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duckaholic · New Member

I've got a Ruger Air Hawk that I just cannot get to sight in. I've put 2 different airgun scopes on it and no difference. It shoots in the same spot everytime which is about 6 inches low and that's at approx. 10 yards. I did notice something odd but not sure it's the problem. The safety on this thing is on the back of the receiver and every time you cock the barrel, the safety gets engaged. I can pull the trigger when the gun is on "SAFE" but there is quite a bit of difference in the amount of air pushing the pellet. Any ideas on what could be causing me issues?

Engineer · Member

I have the Air Hawk also and I have been working through issues too. For the price, it is a good gun to learn about air rifles.
First the Safety; yes, it is supposed to engage every time you cock the rifle. If the gun fires with the safety on, you have the trigger adjustment screw turned in too far. Back it out a 1/8 of turn until it does not fire with the safety on and then turn it out a 1/8-1/4 further.
If you have tried to adjust the scope elevation setting and still cannot get enough adjustment, there are scope mounts designed to give you a slight down angle on the scope for barrel droop. I'm new to this sport also but I’ve heard that barrel droop is common on some break barrel rifles. A trick I’ve read on this forum but have not had to try is to make a shim from a pop can and place it under the rear scope mount.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

The fact that you can still fire the gun with the Safety "On" is a problem- as in a defect- you should return it and have it replaced/repaired. Beyond that, it is supposed to engage when you cock the rifle, so that in-and-of-itself is not a problem.

I did not notice you stating if you had run out of adjustment range on your scope- as in you cannot sight it in because you can change the elevation any more- in which case you will need to shim the scope to accommodate it.

Does the rifle shoot properly using open sights (excluding the safety issue)?

Engineer · Member

Eric

The trigger adjustment screw is a tapered and pointed screw designed for threading in soft plastic. The sharp point sits on the trigger lever, digs in, and does not make for a smooth trigger pull. I replaced mine with a 4-40 SHCS that is slightly longer. I put a slight round on the end of the screw and polished it where it contacts the trigger lever for a smoother pull. I also polished the trigger lever and few other parts. I did notice that if I screw it in too far, I can fire the rifle before the trigger makes contact with the safety. There is a few thousands of trigger movement before it engages the safety. I don’t know if you can do this on the factory trigger but it might be possible. It is caused by the trigger adjustment screw being turned in and pushing on the trigger lever too soon. If any trigger work has been done, it is possible to cock and fire the Air Hawk with the safety on.

AirGunEric · Site Admin