A red dot scope is a rifle scope that does not enlarge, and that works by the reflection of a red or green Light Emitting Diode (LED). In the base, translucent curved glass is used that mirrors something, so that the bright spot of the LED is visible in the image you see through the glass window.
The device is such that the red/green point stays in line with the weapon. This is shown in the diagram above. What is special about such a viewer is that there is virtually no parallax deviation. Because it does not matter how you look at the viewer and because there is no enlargement you can aim with two eyes. You also do not have to focus and it does not matter how far the eye of the viewer is removed. The viewer is used in situations where fast shooting is required, such as paintball or hunting, not too far distances. For an honorary shooter that shoots at a specific distance or within the Pointblank (see ballistics), the Red Dot viewer can be an excellent rifle scope. The viewer is also suitable for mounting on an air gun.
There are two versions of the red dot viewer. That the basic variant with a concave mirror as shown above and there are also copies that are processed in a tube. These are closed on both sides and are therefore particularly robust. Some are therefore again equipped with lenses and magnification. You then have a combination of a telescope viewer and a red dot rifle scope.
A Red Dot viewer works well on an air gun and can be placed relatively far from the eye. Due to the absence of a parallax deviation, it does not matter if the viewer is looked at in the spotlight. The simple copies cannot easily be set at different distances. There is also no possibility to correct (on points on the crosshairs) as in a normal rifle scope. This makes this viewer less useful for an inheritance scorer who wants to be able to hit targets at different distances.
If you are good (or used to be) in physics and mechanics, then the theory of ballistics (ball trajectories) will appeal to you. For others, this theory can be a heavy cost. However, it is inevitable if you want to understand how you can hit something.
It takes the effort to determine which path the pellet travels for an air gun. By experimenting on a shooting range, you can get a picture of it. In principle, the pellet begins to sink as soon as it leaves the barrel. A bullet from the example tube with a muzzle velocity of 264 m / s has already dropped 5 cm after 25 meters and after 50 meters this has risen to more than 20 cm.
To compensate for this, the rifle scope must be set so that the pellet rises in an angle. You can achieve this by setting the rifle scope to zero, for example, 10 m. The impact (the point of contact) exactly corresponds to the target point (the crosshair in the spotlight) at 10 meters. In the figure below, the purple line is the line of the eye (along with the crosshair through the rifle scope) to the target. So, the target.
The pellet leaves the barrel 3,75 cm below the rifle scope and follows the blue curve. At 10 meters you hit (the meeting point = target), but at 25 meters you will be 2.7 cm too high. You can now clearly see what happens when you hit a target at 15 meters. The pellet is 1.3 cm higher than the target. It is remarkable that at 44 meters you hit exactly what you are aiming for. The target is once again the same as the meeting point.
So: If you want to hit something exactly, you need to know the path of the pellet and you need to know how far away you are from the target. That is a difficult task. Nevertheless, there are ways to deal with this and to set the rifle scope in such a way that you can shoot cleanly over different distances without much effort. This starts with determining the bullet trajectory.
Note: The above is too much of a good thing for many heretics. That is understandable if you have a garden of 20 meters and use your beer cans as a goal. If this is your highest ambition, you can skip the ballistics chapter. But, if you want to amaze the world by hitting the bottle caps of beer bottles at distances between 5 and 40 meters, then you have to read.
The path of the pellet can be determined by experimenting. You set the air rifle to zero, for example, 10 meters. This means that at 10 meters the pellet will strike exactly at the target. You will then shoot at different distances and aim very accurately at your goal. You start at 5 meters with three shots on target. Then 10 meters and again three shots. So you go on with 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 meters and possibly further. This depends on how far you want to shoot. By unloading three shots each time you achieve that you can always determine the average and a possible deflector can be ignored.
It is important that you do this carefully. For this, use the previously mentioned wooden target board of 1 x 1 meter with a sheet of A4 paper on top. On that paper, you put a horizontal line for each distance (5, 10, 15, etc.) with a felt tip pen. It is important to shoot accurately at height. By shooting on the horizontal line, you can ignore a deviation to the left or the right.
The paper is applied at the same height as the airgun. Measure the distances carefully and mark them on the ground with a piece of chalk. The distance is the space between the mouth of the airgun and the target plate. You do well to keep both eyes open when aiming so that you can keep an eye on the environment.
When shooting in, it is important that you can keep the air gun quiet. You do this by sitting at a table and supporting the airgun at the front with, for example, one or more sandbags. The sandbag absorbs vibrations when the bulkhead comes off and prevents the airgun from jumping up when the trigger is pulled over. With a compressed air gun or a CO2-buck,s you can also support the flask with a small sandbag. By squeezing this sandbag (with your left hand), you can aim very accurately and keep the airgun still. Later on, more attention is paid to shooting positions.
Note: Do not use a sandbag under the flask of a spring barrel! This needs room for the recoil and a sandbag under the flask then leads to extra inaccuracy.
At the various distances, you always measure the vertical distance between the impact and the bar you were aiming for. You then determine the average vertical deviation of the three shots. If you plot those average vertical deviations in a graph (on graph paper), the image of the bullet trajectory appears as shown alongside. At 5 meters you shoot 1.6 cm too low. In the graph, you put a dot on -1.6 cm x = 5 meters. Shoot too high for example at 25 meters than for x = 25 meters a point at +2.7 cm. You do this for all measured vertical deviations. Then you can connect the points by sketching a line between them. People who are handy with a computer can use a spreadsheet program (e.g. MS-Excel) to create a nice graph of the bullet trajectory.
Note: The deviation of the bullet when it leaves the mouth is equal to the height of the rifle scope above the barrel. In the example of gun, it is -3.75 cm. So at x = 0 you can note = -3.75 cm.
Remember that the path of the pellet depends on the speed and shape of a pellet. For a given air gun, the energy that is released is about the same. This means that a lighter pellet gets more muzzle velocity, but because of less mass, it also loses more speed on its way to the target. The shape also has influence. An aerodynamically well-formed pellet loses less speed because it experiences less resistance. This means that you have to repeat the procedure to determine the bullet trajectory for each pellet you want to use.
Almost all novice archers come into the situation that they can shoot at only one point (the Zero distance). They do not understand why they miss their target at other distances and do not know that for a given rifle, rifle scope and pellet type there is an optimal distance to zero.
The graph above shows that if you zero the rifle scope to 15.4 (or 30.1) meters, you get a contiguous area where you have a maximum deviation of ½ cm around the target point (which is on the red line). You can be sure that you stay within a ” Killzone ” of 1 cm. In the graph, the kill zone is the space of 1 cm between the two purple lines. The distance of 12.1 to 33.2 meters becomes PointBlankcalled (highlighted in purple). The shooter shoots from 12.1 to 33.2 meters. He only needs to correct if the distance is less than 12.1 meters or greater than 33.2 meters. In practice, the latter will not occur often. At the shorter distance, the heiress must know that he must aim 0.9 cm higher at a distance of 10 meters and aim at the height of 5 meters 2.1 cm higher. How you deal with the corrections on the short distance, we discuss below.
The next step is to determine the most optimal distance for zero sets based on the measurements on the firing range. Experts call this the “Optimum Zero Range” or “OZR.” For this, we use a ruler and sketch a line from 0 in the graph that has been made earlier, in such a way that it cuts the ball track higher.
Also, we search until we have a line that has a maximum distance of ½ cm (half of the desired kill zone) to the top of the arc.
What we are doing with this is that we adjust the crosshair in the rifle scope (in mind) higher. You now see that the optimal distance to zero is around 15 and 30 meters. The next step is to return to the firing range and zero the rifle scope by the distance of 15 meters. If you have space, you can also reset to 30 meters.
If you now retake the measurement and make a new graph of the ball track, then you get about the optimal graph as shown above and you can also indicate the kill zone of 1 cm. If you want it all right, you can repeat the procedure by re-determining the ball track and sketching the same line as above. You will see that the distance for optimal zero settings will shift a little and end up at the distances above 15.4 and 30.1 meters. This deviation stems from the fact that a ball track going up or down is slightly different from a horizontal track. We will also come back to this.
For the follow-up, we assume that the figure “Optimally zero-specimen air-rifle” represents the actual ball track of our example gun. We know then that the airgun is firing cleanly within a margin (Killzone) of 1 cm over a distance (Pointblank) of 12.1 to 33.2 meters and that there must be corrected on shorter distances by aiming higher. 0.9 cm by 10 meters and 2.1 cm by 5 meters.
With an optimally zeroed example of an air rifle with the rifle scope as low as possible above the barrel, the Point blank is relatively large. You only have to correct if you come out of it. In practice, you have to correct at distances of less than 10 meters or more than 35 meters. As an example, two corrections are shown in the images below. In both cases, you will have to aim higher. At 10 meters you have to aim 0.9 cm higher. At 40 meters you have to aim 3.6 cm higher. As you can see, you have to correct 10 cm for 0.9 cm more than for 3.6 cm by 40 meters. This is difficult to understand because it goes against your feelings.
For every air rifle, pellet and rifle scope, there is an OZR (Optimum Zero Range) or optimal distance to zero. The procedure to find the OZR for your air rifle has been discussed above. The length and location of the Pointblank are determined by:
- The height of the rifle scope above the barrel.
Riflescopes with a larger field lens (Objective) are necessarily mounted higher. See the picture below. The Point blank varies as follows for:
30 mm (layer mounted): PointBlank from 10.7 to 32.1 m, OZR = 12 m
40 mm (mid-mounted): PointBlank from 12.1 to 33.2 m, OZR = 15.4 m (example)
50 mm (high mounted): PointBlank from 13.4 to 34.4 m, OZR = 16.6 m.
- The muzzle velocity of the pellet.
The Pointblank increases (and moves further away) with speed. For a given example gun with a rifle scope of 40 mm the Point blank varies:
200 m / s: PointBlank from 9.3 to 25.8 meters
230 m / s: PointBlank from 10.6 to 29.3 meters
264 m / s: PointBlank from 12.1 to 33.2 meters (examplebuks)
- The aerodynamic shape of the pellet.
Bullets that experience more resistance will lose speed sooner. This is expressed at greater distances because the Pointblank becomes shorter.
Novice would do well to buy an air rifle with an average muzzle velocity of about 220 to 280 m / s and with a rifle scope of 30 mm (as low as possible) mounted. A well-tuned airgun of the type PCP will give you a lot of fun because it is pure over a distance of 10 to 30 meters. These are nice values for the yard and in the stables. Gunmen who want to get closer or further away must correct for the distances outside the Pointblank. Estimating distances is difficult. There are two possibilities to determine the distance to the target:
- With the focus of the scope
Riflescopes that are focused with the lens are often provided with a global distance indication and then often in English sizes. Because focusing is different for every person, this method is not very accurate. The accuracy can be increased by taking distance measurements yourself and applying indications on the lens.
- Using the environment
If you know approximately how far the particular objects in the field of fire are removed from you, you can use them as a reference when estimating the distance of your goal.
Next, you must know which point on the crosshair corresponds to which distance. You can measure this and write on a note that you stick on the butt of the airgun.
The procedure for this is simple if you know the bullet trajectory. If you know that you have to correct 0.9 cm upwards at 10 meters, then make a white card with two crosses at a distance of 0.9 cm above each other. You put this at 10 meters distance and you aim with the rifle scope at the top cross (target). The bottom cross indicates the location on the crosshair where the pellet will strike at 10 meters (meeting point). In our case, that is slightly less than one point under the crosshair. This way you can determine the meeting point for all distances based on the bullet track without having to unload a single shot.
In the figure opposite, the venues are marked for all distances from 10 meters to 150 meters. FTT-Schutters, who shoot games, have such a picture (plasticized) with them and use this as a reference after they have estimated the distance.
The method of optimally zero setting discussed above is the practical and manual way of understanding the properties of the air rifle and finally optimally adjusting the benders. There is also a theoretical approach, where you can fathom your airgun with mathematics and math.
The theory of ball tracks is an important physical application, which has been used in military circles since time immemorial. Think of the course of a boulder from the catapult of the medieval knights, an arrow from the bow of Robin Hood, a grenade from a cannon or a ballistic missile with warheads. For such projectiles, more and more accurate algorithms have been developed over time, which of course can also be applied to the path of a pellet from an air rifle.
The calculation of bullet jobs is part of the more complex forms of mathematics and physics. Calculating an ideal ball track (without taking into account the air resistance) is still feasible and these are tasks, which regularly return to WVO examinations. However, the shape of the pellet and its behavior as it flies through the air can hardly be captured in formulas. This means that the calculation of ball trajectories is supported by measurements that describe the behavior of a projectile. The knowledge that has been collected in the course of history can be “packaged” in software. We would like to perfect the built-in algorithms and determine the standards for the shape of pellets to engineers from manufacturers and hobbyists. In particular, the rifle scope manufacturer “Hawke Optics” has developed fantastic ballistic software for us as hereditary shooters. This comes in several variants. There is an extended version for the Apple Mac and MS-Windows and a compact version for iPhone and Android smartphones.
This software version 4.3.5. (see above) Is provided by Hawke Optics and can be downloaded from www.hawkeoptics.com . Hawke does this cleverly because through this program they can promote their rifle scopes. The standard models Hawke scopes are pre-programmed in the software. New versions of this software regularly come out. Meanwhile, there is also a version for smartphones. This is less extensive but also works very well. To calculate the bullet trajectory, you need a few numbers. These are:
- the muzzle velocity in meters/second (m / s) or the muzzle energy in joules,
- the caliber and weight of the pellet,
- the ballistic coefficient (BC value) of the pellet and the form factor (G1 to G7, GS, GA, etc.)
- the height of the rifle scope above the barrel.
In the following, we discuss these numbers. Take a look at the following video. This movie is already a few years old but shows well what is possible with a compressed air gun today. Certainly also by using Chairgun from Hawke.
Muzzle velocity or Muzzle energy
The muzzle velocity is the velocity (v) of the pellet as it leaves the barrel. At the moment the pellet leaves the barrel, the pellet slows down and starts to fall. The speed is expressed in meters per second (m / s). English sizes are often used in the gunman’s jargon and the documentation on the airguns. 1 m / s = 3.28 ft / s (feets per second).
Mouth energy (E) has been discussed earlier and is calculated using the following formula E = ½ mv ². For the example-buks, the muzzle velocity is v = 264 m / s. The weight of the sample pellet (H & N FTT) m = 0.959 grams.
E = ½ x 0.000959 kg x 264² m / s
E = 33.4 joules
The muzzle speed can sometimes be difficult to obtain from the specifications of the air rifle. Suppliers tend to exaggerate the muzzle velocity for their bikes. Often speed is called by a lightweight bullet. If suppliers mention the orbital energy in their specifications, this is a more reliable number because it is independent of the pellet used. However, muzzle energy can still vary considerably. Even for identical bikes.
The best way to determine the muzzle speed is to measure it with a chronograph simply. There are cheap versions of this (for example Combo CB-625 MK4) on the market that you can place on the barrel and that accurately measure the speed of the pellet. The muzzle velocity of the example air gun with the pellet mentioned below is 264 m / s.
There is also a Chronograph App for Android “Chrono Connect mobile.” This application for smartphones makes it possible to measure the muzzle speed of your airgun. The principle is simple. The App measures the time between the shot and the impact on the target plate with the microphone and then calculates the speed. It takes into account the weight of the pellet, the BC value and the distance between the mouth and the target. The App is worth a try. When you get started with it, you have to make sure that you use a target that gives a lot of sounds. A piece of tin works best.
Caliber and weight
The caliber and weight of the pellet are usually on the box. Finding the BC value has been difficult so far. However, with the latest versions of the Chairgun, there is also an extensive database with pellet data.
BC-Value and Form factor (G1 to G7, GS and GA)
The BC value is a number that represents the aerodynamic properties of a projectile. Every object experiences resistance as it moves through the air. The BC value is inversely proportional to the resistance. A greater resistance gives a smaller BC value. You should try to find this value at the supplier of the pellets. If that does not work, then you can search on the Internet for BC values. In general, the BC values of pellets from well-known brands can be found. For example, with Chrono Connect Pellet List. The BC value of the sample pellet is “0.029”, the weight is 0.599 grams and the caliber is 5.5 mm or 0.22 inch.
The Form factor is a type of filter that is included in the calculation and that is added to the BC value. The G1 form factor matches a standard bullet. You can see in the picture that G7 represents a completely different form, which behaves differently on its flight. The GA form factor is made for diabolo pellets if this is not available in the ballistic software, you can also use G1.
The height of the riflescope
You can measure this height. The best way to do this is to measure the diameter (A) of the rifle scope (with a caliper), the diameter (C) of the barrel and the distance (B) between barrel and rifle scope. The height is now diameter rifle scope (A) divided by two plus the diameter of the barrel (C) divided by two plus the distance between rifle scope and barrel (B).
Height = ½ A + B + ½ C
For the example airgun and the Hawke Airmax EV 3-9 × 40 AO the height is 3.75 cm.
Let the program do the job …
When you enter all data, ChairGun Pro calculates the bullet trajectory. The program has all kinds of tools that you can use to determine, for example, the optimal distance for calibration (OZR). Working with Chairgun Pro requires skill with computer software and (due to the great number of functions) the willingness to spend time and energy on it. Many functions are self-explanatory and a help screen is available for each function. The complication is that the software (and the help screens) are in English. If you do not come out yourself, there is a lot of explanation on YouTube.
Once you have mastered Chairgun, you can use it to simulate what happens to the ball trajectories under different circumstances. For example, if you increase or decrease the rate of the muzzle, what happens to the job. You can also enter the properties of different pellets and see what the best pellet would be for your purpose. The power of the program is that it shows what happens under different circumstances. It is a simulator with which you (by choosing different settings) get insight into ball trajectories and the performance of your air rifle.
As an example, it is nice to show what happens when you shoot up or down at an angle of 45 degrees. (for example, you shoot an apple in a tree) This is also a parameter that can be set and with which you can immediately see what is happening.
In the figure above it becomes clear that if you shoot up or down at an angle of 45 degrees, the pellet is much higher than you would expect. As the distance increases, this deviation increases. It goes too far here to explain this physically. For the fans, we want to say that this has to do with the fact that gravity also intervenes at the same angle and is, therefore, less powerful.
Laser straighteners are known for the spectacular feature films. These lasers are not expensive and this cheap addition can greatly simplify the life of the heretics. And in two ways:
- Support when setting the parallax
If you mount a laser straightener on the barrel and ensure that the red dot within the riflescope is visible, you can use it to set the parallax. The principle is that with the laser you create a fixed point in the viewer that focuses on the target you want to hit. If the parallax is not set correctly, the laser point shifts as you move along with the eye for the eyepiece. Setting parallax has now become much easier because you do not have to put the rifle on a shoot. You can now check the parallax regularly and in the yard.
- Correction of Mikpunt outside the Point blank
The point-blank of our example airgun stretches from 12.1 to 33.2 meters. Suppose we want to shoot even more accurately and within a kill zone of 0.5 cm. The optimal distance to zero (OZR) then shifts to 17 meters and the point-blank becomes a lot shorter. Namely 14.7 to 29.6 meters. Within this distance, the impact (meeting point) of the pellet is never removed more than 2.5 mm from the crosshair (target). However, you have to correct if you want to hit something that is closer than 14.7 meters. You can use the laser straightener for this.
By using a laser next to the rifle scope (because the laser is much lower on the barrel), a second “Point Blank” can be created. This is illustrated in the image below. The slanting red line is the line of the laser beam that starts 0.5 cm above the barrel and is set to zero at 13 meters. The line remains from 5 meters until it crosses the red line of the crosshairs well within 0.25 cm of the bullet track. If you aim for the short distances with laser pointer then you are well within the kill zone of 0.5 cm.
There is no room left on the V-rail for a laser straightener because the riflescope is there. It would also be too high because the Chairgun stipulates that the optimum height for the laser above the barrel is 0.5 cm. By mounting the laser straightener at an angle on the barrel, a height of 0.5 cm can easily be adjusted.
Because the laser is only used as a reference for the correction of your target, it is not bad that it is tilted on the barrel. You continue to stick with the crosshairs of the riflescope and use the laser to determine the correction. You do this by briefly switching on the laser and aiming at the target.
The laser point becomes visible in the rifle scope as a red dot. As long as the laser point remains below the crosshair, it indicates the height of the meeting point of the pellet. In the figure, you can see that the laser point is two lines under the crosshair. You remember the correction for this distance and you switch off the laser. Then you aim at the target with the second line under the crosshair.
As soon as the laser point rises above the crosshair (at more than 15 meters), the crosshair is the meeting point and you are within the point-blank of the rifle scope that extends to 29.6 meters. In this way, it is possible to shoot within the kill zone of 0.5 cm without much hassle over a distance of 5 to 29.6 meters. A laser straightener can in this way make a major contribution to the accuracy of your air rifle.
For some shooters, the above research is the core of their hobby. They ask and count until they have created the perfect airgun and are far less interested in actually shooting at targets. They only shoot to show that the rifle is 100% accurate at every distance.
They only shoot from a table with shooting support or with the help of sandbags. She is keen that they have indeed turned their airgun so that within a kill zone of a few millimeters can be shot over a wide range.
The traditional tournament shooter (for example 10 m) has a completely different focus. He does not occupy himself with ball tracks but is constantly busy controlling his body to be a perfect shooter. Biathlon athletes do even more than that. They cross country skiing very fast and occasionally stop to shoot standing or lying on targets. There is also a perfect gun (firearm), but it is fully equipped for accurate shooting at a certain distance.
Still, others want to shoot with the perfect airgun and want to work on the ability to be standing, lying, sitting, or on knees to be able to hit targets at different distances. These are the athletes who are involved in the Field Target shooting. This shooting sport is based on the perspective of a hunter. The used Field Targets (targets) are often images of rats, squirrels, pigeons, and rabbits.
The shearers do it more calmly, but everyone also has their preferences. One is more concerned with creating the perfect airgun, while others enjoy creating the art of shooting at a specific distance. The combination of these two approaches requires significantly more effort and can be practiced by placing multiple targets at different distances in the yard and stables. This way you come close to the competitive sport of the Field target shooting.
There are all kinds of fun Field Target goals for the heritarians and it can be fun to shoot these goals with friends or family. However, most shooters are satisfied with simple home-garden-and-kitchen goals, as long as it is a challenge to hit it and it is visible or audible that the target has been hit. Pay attention to the environment and make sure that no lead is left on the site. You can achieve this by placing the targets in a bullets box or by placing a sheet of plywood behind the target.
This handbook is not made for competition shooters. That is not necessary either, because more than enough instructional material is available at the association to learn how to shoot well within the rules of the sport and with the right body techniques.
The captor is usually an occasional shooter, who occasionally wants to shoot something with family or friends. He must have an easy-to-use airgun that is set to zero at the optimum distance (OZR). With the example (press) airgun that shoots accurately from 5 to 30 meters (possibly with the laser pointer), he can get started with increasing his shooting skills.
Accurate hitting a target with a compressed air gun or a CO2-bucks is not difficult if the rifle is calibrated correctly, the shooter can handle the corrections for distances and rest when the tractor is pulled over. We have already seen that calibrating the airgun is not that difficult with the procedures explained. Then you can practice. Not in the way of the sports shooter, but in the way of the heir. That starts with an important basic skill.
Attitude and TechniquePatience and control
An air rifle does not coincide with a rush and fast action. Everything you do must be considered. Loading your warehouse is easy and accurate. Pellets must not be damaged. On the job, you make sure that it is free and no people or animals can come for your course. Your goal plate is big enough to ensure that bullets can never leave your territory. You only use the airgun when you aim to aim at the target. If you are certain that you are going to shoot, you unlock security and aim for your goal. Take a deep breath, exhale and hold your breath. You now have about 8 seconds to shoot. If you can not print, you start again. Just breathe normally, breathe in deeply, exhale and then you have a few seconds to unload the perfect shot.
As mentioned above, you can find many techniques for accurate shooting under competition conditions. The biathlon above sportsman gets fantastic results in recumbent and standing posture with the skis and after a long journey in the harsh cold. For you as an archer, who just wants to hit his goal, this is a bit of a good thing. You do not have to perform under such extreme conditions, because shooting on and around the yard is not a competition. On the contrary, if you are under pressure, you should not start shooting.
A golden rule to hit with a perfect air rifle is a stable position, where the rifle is supported (imposed). Pushed shooting can be standing, sitting, kneeling or lying down. Sitting on a shooting table is the best method for accurate shooting. This is also the attitude for the zero setting (zero) of air rifles, as you have seen in the preceding.
When sitting down from behind a table, the rifle rests on one or two sandbags or shooting support. It is important to sit comfortably on a stool or chair directly behind the table. Leave the rifle resting with the front (not the barrel!) On the firing support. Place both elbows on the table and let the left arm bend back so that the left hand supports the bottom of the flask. The shooting support must be high enough to place the airgun firmly on the shoulder. Make sure that shoulders and arms are relaxed.
Standing can also be shot and this is already much more challenging. Firing support is then used. In principle, this can be anything that is available in the environment, as long as it has the right height. You make it easier for yourself and others if you use an adjustable shoot. A sturdy camera tripod is a great solution. If you put a small sandbag on it, you have perfect shooting support. If the airgun is placed on it, this provides a comfortable position for the shooter. Braces that are too high or too low cause a cramped posture and therefore it becomes more difficult to shoot accurately.
When shooting is standing up, the shooter is at an angle to the shooting direction behind the rifle. The body is upright. The shoulders are relaxed. The left arm rests on the chest and grabs the right shoulder and supports the rifles at the bottom of the flask. The rifle rests on the shooting support. By moving the feet about 50 cm apart, lateral movements become minimal.
A good alternative is sitting on a stool shooting with the rifle imposed on shooting support. There are three-legged crutches on the market that are quite stable. When shooting with this combination, you use the posture of upright shooting. Only you sit with the legs about 50 cm apart.
Before you can unload a shot on goal, you must have taken a shooting position. We assume that you will shoot “imposed.” That means that you put the airgun at the front on shooting support. You support the front part of your flask. Although compressed air guns can also support the barrel, it is not recommended because the barrel is scratched.
Then you view your goal in the rifle scope. If it is good, the eye lens (eyepiece) is already in focus. However, you still have to focus on the goal. For that, you maximize your focus on your goal. Now you focus the image with the field lens (objective). If the image is sharp, rotate the zoom back to your preferred setting. Between 4x and 6x magnification. It is good to always shoot with the same magnification. You get used to the image and learn what the effect of a deviation is. If you have a laser mounted you can use the laser to check if the image is parallax free.
After setting the field lens (objective), you can read about the distance. Often the distances are indicated in English sizes and often the indication is inaccurate. You can decide to convert the indications to meters. You stick the lens (with white insulation tape) and mark with your marker your measurements — for example 5m, 10m, 15m 20m 25m and 30m. Just focus a matter of measuring distances and marking them on your viewer.
After focusing, you know that the rifle scope is parallax free (so accurate). You also know the distance to the target. If the target is within the PointBlank, you can simply use the crosshair as a target. If it is outside, you have to correct.
It is advisable to mark the correction on a note for each distance and stick it on your flask. Imagine your goal is 10 meters (to be estimated on the rifle scope) removed from you. According to the following trajectory, you have to aim 0.9 cm higher and that corresponds to almost one dot under the crosshairs. (at 4x magnification). Note that if the magnification changes, the corrections will shift.
If you use the laser straightener to correct, you can skip all this and just take over the laser correction. You do not have to read distances on your rifle scope. Also, the set magnification then has no influence. Therefore again a plea for laser support in correcting your target.
So far it is all a matter of theory. However: Starting archers will get to know some remarkable effects of their eyes. These effects occur when the target is aimed too long. One is discussed here:
- The apparent movement of the target (the auto-kinetic effect)
If the viewer looks at an image for more than 5 seconds, the eyes become tired and float away from the focus. A special effect is that the brain corrects the image and it seems as if the image has not changed. If you then print it can happen that the bullet inexplicably far off. Starting shooters think that something is wrong with their luchbuks.
The above effect can be prevented by variation in the image. The effect can be prevented by just blinking or looking elsewhere. In any case, it is good to keep both eyes open. This gives you a better view of the surroundings and prevents the eyes getting tired. The run-up to the shot in the “patience and control” discussed above means that security is unlocked only at the last moment. From this moment on you will aim and print.
Muscle reflexes are of a different order but with the same consequences. These reflexes are natural reactions of the body to protect against the threat.
- The effect of the psychological and physical muscle reflex
Muscular reflexes are involuntary movements at the moment the gun is fired. This is because the shooter looks uneasy about what will happen. A blow, a loud sound or a sudden movement in our eye is enough to cause such a reaction. That is exactly what happens when the airgun is fired.
With the perfect air rifle the recoil, the sound and the movement of the rifle are minimal. But there are other reasons why the body can react in this way. Fear of missing or fear of touching something can evoke special reactions in the body. Such physical reactions can be avoided through exercise and experience.
Finally, there is the moment of pulling the trigger. Firing a shot seems easy. Nevertheless, printing correctly is a complicated operation. There are a few conditions for a good shot.
- Printing must be done quickly,
- with a uniform movement where the gun is not allowed to move,
- at the right time,
- without unnecessary muscle tension
- and it must always happen with the same force.
Most is a question of practice, but there are also some basic instructions to give. For example, the way the right-hand holds the airgun is important. The hand and the arm must be straight about each other to prevent extra muscle tension. The palm is firmly on the handle, but the hand and the fingers must not pinch. Grasping with the middle finger must be firm so that the hand can not slide. The pressure exerted by the ring finger is smaller. Thumb and little finger are placed around the grip and are almost relaxed. The trigger finger is free of the flask and grip. The right arm hangs down relaxed and pulls the air rifle against the shoulder. Even if a table supports your elbow, there should be no kink in the wrist. The arm and the wrist are right about each other.
The trigger finger can be placed on the tractor in two ways. This depends on the length of the fingers. The method with the trigger on the fold between the phalanges is preferable and can only be realized by adjusting the trigger. More importantly, the finger is perpendicular to the shooting direction in the last phase of pulling the trigger and the movement is carried out exactly in line with the barrel. The first part is the freestyle and here it comes less closely.
When you pull the trigger, you exhale. During the exhale you take the freestyle away until you encounter the resistance. You hold your breath. While the movements of the rifle further decrease, you press the pressure evenly until the airgun automatically goes off. When the shot goes off, you keep the pressure on the trigger the same until the rifle comes to rest. Then you release the trigger. Keep your eyes open during the shot and keep aiming at the goal. Look at what happens. For many people, taking a shot is a kind of magical moment. If you are going to shoot, you often already know that before you print.
After the shot, … .. immediately lock the bucks!
Many people think that there are many rules for air guns, but that is not so bad. This is different for firearms. For this, there is a special Weapons and Ammunition Act (WWM). This also includes the rules for air guns.
The Dutch WWM provides hardly any restrictions for the possession and use of airguns by European standards within easy reach. Without citing the articles, the use of an air gun with or without a damper and a laser pointer can be summarized as follows: Everyone from the age of 18 can purchase and own an air rifle. There are no rules that limit the strength of the weapon. Work is currently underway to change the law, banning airguns with mouth energy of more than 80 joules.
Note: Different categories are distinguished in our surrounding countries. In England, airguns with mouth energy of more than 16.3 joules are required. In Germany that is 7.5 joules. It is conceivable that the rules in Europe will be harmonized and that this will change in the future
- An air rifle may be used on terrain that is not accessible to the public. It is allowed in the own garden, on inheritance, in stables and on the land of farmers. Nothing is said about being visible from the public road. Remember that if you are visible, you run the risk that the public will suspect you and the police will call. Because police officers are not always well aware of the Weapons and Ammunition Act, you have a chance that they will confiscate and then you have a lot of hassle to get your stuff back.
- On public roads, the air rifle must be packed in such a way that it is not available for immediate use. In practice, this means that the rifle is packed unloaded in a suitcase or casing. There is no mention of the separate storage of ammunition. An air gun lose in the trunk of a car is forbidden.
- Airguns must not show any resemblance to firearms. Air guns that can be used to scare people fall under the category of firearms and are forbidden for everyone (including firearm licensees). Not long ago an exception was made for Airsoft weapons on this line.
Airsoft is a battle simulation sport in which two teams compete against each other to accomplish the mission (s). Airsoft uses replicas of existing weapons, also known as AEG (Automatic Electric Guns). Airsoft is played with biodegradable balls of 6 mm, also called BB’s. These BBs exist in different weights, from 0.12 grams to 0.50 grams.
- There are no rules for the use of silencers, night vision equipment, laser pointer and the like for airguns (as opposed to firearms). For silencers, strangely enough, it has been determined that if the silencer is also suitable for a firearm, it can not be used for air weapons.
From the WWM there are no restrictions to use an air rifle for shooting at targets on own grounds or the grounds of others (with permission). Even with a silencer, night vision viewer and a laser straightener. Also, the strength of the weapon and the type of pellets can not put the heretics in trouble. It is clear that an air rifle may not be used (or even worn) on publicly accessible grounds. There it must be properly transported in a suitcase or case.