Ruger Blackhawk Combo Air Rifle Review

Looking for that perfect present for the new shooter in your life? Maybe you want to go plinking and are tired of shoddy performance from other rifles.

Ruger is a name you know and can trust, and the Blackhawk air rifle is the ideal air gun for both eradication of vermin, and for a fun afternoon of plinking in the backyard.

Ruger, who are they?

Ruger is a name you’ve no doubt heard of before, but did you know the company was started in 1949 in Southport, Connecticut?

William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm originally founded it in Bill’s garage, when they made a couple of Japanese pistols after Bill’s Marine experience at the end of World War II.

Since then, the company has grown and produces world-class pistols, revolvers, and rifles, both as traditional firearms and also as air guns.

Whilst both founders have passed away, Sturm in 1951 and Ruger in 2002, the company continues to dominate the firearms industry and produces thousands of firearms annually, making it a true American icon and success story.

Review of the Ruger Blackhawk

The Ruger Blackhawk air rifle is a single-shot, break-barrel spring-piston air rifle, so there’s no pumping to prime before shooting. It has a synthetic all-weather composite stock with a rubber buttpad for reduced kickback.

Front and rear fiber optic sights come standard with it, with the rear being fully adjustable so you don’t need to worry about windage or elevation. It also includes a mountable 4×32 scope, plus comes with the required rings to mount the scope, making it super easy to get started.

What’s more, it also has an adjustable full metal trigger so you can tailor it to your preferred sensitivity, and it includes an inbuilt auto safety that locks on when the barrel is broken.

The Blackhawk air rifle is perfect for plinking, target shooting, or getting rid of unwanted vermin. The Blackhawk is a .177cal pellet rifle that hurls alloy pellets downrange at up to 1200fps, with a standard lead pellet able to reach 1000fps! The entire setup weighs in at 7.8lbs and takes 30lb of cocking effort for its 3.3lb trigger.

Being a single-shot air gun, means it has a coiled spring, which is compressed when you break the barrel. That spring is released when you pull the trigger, which then fires the pellet towards your target.

Is it a rifle for anyone? Absolutely, as it has an ambidextrous stock, making it comfortable for either left or right-handed shooters.

So, whether you shoot left of right-handed or any combination thereof, your ability to break and load, before aiming and firing will not be compromised by this stock’s versatility.

Overall Ruger Blackhawk Specs

Pros to the Ruger Blackhawk Air Rifle

Blackhawk Cons

Ruger Blackhawk Warranty

Over the years many customers have commented on Ruger not providing a specific warranty. However, the company has an unparalleled reputation for customer service with respects towards servicing and repairs to their products.

Many customers sing the praises of Ruger’s quality and service policy; a rifle being sent in for service only to be returned in far superior condition to the customer’s expectations, and with NO bill to be paid!

Ruger’s pride is in their workmanship, and they’ll stand by it regardless of age or number of owners of their rifles.

Getting Started With The Blackhawk Combo

So, now you’ve bought your Ruger Blackhawk combo air rifle what else do you need to go with it? Let’s start with pellets:

Before you head out hunting, you’ll need to sight in your air rifle, for this we’d recommend the Hiram Air Gun Pellet .177cal and .22 Gun Resetting Target.

It’s perfect sighting in a scope or for trying out a variety of pellets to see which suits your needs best. It’s portable, easy to set up, and requires no resetting once hit by your pellet.

For hunting vermin or small to medium game we’d recommend you look at Crosman .177cal Hollow Point Pellets for animals the size of a rabbit or larger than.

For rodents or small animals the Crosman Magnum Premier Domed Pellet should see you pest free within a few shots.

Now, when it comes to target practice the best option is the Crosman Pointed/Dish Pellets, they’re seriously accurate and reliable. However, for a bit of plinking fun we’d suggest the Crosman .177cal Wadcutter Pellets, as they’re ideal for this application.

But, if you’re looking to liven things up a bit, try out the Kvintor Blik .177cal Pellets to really have an impact, you’ll get both sound and light with these pellets which makes them perfect for low-light conditions.

Cleaning Your Ruger Blackhawk

When you’re done for the day, fire a few rounds of the Gamo .177cal Cotton Cleaning Pellets to help with the cleaning process before breaking the air rifle down to give it a through clean as required.

When it comes to this, we’d recommend the SPIKA Compact Airgun Cleaning Kit as it’s compact, and has everything you’ll need to clean your .177 air rifle.

Staying Safe

When it comes to personal safety, our favourite PPE is the Elite ForceFlex, it’s a fun mask and goggle set with a superior ballistic resistance, and if you’re looking for something a little less garish, it has a reversible mask.

Targets

What to shoot at? How about the Atflbox Shooting Target Beer Bottles Shape Tumbler Resetting Target? A fun target that’ll remind you of the penny arcade at the fair, just load up your Blackhawk, take aim and see what you win.

If that’s not your style, try the Reusable Bowling Pins Resetting Target, there are plenty of them, and they’ll take years of abuse in any situation.

Storage

At the end of the day when it’s time to travel home, whether that’s back to the house or in the car, we suggest the Allen Ruger Defiance Tactical Rifle Case, so your air rifle is secure, protected, and discretely disguised in this minimalist travel case.

Ruger Blackhawk Air Rifle Conclusion

So, there you go, all you need to know about the Blackhawk Air Rifle and the options available to you to ensure you have a great experience no matter what. It’s a great rifle for target shooting, plinking, hunting, and of course for ridding yourself of unwanted animals.

It’s well built with a weather proof stock, built-in sights and 4×32 scope, and a one-year limited warranty. This air rifle is capable of up to 1200fps with alloy pellets and able to reach 1000fps with lead pellets, making this rifle seriously versatile with ammunitions.

An all metal trigger with 3.3 lbs pressure sensitivity that’s adjustable and an approximate total weight of around 7 lbs makes the Ruger Blackhawk a fantastic air rifle for use in many occasions and settings.