My review of Beeman 1073 air rifle
 

There are a few good deals out there for respectable adult air rifles that would make quick work of small game. After some research, I picked up a Beeman model 1073 (Sportsman RS2) air rifle from wally world for about $140. There were several things that attracted me to this model, the biggest being that it comes with two barrels, a .177 caliber barrel, and a .22 caliber barrel. Anyway, I've had the rifle for a few weeks now and figured I'd post the good and bad I've found so far.

The Good;
- Comes with two barrels, "European" hardwood stock that actually looks very nice, and a pretty good 4X32 scope.
- Barrels are easy to switch out, just one allen screw holds it in.
- Has an adjustable trigger.
- It also has open sights that are easy to adjust.
- Break barrel pump action works fast for quick reloads.

The Bad;
- Without some nail polish or something on the barrel screw threads, the barrel will loosen up after a dozen shots or so and destroy accuracy.
- Open sights are nice, but plastic, and the front sight sticks up high enough that you can see it in the scope and it cannot be removed from the barrel.
- As nice as the stock is, they puta cheap looking gold "Beeman" decal on the side.
- It's made in China.

Accuracy;
- I haven't found good .22 caliber pellets yet, just some cheap Daisy "flat tip" pellets that are clearly not uniform and are coated with some kind of thick, dark oil. Egg sized groups at 30 yards is all I can get so far.
- With the .177 caliber barrel, I've been getting consistant dime sized groups at 30 yards with Gamo "Rocket ballistic tip" pellets. I bought a few other types and brands, I'm going to try those out when I get a chance.

The velocity is supposed to be 1000fps with the .177 barrel, and 800fps with the .22 barrel. I'm sure these numbers are inflated, I've never seen an air rifle shoot exactly what it had on the box. Overall, I believe this rifle is a fair deal for small game hunting. The accuracy is there with quality pellets, and the rifle looks pretty sharp too.

RE: My review of Beeman 1073 air rifle
 

It does a number on squirrels with the .177 barrel. I'm sure the .22 barrel is great too, but I still haven't found any good .22 pellets.

RE: My review of Beeman 1073 air rifle
 

Both Beemna and Gamo market good quality .22 pellets, you get what you pay for with ammo.

RE: My review of Beeman 1073 air rifle
 

i looked at that gun and got the gamo instead liked it alot more.

RE: My review of Beeman 1073 air rifle
 

Wiggy,

Try white teflon thread tape (plumbing dept.) on the barrel set screw (recommended by Beeman customer service). It's easier to get out than Locktite. Crosman makes same pellets in .22 that they make in .177, but a bit harder to find. Found themat Gander Mountain. Years ago more stores carried airguns and supplies including most hardware stores.

Got my 1073 2 weeks ago.
Here's what I've done to it so far:
-recrowned the barrels.
-blue locktited the scope mount bolts and stock bolts.

Shoots like a charm...................now ;)

Initially for me the .22 barrel shot much better. But now they are equal. Crosman Premier hollow points seem to do well with this gun.
DO NOT try Daisy pointed pellets. I could throw a baseball more accurately!!

Read some complaints about the ****ing being hard. Hasn't been a problem for me.
Wow, you can't write C ocking on this site. Strange for a site of this nature!

Very good gun for the $$.

RE: My Review of Beeman 1073 Air Rifle
 

I purchased this gun about three months ago for raccoon control and just for fun. I bought it at Wal Mart on sale for about $100.
Some things I have noticed about the gun:
1. It is a heavy gun, it weighs about 10 pounds but pretty soon you can get used to it.
2. The open sights are very easy to see/line up and are very accurate.
3. The scope that comes with it is okay, it doesn't seem very accurate and just recently the cross-hairs started coming apart in the middle and eventually they fell over. If you are considering buying this gun you should count on needing a new scope.
4. I love the power. I shot a big raccoon a while back with the .22 barrel and she died within a couple seconds.
5. Never underestimate how much your air rifle's accuracy will improve after you first 1000 shots. When I first got it I was shooting 6" patterns at 20 yards, now I can shoot through the same hole. So take some time and your shooting will improve and the gun's accuracy will increase.

Overall it is a good inexpensive gun.