Posts
    111

    Bsa Superten

    I bought mine from a shop for a negotiated £520. I managed to get a £30-35 gunbag for £25 and a set of £4 sling studs in the deal, but to be honest, I paid too much. I could have got the same deal from Ramsbottom's for £50 less.
    Since buying it, I've only had the one opportunity so far to try it out so initial impressions are:

    I shot it as a side-by-side comparison with my AA S400 (reviewed elsewhere on this site).

    To be honest, I find it hard to justify the extra expense of a PCP multishot over a single-shot PCP. In target FT a multishot is generally seen as undesirable. For hunting, you should cleanly despatch with 1 shot - since the rest of the rabbits then usually leg it, it doesn't matter how many shots you have left. No, the only shooting 'discipline' I can see where multishot is an advantage is in fungunning and. clearly, you don't spend £500 on a gun for this. In fact, for £140 you can get a 'semi-auto' plinker for this purpose.
    The fact is, I just wanted to try a multi-shot PCP, so why not one that has a regulator, match-quality trigger, and match-quality barrel?
    First impressions are mixed. I attached a Hawke 3-9X40 scope which almost fell on a 30 yd zero. Groups from a bench rest (to eliminate shooter incompetence) were about 1/3 inch with a moderate to chewy crosswind. This was as good or better than I achieved with my (better-scoped) AA S400 on the same day. At 35 yds the pellet drop amounted to about 1/2 inch and still grouped about 1/3 inch. At this stage, comparison with a .22 becomes irrelevant (which is essentially why I bought a .177).
    So much for accuracy. What about general use? Well the Superten is noticeably heavier than my S400 and would certainly make its extra mass felt when carried around the fields and woods I hunt in.
    The bolt action is effectively 6-stage in that it requires a 'turn up' followed by a 'pull back' then a 'turn down' then a reversal of this procedure. The more usual bolt action of 'turn up', 'pull back', 'push forward', 'turn down' is obviously quicker, while the 2-stage 'straight-bolt' action is quicker again. The result is that, for all practical purposes, the BSA is not really much quicker to shoot - shot to shot - than my S400.
    Although the BSA does have a 'quality' feel about it, I must admit I am a little concerned about how rough the bolt action feels (and I have quite a lot of experience in 'mechanics and engineering'). The bolt action does load a pellet from the magazine, but it falls a long way short of 'slick'. Certainly I'm glad I have a guarrantee and I will be watching this closely.
    I was told that the cylinder, charged to 232 bar (as supplied) will provide around 150 shots in .177. So far I have shot around 60 with no loss of velocity on my chrono. Unfortunately, my charging bottle only goes up to 205 bar so this may result in a lot less shots. I may have to fork out for a 300bar bottle and sell mine on.
    So far, and bear in mind I've only had one session with it, I'm happy with the Superten, but I do have reservations about the cycling action which still feels rather crude and 'graunchy'. Hopefully, this will bed in and feel as smooth as a £500+ air rifle should do.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Manchester
    Posts
    292
    In sort i agree with you in everything.....well said

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Tyne And Wear
    Posts
    196
    good review, and as i have just bought one, agree with all said although my cocking system seems smooth enough to me,

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Zurich
    Posts
    2,050
    Hi Jamie

    I got my S10 ten years ago and it is still going strong. The stock is very nice until the woodwork approaches the action, after which it is just plain ugly

    With regards to multi shots, I much prefer them to single shots. Why? Well for me, it's just pure convenience and ease of effort especially at night if you are using NV or a lamp.

    Good luck with it

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Worcester
    Posts
    3,999
    Hi Jamie, good write up.

    The bolt on mine isnt especially slick but its not as agricultural as you make yours out to be either. If you think somethink is wrong, get in touch with BSA, their after-sales is excellent.

    You mentioned weight, the carbine is considerably lighter and far better balanced IMHO a bit weighty, yes but that adds to the whole chunky feel of it and makes it more stable. Its certainly not too heavy to mooch about with, which is my favourite sort of shooting


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Hartlepool
    Posts
    111
    Thanks for the responses, chaps (or chapettes?)

    Given your comments about the bolt action, I've had a rethink. It's difficult to know if one persons 'graunchy' is another's 'bit stiff' as this is rather subjective. So the nearest I could get was to hand it over to my girlfriend (who hates guns) and make her operate the bolt. This seems to prove that I was being too fussy as she had no trouble with it.
    If I try to push it all the way down in the rear slot it doesn't want to go past half-way, but half-way is enough to fully cock it so the answer seems obvious. The fact is, if I just use it without the concerns that come with having just parted with £500 it's ok really. Still nothing like as slick as an 80 year old SMLE though.
    Saturday tomorrow so a chance to chuck some more lead through it.

    Safe and happy shooting to all

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