Thread: Does a new air rifle get more accurate with use?

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.

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

+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

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!

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.