Success with the Benji NP XL1100

[Cooney]

This gun has been a real challenge for me to say the least, at 10 yards dime size groups are the norm but at 20 yards maybe 1 or 2 in the same area then they start flying on me. I have tried every hold that i can think of, tried to be consistent even bought a new scope (4x16x40 center point ) but I still have the old one because I don't think that was the problem. I don't have a chrony but I think that the FPS are good. I have read a lot about the seals being bad from the factory and have read that this will cause sporadic groups as well.

Well I am one that refuses to give up on anything, so today I got the trail NP XL1100 out and started from scratch and noticed that when I went from 10 yards to 20 yards I moved the variable on the scope to 10x so I could see the target better, well I moved it back to 4x and used the artillery hold with my hand about 4 inches in front of the trigger steadied myself held my breath and pulled the trigger and it hit the black, then I tried it again and hit almost in the same place touching the other hole, then did it again gracious I am on to something here well I feel like a complete dumb @@@ as I have shot powder burners all my life and I know that changing the variable on the scope will change the POI but it also makes it more hold sensitive the higher you go.
I had a fun 2 hours of shooting my 1100 today, here are some groups at 20 yards....

[gene_sc]

Good shootin Jerry.. Practice Practice Practice...

[MGMER]

Feels great to figure out the problem.  The POI changing when going from 4X to 10X happens often on less expensive scopes.
I own two Leopold's 3x-9x made for air rifles & they do not change POI when changing the power setting.  Neither did my 6.5x-20x Leopold also made for air rifles.  Turning the power down always helps me when shooting offhand.  A scope that cost more than your rifle is hard to justify.  I learned the difference 40 years ago in Pro. photograhy.  I had more than one lens that cost $2000 each in the 70's.
Using a cheap scope on my deer rifle on a foggy morning with limited visibility to the naked eye revealed the difference between cheap & expensive back in the 70's.  I was glassing a clear cut with high dollar german binoculars, when I spotted three deer @ 200 yards out.  You could not see them with your naked eye, but they were clearly visible through the binoculars.  I picked up my rifle with the cheap scope & could not find them.  I put the binoculars back up & there they were.  Once again I put the rifle up & no luck.  The cheap scope LOOKED GREAT in bright sunlight but not when I needed to bag a Trophy.  I never forgot that lesson.  When my wife wants to know what I want for Christmas, birthday, anniversary I tell her a $1000 scope. Then when I find a great deal for $500, for a Leopold we're both happy.   HAPPILY MARRIED FOR 32 YEARS.

[airiscool]

Jerry,
Congrats on figuring out what your XL likes.  Very interesting that your gun likes such a differant hold compared to many other XL's.  



MGMER
"............The POI changing when going from 4X to 10X happens often on less expensive scopes .........."

Agreed. I've had some inexpensive scopes that are just as variable in POI as they are in magnification.  But my more expensive scopes all keep the same POI.

I've given up wasting money on cheap scopes - a decent scope doesn't cost much more than the cheap ones !!!!

Paul

[Cheap Shot]

Unless the scope is broken at 10X I would expect the pellets to group somewhere together even if the POI shifts.  And if the POI does shift at different magnifications I would replace the scope.  What good is it?  It's just a heavy 4X scope.

[Cooney]

Thanks guys lesson learned well not only does it change the POI it makes the gun extremely hold sensitive at least it does on my trail....