Beeman R9 .177
W/ Leapers 4-16x50 AO, MD, IR Scope
Written By,
Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner
Review Product & Supplies Provided by:
If you are an “old timer” in the airgun community, you don’t need anyone to tell you about the virtues of the Beeman R9. But, if you are new, or just curious about what a true precision airgun can do, then please read on.
One of my first review jobs was to review the entire line of BAM/Xisico rifles. In that lot of rifles I was immediately drawn to the BAM B26. Later I learned that the B26 was a copy of the venerable Beeman R9. My quest to own the R9 started there.
As I’ve come to learn, copies are seldom as good as the original. That holds true in this case as well. While the B26 was a good option at a decent price, it is no Beeman R9. The R9 is quite literally an airgun work of art. Everything about the R9 shows the high level of craftsmanship that goes into this rifle.
I call my R9 “Goldilocks” because it is “just right.” It is not too long, not too short. It is not too heavy and not too light. It shoots not too fast and not too slow. You all get the point here, from my perspective, the Beeman R9 suites me perfectly.
The beautiful hardwood stock is ambidextrous, simple and traditional. The grip and forearm are checkered and the overall color tone is rich and even. The metal on the rifle is many steps above what you’d expect from an “airgun.” The bluing is dark and looks oceans deep. The machining is exceptionally clean and demonstrates the tight tolerances and quality control implemented in its manufacturing.
The Beeman R9 is a classic breakbarrel with a spring loaded detent barrel locking mechanism. This ensures 100% accuracy when the barrel is returned to the locked position. It is here that the quality and craftsmanship really stands out. Normally, this is a weak point on many break barrel rifles. My first “high powered” airgun had a major flaw with the barrel joint and almost permanently tainted my opinion of breakbarrel rifles. I’ve talked to many folks that have had the same experience. Let me assure you that if it is done right, you need not worry about the accuracy of your breakbarrel rifle. The R9 is the perfect example of how to do it right.
At the front of the barrel you’ll find a weighted muzzle break that helps with cocking, accuracy, and protects the barrel. There are no open sights on this version of the Beeman R9 so I chose to mount my Leapers 4-16x50 AO, MD, IR Scope to the receiver using a two piece Leapers Accushot mount. Because of the unique recoil of a spring powered rifle, you need to have either a scope stop or rings with an adequate stop pin to prevent a serious problem with scope slippage. The receiver has three holes on the top for your choice of mounting hardware.
Once the Leapers 4-16x50 was mounted, I began testing and immediately fell in more in love with this R9. I’ve heard tales of the Rekord Trigger, but had never personally experienced it. All I can say is that if you have not tried the Rekord Trigger, you need to find one and see for yourself.
So much about accuracy comes down to trigger control. Sure, a real “marksman” can take any rifle and shoot well. But why make things harder than they need to be. The Rekord trigger on the Beeman R9 sets the new standard for my airguns. The first stage is light and the second stage is very crisp. There were no discernable rough spots anywhere in the trigger pull.
The shooting procedure and characteristics of the Beeman R9 are pretty straight forward. The rifle cocks with about 40 pounds of force, loads easily, and fires with minimal recoil. However, as with any spring gun, hold is going to be important. The Beeman R9 showed a moderate level of hold sensitivity, but this was easily overcome with some extra time on the bench. The only concern that I had with this R9 was hearing a little vibration during the firing sequence. I’m hoping that just using the rifle will take care of that. I would expect that after the gun has a about a thousand pellets under its belt, it will be completely smoothed out.
When it comes to power and accuracy, I’ve shot more powerful airguns, but none that were more accurate. Now my TX200 shoots consistently tight groups, but the Beeman R9 delivered the best group of my young carrier. But, before we look at the shot cards, we should review pellets and velocities.
I found the Beeman R9 to be very “pellet friendly.” Some rifles can really be pellet “snobs,” but the R9 did well with just about any pellet we tested. Even the H&N Field Target Trophy “Green” pellets, a lightweight lead-free pellet, did very well in this rifle. This makes the R9 very flexible for a variety of shooting situations; i.e. paper targets, field target, as well as small game hunting.
The rifle promises a max velocity of 935 FPS with lead pellets as seen on PyramydAir’s website. (Air Venturi is the exclusive importer of the German, high end Beeman Rifles.) Our test rifle came very close to those numbers shooting the 7.0 GRN RWS Hobby pellets an average of 930 FPS and yielding 13.45 FTLBS. The most accurate pellet in our testing was the Beeman Kodiak. This 10.2 GRN pellet averaged 770 FPS, yielding 13.97 FTLBS.
The Beeman Kodaik pellets yielded the following groups at 20 yards. The top group measures only .153” CTC while the bottom group measures an incredible .082” CTC. So much for breakbarrel rifles not being accurate!
The Beeman R9 rifle sells for only $449.95 at PyramydAir.com. I say “only” because I’ve spent several times that on less expensive “copies” trying to achieve what this gun can do. Now some will contend that the TX200 shoots more accurately. I have a TX200 and yes it is VERY accurate, but it has not yet delivered a .082” CTC group at 20 yards.
In my opinion, other than a slight vibration that I expect to diminish with time, this is the perfect spring airgun. I have not found the equal to the Beeman R9 and I enjoyed this rifle so much that I bought it from PyramydAir after I was done with the review. If you are looking to take your airgunning to the next level, consider the Beeman R9 as your next purchase.
Written By,Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner
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