Beeman R9 .20 Caliber Review

Overall Rating

VERY IMPRESSED! R-9 .20cal Goldfinger

I should have bought a scope with target turrets or 3/4"mil.dot!

VERY IMPRESSED! R-9 .20cal Goldfinger

FedEx brought my R-9 Goldfinger today. They managed to damage/crush the two tins of pellets with the muzzle brake/barrel of the R-9. (I have had UPS totally destroy an accurate/custom Rem 700 bench rest rifle in .223 by dropping it. It must have been dropped from the dam plane . When I went to pick it up at the UPS terminal, the barrel was sticking out of the box. The barrel managed to cut threw a heavy-duty travel gun case that was surrounded by 4" of styrofoam and multiple layers of thick cardboard. UPS paid for the repair, but I had to wait another 8 months to get the Rem back.) Sorry, but it is a pain in the A&* when you buy a firearm from a non-local dealer or gunsmith and it arrives damaged. It has happened to me more that once.
Anyway I am very impressed with my R-9 Goldfinger! I bought it from Steve, Pomona Air Guns, excellent person to deal with when you can get him on the phone. If you leave him your phone number he will call you back. Out of the box it shot a little left with Beeman Kodiak Extra Heavy Pellets Cat 3247 and Beeman Field Target Specials Round Nose match pellets cat 31252. The shooting was done in a rain that was quit heavy at times, at steel targets set at ranges of 12yds, 20yds, 30yds and 40yds. My steel targets are of small life size animals, red squirrel, rabbit, starling and pigeon. I was able to make headshots on all after a little practice and scope adjustment. I put out a paper target at 12yds and 40yds. I sighted the gun in to shoot " high @ 40yds. At 20 yds and 30yds I have to use a 6 o'clock hold to make headshots (hold at the base of the head would put the bullet center mass of the head). Shooting at the paper target at 12yds, holding on the bullseye, 5 shot groups were one ragged hole right at the POA. At 40yds the 5 shot groups are 5/8" to " with the Beeman Field Target Specials Round Nose match pellets cat 31252. At 40yds the Beeman Kodiak Extra Heavy Pellets Cat 3247 will put 5 shots into 1" but the group is about 2" low and about 1 " to the right. The Beeman Field Target Specials Round Nose match pellets cat 31252 were the most accurate. I was expecting to have to shoot this gun a lot to get it to shoot well. I am very pleased with the groups so far. The shooting was done off of my porch that is about 4' above the ground and I don't know the down angle at this time. I was using a table with sandbags, not my shooting rest or bag.
This is my first spring gun and I expected it little harder to shoot, because of the vibration, but I found it not much different that my flintlocks. EXCELLENT GUN.

Up date: 10 June 02

300 shots fired to date.

The gun must be settling in. At 13yds it shoots about 3/8" high with 5 shot groups leaving a small hole.

At 25yds it shooting 1" high, again with 5 shot groups leaving a small hole.

At 40yds the POI dropped to dead center of the bullseye, with the group sizes ranging from 1/2" to 5/8"

At 52yds it shoots about 2" low with 5 shot groups ranging from 5/8" to 1". The gun came with a Bushnell 4-12X40mm Dusk to Dawn scope. If I use the thick part of the bottom of the cross hair post, the groups will be dead center@ 52yds.

At 75yds in the rain (thats all its been doing here in Pa. for the last two months) it shoots the FTS about 8" low on paper. With the same hold as above(thick part of the bottom of the cross hair post) held on the top of the cap,I can hit a 12oz plastic soda bottle almost every time. The pellets are impacting the center mass of the bottle, about 4" to 5" low. This is not precision shooting, but its a lot of fun! When/if the rain lets up I will punch some paper to actually see the drop and group size.
Again, the shooting was done off of my porch that is about 4' above the ground and I don't know the down angle at this time. I was using a table with sandbags, not my shooting rest or bag.


Good Hunting
Harpy

Members' Comments onHarpy.'s Review

• Growlithe on 8th Sep 2004

  Hi, would you recomend the .20 over the .177?

• rangergann on 22nd Oct 2004

  Thanks for the review, planning on getting a Goldfinger! Hope the weather breaks for you. Happy Shooting