Break Barrels are NOT accurate!

[DualMagMike]

 Break barrel rifles are just NOT accurate and neither are magnums...

Bull Sh&%! they sure are if you take the time to find the right pellet and practice a bit. I N E V E R bother with the artillery hold for A N Y of my rifles and most of them I actually pull in "slightly". I also N E V E R put my hand in between the bag and rifle when I bench shoot, the hand is no magical accuracy device IMO and experience.

3 different rifles, 3 calibers, 4 distances. I don't often take pictures of my range sessions but here are a few. These are all shot outdoors and 3 from a pretty shaky bench at a local range. I do not use any rest/bag or support at the rear of the rifle whatsoever other than my own shoulder and at the front just a simple Caldwell bag!

35 yards Beeman R9 .20 that I converted to an R11 (barrel weight, stock) glided piston, spring kit with top hat. 16fpe and can be easily cocked with one finger. Hawke Airmax 30 6-24x shot group with 16x.

5 shots, 35 yards.

Beeman R9 .177 factory spring, top hat added, deburred, polished, & lubed, barrel weight and adjustable recoil pad also added. Discovery HI 5-20x scope set to 16x

40 yards, 6 shots. First 2 on the left for sight in next 4 on the right after slight over correction.

Air Arms Pro Elite .22 20+ fpe untouched internals. 4-12x40 Bushnell Trophy. Shot while standing and grasping door frame then rifle placed on top of/held with that hand.

5 shots

Same R9/R11 conversion as the 35 yard group above but this was at 55 yards, the max distance at my FT matches. The 4 shot main group measure .353 but had to pull one shot, it's in perfect height with the main group but a bit right. 

 

[crosman2016]

DualMagMike, I can't get that sort of accuracy out of my air rifles, but mine are not up to the same quality as your assortment. Those are some nice rifles you have there, and you shoot them very well.

 

[intenseaty22]

I’m hoping to have a 40 to 45 yard range at home by the end of the year. In the meantime, at my current 30 yards, I can emphatically say that my Springers are very accurate. That’s great shooting on your part btw! 

 

[Glenroiland]

You had me with the title. I was about to come in and wake you up, lol.



Great work there. That requires both you and the rifle to do your respective jobs!



Agreed on all counts. I find my best groups with my hardest hitter to be ones that I snug it up into my shoulder a bit..

 

[djna]

You have some very nice guns & that’s some good shooting to!

 

[rwsmike]

I have cz 634 and it's great...I also picked up a nib rws 34 which I really havnt tried but I'm hoping also great shooting pal

 

[Hynzie]

Practice and experimentation on what you're rifle likes. Like you say no hand positioning no artillery hold. Its what works for you. I have 5 or so Springer's but my favorite or go to is a cheap $70 GAMO HORNET 177. Very accurate and easy to aim nothing like a pcp but i still have a place for them HYNZIE 4s 

 

[kingfisher61]

Mike

A little bit different than your usual display of awesome air rifles. Adding the rifle description and posting shootig results gives it more depth and added dimension. I can now appreciate this part of your tremendous collection for more than just their astethic and historic qualities. Bravo on a great post and great shooting! !!

JC

 

[pdxFrank]

For what little I do with air guns, I'd take a break-barrel over a PCP any day.

Three PCPs, they sit waiting to get filled or some other time-wasting effort.

When I'm in the mood to shoot, I just want to grab a gun, ammo and targets. Ya know, like a "real" gun. None of this I gotta be a mechanic to drive.

 

[Deerstalker]

My wife shot this group with our HW95L from about 25 yards from our deck. We are both over 80 and shoot from a picnic table using Caldwell sand filled bags.

 

[bltefft]

I recently bought my first ever springers - a Diana 48, a Diana 460 Magnum and an Air Arms TX400 - for the same reasons pdxFrank mentioned. My two PCP's are aired up and ready to go, but I'm thinking it will be nice to be able to just "grab and go" with a springer.

Today is the day my Diana 48 arrived (the other 2 are still "in the mail") and I'm still getting used to it. Do many of you use the artillery hold on yours?

 

[DualMagMike]

Don't buy into the artillery hold is the only way or must be used nonsense with springers but don't exclude it either. Like many things... test, test, test is best, best, best. Let's NOT turn this into an artillery hold or PCP vs piston gun post these subjects have been gone over dozens of times.

 

[bltefft]

Don't buy into the artillery hold is the only way or must be used nonsense with springers but don't exclude it either. Like many things... test, test, test is best, best, best.

gotcha.

 

[Moog]

I recently bought my first ever springers - a Diana 48, a Diana 460 Magnum and an Air Arms TX400 - for the same reasons pdxFrank mentioned. My two PCP's are aired up and ready to go, but I'm thinking it will be nice to be able to just "grab and go" with a springer.

Today is the day my Diana 48 arrived (the other 2 are still "in the mail") and I'm still getting used to it. Do many of you use the artillery hold on yours?

When I shoot free hand I hold a springer rifle the same way I hold a powder burner because I use my air guns as a supplement for rifle practice. I don't like to have to remember which type of hold to use when I grab a gun.

When I'm shooting a spring gun off of a rest I tend to be a little more careful of how I place the rifle on the sand bag rest.

 

[Motorhead]

Not PCP accurate, tho better than a sling shot or a hand thrown rock.

In the right hands, correctly tuned at a power that marries with the rifles weight and way held / shot etc .... Piston air guns can be very very accurate !!



Nice shooting BTW

 

[bltefft]

Not PCP accurate, tho better than a sling shot or a hand thrown rock.

In the right hands, correctly tuned at a power that marries with the rifles weight and way held / shot etc .... Piston air guns can be very very accurate !!



Nice shooting BTW

True, I haven't found anything more accurate than my FX Royale 400 (a PCP). On the occasions I was able to aim at a squirrel's eye, I hit the eye.

Today, when I shot my "new" Diana 48 for the first time, (with a Hawke 3-9x40 Vantage scope on it), I was pleasantly surprised at its accuracy. I've got to figure out my best hold for it. The jury is still out on the artillery hold.

 

[DualMagMike]

Unless something changed since last time I emailed Hawke, the Vantage line is only rated for up to 12fpe for piston guns. 

 

[DualMagMike]

Wondered how long or who would be the first to bring up PCP's  Another subject altogether as everyone should know and another post for another time by someone else. 

 

[pdxFrank]

I gotta get more distance to prove that to myself. I'm thinking, dollar-for-dollar, all else being equal, a break-barrel is just as accurate as a PCP in the right hands.

I'd guess there's a couple "outliers" that are just needle-sharp, but I've yet to see a $5000 break-barrel, yet plenty of PCPs in that range.

 

[Motorhead]

Until such time as you shoot an ELECTRIC firing system Daystate of ANY vintage ... you will remain clueless as to a true MOUSE CLICK firing of an air gun that simply has no equal IMO within the air gun world too a recoiless as well near mindless attention required to shoot very very well.

Again piston air guns can shoot well, just NOT consistently over weather shift, unskilled shooters and differing shooting environments or conditions.



This really is not an arguable accepted fact.



Nice shooting & now go compete in some field target for a season or so at the local club and see how you fair against the PCP shooters.



Honestly go get em !!!