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New to FT, but not competitive shooting. Is Steyr for me?

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starkcontrast

Member
Nov 30, 2020
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North Carolina, United States
Hey Guys and Gals! I am a former 3-position state junior champion, but I have not shot competitively since 1994. I stumbled upon field target while researching an airgun for my son (who is 5) and I have been down a rabbit hole of research ever since. I have "the bug" even though I haven't experienced a match yet. To me, field target seems like Frisbee Golf for shooting enthusiast. LOL. How could I not want to participate? I suspect that I will gravitate towards the WFTF category given my background. Sadly, I no longer fit in my shooting jacket and my Anshultz is a rimfire, so I will be starting all over getting outfitted. 

I have scoured US and International events to find what platforms are dominating and I was surprised that that names like Anshultz and Feinwerkbau have been replaced by Steyr, Thomas and Air Arms. I am also surprised to see the cost of these platforms exceed their rimfire counterpart. 

That all being said, I am inclined to purchase a top teir platform because I know that if I don't, I will end up buying it six months from now. I am leaning towards the Steyr, but I have not found a US dealer. Any recommendations on how to get my hands on one? Also, if any of you have other recommendations of other platforms I should consider, I am open to options. Thanks ahead of time.
 
You could do worst than a Steyr... I was kind of in a similar situation as yours (minus the 5 y-o) and ended going for a Steyr. My reasoning (if you can call it that)

- Add a front sight tube to a Steyr Field Target... and you have a 10M rifle... Not that I'm planning to seriously get into 10M, but they option is there 👴

- It's easy enough/fast enough to switch between 7,5J (for indoor shooting and 10M) 16J for FT and the occasional pesting

- They are pretty reliable and simple to work on. And if need be, they have all the maintenance videos online readily available. My prior experience with their air pistol gave me confidence... 



Are they "perfect"... Not quite.

On the down side

- Kind of $

- At 16J, kind of loud



Anything else to consider?... Well, I'm most certainly not the best person to ask... But I'm certainly wondering how well a RTI Priest or Daystate Delta-Wolf would fare as a FT airgun (with a single shot tray)


 
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You should look at a Thomas if you want a top of the line FT rifle. I started out with a RAW and then moved up to a Thomas. I now have 2 of them with a third on order. The first one was a 20 pound FT gun that I have shot over 23,000 pellets through without any issues. I just clean it every 400 pellets or so. Point of impact does not change with temperature and it shoots as well today as the day I received it. Mike’s attention to detail and customer service is second to none. He does have a waiting list, but your patience will be rewarded.

I looked at getting a Steyr prior to ordering my first Thomas but had trouble finding one. Members at my local club who own Thomas and Steyr rifles were kind enough to let shoot their rifles so I could make a reasonable comparison. Both performed exceptionally well, but I liked the feel and balance of the Thomas better. I also liked the ability to talk directly to the man who would be building my rifle and work out any issues/concerns. American made is also a plus.

The above is only my opinion so I would strongly suggest that you try and actually handle/shoot whatever rifle you are looking at buying; that way you can make an informed decision prior to ordering.

Good luck with whatever rifle you decide on and have fun!

Dennis
 
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not sure you should be trying to scare him off

most steyr owners love their guns, and can repair them easily

look at the videos on the steyr website

unless you own one perhaps a little more respect for the brand please

their pistols and rifles win throughout the world

in field target they dominate the choice by far of competitors that travel to the worlds and other major events

why because they work and the folks using them think they are the best and have voted with their own money
 
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As one who works on a LOT of air guns .... Shoots competitively in Field target, While a lot of folks shoot STEYR rifles, IMO the really good shooting ones are seldom stock.

Barrel bedding and free floating are among common changes required. Added LDC / Shoud if you want a quieter gun ? Otherwise there Loud !! STEYR rifles can shoot fantastic, excellent triggers and easy to cock too. Ergonomics highly adaptable with much after market support OUT OF EUROPE. Domestic parts supply by in large don't exist, parts are super pricey. When you need something for a Steyr you most likely will need to go overseas to acquire it.

And .... there really no more accurate than many guns you can buy that can do the same duty ..... RAW, THOMAS, Air Arms, Daystate all can play the FT game equally well as can many lessor brands or models. SHOOTER skill still ranks #1 no matter the tool one uses.





Scott S


 
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As one who works on a LOT of air guns .... Shoots competitively in Field target, While a lot of folks shoot STEYR rifles, IMO the really good shooting ones are seldom stock.

-

SHOOTER skill still ranks #1 no matter the tool one uses.

Scott S

Click to expand...

+1 on the shooter being the biggest "winning" factor... 

As for buying a Steyr or buying something else? Should someone buy a Toyota or save a few $ and buy a Hyundai or Chevrolet? They'll both take you where you want to go...

Are they pricy? I guess it depends what you compare them to. Yup, there is plenty of other air rifles for less, and I'm sure there are air rifle that happen to be more expensive... But if that's the itch-you-have-to-scratch, settling for something else only means you'll be left wondering... 

Part supply? Yeah, dealers are few and far betweens... But in all honesty, how many parts do you think you'll need? A few years ago, curious-me wanted to see the inner working of the LGB1... and stupid-me somehow managed to "misplace" a o-ring... so embarrassed-me wrote to the Steyr factory explaining the "situation" and asking where could I obtain one... A day or two later, I had an email back with an offer to mail me one and they included a link to the parts diagram along with the specs of the o-rings. I was able to find a replacement one locally, and as luck would have, I found the misplaced one also...

This being said, I'm just a backyard plinker who likes his toys, so take it for what it's worth.






 
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I'm a Steyr fan for sure, LG100, LP5 and LGB1. My LG100 was an early one, a 10M 6fpe converted to 18 fpe. It had various problems which required mailing it off to the gunsmith that modded the reg and other things. The reg failed twice, the 2nd time during a big 2 day match when I was in contention for 1st place. That was the last straw. 

I picked up my brand new Mac1 USFT that day because Tim had brought it to the match but I didn't have time to sight in or Dope it yet, darnit. It's been amazingly reliable, consistent, and lacks POI shifts, for all of 17 years now, and the fact that it doesn't have a reg is IMO part of why it's so bomb proof. I think I've won state with it 5 times to date and many monthly match wins.

Both FT rifles have their strengths and weaknesses. I have to give the Steyr a special mention for its trigger which is superb. USFT for most everything else, it gets the job done.

BUT I think Thomas is at a higher level than either. If I were to get serious about FT I'd put a deposit on one ASAP. I have about 7 weeks before my HPX version arrives that I'll be using for EAFT and BR events!!! Yes as you can tell I'm excited to receive it!!!
 
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Starkcontrast, Nation, 

I've been in the Field Target game since around 2009. I've only competed in the WFTF division, and maybe a springer match once or twice. Since then, I've shot and used a Benjamin Marauder, Crosman Challenger, Steyr LG 110 FT, Air Arms EV2 Mark lV, Thomas FT, Rapid Air Weapons TM 1000. With only some mild tinkering with most of the guns above, and a couple of them unmolested, they are all very worthy target rifles. Each one has it's pros and cons, and they ALL have their little quirks, that mostly need some mild attention from time to time to keep them shooting properly. Which one is better than the rest? Don't know. They all can hold their own, providing that they have the right batch of ammo that each one likes. And yes, EVERY one of these rigs likes a different brand and weight ammo.

I've used all of these to good effect in many Grand Prix matches, and would have my back against the wall to choose only one. I can't. 

You don't necessarily need the most expensive rig known to man, keep in mind that last year's Hunter PCP National Champion, Phil Hepler, used a smartly tuned Benjamin Marauder, and beat many guns worth many thousands of dollars. 

My recommendation for you, is go to a match or 2, or 5, and ask a lot of questions. FT shooters will let you try their rigs out, and answer any questions you may have. You will probably have the opportunity to try before you buy. If you do find a particular gun you like, you can inquire if anyone has a used one they would be willing to part with. Sometimes that is a great option to get your foot into the sport.

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 
 
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Starkcontrast, Nation, 

I've been in the Field Target game since around 2009. I've only competed in the WFTF division, and maybe a springer match once or twice. Since then, I've shot and used a Benjamin Marauder, Crosman Challenger, Steyr LG 110 FT, Air Arms EV2 Mark lV, Thomas FT, Rapid Air Weapons TM 1000. With only some mild tinkering with most of the guns above, and a couple of them unmolested, they are all very worthy target rifles. Each one has it's pros and cons, and they ALL have their little quirks, that mostly need some mild attention from time to time to keep them shooting properly. Which one is better than the rest? Don't know. They all can hold their own, providing that they have the right batch of ammo that each one likes. And yes, EVERY one of these rigs likes a different brand and weight ammo.

I've used all of these to good effect in many Grand Prix matches, and would have my back against the wall to choose only one. I can't. 

You don't necessarily need the most expensive rig known to man, keep in mind that last year's Hunter PCP National Champion, Phil Helper, used a smartly tuned Benjamin Marauder, and beat many guns worth many thousands of dollars. 

My recommendation for you, is go to a match or 2, or 5, and ask a lot of questions. FT shooters will let you try their rigs out, and answer any questions you may have. You will probably have the opportunity to try before you buy. If you do find a particular gun you like, you can inquire if anyone has a used one they would be willing to part with. Sometimes that is a great option to get your foot into the sport.

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com
Click to expand...

extremely good advice from a well or at least should be well respected member of this forum and shooting community
 
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Starkcontrast,

I don’t normally post on forums....just read them , but I thought my recent experience might help you. 


A little background info so you know I’m not just a keyboard warrior 😂. 

In the fall of 2016 I bought a spring gun to eradicate some squirrels in my yard. I initially was drawn to spring guns because everything I needed to shoot was right there in the gun- I didn’t need air and a way to fill the tanks. Shortly after that I stumbled onto Field Target and quickly became hooked, shooting the WFTF spring gun class. What I learned very quickly was that spring guns are fickle beasts lol. To be consistently competitive at the national level I had to constantly be mindful of the outside temperature, the temperature of my action, and then make the necessary adjustments because of temperature induced poi shifts. On top of that most scopes have temp shift as well so depending on the temperature I had to pay attention and adjust for that as well. So after having pretty good success at the National level in 2018 and 2019 I decided to start shooting the WFTF PCP class in 2020.


Our Airgunning Atlanta Club has enough guys that shoot WFTF PCP that I was able to try all the top PCP FT guns, and it came down to the Steyr and Thomas. I ended up buying a Steyr. My ultimate goal was to have a top of the line WFTF PCP setup that I didn’t have to worry about poi shift. I wanted one that I could just show up to the match with and I’d know the poi and the speed/velocity would be on.The Steyr was for the most part a great gun but that’s not what happened. I did all the things that you’re supposed to do to it to make it consistently accurate but I kept getting random poi shifts and the velocity would change with the outside temperature causing more poi shifts, it was also very loud. I loved everything else about it except for the issues I mentioned. I finally got tired of it and after talking to Mike Niksch at Thomas Air I put a deposit down on a Thomas. 

Since receiving it my Thomas has been awesome. It’s accurate and consistent. I set up the velocity and Poi in 80 degree temps and it’s still on at 38 degrees. No shift at all. I just pull it out of my gun bag and it’s on, I do occasionally clean the barrel. Mike is great to deal with and always answers all of my many questions 😁. Plus you can choose your colors and length that you want and it’s Made in America.

Again, the Steyr is a great gun it just wasn’t consistent enough for me. This is just my experience, you could get a good one.



Here is a 5 shot group from a couple of months ago at 55yds sitting on my bumbag. The outside temp was around 80 degrees. 
99310350-FC9B-4FE4-94D0-11B61C02C606.1606943977.jpeg




Here is a 5 shot group from yesterday at 55yds sitting. Slight left to right breeze. Gun temp 38*
POI still dead on
C4B67F1F-7163-432F-A2BD-89EA0AC67946.1606944373.jpeg


7F271BD6-DD8D-4FB7-AADB-8B5861FD0815.1606944119.jpeg


49D106A6-1FBD-4FF9-823E-B15D12F7D891.1607011161.jpeg
0EECADA4-F67C-4A6D-BC95-923D765095A5.1607011162.jpeg


Steve English
 
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well it looks pretty beat up, the barrel and air cylinder are fat, the colour is well blue



if it is ever for sale let me know as I have a affection for homeless things



anyway, absolutely stunning my friend



would buy one in,a heartbeat but with the Canadian dollar in the tank and import fess it would be over 50-60 per cent more than USA retail

sad as it is a dream so saving money towards one but they probably go up each year. insert heavy tears here

a yeah thanks for posting, you must enjoy it 😊 
 
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