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Engineer · Member

Some of you have been following me (a newbie) trying to learn how to shoot a spring piston air rifle and get this Ruger AH to group. I'm think I'm going to learn as much about Air-Gunsmithing as I am shooting it.
I re-crowned barrel and purchase a new 3-9x32 AO scope. I set up in the garage this evening to try some 10 yard shots with the new additions. I did not sight the scope for the first two pictures; it was sighted at the Air Gun Store I bought the scope at with two shots by the owner. The first picture is of 5 shot groups with Crosman pellets, #1 Premier Hollow Point, #2 Premier Super Point, #3 Field Hunting, and #4 Destroyer EX. I had my left arm on a sawhorse to help steady my shots so there was a little shooter error.

The Hollow Point did the best. The Super Points fit very tight in the barrel and were the only pellet to shoot to the right. The Field Hunting pellet that went in the center was the only one that didn't just drop in the barrel. The Destroyers do make nice round holes.
Next were the JSB Diabolo Express and heavy.

Interesting thing is that the Express has a vertical group and the Heavy has a horizontal group. There is a JSB with a weight between these two and should pick some up and try them. I think the Heavy grouped a little better.
On the advice of SMP, I tried some barrel weights. On targets #1-5 the scope was still not sighted. I turned the scope 3 clicks to the right for #6 and back one click to left for #7-9. Targets #1-7 are shot with Crosman Premier Hollow Points.

Funny thing is I got the best groups with the front sight removed and no barrel weights. Target #1 is 5 shots and target #6 is 10 shots with no front sight and no barrel weights. I think the flyer was shooter error, AKA me. Targets #8 and #9 are JSB Pellets with no front sight.
BTW, I was told at Gander Mountain where I purchased the Air Hawk to put a few drops of oil in the tin to lubricate the pellets. Good or Bad idea?

Thanks to SMP and everyone else for the help. Now I need to try some 20 and 30 yard testing.

SMP · Silver Status Member

That's looking pretty awesome

I would try the weights just for fun with the JSB's now that you know they are performing the best.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

If it's non combusting oil it shouldn't be a problem. I like those groups you get. Wink

Engineer · Member

I guess for a $130 gun (less the cheapo scope), some of the groups are not bad. I'll try the barrel weights again with the JSB pellets when I get a chance to set up for a longer range. I also want to pick up some that are a middle weight between the Express and Heavy. Maybe they will give round groups instead of a vertical or horizontal groups.

Where I live in the in the city, there is an ordinance making illegal to shoot pellet guns so I am confined to the garage and about 10 yards. I have shot from the garage, out the service door and into a target in the shed for a 30 yard range but I don't like to do it much just in case my neighbor calls the cops. I might have to wait another week before I go back up to the cabin.

Here is what I don't understand. The Crosman Super points give me about a 3/4" group at 10 yards as seen in the first picture. If I move out to 30 yards, I would expect about a 2.25" group. What I see on the paper is an 7" group. It is like the AH is throwing knuckle balls with those pellets. I'll have to see what the other pellets do at longer ranges with the new scope.

I guess I'll just use this as a reasong to do some testing and keep shooting more. LOL

Engineer · Member

domer_pyle · Senior Member

Nice groups, don't underestimate the B19!! Pointed pellets will do that, the ones that arent rounded anyway. Once they start off course the flat keeps guiding them in that direction.

SMP · Silver Status Member

I know what your saying about the group sizes looking like knuckle balls.

I have been tuning a phantom for about 8 months just to see how well a $100 rifle can shoot.
I was seeing the same effect 10m=1/4", 20m=3/8", 30m=1/2", 50m=5"

I too was like WTF is going on here? It was like an accumulating entropy of the flight path.

However after tuning the weights and pellets and working on the perfect hold for that rifle I got the group sizes down to just under 1" at 50m...but everything needs to be absolutely perfect. Any breeze at all and there is no way I can get that kind of a group.

Oh and there is tons written on the net about lubing pellets. It's a hotly contested theory. Generally most what I have read of people that have seriously tested it in controlled conditions say it does not benefit at all or actually downgrades performance.

Oh and that mid weight JSB you speak of is the Diabolo exact and it performs very well in all my rifles. Edit: I use the 4.52 size

rawhide · Member

with the jsb pellet my gun likes around 8.0 to 8.4 grains. at 25 yards if I do my part I get touch groups at 40 1/2 inch. plus it sounds like your gun is farly new. so I want to ask how many shots did you put thruogh it? some times it takes 100-500 shots to settle in. just my 2 cents worth. oh also try the rws super domed! my quest loves them!!!!

Engineer · Member

Engineer · Member

I got a little time this Father’s Day to try some shots longer than 10 yards with various pellets. I found the JBS Diabolo Heavy pellets are giving me the best groups. I actually had some 5 shot groups at 30yrd that could be covered with dime. The Crosman Premier HP weren’t too bad. The Diabolo Express did ok but shoot about 1.5” left of the Heavy pellets. I did not have time to try barrel weights with different pellets but I hope to do some more testing in two weeks. After about 100 shots I was starting to have difficulty holding on target without the use of a rest. Thanks again to everyone for the help and suggestions.

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

Lot of good info here! I know about the holding problem. Looks like bob has somebody to work with now instead of people like me who has most of it going over his head. lol I understand bout the springers getting heavy part. My beeman weighs more than my 30.06. Cool

Alstone · Moderator & Site Supporter

I would concentrate on domed pellets the RSW super dome would be a good start, pointed , hollow or flat pellets tend to be a bit erratic until you find one that suits you gun, where as domed pellets tend to be more stable.

So try the domed pellets and once you get that sorted go on to the pointed, hollow or whatever, at least then you will have a stable pellet to fall back on until you find what suites your gun.

Al

oddtodd · Silver Status Member

I've had good luck with the crosman hollowpoints at walmart. they have a domed head with a little tiny hole in the front. I know they are more accurate than the pointed pellets. I've verified this at 25 yards. The pointed had a 2.5 diameter group out of 5 shots, and the hollow points had a 1.00 group. I will use these for anything now, at least in my guns.