Overall Reviewer Rating |
|
Video Transcript
What do you do when the wind is blowing or the snow and rain is falling and you still want to get in some trigger time? That’s easy, you shoot indoors. But what do you shoot? Well, I can tell you my favorite indoor gun. It’s the Hammerli 850 .177 co2 bolt action. I’ve had this for years and it’s still my go to gun when all I want is to punch out the 10 ring.
The Hammerli 850 is an 8 shot bolt action rifle that uses a rotary magazine. The ambidextrous synthetic stock has a great feel that says quality. And it should, the Hammerli is made in Germany.
The rifle comes with simple front and rear fiber optic sights. I removed my rear sight years ago so that it would not interfere with the various optics that I’ve had mounted. I currently have a very old UTG 3-12×44 SWAT scope mounted that’s proven very faithful over the years.
The bolt action is extremely smooth. I’m guessing we have German engineering to thank for that. You can see that trend flow to the automatic safety, which is very safe as the safety has a safety. You may initially find this cumbersome, but it’s not once you are used to it.
The Hammerli is powered by a disposable 88 gram co2 cartridge that delivers up to 250 shot and sometimes more depending on the ambient temperature and how quickly I fire follow up shots.
The trigger on the Hammerli is composite, but extremely durable. It’s a very nice 2 stage trigger that breaks at only 1 pound 2 ounces.
The Hammeri is powered by a 88 gram disposable co2 cartridge that’s installed and stored in the forearm. Because it’s disposable, you can’t remove it without dumping all the co2. I’ve had my 850 for years and I always have it loaded with co2. I’ve never had any leaking issues. I do use either the RWS chamber lube or Crosman’s pell gun oil on the tip of each cartridge each time I install a new one.
Operation is very straight forward. The magazine is released by pulling back on the bolt and then sliding the release forward. Once out, load up your favorite pellet and then return the magazine, close the release and close the bolt. To fire, aim the rifle at your intended target, release the safety, and gently squeeze the trigger. If you can hold steady and have decent trigger control, you won’t have any issues getting great groups with the Hammerli 850.
The Hammeri is best suited for close range shooting. I’ve had a lot of fun shooting at various objects to 20 and 25 yards, but I stick to 10 yards when shooting for accuracy. Just about any pellet under 9 grains shoots pretty well in the rifle. My favorites are the 7.0 grain RWS Hobby pellets and the 8.3 grain RWS Superdomes. At 10 yards they both shoot really well.
The Hammerli is right on the edge of being practical for really small game and pests. It generates just over 9 foot pounds with the RWS Superdomes. That’s certainly enough energy to clear out the pests around the bird feeder, especially with the ability to place the shot just where you need it.
Here are two 8 shot groups at 10 yards. The first is with the RWS Hobby pellets, the 2nd is with the RWS Superdomes.
I don’t have any complaints or criticisms about the Hammerli 850. It’s a German built gun that operates smoothly and consistently. The trigger is awesome with a pull of just over 1 pound and It puts pellets right were you tell it to every time. If you miss, don’t blame the gun, blame the shooter.
