So I decided it was time to opt for a .22 air rifle. A couple of weeks back, I was in Walmart looking around the sporting goods section. I actually had wanted to buy some .22lr ammo however, I was actually quite surprised that they didn't carry any, as my local Walmart had an abundant supply of every common ammunition in a few brands each. I looked at a Red Ryder, which I was interested in, as well as a couple of knives, nothing special. Then, I spotted the
Beeman Sportsman RS2 Dual Caliber Air Rifle, which came with a .177 barrel, a .22 barrel and a scope! It seemed interesting, and at just under 100 bucks, what a deal! I remembered a few days later that I had some gift cards that I never used. I wound up getting the rifle for just $16! Without further ado, here is the actual review.
First, the specs (from Pyramid Air):
- Loudness: 3-Medium
- Weight: 6.90 lbs
- Overall Length: 45.50"
- Capacity: 1 round(s)
- Cocking Effort:31 lbs
- Barrel: Rifled
- Front Sight: Fiber Optic
- Rear Sight: Fiber Optic
- Scopeable: 11mm dovetail
- Trigger adj.: Two-stage non-adjustable
- Apprx. Trigger Pull: 3.50 lbs
- Buttpad: Rubber
- Suggested for: Small game hunting/plinking
- Action: Break barrel
- Powerplant: Spring-piston
- Safety: Automatic
- Repeater: Single-shot
- Body: Rifle
Looks and Impressions - I must say, the Beeman RS2 is a very nice looking rifle. It wears a beautiful stock which looks and feels as if it should be on a much more expensive gun. The sights "look" nice with Truglo sights. I put that in quotations for a reason. I'll explain it in a bit. When the scope is put on and the entire package comes together, the Beeman RS2 looks like a very stylish, classy rifle.
Accuracy - I suppose accuracy leaves something to be desired. In the previous segment, I mentioned that the sights only "looked good". They didn't perform well. I shot and shot and found the proper hold, adjusted the sights and shot some more, but I just couldn't get any sort of grouping. I just couldn't get the sights on target. It's really unfortunate. Maybe my sights are defective, who knows? The thing is, they didn't appear to move no matter how much I adjusted them. I cant just say that all of the sights on these guns are defective, but mine sure seemed to be.
Buyer Beware!!
Accuracy (continued) And problems - After I got the scope set up, accuracy wasn't bad. I was getting approximately a .75-1 inch group at about 20 yards (after a
lot of fine tuning). A lot is an understatement, I was trying to get the thing zeroed for 30 mins! I guess that not so bad for what the gun is. After a few shooting sessions, I had a problem. The rings
seemed to have come loose. The scope started slipping back. But then, I noticed something strange, I could now see the sights through the scope, which is something I've never experienced before. I finally tried to fix the scope, but shortly after doing so, I continued to have the same problem and let me tell you, I tightened those rings more than I should have to try and fix it. I haven't shot the rifle in a while now, but I seem to need new rings and a new scope. Have you guys had problems like these? I never had this problem on the Crosman Phantom, however this gun seems to recoil more. This leads me to believe that more strain is put on the scope and these rings and scope just aren't good enough for this rifle. Leave input in the comments if you've had this experience. Definitely helps.
Power - The Sportsman Series RS2 is no pushover when it comes to power. I haven't tried hunting with this rifle as of yet, however, it absolutely rips through cans and bottles. Using .22 caliber pellets, this rifle is quite powerful for a 1000fps spring rifle. It seems to perform better than other rifles that claim to be "1000fps". Now I haven't done extensive pellet testing with this rifle as it was already accurate enough for me when using Crosman Premier pellets. Yeah, for cheap pellets, they shoot really well. Beeman claims to get 1000fps with .177 pellets and 800fps with .22 pellets. I honestly think that with the 14.3 grain Premiers pellets, you might be getting 700-750fps. That's quite good as companies normally use ultra-lightweight pellets when testing velocities. When those .22 pellets make contact with a filled 2 liter bottle, the RS2's power is clear. I guess .177 is good too, but I would only use them if .22 was really too much. For me, no such occasion has occurred.
Weight and Durability - This rifle is pretty heavy if you plan on shooting it all day. Weighing in at a whopping 6.90 pounds, it's probably not something you'll be shooting for many hours. Your arm will probably kill you, but if you're able to, more power to you! The rifle
seems to be pretty durable, but I wouldn't go into the woods with it. There's just something about it that seems unstable. I believe it is the piston shaking inside and I cant say I like that. I definitely wouldn't want to drop this gun. Not to mention the wood stock would get ruined.
Uses - Plain and simple, this is an all-purpose gun. It's a great backyard rifle and an OK hunting rifle too. It will be great for pest control especially given the fact that it's so cheap. I wouldn't reccomend this as a child's first air rifle. The recoil and perfection needed to use it effectively (finding the right hold, etc) will just be too overwhelming for a young kid. Not to mention the effort to actually cock the rifle. If you are looking for a great starter gun, look at the
Daisy Powerline 901. Check out my review of it
here. It may be a little powerful as a starter with up to 750fps and even though it's a better investment when they'll want something more powerful, you could play it safe and start off with
Daisy's 703 Grizzly (also formerly known as the 804 / 840) which is a single pump rifle. You could also try Daisy's legendary
Red Ryder. Both rifles can be purchased without reaching the $100 mark. I own the Grizzly and it is a great starting rifle. I couldn't recommend the Red Ryder as I have no experience with it. If you are interested in any of those guns, click those link! I'm no sellout, but Pyramid Air is a great company with prices that are generally lower than any other site.
The Final Verdict - The Beeman Sportsman Series RS2 is a great deal at just under $100 at Walmart. It looks great and it shoots pretty well, but accuracy is far from stellar. I can't say anything good about the sights on the gun, but once you get the scope adjusted properly, it's pretty accurate. It's only hitch in accuracy is the low quality scope and scope mounts. Power is great and will pretty much take any small game and would work even better for pests such as rats. I'm not exactly sure about the larger game like raccoon, but I would confidently go for squirrel, rabbit, rats, etc with this rifle. It's a heavy rifle and not something you'll want to shoot all day, but it shouldnt be too much of a problem for a teen or adult with average strength. If you're looking for a cheap, high quality gun (remember that you get what you pay for), the Beeman Sportsman Series RS2 should be a great air rifle for you. Thanks for reading. Remember to be safe and have fun!
Pyramid Air has amazing prices. I'm not going to lie to you and say that they have the best prices on every item they sell, because they definitely don't. However, they offer a huge variety of products and you'd be cheating yourself by not going over to their website, PyramidAir.com to check out their items. Pyramid Air has something for everyone there.
