I’m a very informal basement 10 meter shooter but I’m trying to be as good as I can be off hand. I have an FWB 300 S and it is a wonderful shooting rifle. I had it rebuilt by David Slade awhile back so it should last me a long time. But I’m very intrigued by the FWB 600 series and SSP rifles in general. I’m 69 and struggle a little bit with the weight of the 300. I see the 601 is about 1 pound lighter. Would it truly be worth it for me to look for a 601 or a 603?
SSP 10 meter rifle… is the grass really greener?
- Thread starter Steve Milbocker
- Start date
According to this fellow the 600 is more accurate? That 300S is a classic beauty.
The FWB 300S versus the FWB 600: Part Four | Blog | Pyramyd AIR
Today is the day I would re-run the 25-yard test of these two rifles shooting the same wadcutters I shot in Part 2
www.pyramydair.com
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If you're struggling with the weight...a pcp and a support stand for loading will be your best bet to conserve energy. Having to break position to cock and load can be very tiring over a long session.
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I am way older than you and also shoot 10 meter in my basement simply because there are no matches for that around here anymore. I use to shoot witout a stand and was happy. Then a fiend gave me a rifle stand. What a difference. It is so much nicer shooting with the stand and being able to rest the rifle between shots. If you do not have one, get one. It will make your shooting even more enjoyable.
Rick b.
Rick b.
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I have the 300U and a 600... I really like the 600 more because it lacks all the mechanical noise and seems like a faster lock time. I've not tested them head to head but both WELL exceed my offhand skills. I really haven't noticed a weight difference... the balance is definitely different though. I have a very tough steel practice target and the 600 is about as good as it gets for me.
Btw, the 600 has no anti beartrap or whatever that garbage is that they put on the 601 - 603... I have no idea how many rounds have been through this one but it quit holding air while shooting it about a year ago and was a whole $5 for the valve parts to rebuild plus it was the easiest of ANYTHING I've ever put seals in. Was about 30 minutes to do it but now that I've done it once, should be no more than 5 .
Funny story here;
Back about 1996, I would go on Thursdays to shoot airguns at an indoor range. One fellow there had a Gamo (326 maybe?) Match rifle and it was quite good. He decided to "upgrade" to an FWB 601... Well night after night we shot and compared those 2 and we both always shot the Gamo better... quite strange... it looked very industrial (pretty ugly and basic) but the balance was perfect and the trigger impeccable.
Bob
Btw, the 600 has no anti beartrap or whatever that garbage is that they put on the 601 - 603... I have no idea how many rounds have been through this one but it quit holding air while shooting it about a year ago and was a whole $5 for the valve parts to rebuild plus it was the easiest of ANYTHING I've ever put seals in. Was about 30 minutes to do it but now that I've done it once, should be no more than 5 .
Funny story here;
Back about 1996, I would go on Thursdays to shoot airguns at an indoor range. One fellow there had a Gamo (326 maybe?) Match rifle and it was quite good. He decided to "upgrade" to an FWB 601... Well night after night we shot and compared those 2 and we both always shot the Gamo better... quite strange... it looked very industrial (pretty ugly and basic) but the balance was perfect and the trigger impeccable.
Bob
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I’ve never shot nor handled an FWB 300. But I can definitely say that the FWB 601 that I have is the single most accurate rifle I have ever shot. I am not a competitive shooter. Like you I shoot at home just to have fun and try to improve my skills. At ten meters and off of a bench rest the 601 will literally put five shots through one hole so small that you can hang a pellet in the hole. Now I cannot do that standing but that’s on me, not the rifle. The trigger on the 601 is best trigger I have ever used. It’s two stage and super light and crisp. I don’t think that you would be disappointed with a 601.
Kenny
Kenny
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I think weight is definitely important, particularly weight distribution front/back.
Getting your head position correct is also essential. The woman in the picture is a good example - her head is vertical side-side and tilted a little bit forward. Perfectly vertical in both directions is where I prefer to be. Most rifles require the butt of the rifle to be set up high to reach the cheek and eye with the head set vertically.
The height of your hip / length of your forearm to knuckles / depth of the stock will ideally allow you to rest the rifle as she does, using bone on bone support. Not many men have the proportions to do it though.
The pure dispersion of the 300S vs. 600 is insignificant. The lock time of the 600 is an advantage, but again, nearly insignificant unless you're a really good shooter.
Getting your head position correct is also essential. The woman in the picture is a good example - her head is vertical side-side and tilted a little bit forward. Perfectly vertical in both directions is where I prefer to be. Most rifles require the butt of the rifle to be set up high to reach the cheek and eye with the head set vertically.
The height of your hip / length of your forearm to knuckles / depth of the stock will ideally allow you to rest the rifle as she does, using bone on bone support. Not many men have the proportions to do it though.
The pure dispersion of the 300S vs. 600 is insignificant. The lock time of the 600 is an advantage, but again, nearly insignificant unless you're a really good shooter.
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Sounds like the accuracy is the same. The 300 S is 1 hole shooter as well,off the bags of course!
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I wondered about the form issue. My support arm (left) hits in the rib cage. I have to really contort to get my elbow to my hip
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Another choice would be a FWB C60 for a co2 option. I have a C10 pistol and love it. Seals are available and beyond easy to change. A fill on my pistol gives me 200 shots. Just load and shoot.
Bulk filling off a co2 tank is easy just make sure it has a siphon tube otherwise you need to turn the tank upside down during filling.
I have my pistol customized with a big scope, bipod and lcd. Use it for trimming weeds in the yard.
Bulk filling off a co2 tank is easy just make sure it has a siphon tube otherwise you need to turn the tank upside down during filling.
I have my pistol customized with a big scope, bipod and lcd. Use it for trimming weeds in the yard.
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I will be 80 in August.
I had a 300S and sold it.
I bought an FWB601 and almost immediately I had to have PILKIN’s reseal it for me.
It is great.
I shoot 10m with it and short range silly wet.
I shoot with a young lady (younger than me) who was a member of the ill-fated 1980 Olympic team.
(Jimmy would not let them go to Moscow.)
She shoots her 300 Universal and clearly demonstrates why she was on the Olympic team.
I like to shoot playing cards in the garage, too.
I had a 300S and sold it.
I bought an FWB601 and almost immediately I had to have PILKIN’s reseal it for me.
It is great.
I shoot 10m with it and short range silly wet.
I shoot with a young lady (younger than me) who was a member of the ill-fated 1980 Olympic team.
(Jimmy would not let them go to Moscow.)
She shoots her 300 Universal and clearly demonstrates why she was on the Olympic team.
I like to shoot playing cards in the garage, too.
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I can say the same thing about my FWB 300s. I have had it a little over 40 years and still enjoy shooting it. I would love to try one of the 600 series rifles but have never seen one. I have a few of their pistols a 65 and 80 and then a couple of IZH/AV 46m SSP and the SSP shoots much better.
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I have the 300 and a 603, both are top notch - and hefty rifles.
Like you I'm a senior (73 yo) casual 10 meter shooter. A 600 series target rifle is a great addition to the gun cabinet but I don't think it will solve your weight problem.
As suggested above, I've arranged an elevated gun rest so that I don't have to hold the weight of the rifle in between shots. I find that helps a great deal.
I've also started to do some winter time (light) weight training to keep up my strength as I'm not as physically active as I used to be.
While shooting these superb 10 meter airguns is such a pleasure I have to admit that my off hand skill level hardly justifies the (real) need for one. I find that I'm shooting my light weight HW30 (R7 actually) a lot more and there's not that much different in group size.
A pistol might be an other option for you. I have a couple of pistols (including a FWB P8x) that are a "light" weight. One of them (PP750) has an extendable wire "stock" that's flimsy but helps steady the gun. The Notos is also a pistol with a stock, so the concept is a reasonable one. I'm thinking that making a stock for a decent 10 meter pistol might be worth considering.
Lots of options. Keep on shooting!
Cheers!
Like you I'm a senior (73 yo) casual 10 meter shooter. A 600 series target rifle is a great addition to the gun cabinet but I don't think it will solve your weight problem.
As suggested above, I've arranged an elevated gun rest so that I don't have to hold the weight of the rifle in between shots. I find that helps a great deal.
I've also started to do some winter time (light) weight training to keep up my strength as I'm not as physically active as I used to be.
While shooting these superb 10 meter airguns is such a pleasure I have to admit that my off hand skill level hardly justifies the (real) need for one. I find that I'm shooting my light weight HW30 (R7 actually) a lot more and there's not that much different in group size.
A pistol might be an other option for you. I have a couple of pistols (including a FWB P8x) that are a "light" weight. One of them (PP750) has an extendable wire "stock" that's flimsy but helps steady the gun. The Notos is also a pistol with a stock, so the concept is a reasonable one. I'm thinking that making a stock for a decent 10 meter pistol might be worth considering.
Lots of options. Keep on shooting!
Cheers!
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Honestly, what Vana2 said here is really the key. We don't have to lose strength and capability as we age - it's just that as we age we tend to do less. And then, like astronauts in space, muscle loss comes as it is no longer needed and is fairly quickly shed because unused muscle is "metabolically expensive" to keep around. People take it for granted that sarcopenia comes along with aging, but the latest research pretty much proves it does not have to be that way - aging is not truly causal in this case. Sadly, muscle loss is a cycle, and you are preparing to take a step that will simply feed the cycle (switching to a lighter gun).
If you like your gun, add in a bit of weight training to your routine and keep shooting it - probably better than you did before the training. Go ahead and add in the rest to your shooting routine, but add in the dumbbells too. And then also enjoy all the other things you'll do better for a lot longer too!
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According to this fellow the 600 is more accurate? That 300S is a classic beauty.
The FWB 300S versus the FWB 600: Part Four | Blog | Pyramyd AIR
Today is the day I would re-run the 25-yard test of these two rifles shooting the same wadcutters I shot in Part 2www.pyramydair.com
Daisy M853 .177 Cal. (Pneumatic) USED Air Rifle , very light and very accurate $139 shipped (LW barrel)
ALSO very easy to cock
Sporter Air Rifles - Civilian Marksmanship Program
Sporter air rifles are characterized by their light weight, low cost and basic target features. We offer several varieties for purchase.
thecmp.org Last edited:
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the 600s do have a shorter lock time so they should be more accurate.
PA (and others) sell a stand to support your rifle between shots.
Most high end shooters use these but you can make your own…
PA (and others) sell a stand to support your rifle between shots.
Most high end shooters use these but you can make your own…
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If you want a lighter rifle, look at the FWB Junior versions of the 600 series rifles.
They are a bit lighter, and you can extend the length of pull very easily to suit your stance.
They are a bit lighter, and you can extend the length of pull very easily to suit your stance.
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