Tau 7

[rickard9]

What do you guys think of the Brno Tau 7 Match in comparison to other top line guns?

[Gerard]

While it does see a lot of use among junior shooters, I don't think the Tau 7 is quite ranked as a top line pistol compared to the Steyr, Morini, Pardini, or other pistols costing more than twice as much. For one thing I've often seen Tau 7 shooters having to swap CO2 cans during competitions which can only be distracting. And of course there is the inconsistency of CO2 depending on ambient temperature. But it seems a fairly accurate pistol and if you like how it shoots for you then it would be a good choice. I'd recommend trying one before buying one.

[Rover]

Once upon a time I bought two of them because I thought they looked good.

A TAU 7 is a piece of crap!

Buy yourself an old GOOD air pistol, such as a FWB65 or one of the old SSPs (Pardini K58?) if you're looking for cheap.

[rickard9]

Rover, what's wrong with them? Not that I don't believe you, I do I do, I do. I'm guessing that with the insistence internationally now on cylinders less than ten years old, they may experience a resurgence in popularity.

[Gwhite]

The Tau-7's are reasonably accurate, and have adequate triggers & sights. The MIT collegiate team won the Women's National Championship with 2 out of 3 shooters using them.

When they first came out, you could buy them for well under $200. At that price, they were a steal. The MIT team still has about 20 of them, and we use them for training new shooters. We use the bulk fill bottles rather than CO2 cartridges, and they hold plenty of gas for a full match plus sighters. They have proven to be much more reliable than the IZH's we have.

Nowadays, the price has gone up a LOT, and I would think most people would be better off spending the money on a used higher end pistol. I have one and my wife has one. If both my Steyr & Morini are low on gas and I don't feel like pumping up the cylinders, I still enjoy shooting mine. Using the cartridges is a mixed bag. They are convenient for occasional use, but if you are shooting a lot, the bulk fill tanks are much easier. The other thing that helps is a dry fire device I invented.

http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?t=33509

[william]

I'll save old Rover the trouble of replying (he might be hung over at the moment, eh).

I say the TAU7 is a piece of crap because I'm a one-trick pony. Every AP that isn't a single-stroke pneumatic or from the FWB 65 family is a piece of crap. Compressed air is crap. CO2 is crap. Got it?

[Rover]

Gosh, William, I admire your perspicacity!

Gwhite has the answer. They are just second rate.

[C. Perkins]

I'll save old Rover the trouble of replying (he might be hung over at the moment, eh).

I say the TAU7 is a piece of crap because I'm a one-trick pony. Every AP that isn't a single-stroke pneumatic or from the FWB 65 family is a piece of crap. Compressed air is crap. CO2 is crap. Got it?

Not true William;
All I have ever seen Rover shoot in the PTO next to me is an LP1 PCP just like I shoot except mine is a "farkle" :)

Clarence

[william]

Clarence, amazing! Nothing short of amazing! Rover has used his powers of mass hypnosis to mask the true nature of his "shootin' arn." Either that or there's some crackpot out there who's hacked his login info and left dozens of posts disguised as our friend.

[C. Perkins]

Clarence, amazing! Nothing short of amazing! Rover has used his powers of mass hypnosis to mask the true nature of his "shootin' arn." Either that or there's some crackpot out there who's hacked his login info and left dozens of posts disguised as our friend.

Now, that is funny.
If you only knew Rover ;)

[rickard9]

Why I fancy the cheap-no-longer Tau is because it appears to have the weight back in the hand. Unlike the IZH and almost every other gun such as the Steyr LP10. But one would need the Match model which groups about 5mm compared to the other littler Taus which only do about 7-8mm. About the same grouping as modern PCPs??????
So again, what is wrong with it?

[David Levene]

So again, what is wrong with it?

Good pistols are not just judged by how tight the groups are from a clamped gun.

The best guns make it easier for you to consistently shoot to the best of your ability (considering your performance level on any particular day).

[Gwhite]

I think a new Tau-7 is perfectly capable of shooting winning scores, possibly up to the national level & maybe beyond. I think the Tau-7 is a MUCH better pistol out of the box than a Daisy 717, and Don Nygord won the California State Championship with one of those (after a lot of gunsmithing on his part).

CO2 has fallen out of fashion, you would probably need better grips, but the weight & balance are tweakable, and the trigger is actually quite good. It does not have all the adjustable features of a high end pistol, and the two step cocking process is a tiny bit more work than a single lever design. For a long time, I considered the lack of a dry fire feature a major issue, but that's been fixed.

If the basic ergonomics of the Tau-7 suit you, you could do a lot worse. A used higher end PCP will probably set you back several hundred bucks more unless you get very lucky. There is also the advantage that there is no high pressure cylinder on the pistol to deal with the expiration issue, which adds ~ $20 a year to the cost of a PCP these days.

[rmca]

Why I fancy the cheap-no-longer Tau is because it appears to have the weight back in the hand. Unlike the IZH and almost every other gun such as the Steyr LP10. But one would need the Match model which groups about 5mm compared to the other littler Taus which only do about 7-8mm. About the same grouping as modern PCPs??????
So again, what is wrong with it?

It´s not all about group sizes, as it was mentioned before.

This is why I think this is a second choice pistol for me.

- For about the same money you can buy a "full breed" second hand pistol. To me this is the way to go if you don't want to spend to much on a new pistol.

- The grip is non adjustable. Now, if it fits you, good, if it doesn't (the pistol is pointing up/down or left/right) you're in for a big headache... especially if it's point up/down AND left/right!

- The sight adjustment clicks are twice as big as those in a LP10, according to the tenp files. This will show when you get better...

- For a better performance you should look for a pistol that has a center of gravity just forward of the trigger. This keeps the muzzle jump in check as you fire. A way to adjust this is also desirable.

- There is no recoil dampener or compensator, like the top end pistols. This makes followthru much easier, helps your confidence and in calling the shots.

- There is no pressure indicator. This is really critical for peace of mind in a competition.

- The finish on the gun is nowhere as strong as that in a LP10 or other top end pistol.

- Although you have the same trigger adjustments of a high end pistol, the trigger movement and release is not as smooth or as crisp as a top end pistol. Try a morini electronic and you will feel what I'm on about.

- You you shoot a high end pistol you won't be second guessing your equipment every time you have a bad match. And believe me you will!!! :)

To wrap this up, ask you friends in the shooting range if you can try theirs pistols. If possible try also the Tau before you buy it.
It may sound like a big step spending all that money on a top end pistol, but if you really want to compete with it, it's worth every penny.
It will hold it's value and if you don't abuse it it will last for a long time.
If you don't stick with shooting resell it, they don't depreciate that much, as a low end would.

Hope this helps

[william]

com desculpas a meu amigo Português:

- For about the same money you can buy a "full breed" second hand pistol. To me this is the way to go if you don't want to spend to much on a new pistol.

To compare apples to apples, a used TAU7 will set you back about half or less of the cost of a used Pardini, let alone a Steyr, or Morini.

- The sight adjustment clicks are twice as big as those in a LP10, according to the tenp files. This will show when you get better...

Don Nygord always advocated making big enough sight adjustments so you don't waste time and concentration nibbling your way to the right spot.

- For a better performance you should look for a pistol that has a center of gravity just forward of the trigger. This keeps the muzzle jump in check as you fire. A way to adjust this is also desirable.

The TAU has removable/adjustable muzzle weights and an optional back weight. I don't know of a pistol at any price that gives so much flexibility in that regard.

- There is no recoil dampener or compensator, like the top end pistols. This makes followthru much easier, helps your confidence and in calling the shots.

Does this really matter for a below-560 shooter?

- There is no pressure indicator. This is really critical for peace of mind in a competition.

Fill up before a match, and have no worries.

- The finish on the gun is nowhere as strong as that in a LP10 or other top end pistol.

If finish mattered nobody would shoot Russian guns in any discipline.

- Although you have the same trigger adjustments of a high end pistol, the trigger movement and release is not as smooth or as crisp as a top end pistol. Try a morini electronic and you will feel what I'm on about.

How many $$$ is that last degree of "nice trigger" worth? Look at what Doug wrote about the MIT team.

- You you shoot a high end pistol you won't be second guessing your equipment every time you have a bad match. And believe me you will!!! :)

If you spend time second guessing your gear, you'll make yourself crazy no matter what you buy and how much you spend on it. Get yourself a (used?) TAU, a bunch of pellets that it likes (JSB green label do just fine), and make a dry fire device to Doug's design; and you'll be in business for years of good shooting.

[rmca]

com desculpas a meu amigo Português:

No need to apologize... I'm here to discuss matters about shooting, not to take things personally... Nice touch with the Portuguese ;)

- For about the same money you can buy a "full breed" second hand pistol. To me this is the way to go if you don't want to spend to much on a new pistol.

To compare apples to apples, a used TAU7 will set you back about half or less of the cost of a used Pardini, let alone a Steyr, or Morini.

Correct, but a new TAU7 is more or less the price of a used top gun. I didn't get the felling that he was talking about a used Tau, that's why I wrote that for the price of a new Tau you were better off with a used top gun.

- The sight adjustment clicks are twice as big as those in a LP10, according to the tenp files. This will show when you get better...

Don Nygord always advocated making big enough sight adjustments so you don't waste time and concentration nibbling your way to the right spot.

If you are shooting in a different range it's often necessary to make small adjustments. That´s where the fine adjustment come in handy.

- For a better performance you should look for a pistol that has a center of gravity just forward of the trigger. This keeps the muzzle jump in check as you fire. A way to adjust this is also desirable.

The TAU has removable/adjustable muzzle weights and an optional back weight. I don't know of a pistol at any price that gives so much flexibility in that regard.

A used top of the line gun does ;)

- There is no recoil dampener or compensator, like the top end pistols. This makes followthru much easier, helps your confidence and in calling the shots.

Does this really matter for a below-560 shooter?

Not as critical until you get close to those numbers... but do you want to stay below 560 all your shooting career?

- There is no pressure indicator. This is really critical for peace of mind in a competition.

Fill up before a match, and have no worries

OK you should do that, but for me it's important, specially at the end of the match or if you got to the final...

- The finish on the gun is nowhere as strong as that in a LP10 or other top end pistol.

If finish mattered nobody would shoot Russian guns in any discipline

It´s not relevant to the shooting part, but to the life of the pistol. Specially in warm/wet environments.

- Although you have the same trigger adjustments of a high end pistol, the trigger movement and release is not as smooth or as crisp as a top end pistol. Try a morini electronic and you will feel what I'm on about.

How many $$$ is that last degree of "nice trigger" worth? Look at what Doug wrote about the MIT team.

Doug also wrote that he enjoys shooting it WHEN is Steyr and Morini are out of air. Other wise why would he spend money on two top shelf pistols if he already had the TAU?
In capable hands even a slingshot is deadly accurate ;) , but to the rest of us, every help is desirable.

- You you shoot a high end pistol you won't be second guessing your equipment every time you have a bad match. And believe me you will!!! :)

If you spend time second guessing your gear, you'll make yourself crazy no matter what you buy and how much you spend on it. Get yourself a (used?) TAU, a bunch of pellets that it likes (JSB green label do just fine), and make a dry fire device to Doug's design; and you'll be in business for years of good shooting.

If you get top level equipment, you have no rational excuse to blame the gun...

So, here I you suggest that you save a bit more money, but a good used Styer LP2 or LP10, a Pardini K10 or K12(hardly) or a Morini 162i... Get yourself those JSB green label, and shoot. If you want to dry fire (and you should!) just flip a lever or in the case of the Morini just trigger away...

I'm not saying the TAU is bad, I'm saying that for the money of a new one you can get a top gun used. And you'll be a lot better served by it.

Hope this helps

[Rover]

"CO2 has fallen out of fashion."

That's why you can pick up a top quality used one for LESS than the price of a TAU. To quote "The Don": "They didn't turn to doo-doo overnight."

Of course, if you feel the need to be a style-setter, pay more and feel good about yourself.

I like the FWB65 and SSPs because you don't need any expensive extras with them.

[rickard9]

Thanks guys. Really helpful. I don' tthink there is a Tau in NZ for me to try out though. The search progresses

[dhc8guru]

This is an interesting topic that I am sure has been beaten to death on several other similar threads.
I recently bought am Alfa Proj. CO2 which is mechanically identical to the Tau 7 just a bit lighter. When clamped, it produces .162" CTC on a five shot group. I can't expect better accuracy. No, it doesn't have as nice a finish as a top line pistol but it is nice enough. I think when it comes down to is budget. I can easily afford a Styer, FWB or Walther but I personally can't justify it. I am not a competive shooter and I only shooti 10m for relaxation and pleasure. I suppose if I was competing on a national level, I would drop the coin. But then again maybe not. The Alfa is comfortable, light and fits me well. I would have to shoot several top end guns before settling on putting out that kind of money.
The whole CO2 PCP debate is a no brainer, PCP wins. But really CO2 is not really a big deal. I easily get 100 shots on a 12g shooting 400 fps. Probably if someone is having to charge the gun during a competition is probably because they didn't do a fresh charge or they have the gun adjusted too high and are just wasting CO2. It's been proven that the Tau's don't vary much with temperature changes. Which most of the later CO2 target pistols got it under control with pre chambers and balance valves.
My Alfa will shoot right on target all the way to the end. Then it radically drops one pellet and thats it.  

[rickard9]

Guru, you have encapsulated my argument entirely. And I may use your phrase "drop the coin" in future.