Best groups of my life

I’ve been an airgunner since 1985 and have had some fine air rifles. It was common for me to shoot out to 50 yards max but then a few years ago I wanted to go for 100 yard groups and would have been happy with 1 inch 5 shot center to center groupings. I eventually did with a .30 HM1000 but never got a better grouping. A finally got an AAA Evol .30 and a few weeks ago got a sub 1/2” group of 0.4” with JSB 44 gr pellets at 880 fps. I was absolutely ecstatic! I stopped at 5 pellets (I just didn’t want to ruin that grouping) but I do plan on shooting a few 10 shot groups. I used my Atlas bipod and pulled the butt very tight to my shoulder. I seldom do any posting but wanted to as I’m still on cloud9.

I should have rotated the target pic 90 degrees counterclockwise. There was no wind during my shoot. I wonder if I can ever get a group that tight again?!

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Shooting long with my .177 i have not yet managed a kick ass 5 shot group, but some times i have shot 2 - 3 shots that pretty much touch each other, only to have the 1 or 2 following shots completely screw things up.

It is cool to long ball it as i call shooting at a distance, and then just ace what you are shooting at, when it happen to me i always savor the moment.
So if you see me shooting, and i suddenly stop, lean back with a big fat smile on my face, well in that case i have just aced a shot without no sighters, just BAM and right on the dot.
 
My mother-in-law managed to stack 4 out of 5 pellets in the same bullseye hole at 75 yards a few weeks ago. This was on the Guantlet 30. Her first time touching the gun.

But there is a difference between "lucky shots!" and a lifetime of experience and buying a game-changing high end gun. Enjoy! 30 caliber is the most fun and accurate for medium distance target shooting at least in my opinion!
 
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Congrats but, no pics? Would've liked to see it. That's odd about the tight grip. About a month ago I realized that I get better accuracy if I DON'T do a tight grip, especially, with my cheek weld. Tightened my groups significantly.
A tight grip will cause me to throw shots out laterally from torquing the grip.
Thats scenario negates me from pulling the rifle firmly into my shoulder via the grip, so I lean into the rifle, loading the bipod to settle the rifle.

On MY Evol, it acts too squirrelly if I let it free recoil.
It is still accurate enough to decapitate a squirrel, but not pellet stacking stable if that makes sense.
 
Congratulations & we all know that satisfaction when we/our airguns print a great group.
I had been after the same thing. Got some really good ones with .22 & .25 pellets, than tried slugs. Finally bought a .257 Scandalous with a 1:14 Lilja & now I get upset when they aren’t literally all under a dime at 100 lol. It can do it, it’s just I have to be in the right frame of mind and brainwave setting to do it. That’s not always easy to do.
 
Congrats but, no pics? Would've liked to see it. That's odd about the tight grip. About a month ago I realized that I get better accuracy if I DON'T do a tight grip, especially, with my cheek weld. Tightened my groups significantly.
Oh
Congrats but, no pics? Would've liked to see it. That's odd about the tight grip. About a month ago I realized that I get better accuracy if I DON'T do a tight grip, especially, with my cheek weld. Tightened my groups significantly.
I’ll take some pics tomorrow and post them. I did save the target.
 
A tight grip will cause me to throw shots out laterally from torquing the grip.
Thats scenario negates me from pulling the rifle firmly into my shoulder via the grip, so I lean into the rifle, loading the bipod to settle the rifle.

On MY Evol, it acts too squirrelly if I let it free recoil.
It is still accurate enough to decapitate a squirrel, but not pellet stacking stable if that makes sense.
I should not have said death grip; that’s misleading. You described it best.
 
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I think with a PCP folks have to consider the time it takes until sear releases hammer, hammer knocks valve stem and projectile leaves the barrel completely/crown; it’s significantly more time than any powder burner. Just a 100th of a degree of movement makes a big difference at 50-100 yards.
I have been trying to pull straight back & not torque. My theories can abound but it’s usually the mind set. If I’m calm, great groups. If I’m not focused it shows on paper. Then there’s the wind, and is reg running best setting, etc. Never easy, which is why we keep on doing it.
 
I think with a PCP folks have to consider the time it takes until sear releases hammer, hammer knocks valve stem and projectile leaves the barrel completely/crown; it’s significantly more time than any powder burner. Just a 100th of a degree of movement makes a big difference at 50-100 yards.
I have been trying to pull straight back & not torque. My theories can abound but it’s usually the mind set. If I’m calm, great groups. If I’m not focused it shows on paper. Then there’s the wind, and is reg running best setting, etc. Never easy, which is why we keep on doing it.

I hear that. Half the time I shoot I end up adjusting turrets on guns that should be sighted in because I'm chasing a slightly different hold.

My best groups today with the Guantlet 30 was with kind of an upside-down vice grip hold on the bottom of the buttstock with my left forearm half-propped on a small bag, while using some pressure with my right thumb behind the trigger. I've found other days I get better consistency doing something a little different. Seems to be whatever I can settle into while same time holding it snug.
 
Small groups are always fun. Have been playing with a few rifles and the one I shot this weekend put 6 shots stupidly tight at 100 yards. Its a shame that I may have to send the rifle back after I am done playing with it. Would be nice if someone would buy one of my other rifles, hint hint, so I can buy this rifle :D lol

Tight groups are always fun.
 
I’ve been an airgunner since 1985 and have had some fine air rifles. It was common for me to shoot out to 50 yards max but then a few years ago I wanted to go for 100 yard groups and would have been happy with 1 inch 5 shot center to center groupings. I eventually did with a .30 HM1000 but never got a better grouping. A finally got an AAA Evol .30 and a few weeks ago got a sub 1/2” group of 0.4” with JSB 44 gr pellets at 880 fps. I was absolutely ecstatic! I stopped at 5 pellets (I just didn’t want to ruin that grouping) but I do plan on shooting a few 10 shot groups. I used my Atlas bipod and pulled the butt very tight to my shoulder. I seldom do any posting but wanted to as I’m still on cloud9.
@TLU Hey man, that’s sounds like some damn good shooting (with very little to no wind)!! And I believe you, but I wanna see that target. I hope you took a photo or kept it. My first time taking my .30 Evol out to 100 yards shooting 44.75 grain JSBs I had one 5-shot group (with a shot that I pulled) that got me excited and that was off of a tripod. Folks that have had the opportunity shoot these guns with the right tune for the right ammo know what they can do.