Best way to sight in a springer?

[fderry]

Tim,
My bench is L shaped also.  But I have a problem with height.  I can't get a comfortable shooting position and my shooting arm is at an un-natural position.  Because of this I don't get a good cheek weld and my elbow is sticking straight out. This hasn't been a problem for sighting in PCPs but a real issue with a springer.  If I lowered the bench and raised the rifle via more lift fore and aft so that my elbow was lower, as you have done, the shooting position would be more natural.  I have found the shooting sticks to be a comfortable and natural way to rest the rifle for both sitting and standing but will look into modifying my shooting bench.
Thanks for the input.
Frank

[fderry]

Dennis
'Amazon is your friend'.  I will order a cleaning rod if I decide to JB the barrel but the dowel question was more towards pushing a pellet through the bore without damaging the skirt.  It would seem that a wood dowel could be tapered to fit into the gap inside the pellet skirt and not apply pressure to the skirt.  Not sure this would work or be the best way to do this.
Thanks for the links!
Frank

[BackStop]

Dennis
'Amazon is your friend'.  I will order a cleaning rod if I decide to JB the barrel but the dowel question was more towards pushing a pellet through the bore without damaging the skirt.  It would seem that a wood dowel could be tapered to fit into the gap inside the pellet skirt and not apply pressure to the skirt.  Not sure this would work or be the best way to do this.
Thanks for the links!
Frank

If you can find bamboo dowels, like those used for Shish kebab, that are long enough...  I think that would/could work like you are thinking and not damage the skirt.   I had to use 2 of these to push a stuck pellet out of the breech a couple of times.  One was not long enough.

[fderry]

Kerry
Good idea but a quick check of Amazon only could find 8" to 10" (to short).  They did have some that were 30" but they were 5mm (to large diameter) and they cost $27.99 for 100.  Will try local hobby and hardware store.
Thanks,
Frank

[BackStop]

Kerry
Good idea but a quick check of Amazon only could find 8" to 10" (to short).  They did have some that were 30" but they were 5mm (to large diameter) and they cost $27.99 for 100.  Will try local hobby and hardware store.
Thanks,
Frank

What I had to do with the 2 I used, was cut the pointed end off so that it had was flat at both ends and then I stacked them in the barrel.   I think I found these at the dollar store years ago and they fit loosely, but tight enough, to push a pellet out of the breech.   I'm not sure if they would work for slugging a barrel not being one single dowel.   

[Yogi]

I just use a 5/32 dowel.  I'm looking for tight/loose spots in the barrel AND see the rifling indentations on the pellet head.
You either have the biggest pellets or the tightest barrel if you think pushing with a dowel deforms the pellet.

-Y

[BackStop]

I just use a 5/32 dowel.  I'm looking for tight/loose spots in the barrel AND see the rifling indentations on the pellet head.
You either have the biggest pellets or the tightest barrel if you think pushing with a dowel deforms the pellet.

-Y

So, it does not deform the skirt?   I think that was the question.

[Yogi]

Nope.
You can alway use harder Crossman pellets.  Arm Arms pellets deform just by looking at them.   Have not gotten a tin with at least 10-15% with bent shirts.

-Y

[nced]

Nope.
You can alway use harder Crossman pellets.  Arm Arms pellets deform just by looking at them.   Have not gotten a tin with at least 10-15% with bent shirts.

-Y

Hummm.....the 4 tins of .177 AA domes received from Pyramyd Air only had 9 damaged pellets out of 2000 (.0045 %) and they all came from a single dented tin.
Anywhoo, all were individually "head sized" sized using a home made 4.50mm "pellet head sizer" so I'm sure that there weren't others.......

[BackStop]

Nope.
You can alway use harder Crossman pellets.  Arm Arms pellets deform just by looking at them.   Have not gotten a tin with at least 10-15% with bent shirts.

-Y

Hummm.....the 4 tins of .177 AA domes received from Pyramyd Air only had 9 damaged pellets out of 2000 (.0045 %) and they all came from a single dented tin.
Anywhoo, all were individually "head sized" sized using a home made 4.50mm "pellet head sizer" so I'm sure that there weren't others.......

Yet, you did not slug them down a barrel.  That was the question I was replying to.   Using a wooden or bamboo dowel to "slug" a pellet through a barrel and would it deform the skirt of the pellet?   The theory was that a wooden or bamboo dowel could be tapered to only touch the pellet "within" the skirt and thus not damage the skirt.  See reply #41.   https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=159577.msg155774715#msg155774715

Thanks!

Perhaps I should have directed this reply to Yogi instead of you.  My bad...

[UlteriorModem]

Tim,
My bench is L shaped also.  But I have a problem with height.  I can't get a comfortable shooting position and my shooting arm is at an un-natural position.  Because of this I don't get a good cheek weld and my elbow is sticking straight out. This hasn't been a problem for sighting in PCPs but a real issue with a springer.  If I lowered the bench and raised the rifle via more lift fore and aft so that my elbow was lower, as you have done, the shooting position would be more natural.  I have found the shooting sticks to be a comfortable and natural way to rest the rifle for both sitting and standing but will look into modifying my shooting bench.
Thanks for the input.
Frank

Get one of these

[lefteyeshot]

Tim,
My bench is L shaped also.  But I have a problem with height.  I can't get a comfortable shooting position and my shooting arm is at an un-natural position.  Because of this I don't get a good cheek weld and my elbow is sticking straight out. This hasn't been a problem for sighting in PCPs but a real issue with a springer.  If I lowered the bench and raised the rifle via more lift fore and aft so that my elbow was lower, as you have done, the shooting position would be more natural.  I have found the shooting sticks to be a comfortable and natural way to rest the rifle for both sitting and standing but will look into modifying my shooting bench.
Thanks for the input.
Frank

I didn't say I use an "L" shaped table. I said I turn my table at an angle(rectangle shaped) to rest my firing side elbow on comfortably.

[lefteyeshot]

Dennis
'Amazon is your friend'.  I will order a cleaning rod if I decide to JB the barrel but the dowel question was more towards pushing a pellet through the bore without damaging the skirt.  It would seem that a wood dowel could be tapered to fit into the gap inside the pellet skirt and not apply pressure to the skirt.  Not sure this would work or be the best way to do this.
Thanks for the links!
Frank

If you can find bamboo dowels, like those used for Shish kebab, that are long enough...  I think that would/could work like you are thinking and not damage the skirt.   I had to use 2 of these to push a stuck pellet out of the breech a couple of times.  One was not long enough.

I've used the metal end of my bore snakes or and old Bic ink pen.

[lefteyeshot]

Sorry, guys. Thought you meant straightening bent skirts.

[fderry]

Thanks to everybody who have commented.  I started this thread because my standard method of using a lead sled to sight in my new HW30s wasn’t working very well.  It has worked in the past with powder burners and PCPs but not a springer.  Your comments have helped me better understand the differences that a springer brings to the table.  My scope is close and that is good enough for break in.  I will put the 4x fixed scope back on after I get the rifle broken in.  So far my most consistent bench hold is with a sand bag supporting the fore end of the rifle.

In my opinion rifles are meant to be used in the field with whatever is available to steady the shot (car, truck, tree, shooting stick, ect).  I use a bench to mechanically adjust the scope to the rifle for the best alignment possible.  With everybody’s help I’m honing in on that objective.  What I hadn’t expected was all the knowledge gained on spingers, pellets and hold.

What I finally realized is a benched rested rifle is not approached or fired the same way you would hold a rifle to shoot normally.  I think I instinctively knew this but didn’t acknowledge it.  A scope is normally setup for the eye relief of the shooter when the shooter is holding the rifle in a standing or kneeling position with a good cheek weld, butt into the shoulder and offhand supporting the fore end.  This is how I mount a scope.   A benched rested rifle generally do not allow this type of hold.  I find that I don’t get a good shoulder and cheek weld when bench rested and move my head around trying to get the proper sight picture (primarily with a lead sled).  This doesn’t matter much with a powder burner or PCP because I have locked the rifle down and use the lead sled adjustments to sight in the scope after I have mounted the scope to fit me for normal shooting.  After a shot I get the rifle quickly back on target with the lead sled adjustment, if necessary.  Never had a problem with powder burners or PCP sighting in a scope.  Springers are a totally different animal.  Again, thank you!

[Yogi]

Thanks to everybody who have commented.  I started this thread because my standard method of using a lead sled to sight in my new HW30s wasn’t working very well.  It has worked in the past with powder burners and PCPs but not a springer.  Your comments have helped me better understand the differences that a springer brings to the table.  My scope is close and that is good enough for break in.  I will put the 4x fixed scope back on after I get the rifle broken in.  So far my most consistent bench hold is with a sand bag supporting the fore end of the rifle.

In my opinion rifles are meant to be used in the field with whatever is available to steady the shot (car, truck, tree, shooting stick, ect).  I use a bench to mechanically adjust the scope to the rifle for the best alignment possible.  With everybody’s help I’m honing in on that objective.  What I hadn’t expected was all the knowledge gained on spingers, pellets and hold.

What I finally realized is a benched rested rifle is not approached or fired the same way you would hold a rifle to shoot normally.  I think I instinctively knew this but didn’t acknowledge it.  A scope is normally setup for the eye relief of the shooter when the shooter is holding the rifle in a standing or kneeling position with a good cheek weld, butt into the shoulder and offhand supporting the fore end.  This is how I mount a scope.   A benched rested rifle generally do not allow this type of hold.  I find that I don’t get a good shoulder and cheek weld when bench rested and move my head around trying to get the proper sight picture (primarily with a lead sled).  This doesn’t matter much with a powder burner or PCP because I have locked the rifle down and use the lead sled adjustments to sight in the scope after I have mounted the scope to fit me for normal shooting.  After a shot I get the rifle quickly back on target with the lead sled adjustment, if necessary.  Never had a problem with powder burners or PCP sighting in a scope.  Springers are a totally different animal.  Again, thank you!

They are indeed!

-Y