Maybe I was too optimistic for my Taipan .177 Standard accuracy?

I wanted a new .177 for small pests in my garden. My garden is 40 yards to the center. I have a Taipan .22 and .25 but they are overkill and overpower for some of the small nuisances needing to be "controlled". My other Taipans are super accurate so I ordered a new Taipan .177 from UTAH AIRGUNS. I got an Element Helix 6-24x50 SFP scope. I spent 3 days using JSB 7.3, 8.4 and 10.34 pellets at every speed from 750fps to 1060fps and I could never get sub 1" groups at 40 yards. Needless to say, that would be hit or miss for most small pests in the garden.

So, I sent the rifle back to UTAH AIRGUNS and they cleaned and tested it at 35 yards and appeared to get a little better groups than I was getting at 40 yards. They returned the rifle saying it was fine. I tried again today and I still get a 1 and 1/8" group at 40 yards with little to no wind. I don't want to shoot heavier pellets because that defeats the purpose of the .177.

Was I overly optimistic in thinking that I could get the same or close to the same accuracy with the .177 as I do with my .22 and .25? If not, could someone please give me some help on where to go from here?
 
Bummer . . . . I shoot AA and/or JSB 10.3's @ . . . 890'ish (I think) and it's stupid accurate. Have you tried giving the barrel a good thorough cleaning? Clipping maybe @the baffles in the shroud? Checked to make sure everything is snug - ie; nothing loose or not tightened. I've got a .22 long that is a laser with H&N 23g slugs ( .217's ) and the .177 (standard) per my opening sentence.
 
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I have .177 springers that group 3/4" or better at 50yds pretty consistently when wind isn't a huge factor. I would not be at all happy with what you're getting and have a very hard time believing that is the best it can do. How big were the groups Utah Airguns said they were getting? What pellets were they using?
They were getting 3/4" groups at 35yds indoors shooting JSB .177 10 gr pellets at 890-897. I can't shoot indoors and 35 yards is too short for my needs. I'm really frustrated. They are of the opinion that the rifle is OK and I'm the problem. They could be right but I'm having no problem with my other Taipans.
 
Bummer . . . . I shoot AA and/or JSB 10.3's @ . . . 890'ish (I think) and it's stupid accurate. Have you tried giving the barrel a good thorough cleaning? Clipping maybe @the baffles in the shroud? Checked to make sure everything is snug - ie; nothing loose or not tightened. I've got a .22 long that is a laser with H&N 23g slugs ( .217's ) and the .177 (standard) per my opening sentence.
I tried all of that and supposedly so did they after I sent it back. I'm very frustrated and disappointed. I thought the days of struggling with an airgun's accuracy were over when I started buying Taipans!
 
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in my personal .177 Vet, 10.3's are my go too at @ 910 ish. Shooting 8.4 JSB's at same settings there a tad above 1000 and shoot like a lighting bolt and damn accurate inside 50. Absolutely shocked a light & fragile 8.4 could be pushed that fast !!! They do spiral tho when shot further out & only exhibit this astounding accuracy at closer distances.
 
I had to lower the reg pressure on my .177 standard, to get improved accuracy.
Seems like the max speed on your gun is similiar to mine from factory (since you can shoot a 10 grain pellet over 1000 fps). A "standard" tune where your gun max speed is around 900-920 may be better. And then adjust hammer to get it shooting anywhere in the 800 fps range, with the 10 grain pellet.
 
I would approach this the same way I approach any accuracy issue:

Chrony the gun with whatever pellets shoot best. If the SD is alright, and the power is in a reasonable range, then proceed. If either of these is out then fix that before proceeding.

Pull the barrel off, look through it for any rough spots or lead streaking or anything weird. Inspect the crown for concentricity and clean machining. Roll the barrel on the corner of a table or something and watch the crown and make sure it's even. Also check the shroud/silencer for any clipping or misalignment issues. Sight through the bore from breech throughout the shroud and make sure it all looks concentric.

Now the big one: Push a pellet through the bore with a rod, and see how it feels.

Is it snug enough to offer some resistance? Good.
Is that resistance even throughout, with a slight restriction at the bore? Excellent.

Does the bore seem to loosen up towards the muzzle, and particularly where the barrel is turned down for any kind of threading? Or is there a lack of any kind of choke? BAD (This is where I'm betting my money based on how you say the gun is acting)


My guess is that if the scope is tight and the barrel and action are rigid as they should be, one of the things above will prove to be the problem. Your accuracy seems to be consistent, just not to the level it should be. That makes me think the powerplant is doing it's job and things are snug and mounted correctly. Also, Utah Airguns probably already checked all the things except "feeling" the bore.
 
Granted JSB pellets usually work well in most guns but maybe not yours. I think you should try some H&N options before you give up. The 9gr FTT comes in 4.50, 4.51 and 4.52mm head size. The 10gr Barracuda Match comes in 4.50mm and 4.52mm.

A good example would be my .177 Alpha Wolf. Absolutely hates: JSB 8.4, 10.43, 13.43 (regular and redesign), Howlers, NSA 12.5, NSA 15. But it loves H&N 10gr in 4.50mm head size and JSB 16gr Beasts.

I wouldn't give up yet until you try a few brands of pellets.
 
I would approach this the same way I approach any accuracy issue:

Chrony the gun with whatever pellets shoot best. If the SD is alright, and the power is in a reasonable range, then proceed. If either of these is out then fix that before proceeding.

Pull the barrel off, look through it for any rough spots or lead streaking or anything weird. Inspect the crown for concentricity and clean machining. Roll the barrel on the corner of a table or something and watch the crown and make sure it's even. Also check the shroud/silencer for any clipping or misalignment issues. Sight through the bore from breech throughout the shroud and make sure it all looks concentric.

Now the big one: Push a pellet through the bore with a rod, and see how it feels.

Is it snug enough to offer some resistance? Good.
Is that resistance even throughout, with a slight restriction at the bore? Excellent.

Does the bore seem to loosen up towards the muzzle, and particularly where the barrel is turned down for any kind of threading? Or is there a lack of any kind of choke? BAD (This is where I'm betting my money based on how you say the gun is acting)


My guess is that if the scope is tight and the barrel and action are rigid as they should be, one of the things above will prove to be the problem. Your accuracy seems to be consistent, just not to the level it should be. That makes me think the powerplant is doing it's job and things are snug and mounted correctly. Also, Utah Airguns probably already checked all the things except "feeling" the bore.
Thanks for the in depth info. I'm not sure my skill level is up to this challenge but I will probably give it a go. Here's a string I shot before I sent the rifle to UTAH AIRGUNS.
Test 1B.png