Tuning Octane Elite Dilemma - New to Air Guns and AGN and would appreciate some advice!

[KiwiAir]

Hi and thanks for reading. I'll try and keep this short...and will convert to imperial..

We have a particularly bad rabbit problem this year here in New Zealand, around the house so out to 30 yards max. I took advice from a local gun store and ended up with:

• Umarex Octane Elite .177
• Outdoor Optics scope - 4 x 32 AO
• Barrel mounted bipod
• H&N Baracuda

And I'm not aiming at anything with fur until I can get less than half inch grouping at 25 yards. Doing my post-purchase research (the worst kind), I am pretty sure I have the wrong caliber, but the thinking was it should be more accurate with less drop-off and distance calculations etc. The thing blows through 3/4 plywood at 11 yards so it has the power. So far, and this is the bit I would like advice on, it seems I would need to do the following to have a chance of hitting the groupings I need:

• Tighten and use blue loctite the stock screws. I see 2 under the side covers at the front of the stock, was expecting 1 in front of the trigger guard but there is nothing...
• Tighten and use blue loctite on the bolt that secures the barrel. I forget the name of it. And to do this I would need to either remove the stock or mill out the part of the stock that partially obscures the screw.
• Throw away the barrel mounted tripod
• Ignore the artillery hold as it has the stop shox mechanism
• The scope is about as far towards the stock as I can put it and still feels a stretch when prone, so either:
  • Get a different mount
  • Get different scope
  • Stop shooting prone
  • Or remove the scope and get good with the iron sights.
• Put a lot of pellets through it (which is a given, as I need to practice a LOT)
• Other???

Or, quit while I am this far behind, sell up and buy a setup that is easier to work with and get me to the part with the rabbits.

I would be ever so grateful to get some feedback on what you would do in this situation, with all the knowledge and experience you have gained.

Thanks, Andrew

 

[Guest]

Wow there is a lot in the above. You mentioned just about everything! Every platform is just a tool. Some tools are nicer. Some are not as nice. You are on the low-mid zone on quality - totally workable and usable for your intended purposes. Before investing more, I would get your scope comfortable with your eye and head position. You might have to buy a mount so you can pull back if your length of pull is too much or maybe push it forward. But you should NOT need that to sight it in at 20 yards and hit your zero. Try to hit a walnut at 20 yards x5. If you can do that back it up a bit to 30. Make some visual aids so you can know your yardage. After that when you see a bunny, look at your visual yardage aid and say aloha as you pull the trigger. Welcome to the sport and don't sweat the small stuff. I would practice 500 rounds before buying anything else.



PS spent a summer in Raglan surfing. Cool stuff. Bummer about Christchurch gun grab. Are your airguns regulated now?

 

[biohazardman]

Edit sorry it is .177



For the price you paid for the gun with scope and mounts you know they had to cheap out somewhere to make any money. Sorry to say likely it is everywhere.

Many of the inexpensive magnum springers have a hard time shooting .5 inches at twenty five yards a few will do it many will not.



But you have plenty on your list too help you go about trying at least.

Do the things on your list above which cost little or nothing first.

Make sure your barrel is clean and it and the breech o-ring are not damaged before you even start trying to make the gun more accurate.

As others have said one thing that will help greatly is to get rid of the barrel mounted bipod as it usually degrades accuracy.

Not sure about ignoring the artillery hold. I use it even on my Diana 54, which has recoil reduction, with great results.

Edit

Try pellets in heavier weights like 9-10.5 grain to keep the velocity down in the 800-880 fps range where they are usually most accurate.

Your scope and mount do not need replaced until they are giving you problems which likely will be shortly.

I use the Diana Bullseye scope mount and a less expensive Hawke scope that costs as much as your whole set up on my 54.



Some guns will respond to the above tuning others are what they are and there is not allot you can do about it but you will not know until you try. I wish you luck with your journey.

 

[KiwiAir]

Many thanks for the advice, very much appreciated. Loctite and ditching the bipod are free, and all practice is good practice so will experiment with and without artillery hold too. Interesting, the results you have had with this @biohazardman. Just goes to show that the only way to be sure is to try. I have a couple of tins of the baracuda which will serve the purpose. Will clean the barrel and get practicing. In short sessions. The 40+lb cocking force gets tough after a while.

Nice thinking with the distance aids, a can of spray marker should do it on the lawn, will give that a shot, so to speak.

Bit funny on the regulations here, I didn't need ID to buy the above, but would need a firearms license for a PCP rifle.

I saw that these things are hard on scopes. Good to have that confirmed. Someone recommended a UTG so will look into that, hopefully before this one gasps its last. Was reading about peep sights too, which i assume would be tough enough on this, but not sure if they would get a good enough grouping at 25 yards.

And thanks for the advice on the pellets. The barracuda are 9.5gr. We dont tend to get great variety of, well, anything here in NZ (other than Japanese cars!!!) but will check out other options at the local store. 

And @HPAman we are about half an hour from Raglan. What are the chances??? 

 

[Odoyle]

https://youtu.be/0dQ44J6LlTA

Always use your other hand to hold the barrel while loading the pellet while cocked for safety.

If this fails to help you after trying this guy's style then go sit on your butt then balance the forend on your diagonal shooting position knee cupped with other hand and shoot. Forearm on your knee.

If that still doesn't help go change your scope and try again.