mcmike
02-01-2010, 03:01 PM
Last Thursday UPS dropped off my latest package from Straight Shooters. In two boxes were an Air Arms 410 Xtra FAC with the thumbhole stock and a Nikko-Stirling 6-24X44 Mil Dot scope.
I chose to spend a little extra on the thumbhole stock because I like them and the pictures I had seen of the new walnut AA stocks were spectacular. As I undid the great packaging job from SS and finally opened the gun case, I was not disappointed.
1) Walnut Thumbhole Stock: I now know why so many air gunners pay extra for custom made stocks. The stock on this rifle is the work of talented craftsmen. Every angle is precise, every corner is smooth, the grain of the wood is appealing, the stain is even and attractive, and the rosewood end cap and bottom of the grip are elegant. The checkering on this stock is top notch as well. Where the checkering on my FX Black Widow is somewhat rough, the checkering on the AA410 provide a nice grip but is smooth to the touch. An added bonus is that the silicone cloth does not peel and leave lint behind when wiping the rifle. It may sound strange, but I even like the smell of the stock. It reminds me of wood shop classes back in Junior High School.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0614-1.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0629-1.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0634-1.jpg
I probably should have waited and taken pictures in the day light, they always show the details of the wood better. Hope you get an idea from the above.
2) Ergonomics: Once I moved on from appreciating the looks of this rifle, I shouldered it in order to get a feel for it. I must say that this is the most comfortable feeling rifle that I have ever held. It balances nicely, has the hold positions located for correct handling and feel. The high cheek piece gives good support for sighting on target and the thumbhole ergonomics are very good. This rifle is quite light and does not feel like you are holding a rifle of its length. I have also discovered that an adjustable butt pad is a great feature and is included standard on the AA410 Thumbhole stock. It really allows the shooter to get comfortable and dialed in.
3) Fit and Finish: Spot on overall. I can not find any flaws nor weak spots in the fit and finish. I have read some describe this rifle as €œsolid€ and I believe that to be a good description. The only complaint is the supplied magazine. It works, but does not fit a rifle of this quality. I did place an order with RC Machine Shop and received his AA410 magazine a day ahead of the rifle. It is a beauty and craftsmanship is top notch. As Lamar mentions in his http://socalairgunner.blogspot.com/, buy the RC Machine Shop magazine and keep the AA magazine as a spare. The RC magazine is a great value for the $50 cost and I would encourage all AA410 owners to purchase one.
4) Cocking, Magazine Indexing and Filling with Air - The bolt is of nice design but the cocking effort out of the box is stiff. Make no mistake this is not like cocking the HW100, which in my experience is best in class. Having said that, after 300-400 rounds, the cocking effort is not harsh and has become rather smooth. I have found that the RC magazine indexes seamlessly with the action. The RC magazine also allows you to easily see the last shot marker. Late yesterday, I was enjoying cocking the rifle and felt that either I was better at it or it was becoming easier. It is easier to cock than my FX BW. Filling the rifle with air is quite straight forward. Simply unscrew the cap that covers the air valve, and affix the fill cap. The cap has a slot in it that allows a notch on the valve to pass through. The cap is then rotated 90 degrees and filling begins. The pressure of filling secures the cap against the notch. I found filling easy and the 190 bar recommended operating pressure easy to attain. I filled to 200 bar and then the pressure settles back to 190 bar, which is the sweet spot for this rifle.
5) Velocity and Shots per fill : The guideline of 30+ shots on high power is accurate. Here are my shot strings on high power using 16gr. JSB:
String #1: 929.0 Low 948.0 High 939.9 Avg 19.07 Max 6.7 Sd.
String #2: 929.2 Low 941.3 High 936.5 Avg 12.07 Max 4.35 Sd
String #3 923.8 Low 941.0 High 934.0 Avg 17.23 Max 5.65 Sd
Avg. 31.2 ft/lbs
Partial String on Med Power setting:
String #1: 815.3, 809.9, 813.2, 810.4, 814.9, 811.3 (23 ft/lbs)
I have done most of my shooting at the medium power level and have found it to be very accurate to my 60yrd target. I need to do additional chrony testing at this power setting in order to determine number of shots per fill and fps average. I will post my results when complete.
6) Accuracy: I saved the best for last. This is an amazingly accurate rifle. The ergonomics of this rifle lend themselves to accuracy. I initially felt that I would not like the trigger as much as I do. It is a thinner blade than others I have used but it moves smoothly through two stages and breaks cleanly and predictably. Here is a target from one of my sessions this weekend. The target was placed at 60yrds and I was shooting JSB 16grain at 25ft/lbs. When I shoot, I use a bench and one bag under the forestock. The rifle is then shouldered normally and I do the best I can. Using a gun rest or vice, I'm sure the groups would have been tighter.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0636.jpg
I have currently reduced power to the mid point on the dial and am experiencing similar results at 60yrds @ 23ft/lbs. As with all air rifles, chrony testing is very valuable and helps to determine how the gun shoots best and how many usable shots per fill for a given distance and task.
7) My final thoughts are on the Nikko 6-24X44 scope. This is my second Nikko, the first being the 6-24X56. I really like this scope. I have used it in both rainy conditions with dim lighting as well as on a sunny day this weekend. In fact, I like the 44 Nikko better than the 56 Nikko. The 44 performs very well with less weight and in a smaller package. I continue to like the side focus feature on the Nikko scopes. My Bushnell 4200 6-24X40 is the gold standard for me, but for $200 less the Nikko is a fine piece of equipment. I do like the Nikko reticle better than the thicker Bushnell.
I hope you find this review informative and helpful. I am very pleased with my decision to purchase the AA410 Xtra FAC with the thumbhole stock. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Regards,
Mike
I chose to spend a little extra on the thumbhole stock because I like them and the pictures I had seen of the new walnut AA stocks were spectacular. As I undid the great packaging job from SS and finally opened the gun case, I was not disappointed.
1) Walnut Thumbhole Stock: I now know why so many air gunners pay extra for custom made stocks. The stock on this rifle is the work of talented craftsmen. Every angle is precise, every corner is smooth, the grain of the wood is appealing, the stain is even and attractive, and the rosewood end cap and bottom of the grip are elegant. The checkering on this stock is top notch as well. Where the checkering on my FX Black Widow is somewhat rough, the checkering on the AA410 provide a nice grip but is smooth to the touch. An added bonus is that the silicone cloth does not peel and leave lint behind when wiping the rifle. It may sound strange, but I even like the smell of the stock. It reminds me of wood shop classes back in Junior High School.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0614-1.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0629-1.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0634-1.jpg
I probably should have waited and taken pictures in the day light, they always show the details of the wood better. Hope you get an idea from the above.
2) Ergonomics: Once I moved on from appreciating the looks of this rifle, I shouldered it in order to get a feel for it. I must say that this is the most comfortable feeling rifle that I have ever held. It balances nicely, has the hold positions located for correct handling and feel. The high cheek piece gives good support for sighting on target and the thumbhole ergonomics are very good. This rifle is quite light and does not feel like you are holding a rifle of its length. I have also discovered that an adjustable butt pad is a great feature and is included standard on the AA410 Thumbhole stock. It really allows the shooter to get comfortable and dialed in.
3) Fit and Finish: Spot on overall. I can not find any flaws nor weak spots in the fit and finish. I have read some describe this rifle as €œsolid€ and I believe that to be a good description. The only complaint is the supplied magazine. It works, but does not fit a rifle of this quality. I did place an order with RC Machine Shop and received his AA410 magazine a day ahead of the rifle. It is a beauty and craftsmanship is top notch. As Lamar mentions in his http://socalairgunner.blogspot.com/, buy the RC Machine Shop magazine and keep the AA magazine as a spare. The RC magazine is a great value for the $50 cost and I would encourage all AA410 owners to purchase one.
4) Cocking, Magazine Indexing and Filling with Air - The bolt is of nice design but the cocking effort out of the box is stiff. Make no mistake this is not like cocking the HW100, which in my experience is best in class. Having said that, after 300-400 rounds, the cocking effort is not harsh and has become rather smooth. I have found that the RC magazine indexes seamlessly with the action. The RC magazine also allows you to easily see the last shot marker. Late yesterday, I was enjoying cocking the rifle and felt that either I was better at it or it was becoming easier. It is easier to cock than my FX BW. Filling the rifle with air is quite straight forward. Simply unscrew the cap that covers the air valve, and affix the fill cap. The cap has a slot in it that allows a notch on the valve to pass through. The cap is then rotated 90 degrees and filling begins. The pressure of filling secures the cap against the notch. I found filling easy and the 190 bar recommended operating pressure easy to attain. I filled to 200 bar and then the pressure settles back to 190 bar, which is the sweet spot for this rifle.
5) Velocity and Shots per fill : The guideline of 30+ shots on high power is accurate. Here are my shot strings on high power using 16gr. JSB:
String #1: 929.0 Low 948.0 High 939.9 Avg 19.07 Max 6.7 Sd.
String #2: 929.2 Low 941.3 High 936.5 Avg 12.07 Max 4.35 Sd
String #3 923.8 Low 941.0 High 934.0 Avg 17.23 Max 5.65 Sd
Avg. 31.2 ft/lbs
Partial String on Med Power setting:
String #1: 815.3, 809.9, 813.2, 810.4, 814.9, 811.3 (23 ft/lbs)
I have done most of my shooting at the medium power level and have found it to be very accurate to my 60yrd target. I need to do additional chrony testing at this power setting in order to determine number of shots per fill and fps average. I will post my results when complete.
6) Accuracy: I saved the best for last. This is an amazingly accurate rifle. The ergonomics of this rifle lend themselves to accuracy. I initially felt that I would not like the trigger as much as I do. It is a thinner blade than others I have used but it moves smoothly through two stages and breaks cleanly and predictably. Here is a target from one of my sessions this weekend. The target was placed at 60yrds and I was shooting JSB 16grain at 25ft/lbs. When I shoot, I use a bench and one bag under the forestock. The rifle is then shouldered normally and I do the best I can. Using a gun rest or vice, I'm sure the groups would have been tighter.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k164/SeaMike/IMG_0636.jpg
I have currently reduced power to the mid point on the dial and am experiencing similar results at 60yrds @ 23ft/lbs. As with all air rifles, chrony testing is very valuable and helps to determine how the gun shoots best and how many usable shots per fill for a given distance and task.
7) My final thoughts are on the Nikko 6-24X44 scope. This is my second Nikko, the first being the 6-24X56. I really like this scope. I have used it in both rainy conditions with dim lighting as well as on a sunny day this weekend. In fact, I like the 44 Nikko better than the 56 Nikko. The 44 performs very well with less weight and in a smaller package. I continue to like the side focus feature on the Nikko scopes. My Bushnell 4200 6-24X40 is the gold standard for me, but for $200 less the Nikko is a fine piece of equipment. I do like the Nikko reticle better than the thicker Bushnell.
I hope you find this review informative and helpful. I am very pleased with my decision to purchase the AA410 Xtra FAC with the thumbhole stock. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Regards,
Mike