Does a new air rifle get more accurate with use?

Hi, forgive the stupid question...but does an air rifle get more accurate once its had a bit of use, say 100 pellets or so through it?

Reason being I have just bought one of those Benjamin Varmints .22 (Crosman) on sale, as an extra for rat shooting.

Have put over 50 Accu Pell pellets though it, but still the grouping is the size of a large grapefruit..in other words I may as well throw Bananas at the rats. About 15 yards distance.

Is this normal? Or is it the rubbish CentrePoint scope, basic as hell with no AO etc causing issues? My last Stoeger was much more accurate, although it had a quality scope with AO etc fitted to it.

I'm supporting the rifle on a stool, so no movement.

Seems to have the same power as the Stoeger A30, and quieter I reckon. Nice air rifle to use.

Am I being too hasty, should I put another hundred pellets through it before I expect to sort out accuracy?

Thanks guys.

Could be worth trying different pellets first? Lighter/heavier/different brand. Might find one that suits the barrel better..

With every rifle I bought I'd have a cold sweat moment:

"Have I bought a lemon? this thing shoots like rubbish"

Then I realised that it was just me getting used to the rifle.

Air rifles are said to be really tough on scopes, so if you have a rubbish setup on top, you'll likely get rubbish results.

Yup - try another sort of pellet. Check all the scope screws are done up correctly (but don't "ham-fist" them to stripping point)

Tighten scope.
Clean your barrel.
Try other pellets.

Thanks guys
Scope tight, but it is a rubbish one, actually one on TradeMe right now with torch and laser off same gun, guy probably had problems like me.
Tried Barracuda Hunter Extreme 19grain, worse than the 14grain Accu Pell. Maybe the barracudas are meant for PCP?
I'll give it a rest and try again later, maybe when I don't feel like shoving the gun up the sellers ar#e, I'll be more accurate....
Will buy a different pellet during the week too, when I get to H&F. The Stoeger X hunt were brilliant in my Stoeger, will try them. Pointed, but will still kill a rat!

Does your springer have open sights? Why not just get super proficient with them instead?

A spring piston air rifle recoils both backwards and side to side (unlike a firearm) from what I know, and this can place undue stress on a scope. Spending the extra money on a specialized scope designed for airguns may not be worth it.

Practicing shooting your air rifle with open sights, off-hand, will allow you to grow a lot more as a marksman (in my opinion). That would be utilizing your airgun to your full advantage. If you've got an opportunity to practice shooting cheaply, then I reckon it's worth challenging yourself as much as possible!

That's what I would do, anyway. I'd love to get another airgun sometime down the line. Good fun.

apparently some of the gruntier new air rifles do take a few hundred or more pellets to settle down and burn whats left of the oil out of the barrel.
But yes try other pellets. Just like a 22rf. it will like some way more than another.

Apparently its a nitro piston, no spring? And it has no sights at all, just the rail for the scope.

https://www.huntingandfishing.co.nz/...r-pack-22.html but I paid $370 for mine new online.

Just put another 100 or so pellets through it, but it is no better.

I'll just keep throwing pellets through it for now, just in case. Will get some different pellets during the week too.

Should have bought a dearer one I guess, but at the moment can't justify $700 plus for rats. Fingers crossed it gets better, or its a $370 ornament.

Attachment 111631

Here's an amazon review.

The 2 good reviews I read said the trigger needed to be replaced with something better to make the thing hum.

https://airgunmaniac.com/benjamin-va...-scope-review/

nikko stirling make airgun rated scopes called air king they are good for the money I run 2 1 on my 222 and one on a 22 hornet hunting and outdoor supplies has them

I have a Crosman nitro .22 started to shoot better after 1000 or more pellets. Did the trigger mod and dumped the Centre Point scope. Very fussy about pellet brand and weight. Now shoots 1 inch or better at 30 yds which is a head shot and dead rabbit.

Cheers guys for all that info, makes me feel better about it.
Gets a pretty good review, and yep I hate the trigger, if it was smoother it would help, but I'm a novice with guns so wouldn't be brave enough to pull it apart to replace it.

Yeah I'll be looking round at scopes I think, just looked at the Stoeger I gave my brother, that came with a 3-9X40 AO scope which I loved, will try to get something like that.
Scopeuout website has a few, plus I'll look at Outdoor Supplies.
I want to kill the rats as humanely as possible so want accuracy, I know they are scum but I despise cruelty.

Will have to invest in a "borestring" thing to clean out the bore, should I spray WD40 etc BEFORE I clean it, or don't add anything?
Thanks again guys, appreciate your advice on this, feel dumb being a novice, but hey...everyone starts somewhere!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altair

everyone starts somewhere!

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We all started out as lousy shots, knowing nothing.

Except for me, I'm perfect. :)

The other thing to say about triggers is that sometimes they lighten up with use .

The one on my AR 15 did, the one on my Marlin 795 did as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by northdude

nikko stirling make airgun rated scopes called air king they are good for the money I run 2 1 on my 222 and one on a 22 hornet hunting and outdoor supplies has them

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+1, they are really good on a 22 semi too.

I have an old Crossman springer with a cheap GC scope on and that has survived many thousands of rounds too.

One of my favourite air rifles is a little Cannon 737 multi pump (Copy of a Sharp Innova) from Youngs. It's a bit slow and fiddly to operate but reasonably accurate and topped with a Nikko Stirling for about $350 all up. Great for head shooting pigeons at 30m.

When I had a working springer I had pretty bad open groups. I found this technique improved my groups a fair bit
https://www.pyramydair.com/article/T...d_June_2009/63

With piston airguns, it is said that they improve after a couple of hundred pellets; the hold can make a difference; pellet preference can occur.

But a grapefruit at 15m is beyond any of those. It has to be something gross, like a broken sight, loose/bent part or broken piston (eg by dry firing).

Suggestions:
try shooting a 22LR alternating with the airgun and you will soon see if its you or the gun.
Try another sight and set of mounts.
Shoot sitting without a rest if you're a reasonably good shot. This is the standard position for airguns and the easiest to shoot well. Don't use a rest for testing, specially not something hard.
Go on the NZ airgun forum. Several members are on here too. Quite likely there's someone living nearby who could lend you a scope for half an hour to prove that's the problem.

The Airgun market is so competitive you really do get what you pay for. If every 400 dollar guns are "extremely accurate" as some of their very enthusiastic owners would say in reviews, there would be no market for the $1000 plus guns. Yet the fact is these $1000+ guns have reputation of well worth their money.

My view on non-pcp airgun is that go for better accuracy before go for higher power. if you can get a super accurate, competition grader 600 FPS .177 for the same money as a 1000 FPS .22 Gamo or Crosman or Hatsun or Benjamin, get the 600 fps 177. it is better that you hit the rat than miss.

Also expensive non-pcp airguns tend to hold their value well (if you look after it). These Anschutz Super air 2001 are pretty old but still sold for 600 dollars. Air Arms TX200 MK3 has been around for 7 or 8 years now, I have never seen one go below 600 dollars.

Cheers guys. As for expensive air rifles I can't justify that right now, maybe one day though. A cheaper one will be good for me to get experience with.

I found and bought a Nikko Stirling Mountmaster 3-9x40AO online at a shop for $99 on sale, usually seem to be around $170 or so, so hopefully that will make a difference, and a boresnake as well.

Got a tin of Gamo Pro Magnum pellets today to fire them through for more use...don't like Gamo pellets really, but H&F only had these, or some cheapo crap brand..gone out of selling H&N apparently. These Gamos do look really smooth and shiny though.

Fingers crossed!

I'll be interested to hear how you got on.

I always found pointy pellets to be pretty inaccurate in my springer, but it loved the cheap domed jobs.

I just used target pellets fir small birds and rats in mine

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altair

Cheers guys. As for expensive air rifles I can't justify that right now, maybe one day though. A cheaper one will be good for me to get experience with.

I found and bought a Nikko Stirling Mountmaster 3-9x40AO online at a shop for $99 on sale, usually seem to be around $170 or so, so hopefully that will make a difference, and a boresnake as well.

Got a tin of Gamo Pro Magnum pellets today to fire them through for more use...don't like Gamo pellets really, but H&F only had these, or some cheapo crap brand..gone out of selling H&N apparently. These Gamos do look really smooth and shiny though.

Fingers crossed!

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Avoid the Gamo pellets, utter rubbish. Stick with trying the different range from H&N or JSB. Its probably going to take 500-1000 pellets to let it really wear in nicely, even being a gas rammer, there are a lot of moving parts in these and the finish quality inside them generally isn't very good so wearing them in will help to deburr and polish sliding surfaces etc.

And like others have said don't rest the rifle, most springers hate it! Google springer shooting technique and find out what works best for you.

Well heaps better with the Nikko Stirling scope on, at least I can see through that! Have only been shooting it around my brothers property on the farm, and have got high tech and used V bottle tops for targets, hitting them centrally every time from about 20 metres.
What I can't believe is how crappy the Gamo pellets I bought are! Couldn't hit the G-spot on a 500 pound pussy from half a metre away with those..go all over the place. I had a Gamo air rifle years ago that was a pig, and this is the second tin of pellets from Gamo that have been crap as well. That's all H&F had at the time. The Accu-pell are much, much better.
Seems a nice enough air rifle for the money, nice to shoot, easy to cock, and has the same sort of power as the Stoeger, certainly way more than enough for rats. Maybe in a year or so I'll invest in a Diana or something fancy, but not now.
Thanks guys for all your help and advice, I think it's sorted well enough for Rats now..I'm going out tonight armed with Peanut Butter to smear on a few areas, hopefully I get a few of the buggers.

its quite good to get out with the air rifle once and a while must drag mine out again

Have a look at some airgun ratting vids on you tube, especially the British ones. Might be a few ideas in there.

mines a bit to grunty for rats in town unless I dial it back more possums and rabbits as its set up real nice now

I’ve had a good run with Hawke scopes on air guns. Also, learn the artillery hold.

shot thousands of rats with air rifles years ago...... flat pellets were best of all,domed were nearly as good,pointed not so good....the pointed ones went straight through wereas the others POPPED the little huas..... cheap waisted air rifle pellets are the bizo in my reasonably powerful airgun and were the same in a workmates he couldnt get to shoot with lightweight ones..... recoil is real,you NEED to hang on to a springer.... shop around,local sports shop/hardware store "couldnt get any in" the other one down the road had them in stock,couple of different shapes and cheap..really cheap...starlings and blackbirds on back lawn at 5-15 yards in big trouble with open sights.

Yeah I'm finding the domed pellets, even the H&N Barracuda heavier, flatter pellets are going right through the rats. But..it's killing them. Must do a fair whack of damage in the chest. Got one head on the other night, poor bugger took a second shot to kill, can't figure that one out. The pellets are going through a paint tin then through a sheet of galv iron as well so seem to have reasonable power for a gas ram.
So, does anyone know if rats will eat, or remove a shot rat? Also tried the Peanut butter and nothing..but chuck a slice of fresh bread out and they go crazy over that, have to put small mesh over it or the little buggers run off with it.
Think I've found my new obsession...lol..now to try and get the red light setup just right so the don't see it...

flat pellets are the go.... the frontal area creates the shock.
we used to sit on ground behind a chair...like school chair with light turned off as we reloaded (diana side lever or wairach break open) when loaded would rest rifle across back of rifle and turn on torch,shoot rat,turn off light and repeat...over n over again.

bluebird rashuns should suck them in even faster...try hanging them just out of reach.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

flat pellets are the go.... the frontal area creates the shock.
we used to sit on ground behind a chair...like school chair with light turned off as we reloaded (diana side lever or wairach break open) when loaded would rest rifle across back of rifle and turn on torch,shoot rat,turn off light and repeat...over n over again.

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Even better, turn the pellets round so they fly skirt first. SLAP!!! Maximum pellet energy drop into target. And still surprisingly accurate, they are very short so the rifling stabilises them just fine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altair

Cheers guys for all that info, makes me feel better about it.
Gets a pretty good review, and yep I hate the trigger, if it was smoother it would help, but I'm a novice with guns so wouldn't be brave enough to pull it apart to replace it.

Yeah I'll be looking round at scopes I think, just looked at the Stoeger I gave my brother, that came with a 3-9X40 AO scope which I loved, will try to get something like that.
Scopeuout website has a few, plus I'll look at Outdoor Supplies.
I want to kill the rats as humanely as possible so want accuracy, I know they are scum but I despise cruelty.

Will have to invest in a "borestring" thing to clean out the bore, should I spray WD40 etc BEFORE I clean it, or don't add anything?
Thanks again guys, appreciate your advice on this, feel dumb being a novice, but hey...everyone starts somewhere!

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Nothing dumb in asking questions mate.