Hatsan 125TH NPSS in the house

[Doc51]

Just got my 125TH Nitro .22 cal delivered today.

Ran a boresnake down the barrel a few times and set up the bullet trap at 10 yds (about the most possible in my basement.)

I must be getting old, had to use the two handed cocking technique! 

Got my UTG scope dialed in after about 8 shots.

Well, I didn't do as well as some of the prof. reviewers do in my groups, maybe a 1"+ group using a chair back as a rest.  But, hey, it's minute of squirrel for the backyard target range! 

So far, so good, and am happy with the purchase.  With time the groups may improve. 

[Geoff]

grats on the new rifle.

i am confident your groups will improve with use.  i am working with my TR77 nitro and fighting to figure out the best hold.   i think i have found the pellet it likes best.

my plan is to shoot 20-30 pellets every day.  today i only got 15 before the rain chased me inside.  i am (slowly) getting better with this rifle, you will too my friend

[JR]

I haven't shot a lot of different pellets through my 125 Vortex but the Crosman Premier HP and domed pellets shoot fairly well. Not match pellets so I don't expect it to shoot a ragged hole at 50 ft. But if I do my part it hits what I'm shooting at out to 50 yds most of the time and that's all that really counts.

[Doc51]

Okay, I got serious and juryrigged a better rest in my basement shooting range and tried a couple more targets.

10 yards, 5 shots using H&N Baracuda 21.1gr dome pellets.  I cleaned the barrel between targets with a boresnake.  These are the best groups I managed and measured (as best I could with calipers) at .55 and .54 in.

Again, not as good as the pro's, but am I getting in the ballpark?  Is this considered decent at 10 yards?  The reason I am curious is that this was a refurb special and I want to make sure it's a respectable shooter.  Otherwise, if consensus says no,  I may consider to returning it.

Thanks for your advice.

[JR]

Look ok by me, if you are new to shooting a magnum spring then it looks real good. One thing to try how ever, don't clean the barrel so much, it needs to be a little lead fouled, when the groups change then clean with a few patches. There are small machining type ridges in the barrel and every time you shoot as the pellet/bullet passes over these it leaves a smear mark which will/can smooth out a bad spot. This is called fouling the barrel, a little is a good thing a lot or a real bad or high spot is not good. So try cleaning it, shoot 10 pellets, see how it groups, shoot some more, when you get to 50 shots then shoot another 10 for groups see if it changes from the first 10 shots, most of the time it will be a tad better.

One thing I do with all barrels no matter air or powder is lap them a few times with JB bore paste, a air rifle doesn't require but a few patches, a good cleaning and it's good. Most any barrel will have imperfections in the rifling that will effect how it shoots or how bad it fouls. All you are trying to do is smooth out and rough spots not change any dimensions of the barrel.  I have a couple $500+ custom match barrels for my center fire rifles that still needed a good scrubbing. I use a nylon brush with a patch smeared with JB, and then start scrubbing back and forth, be careful not to pull or push it out to far and ding the muzzle or breach. I use carbon fiber rods so they wont damage the barrel, but the end and brush are metal so you have to be carful.