I'm calling BullS×÷T on Artillery Hold

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I read OVER and OVER about the magical Artillery Hold and how it is a spring shooters ONLY way to get good accuracy. Alright guys see if you follow my thinking here . I don't think about the way I hold my toothbrush, my fork at the table , the steering wheel on my truck , or my Dingaling when I take a leak . I just go about my business and do it .What are the odds that if you Over think your shooting "hold" it not only is gonna be hard to repeat , but also kinda takes away from simple fun of shooting a springer..?.... .Not to mention impossible to repeat if you throw the gun up and decide to shoot at a crazed squirrel that has you cornered !! Some springers simply won't shoot straight . No tricky overly complicated" hold" is gonna make a difference. I hate that it's the truth , but it simply is . If you have pretty decent shooting technique your skills take over and you go on autopilot you don't over think it , you just shoot . ....... .My main shooting buddy and I have had MANY springers in every shape and size .We have banged our heads on the wall many times over a gun that simply is a junker . ... We haven't read this stuff , we've done this stuff .... We are by no means experts and I don't want to imply that at all . Just a couple of seasoned amateurs. But there is a formula for springers . It goes like this ....All else being equal ( good pellets , scope, barrel, shooting rest ) as power on a rifle goes up , if the weight of the rifle doesn't also increase then it becomes a scattergun.No hold will change that . There is a lot of violent fast poop happening when a spring rifle is fired . It's just the way they are . Don't get me wrong , it's not the brightest idea to strangle hold a springer with the force you would use strangling a drifter at Mardi gras. .. BUT On the other hand , You also don't need to hold it like it's a bomb that could go off at any moment and are afraid to touch it . A nice relaxed grip is easy to repeat , and if that won't make it shoot straight then try a different pellet . It's always worked for us :) And if you've tried everything else and it STILL won't shoot straight... Park that springer against the barn door...They make wonderful doorstops and they look cool doing it
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Now you done it. 😏 Where's that bag of popcorn this is going to be a long read.
 
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My calling bullpoop is on myself that I just can't really shoot them. I can't figure out how to zero them. I don't use them regularly so I can't remember how my thumb was exactly or how much pressure I had down with my cheek or shoulder. Even my light powered HW30 can go from hero to zero from one session to the next. My other springers are a Diana 54, Diana 56, FWB300s, Diana Model 6 Giss and a FWB65. Even the weighty Diana 56 with sledge has some twisting and jump effects. Them I can zero and shoot without some mystery of why my shots are off. 


 
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Over a year ago I tried the artillery hold after having no luck keeping zero with a cheap springer. I had no luck with the artillery hold either. It turns out, the lockup on my barrel was loose/junk. I later tried with a slightly better different air rifle, and immediately started off with the artillery hold. Shot placement was jumping around a bit, so I went ahead and just gripped it like I would one of my powder-burners, and viola, I hit a quarter-size group at 27 yards with the first 5-shot attempt. To each their own...

PT
 
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https://youtu.be/hU2cVea7ILw check out the difference in accurasy at 50m with the Norica marvic 2.0 luxe springer, he first shoot at 20m with different pellets and his hand resting on a bag and the rifle in his palm, then move out to 50m and do the same on some targets before he let the gun rest directly on the bag, BIG difference! He does his reviews in hindi/urdu, i don't understand that language but i enjoy his reviews anyway cause he shoot cool airguns, he also have some hunting/pesting so be warned about that, the channels name is 4 Hunters
 
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I have had springers from the HW30 to the British Webley Patriot. My current hardest hitter is the Diana 350 magnum.

I have fired tens of thousands of shots with springers.

My take on the artillery hold and other yoga positions; complete BS.

This whole thing of the artillery hold was promoted by some supposed 'airgun gurus'.

The human body is fairly rubbery / spongy and absorbs shock and vibration quite well. That is why I do hold my hand under a springer when shooting from a rest.






 
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My two deadly accurate spring guns, the HW97 and Walther LGU started showing signs of shotgun. At first I attributed it to the possibility that they needed a little TLC in that they got shot a lot and hadn't been refreshed in a while.

Before diving in, I did what just comes naturally. I cracked open a beer and just stood there staring at them and thinking before the alcohol hit the one remaining neuron in the brain.

Putting 2 and 87 (how many get that?), I got to thinking about how I shot those guns before dipping into the dark side. I held them with some authority against my shoulder while resting the stock at the balance point on the shooting bag. The PCP's didn't need that and the looser PCP holding method eventually transferred over to the spring guns. It became more of an artillery hold, loose and letting the guns bounce on their own.

Well, not with these two guns. They liked to be held snug up to the shoulder. Not white knuckle tight but just enough to show them the love they deserved.

Put the beer down after only one small sip and shouldered the guns like I used to. Back to a one hole group at 40 yards for both.

So with some, not all, but some spring guns, I too call Bull S.
 
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I've had high/overpowered springers like nitro venom that I never could shoot well. Sold because I couldn't figure it out.

I've have light low powered springers like hw30 that respond to some gentleness in hold but are light and tend to be sensitive. Great plinking practice. 

I've had high powered heavy springers like diana 48 that seem to shoot pretty good regardless of hold. Sold because I love the sledge style.

I've have sledge springers like diana 54/56 and especially fwb300s that shoot off a bag precisely. My diana 56 in stock 23 flt/lb configuration was having accuracy issues where I think the spring was too much for the range of the sledge system and it jumped around a lot. It's doing better with a maccari high power VRT tune kit. 

I recently got an LGU in 16 J configuration which shoots one hole groups with a light hold and hand under. The gun is heavy enough and not overpowered so that the difference between too tight a hold and a gentle hold is easy to see and easy to accomplish. Doing it well makes you feel "advanced". She's a keeper.

I have marauder PCPs which I've had to work on shooting well because of pellet sensitivity, hammer strike vibration and scope parallax. These guns have been more frustrating to shoot compared to something like the fwb300s which just keeps hitting paint balls at 20 yds easy peasy with whatever decent pellet you zero with.

I'm using a borrowed PCP LP300 which is pellet on pellet at 10m and when it's not a 10 it's you.
 
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JoeWayneRhea said:
I read OVER and OVER about the magical Artillery Hold and how it is a spring shooters ONLY way to get good accuracy. Alright guys see if you follow my thinking here . I don't think about the way I hold my toothbrush, my fork at the table , the steering wheel on my truck , or my Dingaling when I take a leak . I just go about my business and do it .What are the odds that if you Over think your shooting "hold" it not only is gonna be hard to repeat , but also kinda takes away from simple fun of shooting a springer..?.... .Not to mention impossible to repeat if you throw the gun up and decide to shoot at a crazed squirrel that has you cornered !! Some springers simply won't shoot straight . No tricky overly complicated" hold" is gonna make a difference. I hate that it's the truth , but it simply is . If you have pretty decent shooting technique your skills take over and you go on autopilot you don't over think it , you just shoot . ....... .My main shooting buddy and I have had MANY springers in every shape and size .We have banged our heads on the wall many times over a gun that simply is a junker . ... We haven't read this stuff , we've done this stuff .... We are by no means experts and I don't want to imply that at all . Just a couple of seasoned amateurs. But there is a formula for springers . It goes like this ....All else being equal ( good pellets , scope, barrel, shooting rest ) as power on a rifle goes up , if the weight of the rifle doesn't also increase then it becomes a scattergun.No hold will change that . There is a lot of violent fast poop happening when a spring rifle is fired . It's just the way they are . Don't get me wrong , it's not the brightest idea to strangle hold a springer with the force you would use strangling a drifter at Mardi gras. .. BUT On the other hand , You also don't need to hold it like it's a bomb that could go off at any moment and are afraid to touch it . A nice relaxed grip is easy to repeat , and if that won't make it shoot straight then try a different pellet . It's always worked for us :) And if you've tried everything else and it STILL won't shoot straight... Park that springer against the barn door...They make wonderful doorstops and they look cool doing it

View attachment 499
Click to expand...
I've never used it.
 
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JoeWayneRhea said:
I read OVER and OVER about the magical Artillery Hold and how it is a spring shooters ONLY way to get good accuracy. Alright guys see if you follow my thinking here . I don't think about the way I hold my toothbrush, my fork at the table , the steering wheel on my truck , or my Dingaling when I take a leak . I just go about my business and do it .What are the odds that if you Over think your shooting "hold" it not only is gonna be hard to repeat , but also kinda takes away from simple fun of shooting a springer..?.... .Not to mention impossible to repeat if you throw the gun up and decide to shoot at a crazed squirrel that has you cornered !! Some springers simply won't shoot straight . No tricky overly complicated" hold" is gonna make a difference. I hate that it's the truth , but it simply is . If you have pretty decent shooting technique your skills take over and you go on autopilot you don't over think it , you just shoot . ....... .My main shooting buddy and I have had MANY springers in every shape and size .We have banged our heads on the wall many times over a gun that simply is a junker . ... We haven't read this stuff , we've done this stuff .... We are by no means experts and I don't want to imply that at all . Just a couple of seasoned amateurs. But there is a formula for springers . It goes like this ....All else being equal ( good pellets , scope, barrel, shooting rest ) as power on a rifle goes up , if the weight of the rifle doesn't also increase then it becomes a scattergun.No hold will change that . There is a lot of violent fast poop happening when a spring rifle is fired . It's just the way they are . Don't get me wrong , it's not the brightest idea to strangle hold a springer with the force you would use strangling a drifter at Mardi gras. .. BUT On the other hand , You also don't need to hold it like it's a bomb that could go off at any moment and are afraid to touch it . A nice relaxed grip is easy to repeat , and if that won't make it shoot straight then try a different pellet . It's always worked for us :) And if you've tried everything else and it STILL won't shoot straight... Park that springer against the barn door...They make wonderful doorstops and they look cool doing it

View attachment 499
Click to expand...
It should be stated " the artillary hold" is a starting place and then modify your hold to suit the rifle. No two soringers like to be held exactly the same in my experience. But...new folks that have no clue where to start...the artillary hold..is a good place to start.
 
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I agree but the artillery hold is about letting a gun do what it does however I have found that I own 2 Gamo urban (I know pcp ) and one shoots great just letting it do it's thing but the second likes to be held just not to tight or group so to hell shooting any gun accurately takes practice as my pap said " beware of the man who carries a single shot rifle for he likely knows how to use it"
 
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When I first started shooting springers I don't believe that the artillery hold had come about or if it had wasn't very well known. I used the what I believe was the Marine rifle hold method of wrapping the sling around the left hand while holding the for stock and snug into the shoulder. I found it worked very well for me and was head shooting ground squirrels at 40+ yards. I've tried the artillery hold but have never been able to hit what I'm aiming at.
 
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