Maybe I was too optimistic for my Taipan .177 Standard accuracy?

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With now two different guns shooting poorly, I'm leaning towards the pellets being the culprit.

The only way to isolate if the less-than-expected accuracy is pellets or gun is to try different pellets. Since the results sound similar from two different guns.....I'm leaning towards pellets.

But still, at 30-40 yards......it'd have to be a really bad batch of lead......Oh the fun we have with our toys.
 
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Here's what I'm dealing with today. I shot many targets at different speeds today but I ended up putting the speed back to what Tony originally had it and shot these two targets as best as I could at 40 yards with little to no wind. Here are the 2 targets and the accompanying stats from my chrony:
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Screenshot_20220808-164138_Chronograph.jpg
Screenshot_20220808-164152_Chronograph.jpg
 
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Air Arms and FX pellets are made by JSB but they are not identical to JSB pellets. They are shaped a little different. My only gun that likes JSBs actually shoots FX a little better. But the difference is not large. I suspect you would also see small differences and not necessarily in favor of the FX and/or AA.

Crosmans shoot OK in my Prod but H&N FTT, copper plated, shoot better. When I say OK I mean OK for a Prod. Not many 1/4 inch groups at 25 yards. FTT groups are as small as 1/16th inch. But only copper plated FTTs. No idea why but I've read the same comment from others with a Prod.

I continue to wonder how H&Ns will group. They offer sample sets. FTTs are pretty light, from a Taipan I would try Barracudas. They also come in more than one head size. My P35-22 doesn't care which head size I use, my P35-177 prefers the smaller one. 8.4s are a little light for the regulator setting on my P35-177 so I shoot the 10.65. Barracuda Power and Barracuda Match in the smaller head size seem to shoot the best. Even with the 10.65 I'm at about 900 fps. I don't want to go higher, I worry about accuracy, especially in the wind. I prefer 850 to 875. My P35-22 actually shoots it's favorite (also Baracuda Match) at only 835 fps. Fast enough for reasonable trajectory IMHO. My P35-22's best target at the 30 yard challenge is a 191 - with H&N Baracuda Match. My P35-177 is not that accurate, more like a 160 at the 30 yard challenge. Lots of Taipans shoot better but a couple have scores lower than my 22.

I switch types and weights of pellets because that has made the most difference in accuracy in all my guns. My most accurate, the P35-22, is the least pellet picky. But it still has it's favorite. It's pretty easy to move the velocity around on my Avenger and I've done it but it made near zero difference in the accuracy. I've moved my Prod up in velocity and it still likes the same pellets and shoots about the same size groups.

If you cannot tell already, I'd stop messing around with velocity for JSB pellets and try some H&Ns. May not work but will not cost a lot. I'm sure Pyramid will sell you all you want.
 
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If you can wait until later this week when I am back out of bed I can send you a few (~20 each) of a wide variety of .177 pellets to try. These are pre-COVID pellets, but I'll label them. I may also have a bubble level you can mount so you can insure the rifle is level for each shot.

If interested PM me your address.
 
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I have a level on order for my P35-22 but until it gets here I just sight on the vertical edge of my house to be sure the scope is level.

I was curious and there is just one Taipan shooting 177 pellets in the 30 yard challenge and he (cannonball) shot a 196 with JSB 10.34s. Doesn't prove H&Ns won't shoot in your guns but my personal theory is that some of the pellet preference has to do with the way the barrel is made - could be that Taipans actually like JSBs. Maybe. But without understanding why my guns like particular pellets I just test (and speculate). Guys with other makes of guns have scored well with the really heavy JSBs, over 13 grains. The heavier pellet should resist the wind better.

Cannonball can also evidently shoot. He shot a 200 with a RAW.

I'm still stuck thinking your gun just doesn't like the pellets you are feeding it. I think that because your groups look like mine when I feed my guns pellets they don't like. But the fact that Talon Tunes shot significantly smaller group(s) indoors suggests some of your group size issue is wind. I picked up a few points in the 30 yard challenge after putting out a wind flag. As I learn to use it better I think it will help more.

Doing some testing at 25 yards would also reduce the wind effect. I test first at 25 and then move to 33 (the most I can do at home). Most pellets that shoot well at 25 also shoot well at 33 (but that was the differentiator between H&N 21 grain and JSB 18 grain in my P35-22, they shot about the same at 25 but the heavier pellet was better at 33 (wind effect?)).
 
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d3vnull said:
If you can wait until later this week when I am back out of bed I can send you a few (~20 each) of a wide variety of .177 pellets to try. These are pre-COVID pellets, but I'll label them. I may also have a bubble level you can mount so you can insure the rifle is level for each shot.

If interested PM me your address.
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Thank you very much. I may take you up on the offer if I can't figure something out soon.
 
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JimD said:
I have a level on order for my P35-22 but until it gets here I just sight on the vertical edge of my house to be sure the scope is level.

I was curious and there is just one Taipan shooting 177 pellets in the 30 yard challenge and he (cannonball) shot a 196 with JSB 10.34s. Doesn't prove H&Ns won't shoot in your guns but my personal theory is that some of the pellet preference has to do with the way the barrel is made - could be that Taipans actually like JSBs. Maybe. But without understanding why my guns like particular pellets I just test (and speculate). Guys with other makes of guns have scored well with the really heavy JSBs, over 13 grains. The heavier pellet should resist the wind better.

Cannonball can also evidently shoot. He shot a 200 with a RAW.

I'm still stuck thinking your gun just doesn't like the pellets you are feeding it. I think that because your groups look like mine when I feed my guns pellets they don't like. But the fact that Talon Tunes shot significantly smaller group(s) indoors suggests some of your group size issue is wind. I picked up a few points in the 30 yard challenge after putting out a wind flag. As I learn to use it better I think it will help more.

Doing some testing at 25 yards would also reduce the wind effect. I test first at 25 and then move to 33 (the most I can do at home). Most pellets that shoot well at 25 also shoot well at 33 (but that was the differentiator between H&N 21 grain and JSB 18 grain in my P35-22, they shot about the same at 25 but the heavier pellet was better at 33 (wind effect?)).
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It's almost as though the pellets are random sizes and weights but I don't have any way to tell for sure.
 
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Franklink said:
Did you go as low as 800fps with the JSB 8.4s? 980 is a bit hot for that pellet. And I ask specifically about the 800 cuz that's WFTF field target legal and lotsa matches have been won with that pellet at that particular speed.
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I did so many tests that I'm not sure but I think I started the day with around upper 700's to 800 fps.
 
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If the gun did shoot good indoor at 30 yard at the dealer, but doeas not shoot good at 40 yard outdoor, one explenation is maybe that pellets start to spiral beyond 30 yards? 980 fps with a 8 grain pellets sound to me not the best recipy for longer range accuracy.
All of my .177 guns shoot good with JSB exact 10 grains. I have a taipan veteran standard, and a airgun technology vulcan 2, wich both use CZ barrels. I would swap the 8 grains out with a 10 grains. Since the gun shoot 980 fps with the 8 grain, you might be lucky it will shoot good with the 10 grain, as the velocity will be slower. If that doeas not help, I would try every speed in 10 fps steps from at least 800 fps, and up to around 900, with the JSB exact heavy. And shoot at least two 5 shot groups on each setting, before continuing. If you only do one 5 shot group every time you adjust, the gun might not get setled in, on each setting
 
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I would try some 10.3 grain in the FX, Air Arms or JSB. They should group well at 880-900. I know JSB makes all these pellets, but I specifically asked AA if they were the same via email. I received a reply stating that JSB made the pellets but AA had their own mold that was very slightly different from the JSB one and was used to manufacture their pellets only. I don’t know about FX but they might own their own molds as well. I will also offer to send you some of each if you want to give that a try and I know all of these shoot well in my Taipan. I did have one tin of JSB’s that were absolutely horrible a few months back. It would print a much larger than normal group and then send a flyer about 3” right or left. I ended up using all of those for tin can plinking, so a bad batch of pellets are possible.
 
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