N/A Spring gun hold(yes we all know)

[AirShot]

I've only tried it with three rifles and only one of them grouped well from a bipod. My TX200 shoots nice tight groups from a bipod, but they shoot to a different point of aim than when I hold it any other way that I'm aware of. My Hatsan 135 produced shotgun patterns when shot from a bipod and my Kodiak didn't shoot horribly, but it didn't shoot well either.

Given my track record so far and that most bipods require mounting rails or a stud to the stock, I'm a little hesitant to do any further experimenting.

I have used a tripod for years with no issues thru various springers. I have a small sandbag with soft sand inside, and a smooth piece of slippery wool pad on top. The rifles are free to recoil front to back, however, depending on the rifle, where the stock touches the rest can make a big difference. I use the same poi on my TX whether standing or sitting or rested. If your finding big differences, rethink your holds and rests, experiment, the gun is not shooting any different, it is how you hold and rest it !!! My TX is a full power rifle at 905 fps so it is not a detuned version.

 

[OldSpook]

Rest a springer on a SOFT bag and you'll do fine. I used a shot bag filled with pinto beans for years. Never have found another bag I like as much as that one.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I have used a tripod for years with no issues thru various springers. I have a small sandbag with soft sand inside, and a smooth piece of slippery wool pad on top. The rifles are free to recoil front to back, however, depending on the rifle, where the stock touches the rest can make a big difference. I use the same poi on my TX whether standing or sitting or rested. If your finding big differences, rethink your holds and rests, experiment, the gun is not shooting any different, it is how you hold and rest it !!! My TX is a full power rifle at 905 fps so it is not a detuned version.

A tripod's a different animal from a bipod that's attached to the rifle and I'm certain it's better suited for use with springers. My TX was the full power version when I was shooting it off the bipod and it actually shot a great group from it, if I remember right it was about a 3/4" 5 shot group at 50 yards, but it was also something like 4 inches off from its usual point of aim. When I shoot it off a bench I usually rest it on a block of wood with my hand in between the rifle and the block and when I do that it also shoots to a different point of aim, about 1.5" to the right at 50 yards. In that case it's something that I'm aware of and can easily compensate for. I suspect it's the difference in the way it contacts my shoulder that causes the shift. I'm much more hunched over at the bench than I am while in a sitting or standing position.

I've got it tuned now to around 12.5 fpe and I'm pretty happy with it there. I use it almost entirely for plinking and target shooting, so I'd rather have smoothness over power, at least with this particular gun.

 

[AirShot]

A tripod's a different animal from a bipod that's attached to the rifle and I'm certain it's better suited for use with springers. My TX was the full power version when I was shooting it off the bipod and it actually shot a great group from it, if I remember right it was about a 3/4" 5 shot group at 50 yards, but it was also something like 4 inches off from its usual point of aim. When I shoot it off a bench I usually rest it on a block of wood with my hand in between the rifle and the block and when I do that it also shoots to a different point of aim, about 1.5" to the right at 50 yards. In that case it's something that I'm aware of and can easily compensate for. I suspect it's the difference in the way it contacts my shoulder that causes the shift. I'm much more hunched over at the bench than I am while in a sitting or standing position.

I've got it tuned now to around 12.5 fpe and I'm pretty happy with it there. I use it almost entirely for plinking and target shooting, so I'd rather have smoothness over power, at least with this particular gun.

Get the timing just right for your mist accurate pellet and you can have both power and smoothness. The recoil you felt at high power was the timing being off when the pellet leaves the barrel. Experiment with shims in front and behind the spring until you get it smooth with minimal recoil. Mine shoots 905 fps but most people think it is a 12 ft lb rifle.

 

[harrympope]

What is it rested on, sounds like something hard and stifff. Also consider the point of rest....little things can nake big differences on poi.

Hart Rest with leather smallbore glove on top.The butt Resting in my shoulder wearing my highpower shooting jacket.

 

[MEC17670]

I always use semi-full sand bags with my springers and it always works great. The groups I question are the ones shot from bipods...

I was just at the indoor range shooting my R7 .177 at fifty feet. I was zeroing a scope I hadn't remembered where it was at. The gun was shot rested in my hand with my hand on top of a hard sand bag.
After I got it where I wanted I decided to see how it shot rested directly on top of the sandbag nestled in my shoulder. As you can see the groups dropped an inch plus and were all over the place.
I ended this session with one group from my .177 pro sport. Also hand held over a rest.

When I see these guys on YouTube resting their spring guns in a sand bag I wonder how they get them to group ,I never have been able to? I shoot bench rest with low velocity cast bullet powder burners and i'm very familiar with how to control a gun on a rest.I've given up trying with spring guns!

View attachment 411109

I let my front hand which is open palm resting on the balance point having that hand and arm resting on a sandbag. Trigger hand is very lightly touching the stock. Thumb and trigger finger kissing the grip and trigger.
Normally keeps things pretty stable for sighting in my .20 97k blue lam.

 

[harrympope]

I let my front hand which is open palm resting on the balance point having that hand and arm resting on a sandbag. Trigger hand is very lightly touching the stock. Thumb and trigger finger kissing the grip and trigger.
Normally keeps things pretty stable for sighting in my .20 97k blue lam.

pretty much my system.I shot three spring guns tonight over a hard sand filled rest (rested on open palm)and my groups were where they were over a softer rest (hand held). My biggest trouble is sometimes I will start inadvertently gripping the wrist Too hard and will get up and down flyers. I don't notice I'm doing it until I get the wild shots. Then I start concentrating again.

 

[JP806TX]

If using a rest, you need to find the natural/neutral rest point of your hold for the rifle.

close your eyes and relax your hold.

Then open your eyes and see where the cross hair is. 99% of the time, if I pull the trigger, that's where the POI goes.

That's the natural rest point of the rifle with your particular hold/rest.

You need to re-adjust your position/hold. Then close your eyes and keep repositioning and checking by closing your eyes and relaxing until your rifle/ cross hair settles into the bull eye. Just another technique to help you get consistent hold/position...next is the trigger pull...that's another post.

 

[bustachip]

I shot my smallest group to date at 42 yards with my 97K rested like this…..

The red dot is 1/2” and the group was .212” ctc I wrote 47 yards on the target but that was incorrect it was actually 42 yards…

I hold the fore end with my left hand lightly to keep it centered and no cheek pressure on the stock. I used 15X on the scope, I later sold that scope. Currently have a Sightron bigsky SII 4-16X42 mill dot on my 97K.

 

[AirShot]

Hart Rest with leather smallbore glove on top.The butt Resting in my shoulder wearing my highpower shooting jacket.

All depends on what that particular rifle likes, even two TX200's may like different hold or rests. When you poi changes drastically then you need to experiment with different holds and rests until you get the same poi from the various positions. Bottom line is...on a springer, the way it is held or rested determines the poi....guns that are fine tuned to lessen recoil and find that perfect shot cycle will have far less shifts in poi from different holds !! Bad part is, very few will take the time and and effort to make the long, boring, time consuming adjustments needed to get there.

 

[harrympope]

I just got back from shooting my powder burners and I shot this one group with my HW80k .177 at 50 yards to see where it hit compared to my sight in at 50' . Rifle held in my hand over the top of a rest with no rear bag.

 

[AirShot]

My guess is about an 1 1/2" - 2" drop at 50 yds ?? About right..