New Break Barrel-Horrible Accuracy

[BenTerrible]

New member here, just getting started with air guns. I set out to find something to plink with in the backyard. I enjoy shooting my long range bolt guns, and thought maybe having the a pellet rifle to shoot in the yard would be fun to maintain fundamentals. I am having pretty awful results with the new break barrel rifle that I purchased.

Some info:

Benjamin Vaporizer .22 cal

Crosman Premier hollow point pellets

This rifle did ship with a 3-9x40 AO scope (I question the quality of this scope).

All shots fired with the rifle set down on a waxed canvas shooting bag.

I am very confident with the scope set up/install. I have done this numerous times. Rings are torqued to 15 in/lbs on the tube, I started with 40 in/lbs to the rail.

The accuracy/consistency is extremely bad. Just trying to zero the scope at only 20 yards seems impossible. I have ran a few patches down the barrel, no solvents/chemicals, just trying to remove grease and oil from the barrel. Nothing but flyers all over my target. The inconsistency is inexplainable. Without any change to point of aim, some impacts are 4"-5" inches under, then suddenly a random flyer is 12"-18" low. Again, this is inside of 20 yards.

Windage seems pretty consistent (I'd say under 1/2 mil at the very short 20 yards I am currently shooting from, not great...but it is consistent).

The elevation is a huge problem. I do suspect the scope that shipped with the rifle is just junk and needs to be replaced. I figured I'd mention my dilemma here and see if maybe I am doing something wrong/someone has a similar experience and has a remedy.

I thought purchasing the Benjamin name would have yielded much better results. I really like the feel/weight of the rifle. It is very comfortable to shoot. I hope I can get this thing figured out!

-BT

 

[Lewis]

Could be several things.

1) Believe it or not, the scope could already be bad. Springers need special scopes designed to handle the dual direction whiplash recoil not found in typical firearms. Most of the scopes that come with guns in package deals are not suitable.
2) The placement of the gun needs to be in the same place on the bag every time. You may need to experiment to find the best place but it is usually where the gun balances or just in front of the trigger guard. Also do a Google search for air rifle artillery hold.
3) Don't underestimate the effects of the ammo itself. A pellet that often works well is the JSB 18.1 grain in .22. You may need to test a few or even many to get the best results.

Please post back here as you try some of these and other suggestions, and let us know how it's coming along. We're here to help and rooting for you to have a great experience.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

I dont see removed scope tried sights to see if its more spot on . The cleaning barrel ive got from a patch or 2 to good long winded scrubbing to get clean

Then maybe break-in to me some need a lot of shooting to settle down. Being gas piston id lean to higher shot count to really get broke in.

Also quick reading seems to prefer heavy pellets . Heck that thing may shoot certain slugs well ..

 

[JP806TX]

New member here, just getting started with air guns. I set out to find something to plink with in the backyard. I enjoy shooting my long range bolt guns, and thought maybe having the a pellet rifle to shoot in the yard would be fun to maintain fundamentals. I am having pretty awful results with the new break barrel rifle that I purchased.

Some info:

Benjamin Vaporizer .22 cal

Crosman Premier hollow point pellets

This rifle did ship with a 3-9x40 AO scope (I question the quality of this scope).

All shots fired with the rifle set down on a waxed canvas shooting bag.

I am very confident with the scope set up/install. I have done this numerous times. Rings are torqued to 15 in/lbs on the tube, I started with 40 in/lbs to the rail.

The accuracy/consistency is extremely bad. Just trying to zero the scope at only 20 yards seems impossible. I have ran a few patches down the barrel, no solvents/chemicals, just trying to remove grease and oil from the barrel. Nothing but flyers all over my target. The inconsistency is inexplainable. Without any change to point of aim, some impacts are 4"-5" inches under, then suddenly a random flyer is 12"-18" low. Again, this is inside of 20 yards.

Windage seems pretty consistent (I'd say under 1/2 mil at the very short 20 yards I am currently shooting from, not great...but it is consistent).

The elevation is a huge problem. I do suspect the scope that shipped with the rifle is just junk and needs to be replaced. I figured I'd mention my dilemma here and see if maybe I am doing something wrong/someone has a similar experience and has a remedy.

I thought purchasing the Benjamin name would have yielded much better results. I really like the feel/weight of the rifle. It is very comfortable to shoot. I hope I can get this thing figured out!

-BT

1. check all your screws. (Stock screws, scope screws, barrel pivot bolt). Make sure they are snug. locktite and/or more trouble shooting might be in the future if these keep working loose.
2. Do the tissue test to see if there's a leak at your breech
3. Chrono your gun. (If you get inconsistent readings, this could be a piston seal/gas ram/compression tube problem)
4. As suggested in posting 3, shoot open sight to see if it's a scope problem.
5. If you are not good with open sight, consider mounting a laser in combination with your scope and using the laser as an aim point to check POA/POI. This will also give you information about your scope. You can probably see reticle shifts relative to the laser if your scope is bad (assuming that your laser screws are rock solid).
6. If you are handy, be careful lightening the trigger. For me, most of my "flyers" are due to trigger control and position control (how and where the rifle is supported, how and where you grip the rifle and how and where the butt stock is supported...see a pattern? consistency is key-see post #2 from Lewis...skipping breath and shooting between heart beat for now).

If you find anything wrong and it's within the warranty period, send it back.

If you plan on keeping this rifle and plan to shoot the rifle scoped:
After fixing any problems you found, I would look at investing in an anti-recoil scope mount to protect your scope. Google or search this Forum for information on this.
--

My two cents...I know you didn't ask for my opinion,... but most of us try to illuminate an easier path for novices.

If you are new to pellet rifle, a low tier magnum gas ram is probably not a good way to get into air rifles. If you are looking for a backyard plinker (under 50 yards) and NOT hunting or shooting long range, try a pumper ...something like the Seneca Dragonfly (acceptable accuracy, good reviews on this rifle and won't hammer a scope like most magnum springers).

I hesitate to recommend the Norica Omnia (a recoilless gas ram break barrel) as it is fairly new (2.5 years?) and reviews regarding accuracy and trigger has not been stellar or reflective of price point (might be fixable if you are handy).

Any HW break barrels are also a good choice. Since you are plinking, go with 0.177 (more pellet choices and relatively cheaper compared to 0.22). The HW 30 or HW 50 are better platform to learn how to shoot recoiling pellet rifles.

--
If you don't mind being tethered/burdened with an air source (pumps, compressors, tanks etc), look into PCP or CO2 (if temperature is not an issue). There are great starter products here with easier learning curve, better accuracy (compared to most recoiling "entry" air rifles), and the ability to use ANY scope. I'm not an expert in this area but I'm sure some here can guide you with their personal experience.

Good luck.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Personally i like to get it all done before store rma time runs out. Do all said/ suggested above spend a few fays marathon shooting if a no go rma for exchange or refund and try / get another , repeat till its satisfactory or im satisfied..

 

[PEP3]

Magnum springers are fickle beasts. Most accuracy problems come from loose stock screws, which I'm sure you have checked, too much elevation adjustment in the scope, and too light of pellet. I'm guessing the last two for you.

 

[dgeesaman]

I thought purchasing the Benjamin name would have yielded much better results. I really like the feel/weight of the rifle. It is very comfortable to shoot. I hope I can get this thing figured out!

-BT

Sorry to say but my opinion is that cheap springers are all junk regardless of brand name. Benjamin made great pumpers but springers are a whole different can of rattling bolts.

15 in-lb seems light. The recoil on a springer isn’t terribly severe but the double direction of the recoil has an uncanny ability to disassemble everything attached to it.

The scope is probably part of the problem or about to become a contributing factor.

In the springer world I think the rifles worth actually owning and using start at around $400 without optic and are made in Germany or the UK. There are exceptions to that but this has been my experience.

 

[beerthief]

clean your barrel , then clean it again . check ALL screws i like the idea of using iron sights at this point , even if your a crap shot with irons to test the gun it is a good choice . shoot at least 100 pellets . before results are formulated

 

[EmptyTin_Tim]

I have had a Crosman Diamondback since Dec '21 and it uses the same gas ram Elite and trigger as the gun you have. So basically same gun different stock.

Everyone has already suggested the most popular things to fix, like using artillery hold, heavier ammo, trying irons, and especially checking the screws for looseness. Only other thing I'd say is get a 1 piece scope rail that has a recoil stop pin. You will have a hole in the receiver where the pin goes in and then the mount won't move, especially cause it has a much larger area to grip the dovetail rail. I have used this one
with great success on the Diamondback and also my gas ram Crosman Fire I've had since 2016. Most of the time the scopes that come with the guns are junk unfortunately. I got my Diamondback for $90 on a sale with NO scope cause why pay for junk glass to begin with.

Do not be swayed by everyone saying to get a different gun and that you have to shell out 4 Benjamin's for something better than a Benjamin.. (lol) But really Crosman/Benjamin have been doing the gas ram for a long time now and they've got it down. I have at least 3,000 pellets through my Crosman Fire. It still can smack soda cans at 50 yards all day with JSB 10.34 gr. My Diamondback is fun to hit metal targets with at 70 yards. Thing is so quiet you literally hear the pellet sail through the air to the metal.

Yes your particular gun could possibly be whack, but don't go regretting it yet! You have a 5 year warranty with your Benjamin. So the name brand DID get you something.

Try out some different pellets once you shoot your tin of Crosman Premier Hollow Points to break in the gun. There can be manufacturing grease and oil up in the piston area that may still be burning off (dieseling) for a few hundred shots. The magnum gas ram springers do prefer heavier ammo than 14.3 grains. In my particular Diamondback I tried 18.13 gr JSB but went back to 15.89 Hades then to the 15.89 JSB domed pellets. With irons I get great groups at 30 yards. The reason for the 15.89 not 18.13 is the lighter ones go faster and I think that helped in my case since the pellet is out of the barrel sooner so all the vibrations from the piston affect the pellet for less time. But like all guns each one will prefer a specific pellet you just have to figure out which one. I would buy from Trenier Airguns because they have the best price on JSB. More expensive than your CPHP youre shooting now but everyone will agree that JSB makes some quality pellets that are well worth the cost.

In summary, don't regret your gun yet, try different ammo after breaking in your gun, try other things like the 1 piece rail, and if you have to, use your 5 year warranty.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

New? took a while to break in my Ruger.
Do everything above...

 

[EmptyTin_Tim]

I forgot 2 other pieces of advice for your. 22 break barrel. 1, since we have the same gun minus the stock, how I clean my barrel is by inserting a metal drinking straw at the muzzle end because these guns have internal baffles and the straw "extends the barrel" to the end so that when you run a cleaning patch through it, it will not get messed up or lost in the baffles. You could probably use a plastic straw, but I stole a metal one from my wife one day to try this cleaning method and it worked so well she hasn't gotten it back

2, You should buy one of these pellet pens they are awesome! Hold like 15 pellets and makes loading so easy. Bring it along in the field for pesting if you wish. Also helps load each pellet to the same depth in the barrel cause believe it or not how deep the pellet is seated can potentially change your group sizes. I've never gone deeper than flush but with the pen it is very repeatable to do flush now just line up the pen with the breech and click a pellet in. Loaded!

 

[JP806TX]

I have had a Crosman Diamondback since Dec '21 and it uses the same gas ram Elite and trigger as the gun you have. So basically same gun different stock.

Everyone has already suggested the most popular things to fix, like using artillery hold, heavier ammo, trying irons, and especially checking the screws for looseness. Only other thing I'd say is get a 1 piece scope rail that has a recoil stop pin. You will have a hole in the receiver where the pin goes in and then the mount won't move, especially cause it has a much larger area to grip the dovetail rail. I have used this one
with great success on the Diamondback and also my gas ram Crosman Fire I've had since 2016. Most of the time the scopes that come with the guns are junk unfortunately. I got my Diamondback for $90 on a sale with NO scope cause why pay for junk glass to begin with.

Do not be swayed by everyone saying to get a different gun and that you have to shell out 4 Benjamin's for something better than a Benjamin.. (lol) But really Crosman/Benjamin have been doing the gas ram for a long time now and they've got it down. I have at least 3,000 pellets through my Crosman Fire. It still can smack soda cans at 50 yards all day with JSB 10.34 gr. My Diamondback is fun to hit metal targets with at 70 yards. Thing is so quiet you literally hear the pellet sail through the air to the metal.

Yes your particular gun could possibly be whack, but don't go regretting it yet! You have a 5 year warranty with your Benjamin. So the name brand DID get you something.

Try out some different pellets once you shoot your tin of Crosman Premier Hollow Points to break in the gun. There can be manufacturing grease and oil up in the piston area that may still be burning off (dieseling) for a few hundred shots. The magnum gas ram springers do prefer heavier ammo than 14.3 grains. In my particular Diamondback I tried 18.13 gr JSB but went back to 15.89 Hades then to the 15.89 JSB domed pellets. With irons I get great groups at 30 yards. The reason for the 15.89 not 18.13 is the lighter ones go faster and I think that helped in my case since the pellet is out of the barrel sooner so all the vibrations from the piston affect the pellet for less time. But like all guns each one will prefer a specific pellet you just have to figure out which one. I would buy from Trenier Airguns because they have the best price on JSB. More expensive than your CPHP youre shooting now but everyone will agree that JSB makes some quality pellets that are well worth the cost.

In summary, don't regret your gun yet, try different ammo after breaking in your gun, try other things like the 1 piece rail, and if you have to, use your 5 year warranty.

Wow
I was not aware of the generous 5 years Benjamin warranty. Contrast that with
Air Arms warranty = 3 years only for main land UK, with original receipt, non-transferable.

Just be aware that the Benjamin Warranty does not cover optics (even if it was sold with the gun), so rule that out before sending it to them.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Wow
I was not aware of the generous 5 years Benjamin warranty. Contrast that with
Air Arms warranty = 3 years only for main land UK, with original receipt, non-transferable.

Just be aware that the Benjamin Warranty does not cover optics (even if it was sold with the gun), so rule that out before sending it to them.

The better gamos have a 5 year as well. Gamo even pays all shipping in the first year.

 

[drpietrzak]

Everyone has already given the most likely elements. Another is pellets. However if you have a clear vertical spread without much horizontal that suggests velocity variations to me. Certainly it is possible that there are hold variations. A "bad" barrel typically does not just have vertical or horizontal spread, but rather is more random in its spread my experience. When I get horizontal spread I typically look to shooter then wind. So I go with "what am I doing incorrectly (trigger pull, hold, etc.)"? Vertical spread I think shooter> pellets> gun in that order. Shooter in this instance is usually what the artillery hold is about. While it is not magic, and I rarely use a pure form of it, the idea is consistency. My rifle likes to have the front hold/rest placed right at the rifle balance point. If I move forward or back from that more than an inch things become less stable and it usually shows itself in vertical spread. Poor pellets show up that way for me most often, though really poor are more random for me. The vertical is if they are trying but have weight variation, or sealing inconsistencies. This is rifle dependent so the pellets may work for others but not you. Certainly scope creep can cause vertical as well. Place a tape mark on the rear mount point and see if things move. Scope issue. Try moving the vertical turret up 8 clicks and see if there is a shift up. After a few runs move 8 or 16 clicks back down and see what happens. If things are loose or jumping around it is possible it is the scope.

 

[Moe M.]

Sorry to say but my opinion is that cheap springers are all junk regardless of brand name. Benjamin made great pumpers but springers are a whole different can of rattling bolts.

15 in-lb seems light. The recoil on a springer isn’t terribly severe but the double direction of the recoil has an uncanny ability to disassemble everything attached to it.

The scope is probably part of the problem or about to become a contributing factor.

In the springer world I think the rifles worth actually owning and using start at around $400 without optic and are made in Germany or the UK. There are exceptions to that but this has been my experience.

Sorry to say, but I beg to differ, I got into air guns seriously about four years ago, I was as green as grass about air guns, I've been a life long rimfire and centerfire recreational and competitive shooter, hunter, firearms instructor, and carried a gun for a living as a LEO, so, I am not without some knowledge or opinion on the subject of shooting.
When I started four years ago I had one air rifle that I purchased new in the early 1970's, a Sheridan Blue Streak which I still have and it's still shooting like new, but I wanted something more modern, so I purchased a new GAMO Swarm Bone Collector, then I bought a Ruger Impact Max Elite, then a Crosman Vantage, all gas piston rifles, then a Hatsan mod. 95 Springer, with the exception of the GAMO ($230.00) and the Hatsan ($149.99) all the others were $99.00 specials on sale.
The Hatasn 95 had a good trigger out of the box and a junk scope, the GAMO had a hard trigger also that was fixed with a longer trigger screw, the Ruger impact Max and the Crosman Vantage both had lousy triggers and junk scopes, both were fixed easily with simple modifications and the addition of good scopes, all of them have been trouble free, highly accurate at sub 40 yard ranges, and their power levels have been satisfactory, cheap guns money wise, but great performers at the range or in the field, proving that budget priced air rifles can perform way above their price point.
Are they the equal of my Weirauch HW-80K, or my Weirauch built Beeman R-7 and R-9, in .177, .20, and .22 calibers, no, not quite, but they are not under achievers in any respect and a joy to own and shoot.
I wrote a post on this forum a little over a year ago concerning air gun snobs who like to put down budget priced air rifles or any air guns that are not PCP powered, it would appear some of them are still with us.
To those folks who can't afford to lay out $200.00, $350.00, or $600.00 for a high end air rifle, don't let the spoilers deter you, buy what you can afford, learn it's limitations, learn how you can improve on it's short comings, and enjoy the hell out of it, I actually shoot my "cheap" air rifles more than my expensive air guns, mostly because they challenge me more making me a better shooter.

 

[DesertSilver]

As already has been said, Consistency of hold is the key to shooting springers. Look up artillery hold for springers and try and follow what they say to do. I start shooting springers back in the early 90's and had never heard of the artillery hold so I just used the military type hold where the sling is wrapped around my arm and learned to shoot that way after many 1000's of pellets.

Oh, and I forgot to say started out with a RWS Diana m34 in .177.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

We believe in you!

 

[Hateful McNasty]

My gamo ( strong gas ram) was a shotgun grouper new and i almost have up on it . Took forever to settle down but i kept plugging away with it then one day it went from sad to near spot on. Now it's my #2 gun and hangs with my hw/r9. Poor thing just needed lots of shooting to get right.

Thing is most of us want right out of the box great ( me too) . Being my first gas ram gun maybe i just seen or learned they need a bit more berak in forgiveness time ? Then the normal pellets in .22 in a fresh gas ram may be too light ? I never thought to go to day 18g from the 14g i was using. That could of been a difference for the first few 1000+ shots . Dont know but i do know it's shooting well today.

 

[Deerstalker]

My first pellet rifle was a Benjamin Trail NP .22 which I never could get to shoot accurately. Next was a Weihrauch HW95L .22 and I also had problems with that one. The HW95L was built during the China Wuhan Virus days and inexperienced folks must have over oiled/greased the rifle which of course caused dieseling. This dieseling damaged the piston seal and after installing an ARH kit with a Vortek seal and using Krytox GPL-205 lube this rifle now shoots decent groups at 17 FPE. I use the H&N FTT 14.66 gr 5.53 mm pellets per recommendations from folks on this forum.

I would suggest that you chrono your rifle to see if the FPS varies which would indicate some type of internal fault as I don't believe that the scope is your problem. There is a lot of good advice given above from the good folks on this forum. Good luck and I hope you find this problem. There was a mod for the trigger on my Benjamin that seemed to help some.

 

[drpietrzak]

As @Hateful McNasty pointed out there is also a rifle break-in time in many cases. I just rebuilt my springer. It had 15,000 rounds through it. Even rebuilt it is shooting at 15 to 16 fpe so it is not a magnum. However, it is just settling in after the rebuild having about 500 pellets (give or take) through it.

There is some experimentation with the artillery hold, which is very similar to "free-recoil" in rimfire, if you are familiar with it. My experience is that it will not be a instant fix, but rather a starting point to work from depending on your rig. My rifle likes, as I noted, to have the front stock very near the balance point. But, the grip on the rifle (I am right handed) with my right hand has to me moderately firm, with a very easy straight trigger pull. The right had often is the difference between a "10" and a "8". Absolute consistency with the right hand is required.

To practice my right hand technique I used a single softer sand bag as with a rag under it to function as a had with a glove. This was position center of balance point and this I would not use a rear bag. I would get the site picture perfect and then grip the rifle and slowly engage the trigger trying to ensure that the retical stated as still as possible until after the shot had arrived. While my eft hand may look like it is doing something it is really just trying to stay out of the way and keep balance. You can see this from about 03:47 on here. Only after I was pretty proficient (in my head) with the no rear bag did I introduce a rear bag.