let's talk about accuracy

[TRS1]

What hold do you use?

I may be gripping too tight.

[LESS THAN FORTUITOUS KENNETH]

I may be gripping too tight.

Yeah. You really need to let it have it's head.

[Amac]

I think that most of us who have been shooting air power for a considerable amount of time would agree that it is far easier to nail a target with a PCP than it is with a springer. I suppose because I associate myself with other regular and keen shots that I am used to seeing examples of very good shooting on a regular basis. As such, the descriptions provided in magazines of the levels of accuracy available are totally believable, and I think it is unfair for some readers to presume that findings are in any way fabricated.
Terry Doe for example was (and probably still is) an excellent former champion shot who is more than capable of producing genuine single pellet hole sized groups at long range when given the equipment and putting his mind to it. In my opinion, it is unfair for anybody to doubt his honesty and integrity.

Maybe due to a lack of experience, the original poster has failed to understand that many shooters are capable of producing amazing levels of accuracy, they just dont go on about it. Shooting long range live targets is not something that those more experienced shooters consider or practice. The reason for this is that due to risk of wounding, it is inhumane to "risk" a shot when the experienced shot will just try to get closer to the target.

The best place for anybody to prove to themselves that they can cut it regarding their own perceived level of accuracy is in competition. Only then will you experience just how far off what you considered your own expert levels of accuracy are compared to what is achievable by true marksmen. Unfortunately for most of us, this will be a long way off what is achievable by competition winners. Its not about risking the odd long range shot at a living creature, it is all about being aware of your own limitations and appreciating that being honest about your own capabilities will mean that long range shooting at living creatures is unsporting and cruel.

Sorry to sound like somebody telling us all what we already know, but it appears that some members need advising of the unwritten agreement that most of us subscribe to, namely that of leaving long range 45 yard plus targets to FAC airgun or rimfire users.

Andy

[krisko]

i think the original poster should have named it PRECISION not accuracy and this discussion would have been clearer. I see he mentioned that this is about PCPs and group sizes.

Basically if one clamped down the gun in a vise and the group size produced would be proportional to the precision of the said gun with that pellet combination used only. With the shooter ruled out - completely. Gun and ammo and nothing else. Shot indoors of course. No scope mounted at all.

we dont talk accuracy, which has more to do with the parallax error, shooter or the scope setup, wind etc etc

he is after inherent precision of the said pieces or different models of PCP. he knows how to tell a good one from a rubbish exemplar.


if you have a gun which would not group, out of 20 lets say 3-5 shot groups you can have few great very small groups (if you are lucky this is just statistics) and publish it everywhere on the web, dont forget to put your name next to it and the guns model/make.

BUTt if you have a good gun with excellent precision, that will be very good competition gun. Will hit the bullseye again and again repeatedly when the shooter does his part. Shoot 10 or more shot groups that is the right measure of precision.

a pcp should group a lot tighter than the target size at the set distance, or there is no point using it to measure the shooters capabilities. thats what competions are about or? Correct me if I am wrong.

Are the competitions about manufacturers models/makes these days or is it about the shot? Do guns get medals? but thats another discussion/story

I have to agree, the reviewers these days shoot some terrible groups and they point at the target stating, thats excellent. complete BS

my advice, after some bad personal experience:
if you acquire a new gun, clamp her down, do some pellet testing like that with quality brands - i know not exciting and all that, but if you cant find a decent pellet to group very tight, return the gun to the shop for a swap or money back.

[robs5230]

5 pages
I'm surprised the original post has baited so many folk.
We all know what modern air rifles are capable of when set up correctly, fed the correct diet, and shot from a rest under perfect conditions.
We all also know how that translates in the field with many other variables thrown into the mix, the biggest, as RW says, the shooter himself.
All my rifles are zeroed on a marked out range at varying distances and holdover / holdover recorded and tested until I find the pellet that groups most consistently.
I've never yet shot a group on any live quarry though.

[Phil G]

5 pages .

Go to General Settings
Scroll do to 'Number of Posts to Show Per Page' and set to 40 post per page

[ballisticboy]

i think the original poster should have named it PRECISION not accuracy and this discussion would have been clearer. I see he mentioned that this is about PCPs and group sizes.

I agree with every thing you have said in this post. Precision is the key, providing of course we do not use the US definition of precision. In the UK and Europe precision is the combination of group size and accuracy where as in the US it is the name given to group size. I cannot remember what the combination of group size and accuracy are called in the US. The one word which is defined the same in all countries is accuracy which is, as I stated previously, nothing to do with group size.

[Telephonepete]

In all the years i have been shooting I have only shot 1 genuine 5 pellet hole group. the distance was 30 yds and the gun was my hw100 kt and the pellet was bisley magnum .177. the target was a pellet hole. as the 5th pellet went through i couldnt believe it and i still have the group today. there was obviously an element of luck involved. i have never done it again but i have come close. if i can do five 1/4 inch groups on the trot in still conditions at 30yds with my 97 springer rested its a red letter day.

[Rog5]

In all the years i have been shooting I have only shot 1 genuine 5 pellet hole group. the distance was 30 yds and the gun was my hw100 kt and the pellet was bisley magnum .177. the target was a pellet hole. as the 5th pellet went through i couldnt believe it and i still have the group today. there was obviously an element of luck involved. i have never done it again but i have come close. if i can do five 1/4 inch groups on the trot in still conditions at 30yds with my 97 springer rested its a red letter day.

Or could be one pellet hole, and the rest could have missed completely. Hard to resist, sorry. Rog