Quote Originally Posted by bozzer View Post
I keep asking for someone to do this but I'll probably have to do it myself. Take one of my 77's. Put in basic internals. Shoot groups at a range and maybe do it in a variety of body positions. Then swap the internals for a set of fully tuned ones and, despite the probable smoother cocking/shooting cycle, see what the actual real life difference is on the targets. I've had basic rifles, and certainly basic home 'polished' ones, doing 18mm at 45 yards and an inch at 55 yards rested. How much better than that do you need, especially when trying to shoot standing or kneeling the groups open right up and wind drifts the pellets up to several inches. Always seemed to me that learning technique and wind was far more important than spending money trying to make a 18mm group 16mm at 45 yards.
Agree 100%. I'm starting to think the main value of tuning, beyond a minimum level of making the rifle shoot consistently, is in the mind. I don't just mean the placebo effect, although that is likely to play a part if you've paid £lots for the latest and greatest tune, or (possibly even more so) if you've put your own effort and skills in to a great tune.

If tuning makes the shot cycle more pleasant, you enjoy shooting it more, so you are more inclined to put the effort into making each shot the best. Also the more you enjoy shooting it, the more you will shoot it, the more you learn it. If results improve then you enjoy it even more... a positive feedback cycle. Conversely, if it feels unpleasant in any way, you can be put off from making the best shot you can, and results deteriorate --> negative feedback cycle.