LED Light for use on pellet gun?

[WadeF]

I was recently made aware I would be welcome to help shoot rats on a farm, inside a barn. I thought I could use one of my high power pellet rifles as they wouldn't be very noisey. The problem is I know spring piston pellet guns can destroy regular rifle scopes because the piston action is basically like hitting your rifle with a hammer everytime you fire. This vibration it puts out is different than the kick from a regular firearm and they make specially designed pellet gun scopes that are built to handle this type of vibraton / shock. I was wondering if any of the LED lights out there are tough enough to handle the same shock?

 

[wakibaki]

Hi WadeF

I have a lot of experience of lamping rabbits. To get a good light out to 40-50 yards we like to use modified halogen driving lamps (replace the lens with plain glass) driven by 12 D-cell NiCds. The lamp usually mounts on top of the scope with a coiled lead to the battery pack in a big pocket. Most of my guns are pneumatics, but I used to regularly lend a lamp to a guy with a BSA Superstar spring gun. I haven't had a lamp fail in some years of operation. Perhaps the single plastic tube clamp we mount the lamps with helps.

A good LED torch may well be adequate in a barn at rat ranges, and LEDs are intrinsically more robust than incandescents. I have been experimenting with a lensed design for a gunlight, but in order to keep the spot small (bright) the lens must be bigger and heavier than I would really like.

I doubt very much that a commercially-produced gunlight intended for use on a firearm will fail on an airgun. Firing a fullbore pistol feels not unlike holding a scaffolding pole while somebody else hits it with a sledgehammer and is a much more uncomfortable experience than firing a spring gun.

It is actually *possible* to shoot with a 2AA incandescent Maglite.

I haven't gone out with the gun for a couple of years, but for a cheap test I would ruggedise a $10 Cree ELLY (LORSUND) from DX by securing the star with thermal epoxy and threadlocking the securing screws. This will probably be enough light to work with and if the ELLY is good to start with (some aren't, I've heard), it'll almost certainly outlive you. The switch will probably be the first thing to fail, and you can replace those. If the driver fails you can mod it to direct drive and get more (but unregulated) light.Try to arrange a little shock-absorbing flexibility in the mount.

Otherwise the sky's the limit in terms of what you can spend.

If you are not permitted a silencer by law, then a gun of as low as 6fpe will still kill a rat cleanly, dependent on range and skill.

w

 

[LGCubana]

...The problem is I know spring piston pellet guns can destroy regular rifle scopes because the piston action is basically like hitting your rifle with a hammer everytime you fire. This vibration it puts out is different than the kick from a regular firearm and they make specially designed pellet gun scopes ...

Had to hijack,
Any semi-auto rifle (i.e. AK47), replicates the piston's action of a pellet gun; with a much higher degree of force.

 

[ACMarina]

Scopes (from my experience) work best with bolt guns - less part movement in the rifle itself. Not that scopes can't be used on semi-automatics, though..

But that's beyond the point..

Standard incandescent lights are used on semi-automatic firearms all the time, and as wakibaki said, they're putting out quite a bit more force than a spring gun. If you buy a quality light you shouldn't have to worry..

 

[tostada]

The Streamlight TL-3 is a very stury incandescent with more throw than any LED. It's made to be put on guns, and it's a pretty good deal at $60. If you're concerned about recoil (which you probably shouldn't be), there's a tougher shock-proof model available.

I'd just get that and a regular $20 flashlight mount. Do you have a rail on the gun?

The Lumapower lights are plenty bright (the Lumapower MRV is probably almost as bright as the Streamlight TL-3), but those and all other really bright LEDs I can think of are shaped pretty weird and aren't going to fit that well in a standard flashlight mount.

 

[nerdgineer]

...the Lumapower MRV is probably almost as bright as the Streamlight TL-3...

FLR rates the TL-3 at 10,000 lux. The MRV is supposed to put out more than 20,000 lux.

 

[RonM]

Spring airguns stress scope reticules due their backward then forward recoil. Those cross hairs are not usually supported for the forward recoil and thus get damaged. A flashlight is probably not going to care too much about which direction the recoil is, so anything that can handle a firearm's recoil can be used on a springer.

Glad to see others who are into airguns on this forum. I'm jealous of your opportunity to go ratting!

 

[WadeF]

Spring airguns stress scope reticules due their backward then forward recoil. Those cross hairs are not usually supported for the forward recoil and thus get damaged. A flashlight is probably not going to care too much about which direction the recoil is, so anything that can handle a firearm's recoil can be used on a springer.

Thanks for clearing up that issue. I knew spring piston air guns could damage regular scopes, but wasn't sure exactly what it was. I know their "kick" is different than that of a rifle. I found this bit if info from wiki:

"Spring gun recoil also has a sharp forward component, caused by the piston as it hits the forward end of the chamber when the spring behind it reaches full expansion. This sudden forward acceleration helps to counteract the backward recoil, since the backward and forward recoil forces happen within milliseconds of each other, but it is infamous for knocking around and loosening the lenses and reticles found in low and medium priced telescopic sights, even those which are designed to withstand the (backward-only) recoil from high-powered firearms. On any but the lowest power spring guns, any mounted telescope should be air gun rated."

I had a medium priced air rifle scope that actually came apart while shooting my most "violent" spring piston air rifle. The stupid gun also shook itself to pieces. Metal parts were always falling off. The piston in it really smacks hard against the end of the chamber. I don't even bother using it anymore.

So from what I've read about this, and from what I have experienced, I had concerns about putting flash light on one of these guns. I'd probably start with something inexpensive and see how it holds up.

 

[waynejitsu]

I would use a M2 and Cree drop in if you are really worried about it.

I am currently using a G2 with the Cree and rechargable SF nicd kit with no problem yet on my AA TX200..., also a Simmons 6x18x40 with adjustable parallex...,
You can litterally put each pellet through the same hole with that rifle. I was absolutely amazed..., and I am not that good of a shot (I was benching

I have about $700 - $750 in it and will never buy another RWS, etc.
Although I would like to have a Career in .25 or 9mm with the tank, that would be a blast..., literally!!

Just to clarify. A good spring gun will tear up a good rifle scope, yes, even a semi auto scope. They just are not designed for the reverse recoil. Although there are some made, such as upper end Leupold, which cost a hefty buck will take the additional abuse.

 

[WadeF]

Wayne,

I'll be shooting a Beeman RX-1 most likely. It's .20cal and about 900fps. It's not overly loud. I have a Career 707 in .22 cal and that this is REALLY loud. It would probably freak out the farm animals. The difference in power is pretty amazing though. I calculated the .20cal RX-1 to put out about 17 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle, and the Career 707 at around 80 foot pounds. Based on velocity through a chronograph and the weight of the pellets.

My friend had a TX200. Nice gun. The problem with the RX-1 is that rather than a spring, it has a sealed gas chamber that compresses. You don't have to worry about springs breaking, and the power is adjustable, but as the gun heats up, your point of impact changes a bit. I'll check ou tthe M2's and G2. I don't really need a lot of power since I won't be shooting at anything that far away. Also can rats see red light? I was wondering if a red filter would help reduce the light from chasing the rats away.

 

[tanasit]

Many PCP's are now very affordable even with foot pump, much more accurate, some even have adjustable power, you can leave it **** for a long time and many have clip with multi shot capability and best of all any scope will do.

You don't need to go all out like my FT set below:

 

[AlexGT]

Nice collection Tanasit! The only one I can't ID is the one below the EV2, is that a Barnes pneumatic?

It's been a while since I visited the yellow forum.

AlexGT

 

[waynejitsu]

Wayne,

I'll be shooting a Beeman RX-1 most likely. It's .20cal and about 900fps. It's not overly loud. I have a Career 707 in .22 cal and that this is REALLY loud. It would probably freak out the farm animals. The difference in power is pretty amazing though. I calculated the .20cal RX-1 to put out about 17 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle, and the Career 707 at around 80 foot pounds. Based on velocity through a chronograph and the weight of the pellets.

My friend had a TX200. Nice gun. The problem with the RX-1 is that rather than a spring, it has a sealed gas chamber that compresses. You don't have to worry about springs breaking, and the power is adjustable, but as the gun heats up, your point of impact changes a bit. I'll check ou tthe M2's and G2. I don't really need a lot of power since I won't be shooting at anything that far away. Also can rats see red light? I was wondering if a red filter would help reduce the light from chasing the rats away.

I like the gas chambers, as you can leave them cocked for extended periods of time.

I would use the Career as you can really adjust down the power and have multiple shots.

 

[waynejitsu]

Many PCP's are now very affordable even with foot pump, much more accurate, some even have adjustable power, you can leave it **** for a long time and many have clip with multi shot capability and best of all any scope will do.

You don't need to go all out like my FT set below:

Incredible collection!!!
You could trade those for a new car and get cash back,

 

[tanasit]

Thanks, that is the USFT #39 but I replaced all the stock wood with birlwood.

This is from Mac1 and you can see it here:
http://www.mac1airgun.com/usft.htm

What is the one below the USFT???

Nice collection Tanasit! The only one I can't ID is the one below the EV2, is that a Barnes pneumatic?

It's been a while since I visited the yellow forum.

AlexGT

 

[AlexGT]

Looks like a Falcon FN-12 with a custom bullpup wood stock, did Wade or DaveG do that? It's been about 3 years since I left the hobby, might just start again.

AlexGT

 

[tanasit]

Nop,
it's the DayState CR94 prototype #3 with my own bullpup design made by no other than the B&M the master of stock in Great Britain.

This is long before the Falcon Era. CR94 utilizes the one action design for cocking and pulling the probe out at once, unlike 2 steps in the Falcon.

Tanasit

Looks like a Falcon FN-12 with a custom bullpup wood stock, did Wade or DaveG do that? It's been about 3 years since I left the hobby, might just start again.

AlexGT

 

[RonM]

WadeF, don't forget to give us an update after the rat hunt!

 

[nc987]

A light isnt needed, just get a shotgun, point it where you hear the rat and pull the trigger, you wont miss........

 

[frasera]

well the main advantage i'd see besides ruggedness is efficiency, longer period before dimming and longer before your battery dies whie you hunt varmints!

nc987, shotguns arent quite that easy to aim
http://www.theboxotruth.com/ truth on guns penetration and spread interesting reading, and yes theres a shottie section