The IWA Outdoor Classics trade show, aka “Euro SHOT Show”, opened today, March 3rd, in Nuremberg, Germany. For the next four days (March 3-6), 1455 exhibitors will show their products at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. This is a hugely popular event — last year’s IWA Outdoor Classics trade show attracted 45,530 trade visitors from 115 countries, and attendance should be even higher this year. IWA is Europe’s biggest combined trade show for the hunting, shooting, and civilian/military security industries. And this year, IWA Outdoor Classics was coordinated with EnforceTac, a two-day Law Enforcment/Security trade show held in Nuremberg March 1-2, 2017.
IWA even features an indoor Archery Range. For many years, the Archery Range has been a popular gathering place where exhibitors and visitors can practice their skills and learn about the latest archery products up close and personal.
About the IWA Outdoor Classics Trade Show
What is now the IWA Outdoor Classics trade show began 44 years ago as Germany’s national product show for gunsmiths and gun retailers. That product show started modestly in 1973 with less than 100 exhibitors. Over the past four decades IWA Outdoor Classics has grown into a massive event, drawing the major players in the hunting, security, and shooting sports industries. In the firearm universe, the IWA event is second only to America’s SHOT Show in importance.
2016 IWA Show Highlights:
Photos courtesy NürnbergMesse.
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The third annual Pyramyd Air Cup attracted nearly 100 amateur and professional shooters from around the nation, making it the best-attended AAFTA Grand Prix Field Target event in the USA this year. Hosted September 9-11 at the Tusco Rifle Club in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the Pyramyd Cup featured multiple airgun shooting disciplines including Field Target, the rapid-fire GunSlynger benchrest event, and the PayDay Challenge. Watch this video to see all the events:
Reigning AAFTA National Champion Ken Hughes stated: “What a weekend! The Field Target courses were challenging, and the wild, rapid-fire style of the Gunslynger event was difficult in its own right. It was great getting to meet new airgun buddies and check out the new gear from the many vendors in attendance. I really enjoyed the PA Cup!”
Field Target Discipline Is Challenging
“Field Target is one of the most difficult shooting disciplines out there,” says Pyramyd Air Cup Match Director, Tyler Patner. “Combine the multiple skills required to rise to the top of your game, with the myriad of factors you take into account at each lane, and you’ve got a challenging sport.”
“Targets are small, metal silhouettes of animals that consist of a kill zone and a colored paddle,” explains Patner. “Placed at unknown distances from between 10 yards to as far as 55 yards, the targets have kill-zones ranging in size from 3/8 inch to 1 1/2 inches. When the pellet passes through the kill zone and hits the paddle, the target falls and you’re awarded a point. It’s a game of precision and practice. You range-find with your scope, dope for distance, take the wind into account, and then you have to execute. There are different restrictions based upon your selected class, but the challenges remain the same. Wind-doping, range-finding, and remaining mentally tough over the entire course of fire are the biggest hurdles competitors face.”
Huge Prize Table for Competitors
Competition prizes were donated by many airgun and optics manufacturers including: AirForce Airguns, Air Arms, Beeman, Crosman, Birchwood Casey, Diana, Feinwerkbau, H&N, Hawke Sport Optics, JSB, Leapers, Plano, Predator, Umarex, UTG, and Walther. “You’d be hard-pressed to find an airgun competition with a better selection of prizes for its winners,” says says Pyramyd Air CEO, Joshua Ungier. “Our winner’s packages help assure shooters that if they’re limited to traveling to only one competitive shooting event, they recognize the Pyramyd Air Cup as the industry’s premier event.”
The Rio Olympics shooting competition has ended, and USA Shooting Team’s medalists are all women. Ginny Thrasher of Virginia got the USA medal count off to a great start by winning the first gold medal of the 2016 Olympic games in Women’s Air Rifle, and Corey Cogdell-Unrein repeated as bronze medalist in Women’s Trap. By winning a bronze medal in skeet last Friday, 37-year-old Kim Rhode became the first female and summer Olympian ever to win medals in six consecutive Olympic Games. Read coverage in the LA Times, USA Today and Associated Press. Kim Rhode’s Olympic Odyssey.
Shooting Sports USA profiled Ginny Thrasher, winner of the very first Gold Medal awarded at the Rio Olympic games:
For 36 hours, Thrasher was the face of Team USA as the lone gold medalist, winning the first medal of the 2016 Olympic Games. The 19-year-old WVU sophomore was propelled into the media spotlight…
Thrasher explained how she coped with the pressures of competing in the most important sporting event on earth:
“I think this competition is one where you can mentally out-think yourself, and that’s the danger. For me, just being very focused. During the match I started out with some struggles, and I had to come off the line and my Olympic coach down there said, ‘Ginny, all you can do is shoot the best you can.’ I got back on the line, and that’s what I did. I shot the best that I could. I had a very bad hold, but it didn’t matter. Once I got into the final, I was very much focused on my breathing, and that was the point where all the training and all the discipline just came through for me. All I did was focus on my breathing and let my body do what it knew how to do.”
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Can you hunt small varmints with an air rifle? Indeed you can. At reasonably close ranges, a .177 pellet has sufficient “knock-down” power, and the near-silent operation of the air rifle keeps your prey from being alerted. Our friends at Varminter.com recently tested the Anschütz 8002 S2 Black Air Hunter, which features an integral, custom-tuned moderator. Overall, this is a very accurate, very high-tech solution to pesky squirrels (and other small furry pests).
Here’s the report: “We spent a couple of hours out in the field with the Anschutz Black Air Hunter, and took seven ground squirrels that NEVER heard the shot. This rifle is unbelievably quiet, and VERY accurate. I simply put the crosshair on the back of the eyeball, touched the super light trigger, and dropped them in their tracks. Tomorrow, we hunt a small orchard near some farm animals, and I think this rifle will really shine. Tom got some decent video, but we need a bit more out in the field for the full hunt report, so there will be more to come!”
The Anschütz 8002 Black Air Hunter is a PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic) air rifle in .177 caliber. This nice rig features a very comfortable, ergonomic stock with adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate. Best of all, the Black Hunter is wicked accurate. Varminter.com reports: “It took [just] three shots to sight-in, and proceeded to shoot bug holes at 25 yards the next 10 rounds.”
Anschutz Black Air Hunter Product Description
The new Anschütz 8002 S2 Black Air Hunter is designed for varmint hunters and target shooters who want an accurate, quiet, versatile, and urban-friendly air rifle. Based on the 8002 S2 match rifle, the Black Air Hunter boasts the excellent balance/ergonomics of a world-class 10 meter match rifle. But the Black Air Hunter has other key features you won’t find on typical competition airguns.
The match barrel is fitted with an advanced moderator made by Tactical Solutions. This non-removable unit is smaller, lighter, and considerably quieter than the counterparts from Europe. Tactical Solutions engineered this moderator to control the sharp crack associated with pre-charged pneumatics. And yes, it works — the Black Air Hunter is VERY QUIET.
As shown here with Leupold scope, the rifle weighs just under 10 pounds:
The fully-adjustable beech stock has a moisture-resistant rubberized coating that provides a secure grip in cold or damp conditions. An aluminum accessory rail under the fore-end allows sling or bi-pod mounting. The cheek piece and butt plate offer a wide range of position options, and can also be upgraded or changed to suit the shooter’s preferences.
The Black Air Hunter runs a .177” caliber pellet at 580 fps, which allows for quiet yet precise training and target shooting in an urban environment. There are more powerful air rifles, but they will be noisier and you may have concerns with down-range energy. With its ultra-low noise signature, the Black Air Hunter is well-suited for use in urban settings.
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Daisy is an iconic name in the air gun industry. Founded in 1886, Daisy Outdoor Products is the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of air guns. Most of us grew up with a Daisy BB gun or air rifle. Now Daisy has a new owner, Gamo, which will make Daisy a part of Gamo Outdoor USA. Earlier this week, Gamo® Outdoor SL, an affiliate of New York-based private equity investment firm BRS, along with its U.S. subsidiary, Gamo® Outdoor USA, announced the acquisition of Daisy Outdoor Products.
Daisy is one of the most recognized brands of airguns and accessories in the world, producing air rifles for 130 years. No company has introduced more young people to recreational shooting and plinking than Daisy, which began operations way back in 1886.
From Windmills to BB Guns
The company that was to become Daisy actually got its start as the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company. The enterprise only began making air guns to help sell windmills, as a sales promotion. The company offered a free BB gun with the purchase of any Plymouth Iron windmill. And so an iconic American product was born.
Outdoor Hub reports: “Eventually, the demand for the BB guns far eclipsed Daisy’s windmill business and the company switched over to producing BB and air guns exclusively. Following a comment from General Manager Lewis Cass Hough, who remarked that the guns shot like a ‘daisy’, the company rebranded itself and changed its name.” Daisy’s Red Ryder BB guns are now, probably, the most recognizable line of air guns ever made.
“We cannot begin to express the excitement we feel with the addition of Daisy to our family of shooting and outdoor brands,” stated Keith Higginbotham, President of Gamo Outdoor USA. He continued, “We believe this to be a great relationship with complementary brands. Gamo’s roots run deep in the outdoors, while Daisy is a part of Americana. We both share a passion for the shooting sports and are excited for the future[.]”
Daisy products include the Daisy, PowerLine, Winchester® Air Rifles and AVANTI training and match competitive airguns, Precision Max® ammunition and AirStrike brand soft air guns, ammo and accessories. View the full Daisy product-line at www.daisy.com.
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The largest field target event in the country comes to upstate New York next weekend. On July 8-10, the Crosman All-American Field Target Championship (CAAFTC) will be held at the Rochester Brooks International Skeet and Trap Club in Rush, New York. 0ver 100 air rifle and air pistol competitors will participate in the event hosted by Crosman Corporation. This event attracts top Airgunners from across the nation (and some foreign countries). Along with regular Field Target matches, there will be specialty side matches, plus a factory tour. The event is free to the public.
The CAAFTC is sanctioned by the American Airgun Field Target Association and is a featured AAFTA Grand Prix event. The 120-shot match has competitive rifle divisions based on allowable gun and support equipment. Here are the main air rifle classifications:
Hunter Division – rifle fires at a maximum 20 foot pounds of energy (FPE), shooter may use a non-attached bipod, non-restrictive clothing, and sitting stool. Open Division - maximum 20 FPE maximum rifle, shooter may wear a body harness, no bipod, 6″ maximum height seat. World Field Target Federation (WFTF) – similar to Open but shooters compete according to international standard of maximum 12 fpe for rifles. Freestyle Division – 20 FPE maximum rifle, no other restrictions. (This is new for 2016).
The pistol competition includes similar divisions based on shooting styles. Both rifle and pistol divisions include sub-classes based on the air rifle powerplant: piston driven or precharged pneumatic.
“If you want to see some of the country’s finest airgun shooters, this is the hottest event of the summer and it’s free for the public,” says Chip Hunnicutt, Marketing Manager for Crosman. “Alongside the world-class shooters, we’ll have enthusiasts simply having a good time and even parents bringing their kids for some good fun outdoors.”
The weekend begins on Friday, July 8th with the PyramydAir Gunslynger match at noon followed by the Quigley Bucket Challenge at 2:00 pm. A facility tour will be available at 1:00 pm at Crosman’s world headquarters located at 7629 Routes 5 & 20 in Bloomfield. The first round of the rifle match begins Saturday at 9:00 am.
Tech Talk: Why the Big Side-Wheels on the Scopes?
Field Target rifles shoot pellets propelled by compressed air. These light-weight, low-BC projectiles drop very quickly, with a looping trajectory. In order to hit targets at distances out to 50 yards or so, you have to adjust your scope to compensate for pellet drop. But you can’t set the scope correctly without knowing the precise range to the target. This is the function of the big wheels on the side of the scope. Field Target Competitors use the parallax adjustment on high-magnification scopes to determine target range. The big wheel allows quick, yet precise parallax adjustment. Markings on the wheel show the shooter the scope settings required for the distance “dialed-in” via the over-size parallax wheel.
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Virginia “Ginny” Thrasher, who will compete in the Rio Olympics this summer, showed continued dominance of her sport by winning the women’s national Air Rifle title last week at Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the USAMU. Mindy has been on fire in recent months. In April she won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Smallbore Rifle, securing a spot at the Rio Olympics. Prior to that, Ginny won individual NCAA titles in both air rifle and smallbore — as a freshman! This girl is a genuine phenom…
Thrasher, a member of the West Virginia University Mountaineers, has been on a tear of late. After winning the the Olympic Trials in Three-Position Rifle in April, she then earned two finals appearances at the Munich World Cup in May. Prior to that, Ginny’s sharpshooting earned her individual NCAA titles in air rifle and smallbore. With those performances, the talented freshman led West Virginia University to the collegiate team title and was named Top Performer of the 2016 NCAA Shooting Championship.
Her WVU coach, Jon Hammond, said Ginny has had an amazing run to Rio: “It’s an unbelievable freshman year to win NCAA championships and qualify for the Olympics. I would hazard she’s probably going to be one of the youngest members of the U.S. shooting team at the Olympics.”
Thrasher earned her way onto the national team with a stellar performance at the 2015 U.S. championships, where she won five medals, three in junior competition and two in open competition. That performance propelled her into her freshman season at West Virginia University.
This year’s USA Shooting National Championships includes more than 300 athletes vying for National Team selections and the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Other shooters attending this year’s Nationals are looking ahead to the next Olympic Games — Tokyo 2020.
Mindy Miles (Weatherford, Texas) finished second at Nationals behind Thrasher in the women’s Air Rifle Event. Thrasher’s Team USA teammate at the Rio Olympics, Sarah Scherer (Woburn, Massachusetts), won the Final to finish third overall.
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American Airgunner returns next week for its eighth season on the Pursuit Channel. On Friday, July 1st, American Airgunner kicks off its 2016 season at 8:30 pm Eastern time. This year American Airgunner will cover the many airgun competition disciplines, take viewers on airgun hunts, and spotlight the latest in airgun hardware and technology. If you enjoy shooting air rifles, you should definitely tune in….
Watch American Airgunner 2016 Preview Sizzle Reel
“American Airgunner is an incredibly popular show that epitomizes the outdoors through entertaining and educational storytelling,” said Rusty Faulk, CEO of Pursuit Channel. “It consistently ranks among the top shows in our line-up and is among the best-produced in all of outdoor television.”
This year, host Rossi Morreale interviews new guests, shoots new air guns, travels to new places, and incorporates new “explosions”. Along with a variety of airgun competition disciplines, this season will feature airgun hunting, including a successful turkey hunt in California. Host Morreale bagged his first wild turkey with a .22 caliber Umarex Octane air rifle. In the following video, Morreale compares .22 air rifles with .22 LR rimfire rifles. The results may surprise you…
Feature: How Does a .22 LR Rimfire Rig Compare to a .22 Pellet Airgun?
American Airgunner Broadcast Times
American Airgunner airs on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm Eastern, Fridays at 1:30 am and during primetime on Friday evening at 8:30 pm Eastern/5:30 pm Pacific. Pursuit Channel can be found on DirecTV Ch. 604, and DISH Network Ch. 393 and via Roku and Chromecast. Check your local listings for additional channel information.
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The annual NRA convention kicks off today in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the most enjoyable things to do at the show is shooting airguns. For the 7th consecutive year, the NRA Competitive Shooting Division and Pyramyd Air will operate an Airgun Range during the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits. You’ll find the Pyramyd Air Airgun Range at Kentucky Exposition Center Booth #2684. The range opens at 2:00 pm on Thursday, May 19th and operates through Sunday, May 22nd.
Pyramyd Air Airgun Range Schedule, May 19-22, 2016:
Thursday, May 19:
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 21:
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 20:
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 22:
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
“Pyramyd Air is thrilled to sponsor the Airgun Range again this year [as] we are also celebrating our 20th Anniversary,” said Pyramyd Founder/CEO Joshua Ungier. The Airgun Range in Booth #2684 is open to all ages (minors must be accompanied by an adult). The firing line is supervised by NRA Certified Instructors. The range is stocked with airguns appropriate for all ages along with ammo and interactive targets. Products from Air Arms, AirForce, Ataman, Air Venturi, Beeman, BSA, Crosman, Evanix, Gamo, Sam Yang, Sig Sauer, Stoeger and Umarex will be available at the Airgun Range.
Pyramyd Air Celebrates 20th Year in Business
May, 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of Pyramyd Air. In the past two decades, Pyramyd Air has grown from a 3-person basement operation into a multi-million-dollar company with 60+ employees. Pyramyd Air is now the largest online airgun retailer in the world.
Twenty years after purchasing his first shipment of air rifles from England, Pyramyd Air CEO Joshua Ungier recalls the struggles of entrepreneurship: “In order to expand I needed a lot more money, so naturally I went to the bank seeking a loan. When I told the bank manager what I needed the money for he simply stared at me. At that point I knew it was futile and I would need to find a different way.” Ungier approached his wife, and after borrowing from her, he outgrew his basement and moved to a small warehouse. “Within a few years I moved to a larger warehouse, then another. Twenty years and 60,000 square feet later, we’re a far cry from my basement,” Ungier said with pride.
“Building an environment that provides good lives for my people and their families has been an honor,” says Ungier. “We value the voice of our customers and strive to provide them with superior customer service, provocative products, and a staff of experts that provide a resource of knowledge that is second to none regarding every single product we carry.”
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This article appears courtesy Target Shooter magazine from the UK.
Field Target (FT) and Hunter Field Target (HFT) airgun disciplines are popular outdoor shooting sports that simulate the challenges of hunting small game. One of the unique aspects of FT competition is target range-finding using parallax and optical focus. (HFT is limited to lower power scopes, so this type of range-fiding is not used in HFT.) Range-finding is very important because the pellets shot by FT airguns drop rapidly once they leave the muzzle (pellets can drop roughly 5″ at 50 yards). If you don’t have your scope set to the correct distance, you’ll probably miss the target high or low.
FT competitors employ high-magnification (35-55X) scopes to sight targets placed from 10 to 55 yards (7.3 to 50m in the UK). Because these scopes have very short depth-of-field at high-magnification, the target will be out of focus unless you have the scope focus/parallax control set very precisely. But competitors can use this to their advantage — once the target is precisely focused, you have effectively established its distance from the shooter. FT scopes often have large-diameter wheels on the side parallax control so the focus can be set very precisely. You can then read marks placed on the scope to adjust the amount of elevation need to put the pellet on target.
To simplify the adjustment of elevation on FT rifles, competitors will place tapes on the windage knobs with marks that correspond to distances in 3-5 yard (or smaller) increments. These marks allow you to quickly spin your elevation to the setting matching the target range established with your focus/parallax control.
Field Target Accessories
There are a variety of specialized products for FT competitors that help you set up your scope for precise ranging. First, Compufoil offers a computer program, ScopeKnob, that lets you easily create accurate elevation knob tapes for your scope. ScopeKnob even comes with a built-in Ballistics Module that will calculate the pellet trajectory for you and plot range settings for your tape. Chairgun.com also offers ChairGunPRO, specialized airgun ballistics software that lets you simultaneously compare four different pellets, or different scope heights.
In the past, the A-Team offered replacement elevation knobs optimized for use with yardage marking tapes. These were offered in two versions, one which replaced the existing turret altogether and a second which clamped OVER the factory turret. Shown at right is the larger-diameter version in place over the factory turret. Unfortunately we don’t know a current source for this product, but this may help you crate something similar on your own.
Last but not least, Pyramid Air offers large-diameter parallax control wheels. According to Pyramid: “The enlarged sidewheel is the most popular FT scope accessory of all. It lets you put white artist’s tape around the rim to mark the actual distances at which the scope focuses”. A 6″ sidewheel provides over 18″ of space on which to inscribe yardage, and that means you can have a meaningful separation between 18 yards and 20 — where there is a huge parallax and trajectory difference. Though the ranges are already engraved on the rim of the wheel, field target competitors will measure them again on an actual range and write the markings on a strip of white artist’s tape.
Tips on Field Target Scope Set-Up
The creator’s of the A-Team knobs suggest taking your time when setting up a scope for Field Target competition: “We normally take from three to four hours preparing a scope to be mounted on a gun. We mark the scope in 1-yard increments from 9 to 40 yards, then to 55 yards by 3 or 5-yard increments depending on the scope being calibrated.”
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Got a minute — one minute and six seconds to be precise? Then you should watch this excellent “trailer” video from the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) TV channel. You’ll see virtually all the major Olympic/International shooting disciplines. Even if you’re not a skeet/trap shooter you’ll enjoy the clips of shotgun champions at the top of their game. And the footage of position rifle shooters reveals the intense concentration required in that discipline. We really enjoyed this short clip. The MTV-style editing and soundtrack holds your attention, and the cameramen did a great job of capturing the exact moments when shooters took the winning shot. Enjoy.
Great Video — Highly Recommended — Shows Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun Champions…
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The creators of the Firearms Guide DVDs have launched a huge online database for firearms. This new, subscription-based web resource, Firearmsguide.com, includes over 61,000 firearm types from 902 manufacturers. It’s easy to find just about any gun — search by manufacturer or other variables such as caliber, action type, country of origin, and vintage. In addition, the gun entries are cross-linked to a large ammunition database so you can find factory ammo for any type of firearm.
You Can Search for 61,000+ Guns Using 14 Variables:
Think of this as a digital encyclopedia of guns — the mother of all gun reference guides. The sheer amount of information (text, photos, and schematics) is mind-boggling. Firearmsguide.com currently covers 61,000 models of rifles, pistols, shotguns, air rifles, and air pistols from 50 different countries. Subscription plans start at $49.95 per year.
This new database is a gold mine for gun collectors and gunsmiths. For most of the firearm entries, there are full specifications and up to 12 high-rez color photos. In addition, the database features 5500 printable schematics along with parts lists. Collectors will appreciate the inclusion of gun values for both modern and vintage firearms.
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In the past, the A-Team offered replacement elevation knobs optimized for use with yardage marking tapes. These were offered in two versions, one which replaced the existing turret altogether and a second which clamped OVER the factory turret. Shown at right is the larger-diameter version in place over the factory turret. Unfortunately we don’t know a current source for this product, but this may help you crate something similar on your own.
