Air Gun Home :: View topic - Totally inconsistent shot placement...any ideas? (pics)

Paulius1981 · Member

I'm starting to get really frustrated with my Crosman Storm XT.

I was shooting today at a 25 yards target on a completely windless day and the pattern seemed to repeat...I'd shoot a couple of decent groups, then I'd get one that was significantly high or off to one side, then they'd settle back on target again.

I've checked the scope and the mount is solid... anyone got any ideas what could be going on? Parallax?

Here's my first target sheet from today. The two circled shots are ones that I know I caused with a bad trigger pull or hold. As you can see the final group is just plain ridiculous:

donec · Senior Member

Did you clean it before shooting? What kind of pellets are you using? Did you check for loose screws before shooting? How are you holding the rifle? Shooting from a rest or free standing? Hows the crown look? All these can effect the pattern.

sniper · Silver Status Member

here's a question. how many rounds are through it?

in my experience a takes at least 1000 shots or more
for a springer to break in and smooth out.

if this is your first springer it might be your hold more
so than the rifle. the tighter you grip the stock
with with your forward hand the worse accuracy will be.
there is a lot of vibaration on springers as well as
a measurable amount of movement from the time you
pull the trigger until the pellet leaves the barrel.
this is due to bi-directional recoil.

Paulius1981 · Member

I've put around 500 shots through the rifle since I got it, and cleaned it about a hundred shots ago.

I'm shooting crosman premier hollow points (they're the best out of all the types I've tried). I'm shooting off a picnic table, but using the 'artillery hold' (gun resting on my open palm at it's balance point and using as light a touch on the pistol grip as possible).

The crown looks fine, the barrel isn't bent and the scope is installed properly with a scope stop, loc-tite on all the screws and is absolutely solid.

The reason I'm finding it strange is I'll shoot nice tight groups, (at least tight for my skill level with springers), and then the next will be an inch or two high...and then without adjusting the scope, the next group will be right on target...and from the same distance.

I'm guessing the problem is parallax with the scope as the problem seems to happen when I switch from one target to another. Maybe my glasses have something to do with it.

rsterne · Moderator

barrel lockup problems?.... how does it shoot with iron sights?

Bob

fritz · Silver Status Member

Yes, try the iron sights. You may not be getting a consistent sight picture in the scope, also.

Other than that, it's probably just you. Keep shooting. Cool

Paulius1981 · Member

Thanks for the replies. I'm gonna try it with iron sights tomorrow, but I'm pretty certain it's paralax issues with the scope.

I've noticed that when I shoot when I'm standing, I obviously get a bigger group, but they tend to land around where I'm aiming. It's when I have to hunch over the rifle and look 'up' into the sight instead of being able to get behind it that I have problems.

Lipoly · Veteran Member

I've been getting similar groups @ 5M with my pistol...looks good to me!

kanyon · Silver Status Member

LOL...I get that all the time... Mad

With every springer I own....

I guess I just have a lot of bad guns.. Rolling Eyes

After all it couldn't be me..
I SAID IT COULDN"T BE ME....OK... Embarassed

here's a tip to get a better group....BUY A PCP.... Laughing

Pete

Paulius1981 · Member

Well, I think I found the solution...

After a LOT of research I discovered the scope's (non adjustable) parallax setting is 35 yards...which means that shooting at 20-25 yards, the scope could EASILY be off by as much as two inches depending on my head position.

Oh, and to Kanyon, I'm actually really enjoying having to learn how to shoot a springer. Until I lost my job I was putting at least a thousand rounds of .22LR downrange every single week and just through sheer practice it had almost gotten boring it was so easy.

Having a gun where the hold has to be absolutely consistent and JUST so is giving me a challenge, which is something I really missed with my .22LR or my .17HMR.

packrat · Senior Member

I had a StormXT, had the same problem..shooting all over the place...it wasn't the scope, which is actually a pretty good unit BTW,,,it was ME and ARTILLERY HOLD...that was (and still is ) something I simply could NOT do consistently correct..and I finally came to grips with that fact...the Storm IMHO is a great rifle..get a lot of gun for $109.95 ..
Do a little "searching" here...there are some good videos that demonstrate the artillery hold..I think in my case it was a matter of "you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and you can't teach a dumb one anything".<gulp> Smile

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

Now here's the problem with my Storm XT. I have to pull it tight against my shoulder and shoot. THe artillery hold doesn't work on mine. The artillery hold put them all over the place. I practiced for 3 months tryong to get it down and it just doesn't work on mine. I guess there is always an exception to the rule.

Paulius1981 · Member

Well, I spent about an hour outside today shooting with the iron sights and it's definitely a parallax problem with the scope. As I mentioned in my last post, the included scope has it's parallax fixed at 35 yards, I was shooting at 20.

Today I shot this with the iron sights. This was shot at a measured 20 yards (about 18 meters) from the standing position. (the first set of groups I posted was shot off a picnic table using a rolled up comforter as a rest.)

Paulius1981 · Member

Oh, and Packrat, I agree the included scope is actually very decent... but parallax is even more of an issue when you wear glasses and have a double astigmatism :-(

I found I was getting consistent results when I could get right 'behind' the scope, but if my cheek-weld to the comb was even slightly off I'd put a decent (for me) group somewhere I hadn't aimed it.

One last thing...the Centerpoint scope you get with the storm is decent...but the rings are absolutely effing awful.

T191032 · Veteran Member

Seeing how I rarely shoot farther than 10 yards/10 Meters (great shooting indoors, no wind. . . LOL) I can't comment on distance shots too well. Eyesight, scope, hold, that kinda thing, I can. Seeing how most of the "potentials" have been asked, I'll offer my three personalities :

When I pick up the springers, I had to stop and think which has which characteristics. CZ 631, sweet light trigger, just don't move it and it will put 'em in one hole. Tech Force 99M .22 harsh recoiler, knocks the underlever down after X amount of pellets and gotta re-tighten the retainer. Gamo Shadow 1000, kinda likes a firm grip to it, it seems. Three entirely different springers, three entirely different personalities.

I do so like an Adjustable Objective scope. One w/ a set parallex is kinda dependant upon it's use for me. I am liking them less and less especially when it comes to Airguns. One thing to have a 50yd Parallex scope on a .22 (especially if the farthest I shoot is 25yds most of the time, but I don't think a big 4-12x40mmAO looks right on a little single shot Crickett LOL).

Too much snow still on the ground to go out and slap the target down and shoot off the bench at 20yds to compare against yours just for some curiousity, but if I could I'd do it. Cool

Maybe then everyone would see how bad a shot I am off the bench. . . ROFL

Am curious, though. in what manner you clean your springer.