No worries, I really am not trying to be a dick
I completely get it. If you ask me am I going to lop off the choke on that you're going to get an unsurprising NO
. I wouldn't even let Phil clean up the area outside the crown, it's still got the rough end cut on it. What floats my boat is accuracy and precision.
I think it's a question of expectations, and I think this is where it gets a little tricky. I'm happy with that group, its a benchmark. And if the gun can't do it, then I'm not. That can be down to a barrel load of factors, but its my benchmark so that is what I'm always trying to maintain. I or it doesn't always manage that. But that's what I'm looking not to lose the ability to do.
That's what I was trying to clumsily get to.
If your benchmark is shooting 2" groups at 30 yds then that's your expectation. Could unchoking ruin that? I don't know, but I'd say its unlikely (as a complete guess). So the answer to
that example is no it doesn't, where as in my example I wouldn't like to risk it, and I'm not even convinced the next barrel that's machined up will be as good (based upon the fact I tested 2 at the time).
But there's nothing in having different expectations. Quite frankly I see a range of group sizes down the club and but I also see a similar amount of smiles across them, which is what counts. What is better? A long HW80 with a loud barrel that never gets shot and enjoyed or one that looks sweet with a silencer that gets enjoyed week after week? I think the latter.
But I think there's a lot of untapped potential in every day airguns and I think if that's explored then some of the answers may be a little different. Shooting down the club indoors I see some truly shocking groups that aren't the fault of the shooter, but normally the pellets and secondly things like scopes being pa'd to 100yds or silencers stuffed with cotton wool etc, real basic stuff. I think it's easy for things to be camouflaged by that.
Reckon it needs a proper test to sort it out. Just need the time really.