Help needed re. tight breach on a new springer!

[Taha]

Hi all,I’ve recently bought a Theoben Evolution in .22 calibre. Believe it or not, the gun was actually brand new (had been in the back of a local airgun shop for years and discovered by the owner recently).

I love the gun. My only concern is that, unlike previous springers I’ve owned, the breach feels very tight when I try to load pellets into it. The gun definitely is a .22 (says so on the barrel). The main point at which it is catching the pellet and needing a fair bit more force than I’m used to applying in order to load the pellet flush with the breach is as the head (the widest circumference of the pellet) goes into the breach. The pellets that I’m using are H&N field target trophies and also JSB Jumbo Diabolo Exact – both 5.5mm.

I have two questions:

1) do tight breaches (and therefore corresponding microscopic deformations of the pellet as it is loaded) cause problems with accuracy in your experience?
2) How can I get around this? I’ve tried to find smaller .22 pellets (?5.4mm or 5.3mm pellets here in the UK but they don’t seem to be available)

Any suggestions would be really appreciated. 

Thanks,
Taha

MOD EDIT: MOVED TO SPRINGER SECTION

 

[jasons8166]

I'm have the opposite issues the bore size of my pellets are not large enough to make good contact to the rifling. While my issue will effect accuracy and I might as well be shooting a smooth bore, yours should do well, as long as the contact with the rifling is the full length of the barrel. The issue can come in if its making to much contact with the rifling, then that will create to much drag or friction and slow down your round and since you are in the UK and already shooting a low powered rifle (compaired to us in the US) this could reduce the distance you can shoot.

 

[Mrshosted]

Tata, FYI: Now I'm no gun smith and opinions are like rear ends some are nice to look at and some of them really stink. If your worry concerned me, I'd start with two things. 1st I build a brace line on a chronograft. I'd want to know if the changes were making any difference. 2nd I shoot a dozen of pellets in to a bucket of water or jello. To inspect the pellets with a micrometer to compare the crush and rifling cuts in the pellets. I might even try pushing a pellet by hand to fill how much drag there was thru the barrel. If I found that the problem was in the breach, with the barrel having the correct size. I'd have a gun smith put a ream in the breach. If I found the breach and barrel both are tight, I'd use a pellet sizer. You might find one on line or look around for a machinist to build you one.