The hole in the baffle was not aligned well with the bore of the rifle. I have an original Avenger, not the AvengeX. So this may not apply but the back end of my shroud is supported by a plastic piece that slides over the barrel and is threaded for the shroud. Supporting the shroud with plastic is one of the things I have against this rifle - which I still consider a nice rifle and a very good buy. If the AvengeX still uses plastic for the back end, then you have that plastic piece plus the baffle itself that can move the center of the baffle away from the center of the bore. If they are not aligned well enough, the pellet hits the baffle. If the shroud support didn't contribute then it is just the baffle that was improperly made allowing it's center to be offset relative to the bore of the rifle. A less likely cause would be a rifle barrel with it's hole not centered. Or some combination of these alignment contributors.