Leshiy – my thoughts & photos

thanks… btw, if you like my photography and you’d like to check also my landscapes, adventure photos, portraits, etc. you’re welcome to check my instagram @piotr_ma (enjoy!)

[color=#400000]EDIT (important): please check my post on Nov 07th in this thread for accuracy with HAWKE Airmax scope[/color]

OK, honestly I wanted to wait for a new scope and check it as well before posting but since I was almost ready… why not posting NOW? I had couple of days off recently so played with Leshiy a little bit… or maybe more than a little bit :rofl:

disclaimer: please remember that my current setup with SWFA 1-4×24 scope is NOT optimized for long range airgun sniping. Up to 35m it’s great, 50m is still fair, but anything past 50m is clearly crippled by magnification of my scope. However, for general shooting and power plinking, that scope is just awesome and I really enjoy looking through it… an on it as well, lol!

ammo: I checked JSB Exact Express / 16gr / 18gr, and all that in 5.50 5.51 and 5.52 (where possible of course) so I really checked it well. Exact 16 grain and 18 grain in 5.52 works best for me. Actually 18gr seems to be just a hair better so for final testing I opted for 18 grain BUT for field plinking I’m gonna use mostly 16gr for more forgiving trajectory (not always I check distance with rangefinder). Also please understand that to shoot in the open field I decided to stay at just below 17 J of energy, which I believe can be very helpful for my colleagues in Europe (power restrictions of 17J / 12fpe in most countries). I know it’s not massive but still more than adequate for my usual ranges. I used solid Harris bipod, Vortex rangefinder / Strelok Pro / perfectly calibrated scope & turrets (SWFA scopes are dead solid in this regard) so the trajectory was not an issue at all. Just measure, dial in, and shoot dead center. I tried also other pellets incl. HN Crow Magnum and Polymag Predator but (as expected) results were very disappointing.

conditions: perfect! No wind, slight overcast, clear air. Awesome. And a cup of hot coffee next to Leshiy. Also I think a relatively slow shooting sequence (single shot gun) helps a lot to get the most of Leshiy.

Distance: 25m
– scope set at 4x is all I need at that distance.
– usual group about half inch c-t-c, some groups hair below 12mm. Of course not all of them as I’m not a shooting machine but overall accuracy is just perfect.

Distance: 50m
– scope set at 4x and honestly, it was OK but on the edge of usability. SWFA 1-4×24 Classic Tactical has a very airgun friendly reticle with a diamond in the center. At that distance I could perfectly bracket the 2” Birchwood Casey targets in the diamond. So I was not aiming the center, I was bracketing the whole target. And it worked great, actually much better than expected. However, the size & shape of my targets helped me A LOT. It’d be much harder with smaller (below 1 inch) targets.
– usual group within one inch, some groups 20/21mm c-t-c.

Distance: 75m
– scope set at 4x and it was absolutely not high enough
– groups opened up to above 2 inches c-t-c and some were considerably above that… honestly, didn’t expect anything better at 75 yards at that energy level and with my 4x scope. Below is actually my best 75m group of the day.

Initial conclusions:
– at my power level surely I need .177 barrel and better scope. I’ve got Hawke Airmax on the way and extra barrel… well, as soon as they’re available from Ed’s dealers. My combo is awesome up to 50m and I will stick to that distance. I feel extremely comfortable at such distances, and really, for anything more than 50m I’d just take my Lelya. Or better yet Matador.
– Leshiy is my walk-around precise plinker (FYI – I don’t hunt, just shoot for pleasure) so for me shot count is more important than power delivered down range – as long as accuracy is not affected of course. And imho that level of accuracy is absolutely fine! Of course it’d be hard to expect the same when shooting in the field without a bipod, so actually Leshiy has better potential than my off-hand shooting skills. And that means it’s ME who is limiting factor, not my airgun. Which is how it should be.
– what I absolutely like about Leshiy is new trigger – it’s just great! Superbly smooth, light, very precise, adjustable and with overtravel stop. It’s best trigger I’ve had on my EdGun ever, incl. tuned & polished trigger on my Lelya. And of course that plays key role in accuracy.
– if you want 100m long range hunting machine – just stop moaning and get Matador in .25 😀
– and last but not least… can’t wait for some other guys with Leshiy .25 set at full speed…

No, I’m not huntig with airguns, just shoot for pleasure. I’m outdoorsman, love nature, forests, mountains, etc. I try to spend each weekend in my small wooden country cabin with my kids & wife. We shoot airguns, bows, walk through the forests, go fishing etc. And of course I take pictures… too many of them actually, at least my wife say so 🙂

I’m shooting between 25m and 50m usually. Did some 75m shooting but my scopes are not good enough for such a distance. SWFA is just 4x and Vortex 2-8×32 has too thick reticle. I should have Hawke AirMax next week so hopefully will do some long range testing.

So far just .22 but I’ll get myself .177 barrel as soon as they hit the dealers. DASE Shop (Finland) still got extra barrels only in .25 and since I’m not a hunter I’d prefer .177 instead.

BTW, sure, I’m absolutely happy with Leshiy. I really like short single shot carbines. Like Lelya, which is awesome and which will stay with me as well, of course! Actually Leshiy is one of my 4 EdGuns so far… but considering all costs I can tell you – photography is WAY more expensive hobby, believe me, I know it from very long experience :rofl:

@ charlie101 -> actually… why not? I’ll export bigger pics tonight (my time), upload to my FTP and link here in this thread 🙂

@ Cricket -> I use Leshiy either as a bench airgun with bipod or for power plinking in the field. For bench shooting I keep my pellets in an original box/tin. For field use I purchased small Wilkins Pellet Pouch (as suggested here on the forum) and I’m absolutely happy with that solution (http://www.wilkinspouches.com).

Reloading speed is the last priority for me. Actually I make every shot count so I don’t rush my shooting, reloading, etc. It’s not an airgun optimised for speedy backup shots, it’s like an oldschool single shot rifle. One shot, one hit. Of course it’s not everyones cup of tea BUT personally I really dig guns like Thompson/Center Contender or falling-block single shot (like the one used by Mickey Rourke in ‘The Last Outlaw’ movie… awesome!) so for me Leshiy is perfect. Open it, load directly into the barrel, close. Aim, hold… and deliver single piece of lead at high speed!

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