Best Springers for Long Distance Shooting

[brihacharan]

Hi Guys,
> Most airgun aficianados want to know about power, accuracy & distance that a Spring Piston air rifle can give. I came across some 'Gyan' on this on www.sharpshooters.com which I wish to share:

QUIZ: What is the best spring action air rifle in terms of long distance accuracy? Also, I understand that underlever / sidelever generally deliver more accuracy than a break barrel design. Would appreciate your comments on this as well. Thanks!
ANS: First, the question is, what do you mean by long distance accuracy? I will assume for a moment that you are talking about targets in the 40+ yard range.
So that means that the bigger issue for you is not which gun, but what caliber. In an air rifle, you can get extremely high velocity air rifles f in .177 caliber. However, wind resistance is a function of the square of velocity, and momentum is a function of the mass, so lighter faster projectiles tend to shed velocity faster than slower heavier projectiles. In extreme cases such as a .22 caliber the heavier projectile can actually be going faster than the lighter projectile at 50 yards.
So, my first suggestion would be to look at air rifles in .22 caliber rather than .177. Second, the idea that underlever designs deliver more accuracy than break barrels is a myth. For example, if you look at field target guns, such as the Beeman R11, it is a break barrel and is quite as accurate as any other side lever gun. However, people have preferences for one over the other, so I will suggest one of each!
In a break barrel, my personal favorite is the Webley Tomahawk. I suspect if you planning on doing the 40+ yard shooting you are going to want to have optics on the gun. You need to make sure you get a scope rated for a magnum recoiling air rifle. I have in fact destroyed conventional optics with my Tomahawk because of the double recoil associated with how a spring piston works. Hence I would recommend scopes with ASR technology.
Cheers
Brihacharan