Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two Multi-Pump Air Rifle Review .22 Caliber

VALUE FOR MONEY

At $200, the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two has few competitors in the sparsely-populated multi-pump air rifle market. It’s $20 less than its closest rival, the Benjamin Variable Pump Air Rifle, yet offers a wood stock, usable open sights and MUCH easier pumping.

Probably it all comes down to whether you like multi-pumps. HAM Tester Doug Wall loves them. HAM Publisher Stephen Archer will take a PCP any day!

But it’s clear that – particularly in Mark Two version – the Dragonfly is almost certainly the best multi-pump air rifle out there. And at $200, it’s great value for what it offers.

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR:
Seneca Dragonfly Mk2 Multi-Pump Air Rifle 0.177
UTG BugBuster 3-12X32 Scope, 1/3 MOA AO, Mil-dot Reticle, Med. Dovetail Rings

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two tested by HAM gave good performance. The peak Muzzle Velocity of 757 FPS was generated using the 10.03 Grain H&N Field Target Trophy Green alloy pellets. Top speed with lead pellets was produced – as expected  – by the 11.9 Grain RWS Hobbys. In this case the maximum recorded Muzzle Velocity was 717 FPS.

It should be noted that all the FPS and Muzzle Energy figures given below were made using 12 pumps per shot.

Why not the maximum 15 pumps? Well, we know from previous testing that the final three pumps adds only about 10 FPS to these numbers. So it didn’t make much difference. But saving those three pumps per shot added-up to 240 pumps fewer that HAM Tester Doug Wall had to make for this test review. That was definitely a saving worth having!

As we can see, the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two generally tends to be most accurate with lighter pellets. Sure, the Muzzle Energy increases with increasing pellet weight (as we expected), however best accuracy was achieved using the 11.75 Grain Predator GTO pellets.

At 25 Yards, the GTO group gave a CTC of 1-Inch vertically and 3/4-Inch horizontally. However, as Doug noted on the target, the last 8 out of 10 shots achieved a very respectable group of 1/2-Inch vertical by 3/4-Inch horizontal in light wind.

Does this mean that a smaller group could have been attained? Yes, very likely, but it would have taken an additional 120 pumps to find out…

Incidentally, Doug did use the magazine for his accuracy testing. He preferred that to using the single shot tray that’s supplied with the Dragonfly. But it’s good to have options!

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

In the case of this Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two review, we’ll add pumping to this section.

Pyramyd Air’s website says that the Dragonfly has a single-stage trigger. However it certainly felt like a two-stage unit to the HAM testers on the gun we tested.

First there’s a very long, rather gritty and “lumpy” pull of about 3 Lbs weight. This is followed by a fairly definite and predictable release with a pull weight averaging 4 Lbs 11 Oz.

Overall, the HAM testers would describe this as an acceptable trigger for a $200 air rifle. It’s not brilliant and there’s no obvious signs that the owner will be able to adjust it. But it would be OK for hunting. And it certainly did not stop Doug Wall from achieving some pretty good groups!

The safety is manual. It uses a positive, push-across across action that clicks on and off decisively.

Now it’s unlikely that most shooters will make so many pumps in such a concentrated period as the HAM testers. In fact I took 1,170 pumps, Doug made 960 pumps for a total of no less than 2,130 pumps for this review.

Such a concentrated amount of pumping in a short space of time is probably extremely atypical compared to how most owners will use their Dragonfly. However it did highlight a number of things.

Firstly, the HAM testers made 2,130 pumps without catching their hands in the pump action. No blood blisters occurred as a result of the testing. That’s something of a miracle for any multi-pump airgun and shows that the pump handle and mechanism is well designed.

Secondly, all those pumps were made with the Leapers UTG Bugbuster scope attached to the gun. So, yes it is possible to pump the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two with a riflescope fitted!

But so much pumping did lead to some wear on the testers’ hands. I found that the bolt’s rear extension rubbed on my thumb when pumping. Doug found that the edges of the pump handle grazed his right hand over time (I wore a glove to prevent this). But these were small complaints caused by making an unreasonably-large number of pumps during short periods of time.

Other pump-related issues were that one of the pump handle-retaining screws fell out after about 1,500 pumps. (It was the middle one on the left side). However this was easily replaced and the other screws exhibited no tendency towards looseness. HAM is not rating this as a weakness, just something to be aware of over the long term.

The only other issue was the mysterious – to us – tendency of the bolt handle to be hard to lock down into its slot on an occasional, unpredictable, basis. Obviously something was binding erratically in the action somewhere and would then release itself. There was no sign of wear on the breech itself, so our conclusion is that there could – possibly – be some occasional binding between the bolt and the hammer pin inside the gun.

However this was not a serious issue and – again – may not be found during a typical user’s shooting. A touch of silicone grease on the rear-facing side of the bolt slot in the breech made things much easier, Doug found.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Air Venturi claims that the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two has a much reduced pump effort compared to the previous version. Not having tested a previous Dragonfly, the HAM Team cannot confirm this. However it’s very likely as the Mark Two’s pumping effort is really quite reasonable.

We can definitely confirm that – unlike just about any other multi-pump airgun – the claim that pumping does not become perceptibly harder the more pumps you make. That’s great news.

The Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two is also claimed to be accurate. Check!

On test, the Dragonfly tested by HAM fell slightly short of the manufacturer’s Muzzle Velocity claims (even allowing for the 12 pumps used). However the difference was not great. The claim for alloy pellets in .22 caliber is 800 FPS. We achieved about 770 FPS.

With lead pellets, the claim is 730 FPS. HAM testing matched that number.

CONSISTENCY

With an average Standard Deviation of 7.11 FPS across the range of standard HAM test pellets, the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two delivered good consistency of Muzzle Velocity.

As can be seen from the 10-Yard test targets below, accuracy was also good – or better – with all the HAM test pellets, except for the Crosman Hollow Points.

Trigger pull weight was also pretty consistent, varying by -4 to +8 Ounces around the average of 4 Lbs 11 Oz.

As Doug Wall pointed out in his test notes “The pump mechanism is a mechanical action. So regular lubrication of the pump linkage pivot points should help with this.” The Dragonfly’s instruction manual makes precisely the same point in respect of long-term reliably and consistency.

For reference, Doug applied small amounts of pure silicon grease to the pivot points.

NOISE LEVEL

As would be expected from it’s power level, the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two is not an especially noisy gun, even at full power. It’s reasonably backyard-friendly (if you have a large back yard). But if noise level is an issue, a lower number of pumps will be certain to reduce that greatly. At the minimum 3 pumps per shot, the owner can plink away in close to silence.

However, in line with current market trends, the Dragonfly is fitted with a 1/2-Inch x 20 thread adapter at the end of the barrel. Normally covered, it can be exposed and is then suitable for the installation of a dedicated airgun silencer, if required by the user.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

Many traditionalists will be happy that the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two is supplied with a set of open sights. These comprise a red fiber optic front sight (photograph above) and an elevation- and windage-adjustable rear sight that’s mounted on the barrel band.

However, for this test review, the HAM Team decided to install a scope. Given the Dragonfly’s very short breech, the choice of scopes really is limited to just one model. Or at least one model range…

Any of the Leapers UTG Bugbuster scopes will be ideal for use with the Dragonfly. We happened to have a 3-12 x 32 Bugbuster available, complete with UTG Medium height dovetail mounts.

This proved to be the ideal match for the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two. Carefully mounted, there’s space between the scope and the magazine or, alternatively, enough room for fingers when loading the single shot tray.

Even with the Bugbuster’s (relatively) long sunshade installed, there was plenty of space to hold the gun when pumping. The small size and light weight of the Bugbuster also matches the slim, light design of the Dragonfly.

There’s just one thing to know before mounting the scope, however. It’s necessary to remove the rear sight in order to achieve the necessary clearance, as can be seen in the photograph below.

Fortunately this is a simple project. Just remove the elevation screw from the rear sight leaf and carefully drift off the rear sight assembly. It’s mounted on its own miniature dovetails.

Bugbuster scopes have a short eye relief. This is another benefit of this combination as the compact length of the Dragonfly – it’s only 40-Inches overall length – results in a relatively short buttstock and the shooter’s eye being relatively close to the breech.

SHOOTABILITY

Veteran multi-pump shooters will know that pumping is a significant part of shooting these guns. First there’s the amount of effort involved in making the pumps. Second is avoiding the blood blisters that appear when the pump handle snaps back against an ill-positioned hand!

However, as mentioned above, in the approximately 2,130 pumps made by Doug Wall and myself to bring you this test, neither of us gained a blood blister. This indicates the good design of the Dragonfly’s pump grip and the fact that the pump arm does not “slap” back against the action at the end of each stroke.

In our previous post on the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two, we looked at the power output generated for different numbers of strokes. One chart is repeated here…

So it’s pretty clear that the relationship between increasing the number of pumps and increasing FPS flattens out dramatically after 12 pumps. That’s why the targets were all shot with 12 pumps, even through the manufacturer’s specifications indicate a maximum of 15 pumps.

If you’re making just the occasional one or two shots when hunting with the Dragonfly, 15 pumps is easy enough. But for HAM testing, saving those three pumps per shot was a life-saver!

Overall, the light weight, slim design and compact overall length made the Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two a comfortable and pleasant air rifle to pump, carry and shoot.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two has a generally pleasing appearance. The long pump handle has the visual effect of looking like a long forend to the stock although, of course, it’s not.

Overall, metal parts show a pleasing level of machining and finish. There’s a variety of gloss and matte finishes on the black metal parts, however the overall result looks fine.

The wood stock and pump handle show a close grain with no real figuring. Close examination of the pump handle and buttstock shows that both were produced as one piece and then cut in two – the same way a Crosman made 392 wood stocks.

There’s some typical, shallow areas of laser “checkering” around the wrist of the stock, that being the extent of decoration.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Seneca Dragonfly Mark Two is readily available online from Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot. You’re also likely to find it at physical stores stocking Air Venturi products.

There’s a comprehensive owner’s guide in English only. Also the gun is supplied with one magazine (7 rounds in .22 and 9 in .22) together with a single shot tray.

In addition, a variety of o rings and what is undoubtedly a check valve are also included. This is almost certainly a complete reseal kit, however the owner’s guide makes no mention of how it should be installed.

There’s a 12-month warranty that’s fulfilled by Air Venturi in Ohio. Although one year used to be a common warranty period for airguns, the move to three – or even five year – warranties by other vendors makes this 12-month coverage seem short by comparison.

TEST TARGETS

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR:
Seneca Dragonfly Mk2 Multi-Pump Air Rifle 0.177
UTG BugBuster 3-12X32 Scope, 1/3 MOA AO, Mil-dot Reticle, Med. Dovetail Rings

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.