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| Accuracy | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Handling | 9/10 |
| Value for Money | 9/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 10/10 |
| Overall Rating | 7.5/10  |
Full review by
plandman
expert review 
on 6th Jul 2005
User Rating : 10
Respect :
+2
Good Points: Outstanding build quality - good balance, and target weight for max accuracy.
Bad Points: Heavy weight hard to carry for a long walk - heavy cocking effort may be too tough for some.
General comments: I have owned this Beeman RX-1 .20 Caliber rifle for about two years. I inherited it from my best friend of 40 years (RIP, Walter) and only started using it several months ago. I own several other air rifles, including three Beeman models (R-7/.177, HW77/.177, R-1/.25 caliber) and I believe if I had to pick and keep only one, it would be this RX1.
This is my first gas ram airgun; all others I own are springers.
The scope on the rifle is a Bushnell Trophy 4-12, AO. So far, I have nothing but good things to say about the optical and mechanical quality of this scope. The rifle had the supercharged gas tune by Beeman before it was delivered.
To begin with, Walter was left-handed, and I am right-handed. Although, the cheekpiece being on the "wrong side" was at first annoying, I soon got over it. It is fitting that I should have this problem with his gun, considering he had to mostly use "wrong way" right-handed guns all his life.
I am fortunate to live in NE Pennsysvania, out in the woods, and have a built-in range behind my garage. I have 37 yards marked off from my workbench, which has a rifle rest and sandbag on it, through an open window to a rock wall and an improvised target holder/trap.
I am able to shoot absolutely any rifle/pistol/caliber I wish, and have done so, but lately I have concentrated on airguns.
When I first started shooting this RX-1, I only had Beenan Silver Bear hollowpoints, a relatively light pellet, that I had on hand and use in an old Sheriden Blue Streak that I have had for years.
The accuracy of the RX-1, although not terrible, was not what I would call awe inspiring; perhaps 1.5" - 2" at my 37 yard range. I have a chronograph, but didn't bother to record velocity readings given the mediocre performance I was getting.
Then I bought Crosman Premier .20 caliber pellets; glad I did. The CP is 14.3 grains, fairly heavy for a .20 caliber pellet. The same pellet in the larger .22 caliber is also 14.3 grains.
Right from the start, the gun loved the CP's. I immediately brought the group size down to about 1", and continued to shoot. I was happy enough to chronograph the velocity, and it is about 760 feet per second at my 1200 foot elevation. Shot to shot variation is outstanding; less than 10 fps.
I am glad I pursued the internet over the last couple of years, and basically picked the brains of people who know infinitely more about this than I do. Not hard. Almost all experts say not to really start "keeping score" until you have several tins of pellets through the gun.
I don't know what "several" means, but at the end of the first 625 pack of CP pellets, the groups started to shrink. It was gradual, of course, and the the gun would not hold zero from one day to the next (perhaps 1" or so out of the previous day's group) and sometimes would even change zero during an afternoon's shooting session.
To make this long story shorter, at the end of the second 625 pellet pack, it would shoot, more often than not, and wind conditions permitting, less than 5/8" groups at 37 yards, and so far it has been keeping zero from day to day.
I have used it to harvest some squirrels around the property (I own a pressure cooker and use it frequently) and if I do my part, the squirrel usually drops dead immediately. Head shots only; miss or kill.
You can't go wrong with the RX-1. I understand that the RX-2 is exactly the same gun with a different stock.
plandman's review and ratings | 641 words | 1 comment added.
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