N/A How do you make your PCP air rifles more forgiving to shoot?
- Thread starter LancasterAirgunner24
- Start date
What do you mean by "forgiving"?
A couple of random thoughts...
From the accuracy perspective, generally speaking, a longer heavier rifle is more stable and easier to shoot.
A trigger that is not light nor too heavy is best.
High mounted scopes can exaggerate rifle cant.
A good fitting gun will be more consistent to shoot.
The proper, pellet that the airgun is happy with makes a big difference.
Using good quality pellets are important, they tend to be more consistent.
Any of this apply?
Cheers!
A couple of random thoughts...
From the accuracy perspective, generally speaking, a longer heavier rifle is more stable and easier to shoot.
A trigger that is not light nor too heavy is best.
High mounted scopes can exaggerate rifle cant.
A good fitting gun will be more consistent to shoot.
The proper, pellet that the airgun is happy with makes a big difference.
Using good quality pellets are important, they tend to be more consistent.
Any of this apply?
Cheers!
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Those yes, on my beeman chief 2 i just added weight to the buttstock and forearm, i have a scope level, shooting 10.5 UM's at 820 fps, light trigger (polished sear/contact points, trigger travel total is about 1/4 inch breaking after about a 16th inch of travel etc.. i tried a few tins of Norma 9.1's and what i found is the skirts are way bigger than the heads and i get way more fliers with them than the 10.5 UM's which have a more similar skirt and head diameter.. Idk just looking for anything that improves accuracy and makes air rifles more forgiving and no so picky with things like pellets, triggers, holds etc..
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If shooting from a bench I have about equal success using a bipod/monopod and using a Caldwell Rock br rest with a bunny bag at the rear. Regardless of the support (some good shooters use two bags) I find it important to keep myself off the gun as much as possible. The more of Me touching the gun the easier it is to inadvertently move the gun. I also do not shoot my best targets if there is any wind. Late or early in the day when winds are less work best.
But it's important to realize there is no one thing you can do to instantly do a lot better. It takes practice and doing a lot of things right for each shot. I am not a great shooter but I am better than I used to be.
But it's important to realize there is no one thing you can do to instantly do a lot better. It takes practice and doing a lot of things right for each shot. I am not a great shooter but I am better than I used to be.
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That is an excellent question. Guys overlook it with a PCP because they are either coming from a springer or a powder burner. But as you eclipse 18gr, a gun can continue to get more active. Does it show up if you’re Sir Plinksalot? No. But when you’re trying to cut holes at distance, it’s amazing how much a PCP dances around. My answer? A relaxed tune if you can and add weight to the gun and bipod for testing.
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A lot of good points that I agree with.
While long barrels allow longer / smoother shot cycles, there is more barrel dwell time which means it's less forgiving on you the shooter. The barrel on my Anschutz / ZM2002 is about a foot long, presumably to minimize the movement of the shooter.
Off a bench where you can make a dead solid hold I prefer a longer / heavier barrel. From any hand held position, I think shorter is better.
Likewise, a light, smooth, crisp trigger is helpful to the shooter *if* the shooter can release it as expected every time. Shooting offhand, I do have a tendency to surprise myself on trigger release with my lightest triggers when I'm shooting left-handed. (Long story, but I shoot better lefty and my left trigger finger is catching up in feel compared to when I shot righty). So having not enough trigger weight is a very real thing too.
I also agree that shot cycle harshness is very important. My .30 RAW can be tuned between 60 and 100fpe but it currently lives in the low 70s because that has been where I get the most overall accuracy, and recoil movement is a big part of that. A lot of airguns PCP or springer leave the factory dialed all the way 'up' because the specs look good and attract more purchases. But raw power is almost never the best answer.
For any given power level there are good tunes and not good tunes. I'm not a tuning expert but the perfect tune balances the hit of the hammer, pressure in the bottle/regulator, and rate of air release behind the pellet. Fortunately the smoothest tunes tend to be the most efficient with air and also the most consistent velocity. Good tunes matter.
While long barrels allow longer / smoother shot cycles, there is more barrel dwell time which means it's less forgiving on you the shooter. The barrel on my Anschutz / ZM2002 is about a foot long, presumably to minimize the movement of the shooter.
Off a bench where you can make a dead solid hold I prefer a longer / heavier barrel. From any hand held position, I think shorter is better.
Likewise, a light, smooth, crisp trigger is helpful to the shooter *if* the shooter can release it as expected every time. Shooting offhand, I do have a tendency to surprise myself on trigger release with my lightest triggers when I'm shooting left-handed. (Long story, but I shoot better lefty and my left trigger finger is catching up in feel compared to when I shot righty). So having not enough trigger weight is a very real thing too.
I also agree that shot cycle harshness is very important. My .30 RAW can be tuned between 60 and 100fpe but it currently lives in the low 70s because that has been where I get the most overall accuracy, and recoil movement is a big part of that. A lot of airguns PCP or springer leave the factory dialed all the way 'up' because the specs look good and attract more purchases. But raw power is almost never the best answer.
For any given power level there are good tunes and not good tunes. I'm not a tuning expert but the perfect tune balances the hit of the hammer, pressure in the bottle/regulator, and rate of air release behind the pellet. Fortunately the smoothest tunes tend to be the most efficient with air and also the most consistent velocity. Good tunes matter.
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I tried another approach. As others have said, you need to get the best accuracy from the rifle. Forgiving =consistency. Once you have established that part,it is time for you to become forgiving,what I mean is it is a relationship,the rifle will only be as good as you become.
So most people are trying to help get your gun to perform the best it can, once that is accomplished, then it is your turn; your rifle can only be as good as it is made to become good, where as you can always improve.
So most people are trying to help get your gun to perform the best it can, once that is accomplished, then it is your turn; your rifle can only be as good as it is made to become good, where as you can always improve.
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In my small experience, airguns are more forgiving when not tuned to minimize SD. If I drive the gun hard to achieve min SD (say 1.8), I find that best accuracy is achieved when I back off the hammer and allow the SD to rise to approximately 3. Granted, I shoot FX airguns and they are weird.
JackHughs
JackHughs
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Never experienced your rifle (looks good ) my advice is to relax , hold the gun so it is steady but not "death grip " just a comfortable hold almost loose . Maybe your doing that already ?
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Buy a springer , shoot a tin of pellets, throw the gun in the garbage and go to the bar. It’s cheaper and far less stress.
I laugh at PCP GUNNERS COMPLAINING. ..
I laugh at PCP GUNNERS COMPLAINING. ..
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C'mon pal, that's such a vague question & can mean 100 different things. Forgiving in what way? Technique, accuracy, POI, maintenance? Specifics are required when asking questions like that. PCP's in general are pretty Forgiving guns (imho) so you're gonna have to put in some EFFORT if you want a relevant response!
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@boscooebrea, another of those vague, non-specific "what the heck do they mean" questions!I tried another approach. As others have said, you need to get the best accuracy from the rifle. Forgiving =consistency. Once you have established that part,it is time for you to become forgiving,what I mean is it is a relationship,the rifle will only be as good as you become.
So most people are trying to help get your gun to perform the best it can, once that is accomplished, then it is your turn; your rifle can only be as good as it is made to become good, where as you can always improve.
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Not to be a jerk but what kind of accuracy are you expecting from your Beeman? As for making a PCP more forgiving try shooting a cheap springer from Walmart. You'll be praising the Beeman before you know it. Lots of trigger time helps. You get to know the rifle. Please keep in mind there's a reason some of these rifles are cheap. I should know I'm a sucker for them. Good luck.
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I’ve gone through this with a few pcp’s still learning but there are some things that are pretty standard. Assuming it’s a new rifle, clean the barrel properly and shoot 100 rounds at whatever. Clean the barrel again. Get some good quality pellets. Shoot from a bench. Rest the forearm on a sandbag or other firm rest and set the butt on another. If you put a scope on properly meaning level and oriented correctly then leave it alone for now, set your zero another time. With plenty of air pressure in the tank shoot 10 rounds and make no changes. If the trigger is adjustable I suggest setting it to a lighter pull weight after the first 10 adjusting slowly through another 10-15 rounds until it feels good to you. Then shoot another 10 and see how it’s grouping. Clean the barrel. Now make sure the air tank is well pressurized again and adjust your scope or other sight as needed until you’re hitting the X ring. Doing it this way eliminates variables such as gun movement when pulling the trigger and, chasing the zero all over the target Good quality pellets are generally more consistent. After all this shoot the gun offhand and get a feel for it. When you realize you are shooting without really thinking about it the gun is ready as are you.
Rick H.
Rick H.
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If you want unforgiving shoot a spring air rifle.
They were all the rage in the 1970s to early 2000s.
PCPs, pump or CO2 based airguns are far more forgiving.
No recoil!
They were all the rage in the 1970s to early 2000s.
PCPs, pump or CO2 based airguns are far more forgiving.
No recoil!
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This might be somewhat related to topic, assuming that forgiving to shoot includes and possibly also depends on being comfortable to shoot.
When using a scope, I've found that shootability of the gun also depends on having a natural sight-line through the scope as the rifle is brought into position, on having a forgiving eye box on the scope so you can move you head around a bit without the view blacking out, and a scope reticle with lines thick enough for me to actually see with my older eyes.
Some airgun designs, especially the ones with a large air tank for a butt stock, might be very accurate but still almost impossible to get into a comfortable shooting position. And some designs, like non-magazine break barrels, will work with almost any kind of pellet while others designs are very pellet-finicky. I suppose that it's not only a matter of selecting a particular model, but also of thoroughly testing what you have so you can feed it the best ammo at the best pressures for good performance.
JP
When using a scope, I've found that shootability of the gun also depends on having a natural sight-line through the scope as the rifle is brought into position, on having a forgiving eye box on the scope so you can move you head around a bit without the view blacking out, and a scope reticle with lines thick enough for me to actually see with my older eyes.
Some airgun designs, especially the ones with a large air tank for a butt stock, might be very accurate but still almost impossible to get into a comfortable shooting position. And some designs, like non-magazine break barrels, will work with almost any kind of pellet while others designs are very pellet-finicky. I suppose that it's not only a matter of selecting a particular model, but also of thoroughly testing what you have so you can feed it the best ammo at the best pressures for good performance.
JP
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Based on the info you gave, the first thing I would recommend is trying some better quality pellets. Once you find the most accurate one, then work your way down the list of accuracy improving measures.
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I waive my light and little ones around like a drunken sailor, then I sit down with a full size walnut rifle and seem forgiven.
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