Barrel "Conditioning".

[Hsing-ee]

Is this true of springers as well as PCPs?

[u.k.neil]

Is this true of springers as well as PCPs?

I don't know the definitive answer to this, but it is true for PCP's and rimfires, so there is every chance it is the same for springers.

Neil

[Shed tuner]

Is this true of springers as well as PCPs?

Definately. I've a couple of highly tuned TXs that shoot like shotguns for the first dozen or so shots after a good barrel clean (which I never normally do for partly this reason), and takes another 20 to get really good again. With some particularly highly polished bores (career) it is far less pronounced. Polishing with JB can also help.

[BeerJam]

This thread saved me from going mad, thank you Neil.

I had done some tuning work on my .22 QB78DL and decided to shorten the barrel as well.

Previously this rifle had shot very respectable groups but after shortening and recrowning the barrel it was all over the place. I skimmed and recrowned three more times , and tried various different pellets, all to no avail.

Then I read this thread. I thoroughly cleaned the barrel (never, ever having been cleaned before ). I even used the brass wire brush from a Bisley cleaning kit. The filth that came out was shocking. This was followed by pull through patches treated with Youngs "303" oil (just happened to be what the gunshop had in stock).

Next I put 20 RWS Superdomes through it before trying to zero.

I could not believe the difference. Better grouping than ever.

Thanks again Neil for some superb advice.

Cheers, Mark.

[u.k.neil]

This thread saved me from going mad, thank you Neil.

I had done some tuning work on my .22 QB78DL and decided to shorten the barrel as well.

Previously this rifle had shot very respectable groups but after shortening and recrowning the barrel it was all over the place. I skimmed and recrowned three more times , and tried various different pellets, all to no avail.

Then I read this thread. I thoroughly cleaned the barrel (never, ever having been cleaned before ). I even used the brass wire brush from a Bisley cleaning kit. The filth that came out was shocking. This was followed by pull through patches treated with Youngs "303" oil (just happened to be what the gunshop had in stock).

Next I put 20 RWS Superdomes through it before trying to zero.

I could not believe the difference. Better grouping than ever.

Thanks again Neil for some superb advice.

Cheers, Mark.

Glad it helped mate.....

Neil

[Linnet67]

I have just, this morning, shot 3 different types of pellets. My Tau7 Co2 .177 pistol was stuck nicely into my workbench.

Shot outside at 10 metres


Pellets shot:
Match Kugeln
Match Finale
D/N Gecos, sized 4.51 & unsized (the unsized groups have probably done artificially well, as I didn't pick up one that needed a real thumb in, like they often do.

I shot one sort, shot the next etc without cleaning. Then I went thru them all again, cleaning the barrel just with a brass brush, between each sort.
The results speak from themselves!

By the way, I know you might think I need to shoot hundreds more here, to be scientific, but there's definately a pattern and I did shoot several sets of each, before and after, which I didn't include as they were pretty similar results - call this collection a summary.

THANKS NEIL

Any comments gang?
Linnet

[u.k.neil]

Well, I think these results speak for themselves, very graphic.......

What an improvement in grouping.

Neil

[Mike95]

The CZ factory handbook recommends barrel cleaning every 250 shots for the S200 and I assume all PCP's need regular cleaning presumably because of pellet build up? I nearly caused a riot at my club when I suggested barrel cleaning, but I must admit I have not cleaned barrels on any of my springers unless I am stripping them. I confess to sitting before a bench with six different brands of pellets and checking to see if the 50 year old Webley/BSA barrel will group better with one pellet than with another! One major problem we all know about is the 50 year old .22 barrel and the modern 5.5mm pellet...now I have to worry about barrel conditioning!


Many thanks for the tip..I will get out the cleaning pull tomorrow.

Mike95

[brunowapples]

Got a bsa r10 and tried allsorts of pellets and found the only thing it would group were bisley mags but now after about 1500 pellets is starting to settle down with aa field after cleaning the barrel with a bisley cleaning kit

so it definatly did help cleaning the barrel

paul

[logician]

Another vote for this thread

[trollyman]

Just wanted to say this thread has saved my sanity. Stripper down my 2250 last weekend re-crowned barrel and cleaned out bore. Expected to get really good groups when firing again only to find my first 40 or so shots were all over. I was thinking I must have bu**erd up the crown. Read this article. Shot another 30 or so pellets and the grouping has now come back. Although I have swapped from Crosman Premier to RWS superdome.
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed that every so often the Premier seem to just have one shot that goes off, or is it just me.

[Vonnegut]

Got a bsa r10 and tried allsorts of pellets and found the only thing it would group were bisley mags but now after about 1500 pellets is starting to settle down with aa field after cleaning the barrel with a bisley cleaning kit

so it definatly did help cleaning the barrel

paul

I have had a few 'pellet fussy' rifles, and everytime, the only pellets thay would shoot with any acceptable tightness of groups has been Bis mags.

I have also seen other people state they have rifles that only shoot bis mags well!


What is is about these pellets?!!!

Maybe we should start saying which pellets are barrell fussy??!! as bis mags appear not to be

[keithy]

Got a bsa r10 and tried allsorts of pellets and found the only thing it would group were bisley mags but now after about 1500 pellets is starting to settle down with aa field after cleaning the barrel with a bisley cleaning kit

so it definatly did help cleaning the barrel

paul

I cleaned my r10 barrel before firing a shot and the pull through came out pitch black! They seem to have a protective grease? sprayed down the barrels.

Also dont try a couple of different pellets from your mates at the range it ruins your zero for at least 20 shots (in my HW100) some pellets are harder than others and will strip the lead out of your barrel and you will have to re lead yet again.

[Digi]

I always clean the barrels of all my rifles after about 300 shots, sometimes sooner, I then need around 10 pellets put through to settle the gun as you say Neil. Some people think I overdo the cleaning, but I find it works for me, in fact I definitely get better groupings when the barrel is clean.

I also clean and lube all my pellets that I am using for zeroing or hunting/competitions. I could maybe not do this now as the quality of the best pellets is very good, but I started doing this process years ago and it works for me.

[Kerry89]

Thank you.

Very helpful