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getting back into air rifle

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 12:42 pm
by back again
I shot A LOT as a junior shooter and a bit after high school.
I've been out of the game for about five years, but miss it terribly. Life got in the way and before I knew it, five years went by.
I'm looking to get back into the game.

Here's a few questions -

I'm sure I'll need a new air cylinder. I have an Anschutz 2002 and the air cylinder is the original. I got the gun 14 years ago....(wow - makes me feel OLD!!!)

How long do pellets stay good? I have almost a whole sleeve of Vogel pellets that are still sealed - never opened. Should I just pitch them or are they still usable.
Those are about 5-6 years old now.

Anything else I need to do to get my gun practice ready?

Re: getting back into air rifle

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 12:49 pm
by dschaller
Unless stored poorly, your cylinder should work fine. Most local matches don't check cylinder age. However, if you go to Winter Air or USA Shooting nationals, etc you will need a cylinder that is less than 10 years old. If the pellet tin is sealed, your pellets may be fine, I have some well over ten years old that look and work fine. Open one up and take a look at the pellets - if they look dull, they may have oxidized on the surface, and then you may or may not decide to use them. Only way to really know how they work is to test them in your gun.

Re: getting back into air rifle

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 12:59 pm
by back again
The gun was just stored in my gun case (hard exterior with the foam insides) and was always in the house - never went to a storage unit or anything like that.

Thanks for the info!

Re: getting back into air rifle

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 5:23 am
by rmca
Add a small dab of lub to the o-rings. Replace them if the gun leaks.