In the field with a Yank springer

[JPShelton]

Group:

I obtained a Benjamin Legacy 1000 (U.S.A. made Gamo 220/440 clone). I was looking for something lighter, more dynamic handling, and easier to cock than my trail-worn and always trustworthy Webely Omega, but something that was at least equally powerful. A fellow in the shooting sports industry who knew that I do some writing for California hunting and fly fishing magazines offered me a deal on the Benjamin that I couldn't refuse, so home it came.

My old .177 Webely has a Venom kit in it and does around 850 fps with 7.9 grain CPL's, making it an 11.9 fpe gun. It shoots to 1 1/4" at 50 meters, more or less -usually a little less.

The Legacy tipped the scale at a feathery 6 1/4 pounds, sans scope. Field ready, with 4-12 BSA scope, British Sportsmatch rings, old-style Beeman scope stop, quick-release strap studs, and carrying strap, it's a tick over a pound heavier, making it the lightest rifle I could find in its power class.

Cleaning the bore required 42 passes of felts soaked in Simple Green to get all of the rust preservative out. Cocking effort seems to be the 28 pounds Benjamin advertise. Firing behavior is not what I expected. Gamo does not seem well respected here in the U.S. amongst "serious" arigunners, and though the Benjamin is not made in Spain by Gamo, it very clearly is a Gamo 220/440 clone. I was expecting it to be twangy and produce a lot of vibration upon firing. It wasn't any worse than my modified Omega in terms of spring twang or vibration. Accuracy-wise, it'll do the same 1 1/4 inch groups at 50 meters that the Omega does in my hands. So far so good.

On the chronograph, it'll do 850 to 925 fps with pellets in the 7.9 to 10.6 grain range, making it a 15 to 17 fpe gun. This is after a lube tune and break-in. Fortunately for me, it shoots Crosman Premier 10.5's as well as anything, and shoots Beeman Kodiaks nearly as well.

In as-issued trim, the tirgger pull on the Legacy is nearly everything I was led to believe that a Gamo trigger would be -particularly the too heavy bit. I'm in the process of reducing this to 1.2 pounds with an aftermarket trigger.

In the field during the course of California's quail and chukar partridge season, which runs from the middle of October to the end of January, the rifle proved itself well, allowing me to shoot up to my 10-bird limit on quail on a number of occasions. These birds are not very big -only about 8 ounces or so- but very tasty. Since cottontail rabbit season runs from July through January, I potted quite a few of them while quail hunting, too, as well as a couple of much larger jackrabbits which may be shot here all year 'round. I discard the horrid-tasting jackrabbit flesh, as coyotes have to eat, too. I do use the fur of the jackrabbits to tie fishing flies with, so they didn't die for naught.

I know this is a U.K. board and it seems as though "Pete from Fontana" and I are the only Yanks around this corner of cyberspace. But since California law has recently legalized the use of air rifles in the harvest of all 19 resident small game species, I figured that other colonials would stumble over here as I have done and that a few of them might have seen this U.S.A.-made springer on their stockist's racks and wondered if they're worth the price.

All I can really say is that mine has proven to be well worth every dime I've spent on it, but mine was free. Still, even if I had paid for it, I'm certain that I'd feel I got full value for my money. They're often sold as a kit here, with mounts, scope, and plastic storage case. This is what I obtained. The scope and mounts are garbage and not worth the extra cost that Benjamin ask. Best to get the rifle and buy the mounts (I like the British Sportsmatch brand), scope stop (you'll need one) and scope (which will probably cost more than the rifle) from an air rifle specialist. That last bit is crucial. Most firearms dealers in the U.S.A. know very little about air rifles, aren't airgun enthusiasts, and can't offer the same adivice and service that a speciality air rifle dealer can.

In sum, Benjamin seem to be on the right track with their Legacy 1000. Its combination of light weight, dynamic handling, low cocking effort and useful amount of authoritative downrange thump make it worhty of consideration for anyone looking for a fairly inexpensive air rifle that will "make meat." The trigger needs help, but it can be helped and isn't hopeless. The polish of the metal isn't what you'll find on a Beeman "R" series, and it ain't no Theooben / Beeman Crow Magnum, either. But then it only costs a fraction of what those others sell for, so some fault in cosmetics might be excused. And if you're like me, you've long since figured out that the real world of harsh, rugged field conditions isn't friendly to gun finishes, no matter how fine they are. Now, if someone only made a gas ram to fit.........

Blessings and Safe Shooting
-JP

[GreenMachine]

Thank you for that - very interesting

[suggsey]

Well JPShelton that was very interesting...and has given me ( or some of us ) an insite of your type of air rifles..and shooting You mentioned shooting the game bird quail is this the same as ours in the U.K..(about 4-5 ins tall) and if so can you give us an in-site on how you shoot them..IE...stalk..lie in wait...ect. as i would most interested .....look forward to you next post......

[MacOne]

JP,

You've spent sometime on your posts on here. You even took a lot of time and explanation to possibly keep one of your fellow countrymen out jail by informing him his actions could well be illegal.

So, here's some points to get you going...you probably won't need them for the bookies and Newcastle Vs Man U probably won't bother you.

BUT you can always buy yourself a pretty user name

Some more info on shooting airguns your side of the pond is always welcome especially when it involves quarry we don't get here.

[JPShelton]

Group:

Suggsey asked if our quail here in California are the same as those in the U.K. I know from watching U.K. television programs that the 12th of August is an important date for grouse shooting, but I didn't know that you had quail over there until now.

In answer to Suggsey's query, we have three species of quail in California. They're probably similar to the U.K. quail that Suggsey mentioned, but not exactly the same.

Most common is the California quail (Callipepla californica), also known as the valley quail. These birds are 9 to 11 inches long, and weigh about 6 to 7 ounces. They are found in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and were introduced to Utah.

These quail are associated with a combination of brushy vegetation and more open weedy or grassy habitat with some water supply. They avoid dense forest and dense chaparral or brush. They will rarely be more than 20 meters from cover and excepting for some isolated populations along California's Central Coast, they need a good supply of water. The basic rule is that if you find water, you'll find quail. These birds are widely distruibuted in California and all but one of California's 52 counties has huntable poulations. They are usually not found in locations higher than 2,500 meters in elevation.

The second most abundant quail in California is the mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus). These are 11 to 12 inches long and weigh 8 to 9 ounces. The name sort of says it all with this one. He likes higer altitudes. He'll live in dense forest and heavy brush. He really likes steep hillsides - the steeper the better. This quail is associated with pinion (a squatty pine) and juniper country, oak woodland, coastal forest, and mountain forest. If you're in brushy country and can just see over the brush and can't walk through it more than 10 to 30 feet without having to change direction, and if that country is steep, you're very likely in good mountain quail habitat.

Third on the list is the Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelli), also known as desert quail. This one is 9 to 11 inches long and weighs 5 to 7 ounces. It is found in desert scrub, usually in washes, draws, or arroyos between ridges, particularly in areas with decomposed granite or transported soil from winter rains. They thrive in more open coutnry than the other two quails, and can do without surface water. As their name implies, they live in the desert -the Mojave Desert, to be exact- and are found in all or portions of the 5 southeastern counties of California.

Quail are the fourth most popular game specie in California in terms of the number of hunter hours spent pursuing them. 172,000 quail hunters take 1,712,000 quail per season and barely make a dent in their population. 75 percent are valley quail, 20 percent are mountain quail, and 5 percent are Gambel's quail.

All three species are found on public lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. In some of the areas that I hunt, their habitats overlap, and you can be into a covey on specie one moment and another the next.

Blessings and Safe Shooting,
-JP

[JPShelton]

Group:

Here's kind of a "Part 2" to Suggsey's query that covers the "How-To" bit of quail hunting in California.

First off, the idea that a hunter from the U.K. could do this isn't as far-fetched as it might seem. In California, non-residents (those who don't live in California permanently) may legally hunt all 19 resident small game species in this state. All a shooter from the U.K. would need to do is bring a U.K. issued hunting license over -valid or expired doesn't matter. This is used to satisfy "Proof of Compliance" law regarding mandatory hunter safety education training. You simply present a U.K. license to the person selling you the non-resident California license, hand over the fees for the non-resident license and Upland Game Bird Enhancement Stamp, and you're good to go. It's a simple over the counter transaction -one that you can do at any Department of Fish and Game Field Office, or a host of other retail businesses that serve as Authorized License Agents.

The open season runs from the middle of October to the end of January.

More quail are shot in Kern County (borders the north of Los Angeles County and hence north of the city of of Los Angeles) and San Bernardino County (north and east of Los Angeles County) than any other counties in the state.

All most all of this hunting is done on public land which is administered by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.

These birds move about in response to food sources and water supply. That last bit is important. In the desert foothill country where this game is played, if you find water, I promise that quail won't be too far away. They will respond to calling from commercially made mouth calls, o you'll have some idea of whether or not you're in a good place straight away.

They do move about though. Finding a covey to shoot means that you've got to move, too. These birds are not typically shot from a hide or blind. The hunter walks them up. You walk through likely habitat looking for them. They will often run on the ground before they fly. Sometimes they'll just fly, which is great if you've got a shotgun but not so hot for air rifle shooters.

A lot of walking is involved though, and it's walking done in fairly rough country that is often steep. You'll rarely be shooting at a stationary target. You'll often be shooting slightly uphill or downhill, and will generally have some breeze to contend with. A 30 to 40 meter shot is about average, though I've taken longer ones this past season.

When it's good, though, you might find yourself chasing multiple coveys that number 30 birds or more, so it's a target-rich environment when you're in the right place.

So the short answer is that you roam about a piece of country and listen for their assembly calls (sounds kind of like Chi-CA-go, repeated 2 or 3X) and then stalk them.

I know California is a modestly popular destination for tourists from the U.K. and I know that at least a few folks in the U.K. have relatives living and working in California. My own brother-in-law is from the U.K. So, in the interest of family harmony, if I have to choose sides between Newcastle and Manchester United, I can only choose the latter, as my brother-in-law is a "Man U" kind of guy. But I digress......

The point is that if you've ever thought about coming over, you might want to bring your air rifle along with you and do a hunt. Bringing an air rifle over here is easily done, getting the proper hunting license is a simple over-the-counter transaction, you don't need landowner permission to hunt, as you're hunting on public land, and if you don't know where to go, I can help you out with that. Heck, you could probably just throw your kit in the back of my Jeep and come along with me for the week-end!

It might not be a Botswana firearms safari, but from an air rifle enthusisat's perpective, it might come pretty close. If you know how to use a fly rod, California can be a top-notch angling destination, too. A person could do a kind of "cast and blast" fairly easily here.

I sound like a cross between a tourist board advert and Hyacinth Bucket inviting an entire nation over to one of her candlelight suppers...

But if you're planning on visiting Los Angeles anyhow, why not do a spot of hunting whilst you're here?

Blessings and Safe Shooting,
-JP

[JPShelton]

Group:

If you're interested in learning a bit more about hunting with air rifles in California, you might enjoy checking out the California Department of Fish and Game website. It is www.dfg.ca.gov and has information about seasons, methods of take, and so on.

Blessings and Safe Shooting
-JP

[TEXASPROUD]

JP,

Thanks for all the info. I just got into PCP with an Air Force Condor, got some friends out on the coast. Wouldn't mind checking out where I lived in Azusa. Still miss going up to Mt. Baldy. Now you've given me another reason to go back for a visit.

[Lez325]

Wecome to the Universe, JP Shelton, I read your posts with interest, Its always a bonus to read views and tactics etc from our fellow Airgunners. I look forward to seeing more of the same. ( maybe even a couple of photo's????)


Good Hunting

Les

[JPShelton]

Texasproud:

If you're in to hunting and also an air rifle enthusiast, you should definitely come out to California and do some hunting here. The Bureau of Land Management's Jawbone Canyon Management Area off State Route 14 was loaded with quail this year, as was every other Kern County hotspot. The Red Mountians, El Paso Mountains, Walker Pass -they were all productive. I've seen more chukar partridge this past season than I have in decades. With all of the rain that we've had, this next season ought to be even better!

I was hoping to tell a positive turkey hunting story by now, with the spring turkey season in full swing, but my trip up north to Mendocino County was a bust, bird-wise. I got a fleeting glimpse of a jake, and that was that.

I took an Air Arms s200 .22 along for the turkey hunt, but it went unfired. That rifle in .177 is pretty underwhelming and I needed something .20 or larger for turkey, anyhow, to comply with the law. Mine's putting out 16.5 to 17 foot pounds, which I guess is in the ballpark for what they're supposed to do in .22 caliber. Power-wise, I suppose it still isn't very impressive, but accuracy-wise, it most certainly is. I bought it on a whim and I reckon I was attracted to the CZ logo, as I own a CZ 452-2E .22 LR bolt action that I dearly love, and well as a CZ 550 in .30-'06, which I'll never part with as long as we still have wild pigs in this state that need shooting and I still have a freezer that needs filling.

And to Lez325:

Thank you for the warm welcome! I'll see if I can rustle up some pics to share. I am really enjoying this forum and I'm glad that I stumbled on to it.

Blessings and Safe Shooting,
-JP