All I know is I don't know anything!

[superchikn]

Well that is how this airgun thing makes me feel some days.

I've had my Umarex Octane Elite since Christmas.  I have probably put 1500 pellets through it.  Cleaned the barrel twice and was starting to write it off as not terribly accurate.  Seemed H&N Barracuda hunters were the pellet of choice for her.  JSB 18s were just not getting it.  Some heavy pellets were often grouping well but the Barracudas i thought were finally it. Tonight I got out the JSB 18s and she was shooting dimes at 30 yds, and if not dimes then keyholes a little larger.

I'm shooting on a bench with a front and rear bag.  I barely touch the gun and squeeze slowly on exhale.  I have worked the trigger.

Not sure why all of a sudden she wants to group the JSBs.  Wonder what she'll do tomorrow.

I guess if it was easy I would get bored.

[AG72]

It has happened to me also, they change their diet under the break in period... It can also happen when you open a new tin of pellets, another batch or slightly different headsize of the pellets, or a change in the speed of the pellets, Lifes a mystery...

[ranchibi]

Ray, that’s awesome! Sometimes spring types take awhile to break in as everything settles in from all the movement.

[superchikn]

I would think I am through the break in period but then refer to the title.  I believe I have put about 1000 through it.  This tin is not new, I have shot 50 or 100 out of it already.  maybe its the warmer weather.  Maybe its just me.  Definitely hold sensitive but then I have been shooting all pellets the same.

[ezman604]

Could be the barrel leading in. Could be muscle memory starting to take effect. Could be many things. As long as things keep going in a positive direction, fantastic. Keep on shootin'.

[broachoski]

Well that is how this airgun thin makes me feel
Seemed H&N Baracuda hunters were the pellet of choice for her.  JSB 18s were just not getting it.   
the Baracudas i thought were finally it. Tonight I got out the JSB 18s and she was shooting dimes at 30 yds,
Not sure why allof a sudden she wants to group the JSBs. 
Wonder what she'll do tomorrow.

That's my life story also. When I think I have it mastered, something will change and bring me back down to earth.

[birdmove]

    There are some exasperating things about airguns for sure. I am not a very good break barrel shooter, but shoot multi pumpers a lot. The guns will sometimes change their choice of favorite pellets. I'll finish a shooting session with the gun zero'd perfectly, and, start a session a day or two later, only to find the scope is slightly off. I suppose factors like temperature, air density, humidity all can effect the point of impact. That's why, when I decide to do some night ratting that night, I will hit the bench and verify where the gun is shooting.

[superchikn]

Well it has been a week and a day since I posted this and as long since i shot my Octane.  I was out of town for the fourth and only took my CO2 girls and they got plenty of exercise. 

So tonight I set up at about 8:00 and starting pushing the JSB 18s through at 30 yds.  After the 1st or 2nd shot keyholes around 1/2".  Tried the Barracuda hunters out which are sorted by weight and for the most part they were shooting even better. 

For giggles I tried a tighter grip and pulled tight to my shoulder.  That one was 2" to the right.

So I feel like I do now know that this particular gun likes to be pointed and fired with as little pressure or contact as possible and shoots these two pellets well that way.

There are other pellets which I have seen promise from including surprisingly the Gamos with the steel BB in them, which i will have to retest now. 

I am very pleasantly surprised because I was starting to feel like this thing was going to either need a pro tune or just be a fun so-so shooter.  Looking forward to stretching her legs out a bit too. 

[Smoketown]

Well it has been a week and a day since I posted this and as long since i shot my Octane.  I was out of town for the fourth and only took my CO2 girls and they got plenty of exercise. 

So tonight I set up at about 8:00 and starting pushing the JSB 18s through at 30 yds.  After the 1st or 2nd shot keyholes around 1/2".  Tried the Barracuda hunters out which are sorted by weight and for the most part they were shooting even better. 

For giggles I tried a tighter grip and pulled tight to my shoulder.  That one was 2" to the right.

So I feel like I do now know that this particular gun likes to be pointed and fired with as little pressure or contact as possible and shoots these two pellets well that way.

All my 'ladies' like to be held differently ... Holding her tighter may change the point of impact but, it can also change the size of the group ... Sometimes, for the better!   

Cheers,
Smoketown

[xtred1]

Are higher power guns more prone to this randomness then lower power guns?

[Mark 611]

nope! I've had several of my HW rifles that would not shoot certain pellet at all until I have a few tins of pellets thru bore

[only1harry]

Ray,
I had a 350 .22 that did not shoot RWS Superdomes very well.  After I shot a couple of brown boxes of CP's, I cleaned the barrel which was really dirty, and tried the SD's again because I had a couple of 500 tins and didn't want them laying around, plus they were 1/2 the price of the brown box CP's.  After ~50 shots they started grouping fairly well and kept getting better.  Went back to CP's and now they were not shooting as good as before.  After dozens of shots they started producing tighter groups.  The same happened with JSB 15.89.  I am pretty sure it is a matter of proper leading in the barrel for different pellets, and from what I have seen/read over the years this seems to be a little more prevalent with German springers/barrels.

Harry
PS.
BTW, are you quoting Socrates? 

[Mark 611]

very true, different pellet manufactures use different compositions of lead, some harder and some softer, plus the mix of the lead,  bores like what they like so it about finding what it likes, once a pellet lead is there it my take awhile before another pellet may shoot from the same bore, my 2ct

[superchikn]

Well it has been a week and a day since I posted this and as long since i shot my Octane.  I was out of town for the fourth and only took my CO2 girls and they got plenty of exercise. 

So tonight I set up at about 8:00 and starting pushing the JSB 18s through at 30 yds.  After the 1st or 2nd shot keyholes around 1/2".  Tried the Barracuda hunters out which are sorted by weight and for the most part they were shooting even better. 

For giggles I tried a tighter grip and pulled tight to my shoulder.  That one was 2" to the right.

So I feel like I do now know that this particular gun likes to be pointed and fired with as little pressure or contact as possible and shoots these two pellets well that way.

All my 'ladies' like to be held differently ... Holding her tighter may change the point of impact but, it can also change the size of the group ... Sometimes, for the better!   

Cheers,
Smoketown

Jim,

I was just out shooting some frozen targets from a mold i got from PA and i remembered your statement and thought i would give that a try.

So I held this thing like a PB rifle firmly and pulled tight to my shoulder with my left hand holding the foregrip and resting on a bag.  My first five shots were about 1 1/4" low and to the right of POA. All five within a dime!  At 30 yds.  Then I pulled one or two and fired several more and continued to group tightly!

Did not see this coming. 

Jim you were right!

This hold does require some practice as there is motion that was not there with the artillery hold.
I tried leaving the front of the rifle on the bag and gripping firmly and pulling tightly to my shoulder and I get a shotgun effect that way.

Thank You Jim, i now know that I do not have a bench queen.  Awesome!!!

[nced]

Well that is how this airgun thing makes me feel some days.

I've had my Umarex Octane Elite since Christmas.  I have probably put 1500 pellets through it.  Cleaned the barrel twice and was starting to write it off as not terribly accurate.  Seemed H&N Barracuda hunters were the pellet of choice for her.  JSB 18s were just not getting it.  Some heavy pellets were often grouping well but the Barracudas i thought were finally it. Tonight I got out the JSB 18s and she was shooting dimes at 30 yds, and if not dimes then keyholes a little larger.

I'm shooting on a bench with a front and rear bag.  I barely touch the gun and squeeze slowly on exhale.  I have worked the trigger.

Not sure why all of a sudden she wants to group the JSBs.  Wonder what she'll do tomorrow.

I guess if it was easy I would get bored.

I've found that my .177 Beeman R9 and .177 HW95 don't "like" to be benched, especially if bagged. My brother had the same issue with his .177 R9 if he rested the gun on shot bags. He said that he knew the cross hairs were "on target" when the sear tripped but he was getting patterns instead of groups. Then he rested the butt of the stock on his shoulder making sure the gun didn't touch his table. He also rested the stock fore arm in the palm of his hand which was on the front shot bag and his accuracy was exceptional. Here are a couple 50 yard groups shot at one shooting session..............
<img src=" title="source: imgur.com" />
At that time he was new to airguns so he was still using "3 shot powder burner groups" but I figured that two 3 shot groups at the same shooting session is at least as good as one 5 shot "airgun group".

Myself, I couldn't shoot good bench rested groups with my springer no matter what I did! Since I couldn't take a bench into the WV "squirrel woods". Anywhoo....since "form follows function" so I simply learned to use what did work for me (sitting on a bucket resting the R9 on cross sticks).......

Here are a couple 50 yard "bucket and sticks groups"..........
 

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Well that is how this airgun thing makes me feel some days.

I've had my Umarex Octane Elite since Christmas.  I have probably put 1500 pellets through it.  Cleaned the barrel twice and was starting to write it off as not terribly accurate.  Seemed H&N Barracuda hunters were the pellet of choice for her.  JSB 18s were just not getting it.  Some heavy pellets were often grouping well but the Barracudas i thought were finally it. Tonight I got out the JSB 18s and she was shooting dimes at 30 yds, and if not dimes then keyholes a little larger.

I'm shooting on a bench with a front and rear bag.  I barely touch the gun and squeeze slowly on exhale.  I have worked the trigger.

Not sure why all of a sudden she wants to group the JSBs.  Wonder what she'll do tomorrow.

I guess if it was easy I would get bored.

I've found that my .177 Beeman R9 and .177 HW95 don't "like" to be benched, especially if bagged. My brother had the same issue with his .177 R9 if he rested the gun on shot bags. He said that he knew the cross hairs were "on target" when the sear tripped but he was getting patterns instead of groups. Then he rested the butt of the stock on his shoulder making sure the gun didn't touch his table. He also rested the stock fore arm in the palm of his hand which was on the front shot bag and his accuracy was exceptional. Here are a couple 50 yard groups shot at one shooting session..............
<img src=" title="source: imgur.com" />
At that time he was new to airguns so he was still using "3 shot powder burner groups" but I figured that two 3 shot groups at the same shooting session is at least as good as one 5 shot "airgun group".

Myself, I couldn't shoot good bench rested groups with my springer no matter what I did! Since I couldn't take a bench into the WV "squirrel woods".

Anywhoo....since "form follows function" so I simply learned to use what did work for me (sitting on a bucket resting the R9 on cross sticks).......

Very Good Shooting ...Ed !      Every good hunter....has his little secrets & tricks                  Best Wishes  -  Tom

[superchikn]

So i set up for about 75 yds today, (I am shooting across the creek behind my house and have to walk about 1/4 mile to get to the target so i have not measures it yet).  Tried shooting on bags with almost no contact and what I will call my PB hold. 

One way was as good as the other.  I am shooting pellets straight from the tin, no sorting no clean and lube as yet.  Groups were in the 1 1/2" range some flyers here and there and some shots i pulled so I am not going to commit to an actual group size.  I also was shooting holdover, and have not shot enough to feel confident in anything.

What I did notice though is that the FTTs which were getting tighter groups at 30 yds opened up noticeably compared to the JSBs at +-75 yds. 

Oh and wait CPUDs 14.3 were somehow not garbage at 75. and actually definitely worth looking at some more.   HMMMMM!!!

Having some fun now!!

[Bryan Heimann]

Same tin of pellets?  Sometimes two lots are different.

[superchikn]

Bryan, yes all out of the same tins.  And you are right because the first tin of JSBs i got not a 500 tin but the same pellet were terrible very loose fit in the barrel when loading would almost fall back out.

I was however mistaken on the H&Ns they were Barracuda Hunters not FTTs.  Since the Hunters are hollow point i am guessing that is why they did not do so well at the longer distance.

I was also shooting my XS60C which likes the FTTs and shoots quite well at that distance so that is probably why I wrote that.