What Do You Consider Acceptable Accuracy From A Big Bore?

[Back_Roads]

 If I can hit a tin Can on end kneeling @ 100 first shot, it be good enough then. 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Being able to take an accurate high percentage head shot at a deer at 50 yards, rather than hoping to hit the heart with a double lung shot with an inaccurate paper plate shooting hunting gun should be most people's goal.  Everyone has differing goals for their needs though.  But the thing is we have higher goals, really they are standards, for our smaller bore air rifles shooting even smaller targets.  Bow hunter's have a higher standard for their group size at 50 yards than some big bore hunters do.  And the crossbow hunting guy's can be thrown into the same category as wanting to be moa accurate.  Their trend is the same moa group size at 50 yards.  We airgun hunters and shooters should strive to do better, and based on the cost of them, hold the manufacturer to the same high standards.

[Greg_E]

Have to agree about both the personal and industry standards, this stuff is getting expensive where $850-$1000 is the lower end now with average being $1500-$2000, add in the extras you need and you quickly get to a point where powder burning and some not so small amount of ammo could be had for the same price. Figure a Ruger American in favorite caliber and 200 rounds of ammo is probably under $1000 (depends on caliber).

All that said, I won't even think about it until I can get better results from my skills, air or powder.

[DLP]

I hear where you are coming from. But to me it’s not about the price to shoot. I have been giving my PB to my kids and friends. I still have several. But they don’t interest me much anymore. Other than sentimental value. I have gun cabinets full of ammo and tons of reloading equipment that just sits there as my AG supplies are getting stacked up. I find casting and modding to be much more fun than I ever had with PB. I had my own FFL business for years and was a gunsmith. But once I got hooked on PCP guns, that all seemed to dwindle out. Talk about a 180 in my life.

Sorry. That kind of got off topic.

[TroyHammer]

I think 3" groups at the intended range is the minimum accuracy I'd accept from a hunting bigbore and at that minimum it's body shots only with a gun providing an fpe ON TARGET 2fpe per pound of bodyweight.

[Greg_E]

That 2fpe per pound of body seems really close to some of the requirements I've seen for airgun hunting, or about 400fpe for deer. And of course, some places don't care and 185fpe from a Bulldog was good enough.

[MisterAP]

At 35 yards. Texan 50 LSS. Squares are 1 inch.
855, 825, 804 fps. NSA 330 grain HP.
POA was the “T” (rotate pic 90 degrees)

Open to feedback.

[redlined_b16a]

I shoot a modified Benjamin Bulldog at 250 plus ft lbs.
If my ammo and tune isn't printing 1.5" five shot group or smaller at 50 yards I do not even try shooting deer.
I only headshot then.
They drop instantly.

[Spacebus]

At 35 yards. Texan 50 LSS. Squares are 1 inch.
855, 825, 804 fps. NSA 330 grain HP.
POA was the “T” (rotate pic 90 degrees)

Open to feedback.

I would be happy with that, but probably refill after the second shot.

[MisterAP]

Thanks.  Yeah, I was a bit surprised at the decline.  Takes 5-6 shots to go from 3k psi to 2k psi.

I will be experimenting with increasing the tuner tension.

[Pellethuntr]

At 35 yards. Texan 50 LSS. Squares are 1 inch.
855, 825, 804 fps. NSA 330 grain HP.
POA was the “T” (rotate pic 90 degrees)

Open to feedback.

That's a nice group!

[MisterAP]

Thanks!

[DLP]

Here is 5 shot string at 50 yards from 3200 down to 2100 psi out of my .45 AEA. These were with my 350 grain cast slugs. This is about the same group I get Tethered or just using the best 3 shots at 100 off a bench.

[Spacebus]

Here is 5 shot string at 50 yards from 3200 down to 2100 psi out of my .45 AEA. These were with my 350 grain cast slugs. This is about the same group I get Tethered or just using the best 3 shots at 100 off a bench.

Were the two shots on the left as the pressure dropped? I get all shots touching on three shot groups out of my AEA .45 bullpup with a yoke tripod seated at 50 yards. The recoil was pretty substantial until I got a DonnyFL Emperor and extension, now it's like shooting my .22 PCP, but with a really heavy trigger. I don't mind the heavy trigger, but it's not the easiest rifle to shoot in the first place.

[DLP]

The picture is on its side and the 2 low shots are actually the higher pressure. I was starting out a little higher than my best shots usually come in.  In my shot strings, I hit a couple low. Then 4 or 5 very tight, then a couple low again. But right around the 3000 to 2600 is where the best groups show up. I get a tighter spread with the lower pressure. I see no reason to add the washers for what I want to use this rifle for. Even with the Emperor and the deli get, it’s pretty loud. Durning deer season, the Emperor will be coming off.

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Currently untuned, AAA 357 Slayer accuracy today at 173 yards.  Three shots after dialing up off my 40 yard zero.  27° with 18 mph variable winds.  I held too much for the wind, but still kept the string tight and on the turkey and under 2 moa.  The 45 Challenger will hit the turkey, but it looks like buckshot hits around the edges.

[Spacebus]

The picture is on its side and the 2 low shots are actually the higher pressure. I was starting out a little higher than my best shots usually come in.  In my shot strings, I hit a couple low. Then 4 or 5 very tight, then a couple low again. But right around the 3000 to 2600 is where the best groups show up. I get a tighter spread with the lower pressure. I see no reason to add the washers for what I want to use this rifle for. Even with the Emperor and the deli get, it’s pretty loud. Durning deer season, the Emperor will be coming off.

That makes sense for the shot POI and fill pressure. I'm getting 450-500 FPE doing no tuning at all, so I'm not making any changes either. At some point I'm going to try air bolts, which will require me to run without any kind of baffles.

[DLP]

"dang" fine shooting!
 My slugs are dropping at .457 and .458. A little skinny. So I have a .459 and a .460 sizing dies coming. I did a few single and double powder coatings to my 292 (300) grain and 340 (350) grain slugs. Going to see what I can do at some longer ranges.

I got a set of 6 .45 arrow kit parts to make up some arrows from pellethuntr. They turned out nice. But it’s not legal to use them in Mi. Yet?

[Spacebus]

"dang" fine shooting!
 My slugs are dropping at .457 and .458. A little skinny. So I have a .459 and a .460 sizing dies coming. I did a few single and double powder coatings to my 292 (300) grain and 340 (350) grain slugs. Going to see what I can do at some longer ranges.

I got a set of 6 .45 arrow kit parts to make up some arrows from pellethuntr. They turned out nice. But it’s not legal to use them in Mi. Yet?

My .457 sized slugs shoot just the same as my .458 sized and 460 as cast slugs, so don't worry too much about larger sizing dies. I get peak FPE with .457 NSA 305 grain "hollow core" slugs. My cast 244 FN slugs are peaking at 450 FPE, but eventually I'll get a mold that drops a slug with a large bearing surface like the NSA slugs and hopefully make 500 FPE at a higher velocity.

[Pellethuntr]

"dang" fine shooting!
 My slugs are dropping at .457 and .458. A little skinny. So I have a .459 and a .460 sizing dies coming. I did a few single and double powder coatings to my 292 (300) grain and 340 (350) grain slugs. Going to see what I can do at some longer ranges.

I got a set of 6 .45 arrow kit parts to make up some arrows from pellethuntr. They turned out nice. But it’s not legal to use them in Mi. Yet?

DJ (Spacebus) bought a kit too so the next thread will be us comparing arrow groups