PCP with a scuba tank is the way to go!

[omgb]

I bought a Benjamin Marauder a month a go and a pump. Waaaay to much work. I then found a SCUBA tank, bought the Ninja adapter and a 30" hose. Filling is so freek'n simple and quick. This is THE way to do business. Wish I'd done that sooner.

[shredder]

I was always skeptical of the pump when we talk about those type of pressures. I want to shoot not pump! Thanks for the heads up. How are you liking the Maurauder?

[omgb]

I love the gun. Way more accurate than I am. 5 shot groups at 25 measured yards are just one ragged hole. Really, you can easily cover them with a dime and have room to spare using Crossman pellets.

The pump works but it's slow. It takes over 200 pumps to go from 100 to 3,000 psi and the last 100 are tough. After 15 shots pressure drops to about 1800 psi and it takes 90 pumps to bring it back up. Not my idea of fun. Just 5 seconds with a scuba tank and you are ready to go.

[bstone5]

There is a relative cheap air drive high pressure pump.
It is called a shoe box pump.
A lot of the paint ball people use this pump to fill the high pressure cylinders.
Search for shoe box pump for more info.

[Calamity Jake]

I couldn't shoot my Anschutz 8002S2 bench rest rifle without a good scuba tank, mine's a
4350 PSI/105 CU FT. tank
I shoot a 100+ rounds a week in matches at our gun club.

[bstone5]

I have a friend that uses the Shoe Pox Compressor to charge his SCUBA bottles for his air guns. Found the link below,

http://shoeboxcompressor.com/

[jmorris]

The shoebox compressor is $750 plus your going to need an oilless compressor to feed it.

I threw this contraption together with what I had on hand.


These guys have pretty good deals on SCBA tanks and adapters.
http://www.topgun-airguns.com/SCBA-t...pter_p_94.html

[georgerkahn]

I, too, joined the PCP'ers with two Air Arms' rifles: a .177 for 10meter, and a .22 for Field Target. I, too, bought a pump -- top of the line Hill Mk IV ($289 from Pyramid Air). While not a "killer", it seemed to take a bit of the fun element out of shooting in the Friday Night League I joined!
While splitting wood one day, "a light went off", and it took less than a half-hour to conjure up an "X" of a couple 2"x2" rough cut pieces of maple, each about six feet long. One end of my "X" is wired to the ram and plate of my DR electric log splitter; the other end to the bottom and handle of the Hill Pump. Now, I sit on a stool and actuate the log splitter, simply watching the gage on the air cylinder til it gets to the requisite 190 bar -- and I'm set. It takes less than eight minutes to pump from ~120 to 190 bar, and works like a charm. Further, having both the 'splitter and the Hill pump, I only needed one machine bolt, washers, and nut; the two 2"x2", and some T-bar hanging (similar to stove-pipe) wire. I don't really mean to pat myself on back, but to ME this was true brilliance, and as stated, works superbly! I heat with wood, so a petrol-powered log splitter for woods use complemented by the electric is a regular appliance in my latitude. BUT -- I have no idea re the product quality of, say, Harbor Freight electric splitters -- but one of those (~$250) is almost 1/3rd the cost of any compressor. AND, you can split wood !
(Should I patent this?)
geo

[Multigunner]

IIRC the pump that came with the Giardoni military air rifle had a threaded spike to screw the end into a tree trunk so you could lean into it while pumping. Less strain on the back that way.

Another high pressure pump was intended to be mounted on a log on the ground under a tree limb. The shaft affixed to the limb.
To put all your weight into each stroke to pulled down on the limb. The further out on the limb the more leverage. The natural springiness of the limb withdrew the piston for the next stroke.
Similar setups were commonly used to power portable spoke turning lathes.

[Doggonekid]

I also have a Air Arms PCP I love the gun and also went the way of the scuba bottle. I want to shoot and not pump. I have a local scuba shop that will fill my bottles cheep. I think I would have to fill my bottle 70 to 80 times before a pump would be cost effective. I shoot 2 to 3 bottles a year. I won't live long enough to pay for the pump.

[Case Stuffer]

I may never use my ShoeBox Max enough to have it pay for itself but closest fill station for me is 50 miles round trip, I never have to worry about running out of HPA and I really hated hand pumping.

Some over on the GTA Forum have been using a Shoebox for many years and hundreds of hours run time with only mininum O riiing replacements required.

a short thread on mine

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...rmance-numbers

[ebner glocken]

Another shoebox user here. They're not fast but great to have, mostly just handy to have ability to have hpa on hand w/o having to make a 50 mile round trip for a bottle filling. It takes me around 2 hours to fill my 550cid tanks from 3000 to 4000 psi a piece. Remember if you derate a tank to 75% it will double your tank life (I'm sure someone here will dispute this). I fill my own tanks so the safety concern is all on me as long as I don't transport them on public roads. I don't feel the need to fill mine to 4500 psi to save trips to the scuba shop.

Ebner

[LongRangeAir]

I've had the ShoeBox for years now. Gook little unit. But I would re think the scuba set-up. Those of us that have been in the PCP game for a good while, gave up on them years ago.
Why? If you have the typical 3000 psi fill scuby bottle and a 3000 psi fill PCP air gun, you can only get a very few, Like a couple, of fills before you can not get full pressure. A bad way to go in the field! You spend all your time filling the scuba bottle.

The is why almost most all of us use SCBA bottles. They are much, much lighter, and fill to 4500 psi. giving you a ton of full fills. The ShoeBox easily fills them, and you can spend a full day with most PCP's using this set-up.

They typically weigh 1/3 the weight of a scuba bottle. Helpa a lot when going to shoots!

[jmorris]

The is why almost most all of us use SCBA bottles. They are much, much lighter, and fill to 4500 psi. giving you a ton of full fills.

and the link in #7 is the cheapest I have seen them.

[MT Chambers]

This is much like the other post about " done with springers", I like and own PCPs and a fiberglass tank, but good springers may make all that unnecessary. I really like my new TX200 springer!!