February issue of Air Gunner on sale now!

Time Well Spent June 15, 2022

Phill Price enters into the springer versus PCP debate, remembering that the first time he saw the Sportsmatch GC2 blew his mind

Inside the issue:

The Big Test: Gamo Maxxim Elite

Can a springer beat a PCP at long range?

Endurance – the ultimate optic

Turkey hunting in California

Do we need to clean, weigh and lube modern pellets?

And much more!

Buy the print or digital edition of Air Gunner here.

Editor Phill Price says:

There are many old chestnuts that get hotly debated on the subject of airgunning, but none more so than springers versus pre-charged pneumatics (PCPs). Like everybody of my generation, I grew up shooting spring-piston guns because they were all that was available. Then in 1992, a tall chap walked into the gun shop where I worked and showed us his Sportsmatch GC2 (PCP) and it blew my mind. It was like seeing the future. His name was Terry Doe, and it was his competition rifle that was serving him very well.

From that moment on, I wanted to try a PCP and eventually I bought an Air Arms S410 that I still own today. I was clearly the kind to embrace new technology and all the advantages it brings, but many people dearly want an airgun to be ‘a proper airgun’, not a pellet-launching machine. A real airgun has a big spring and a piston and recoils when you pull the trigger. It demands correct technique and effort on the part of the shooter to achieve top accuracy, and delivers the rewards to those who master it.

This month two of my contributors bring their own perspectives to this debate with fascinating results. Charlie Portlock gives us his view as a dedicated hunter and life-long springer devotee, whilst Gary Chillingworth brings us the latest thinking from the competition world of HFT. It’s clear this debate has a long way to run.