Air Gun Home :: View topic - break barrel rifles: accuracy and reliability...

viper2788 · Member

i just recently bought a crosman nitro piston .22 rifle and im starting to have slight suspicions regarding its accuracy after many shots. ive read all good reviews about break barrels in general so i decided to purchase one. also the fact that they sell $500+ nitro piston rifles further assured me about their reliability. however, ive always been just a tad bit skeptical of the moving barrel keeping aligned shot after shot enough for target distances 50+yards away. have they really perfected break barrel technology?

well i went shooting my gun(nitro venom) this past weekend with 2 of my buddies, each taking turns shooting - all decent shots. when zeroed in, we were all consistently hitting a coke can from 50 yrs. however, after about 20-30 shots or so, we would all start missing, having to tweak a little to zero in again. thing is, sometimes the gun gets banged up a bit. never dropped or such shock, but the inevitable minor bumps here and there... that and my paul bunyon lookin buddy doesnt seem to go too easy on the cocking sometimes, sorta banging it back into place instead of gently doing so. am im being paranoid?

im aware it may be the scope thats going out of focus, but im curious about the barrel more than anything right now... its something i cant change! anyway, im currently using the scope it came with which also had decent reviews. its a center point 3-9x32, properly mounted and tightly screwed(no loctite used). heres a google image:

the scope never got banged or impacted at all during our last session so im hoping the mounts are good(also good reviews!). well, this is my first break barrel gun as well as my first time using a scope so please throw me some knowledge Wink

thanks in advance, fellas.

SMP · Silver Status Member

I wouldnt be concerned. If you can reliably hit a pop can at 50 yds everything is fine.

One of the things that break barrels/springers are famous for is that they are incredibly fussy. However it's also that fussiness that will make you a better shooter in general.

Break barrels will shift poi as they warm up or cool down

they will shift their poi if they suddenly go from shade to sun

If you change your hold even a tiny tiny bit they will shift. I have proven that even removing a finger is enough and won a $20 bet doing it.

And of course they will shift as you change ammo.

Try to do everything exactly the same way every time....and I mean everything. Close the barrel briskly with the same pressure everytime.

test lots of different pellets until you find one that is the most consistent.

when your bench shooting try to set up the rifle with your hands in the same place they would be if you were standing.

HTH

AirGunEric · Site Admin

While I can't address the specific issue here without the rifle in hand, I would agree with SMP.

Essentially, springers (which is essentially what an NP rifle is) are fussy buggers- and if a "challenge" is not your cup of tea (the reward being that once you can accommodate a springer effectively, you can shoot anything more accurately)- no springer will do it for you.

Is it possible your breech block bushings aren't perfect, causing the occasional shift in position? Sure. Is it likely if it only occurs only every 50 shots? Not so much.

Try and different pellet as well and see how this affects the situation.

Nightshade · Member

Springers ,and break barrels in particular, are not my cup o tea due to the inherent design/assembly errors that can't be designed 100% out of the guns.

I prefer pump since there is no break in the pellet path at all.

SMP · Silver Status Member

Jr. Squirreler · Veteran Member

I own the Nitro Venom Dusk myself, and I must say it is a good Air rifle. However, past about 35 Yards, I have found the Accuracy drops. You may be a little paranoid, LOL, I dont think tiny nudges will do anything too serious.

With me being Sponsored by Crosman, they even told me the accuracy lacks a tad bit. However, they still shoot Accurate enough not really to notice.

domer_pyle · Senior Member

SMP · Silver Status Member

Yes... technically they may be a design limitation but referring to that as an error is completely incorrect. No one made a mistake.

In fact if you approach it from the stand point of simplicity. minimal moving parts, robustness and price appeal it becomes a design feature.

Nightshade · Member

SMP · Silver Status Member

Again...that is a limitation not an error

domer_pyle · Senior Member

I'm not gonna lie, though I love PCP's cause I can do w/e I want and still hit the target, springers and especially breakbarrels win me every time. SMP said it, simplicity and price is what they deliver. My XL stacks almost every pellet at 30 ish yardsI've tried, my Genesis made more than her fair share of incredible shots, some at considerable distance, my Quest is a track driver with Barracudas @ 820-something average, my TF-89's are a bit hold sensitive but holy 5#!7 can they pile them onto each other!

Anyone that says breaks aren't accurate because of design issues might need to try more ammo or practice more because I've never had a problem with any I've handled

Slavia · Moderator

I think the skill required to shoot any springer well overshadows the barrel pivot issue (which can be adjusted to compensate in many cases).

I'm going now to pose the question to my B3 and my Slavia 631.

RVTMaverick · Member

Hey viper,

Keep us posted to how it goes for you and getting her figured out.. Wink

I bought my 1st every AIR Rifle just acouple months ago now and I am tickeled pink with how Beautiful this thing shoots!

FWIW & or FYI: YOU wrote this
"This scope it came with which also had decent reviews. its a center point 3-9x32, properly mounted and tightly screwed"
This grabbed my attention, "tightly screwed" "

I just want to Tell you, IF You OVER Tighten the "Scope Clamping screw" this could very well be Part of your problem....?

FYI: When I am shooting my "Break Barrel Air Rifle" in my backyard the average distance is 120' to 130' and IF I am more then 2" off my target of what I am aiming at... I'm very surprised because this is unusual! Wink

One last thing, just like powder guns... when you have dialed in your scope with 1 kind of ammo.... once you start shooting another kind of ammo, especially when the Bullet weight is different>>> your scope will need some readjusting.

I Hope this Helps,

Peace Jeff

donwalk · Veteran Member

my NP barrel pivot constantly worked loose...loctite blue...no problem now

viper2788 · Member

thanks for your inputs, guys! ive had a few more sessions since i made this thread, and ive come to a few conclusions:

-i had the scope zeroed in at 50 yds. after some research, i realized this doesnt mean everything 50yds and below will be zeroed.

-i can assure you the mount screws are "properly" secured and tightened. i went around tightening little by little to ensure a secure fit, as if i was putting an engine head together. i dont believe in loctite, this should hold up theoretically.

-im convinced that the scope DOES slowly lose its zero.. not really noticeable at 20-30yds, but its a hit or miss at 50yds. again, this happens at around 20-40 shots after having it zeroed.

-shooting position is important! we've been using this Y shaped tree as a rifle rest, but its really not a comfortable position... esp with the heavy stock trigger. gonna make a bench or shoot lying down from now on.

so yea there were a number of different factors that hindered my accuracy. besides the little things ive learned, i just ordered the GRT-III trigger along with a centerpoint 4-16x44 scope. i'll see what this does for me and i'll keep you guys posted on progress.

my ultimate goal here is to get my crosman venom($160) performing like those $500+ air rifles(as others have said before) with just the right modifications. the barrel, the locking mechanism and the power plant seem to be SOLID... need to get the rest of the gun on par