“TACK DRIVER”

[rcs9250]

I was just reading some posts on thread:

Are all guns accurate?​

I didn’t want to hijack the thread so started this one. You often read ”My new Mod XXXXXX shoots like a laser” or “My new Mo XXXX is a tack driver”.
What constitutes or is the criteria for both descriptions ? To me laser and tack driver would be like photo below, consistent group with a first pellet followed by the rest grouping no more than 2x the pellet diameter.
And as we have learned, every barrel will have a preferred pellet for ultimate accuracy. Some air guns are inherently accurate and are typically upper tier in price, which should be expected but what criteria constitutes laser and tack driver ? And at what distance ? Everyone knows group size typically expands with distance. To me, a tack, a lot of times that I’ve used tacks, they are a touch bigger or same size as a .22 pellet. So every shot would be dead on or at the worst, shave lead as it grazes the head.
Just curious.

 

[Gerry52]

Love it! I bought my 1st new airgun about 7 years ago, a Gamo (Lamo) break barrel that I'd read "tack driver" comments about. Those comments could only be true had the head of the tack been 1 foot in diameter at 50 yards. I've been guilty of using the "laser accurate" term myself but only in a SUBJECTIVE way, not in a quantitatively accurate way. I like your diagram & that's the kind of info I'd use when researching for a new gun, NOT a subjective opinion by someone whose parameters might be completely different from mine. (Once I got into PCP'S I found what "tack driver" is REALLY supposed to infer).

 

[airgunmike56]

I am limited to 48 yards in my back yard, I define accurate, I shoot pellet holes, I shoot once then I start shooting the hole, Funny story I have told on here , I put a white sheet paper up little egg splatter and shoot flys, I am all over the paper like a shot gun, My big PB brother comes over and looks at target and says , Your air guns cant hold a group very well, I have to explain I am shooting flys, He shuts up, LOL...

 

[JimD]

I like to define the accuracy of my guns by their 30 yard challenge score. One reason I like shooting these targets is I can do it in my yard where I am limited to no more than 35 yards. That lets me shoot a lot more targets. Anyway, I think it is more meaningful to be able to hit a 1/8th inch 10 ring and/or a dot X ring consistently than it is to shoot a small group (or two). A top score is 200 and last I looked there were only 10 or 11 of them this year. Any gun that shoots over 190 is a pretty accurate gun from my point of view. All 9s is only 180. To get 190 you need at least half your shots to touch the 10 ring. To get a 200 you need to touch the 10 ring 20 times. It's a quantifiable way to state the accuracy of a gun.

 

[EPG]

I like to define the accuracy of my guns by their 30 yard challenge score. One reason I like shooting these targets is I can do it in my yard where I am limited to no more than 35 yards. That lets me shoot a lot more targets. Anyway, I think it is more meaningful to be able to hit a 1/8th inch 10 ring and/or a dot X ring consistently than it is to shoot a small group (or two). A top score is 200 and last I looked there were only 10 or 11 of them this year. Any gun that shoots over 190 is a pretty accurate gun from my point of view. All 9s is only 180. To get 190 you need at least half your shots to touch the 10 ring. To get a 200 you need to touch the 10 ring 20 times. It's a quantifiable way to state the accuracy of a gun.

Absolutely agree Jim. Thirty yards is a great distance to target shoot an air rifle - as its a relevant distance for hunters and pesters too.

The X dot on the 30 Yard Challenge target is .02” - yep, you are reading that correctly, the bullseye is 2/100 of an inch in diameter.

If you can hit that 2/100” bullseye 20 times in a row (using a .22 caliber scoring plug), then you’ve truly got a “tack driving laser”, lol.

So stop measuring your fps “extreme spread” and adding chrome do-dads to your rifle - and start shooting some 30 Yard Challenge targets.

 

[starlingassn]

seems everybody has their own idea of what a "tack driver" entails,
i dig that


to me a tackdriver would be like the first post,

a group that just chews out an empty hole about twice-ish a pellet diameter.

or i guess any group that makes a single hole,
instead of individual holes spread out,
for me it would have to be at 50yds,
but thats personal preference.

 

[RickH]

i learned a lot about accuracy shooting years ago shooting pb rifles out to 1000 yards. For me, if it shoots minute of angle groups at whatever distance it’s an accurate gun.

Rick H.

 

[airgunmike56]

10 shots 48 yards, 10 to 15 MPH wind at times wind flags go up and down, 177 JSB 10gr shot from a Uragan Standerd off 18 dollar china made bipod , Sand bag in rear,, If I was inside with no wind it would look like one hole. Scope Athlon Helos 6x24

 

[jlharden]

Accuracy is relative, maybe? Springers can be pretty tough to tame. Shot a 5 shot group rested on a sand bag at 25m in a light breeze this past Friday eve with my full power HW98. I placed a .177 pellet in the hole for reference. For me this is "tack driver". Many will shoot better, but this is pretty good for me. I have room, so I'll stretch it out farther and see how things hold up.

 

[rcs9250]

I’m thinking this is an example of laser or tack driver. It is the factory test target of a friends FWB 10 meter rifle.
Pretty sure you would expect this kind of five shot group out of a 10 meter gun.

 

[Vetmx]

I completely understand the term tack driver. For years when I was done shooting, I shot the tacks then staples out of my targets and retrieved them from the ground before I left the range. The term laser associated with an airgun is a term I will never understand. For one a laser has no trajectory. An airgun has one of the most horrible trajectories in shooting sports only just above an arrow. Whoever started the whole laser thing must have certainly never shot anything other than an airgun in his whole life.

 

[Trucker3573]

This is the inherent problem. Accuracy is a massively subjective thing. Has different meaning to different people. I think moa groups are defined to help put some clarity to this subject. I guess that is what I would go by.

 

[Vana2]

I'd like to say that every gun is a tack-driver - AT A CERTAIN RANGE.

That range might be measured in inches, feet or yards

 

[Chukar60]

This is the inherent problem. Accuracy is a massively subjective thing. Has different meaning to different people. I think moa groups are defined to help put some clarity to this subject. I guess that is what I would go by.

Bingo!! One person’s tack driver is another person’s ho-hum.
I have several PB’s that won’t shoot MOA. They do not need to. They are for big game hunting and I only took one shot past 250 yards in decades of hunting. They shot well enough to put a bullet in the vitals at the ranges I was willing to shoot at.
Shift to air guns and I had to re-learn what precision was. It was the precision and accuracy that pulled me in. I was stunned to find just how accurate an air gun could be. When I started hunting small game I found out why air guns need to be so accurate and precise. There is very little to no margin of error when hunting. Shots have to go where you aim them or you have a wounded animal on your hands or conscience. I do not relish the thought of either of those options.
Some folks have not needed to learn that lesson or have other reasons why high precision would not be a priority.

 

[beerthief]

I was just reading some posts on thread:

Are all guns accurate?​

I didn’t want to hijack the thread so started this one. You often read ”My new Mod XXXXXX shoots like a laser” or “My new Mo XXXX is a tack driver”.
What constitutes or is the criteria for both descriptions ? To me laser and tack driver would be like photo below, consistent group with a first pellet followed by the rest grouping no more than 2x the pellet diameter.
And as we have learned, every barrel will have a preferred pellet for ultimate accuracy. Some air guns are inherently accurate and are typically upper tier in price, which should be expected but what criteria constitutes laser and tack driver ? And at what distance ? Everyone knows group size typically expands with distance. To me, a tack, a lot of times that I’ve used tacks, they are a touch bigger or same size as a .22 pellet. So every shot would be dead on or at the worst, shave lead as it grazes the head.
Just curious.

View attachment 383203

i would say a laser would be 1.5 times the pellet head , tack driver would be 2x the pellet head , good grouping would be 4x

 

[Airgunmann]

i would say a laser would be 1.5 times the pellet head , tack driver would be 2x the pellet head , good grouping would be 4x

So tack driver a 1/2 inch or less at 50 and 1 inch or under at 100 that would be my thoughts but somebody else could be more or less depends on the target as well if some one just hunts and gets a lot of small birds or game it could be a tack driver to them because it didn't miss

 

[Motorhead]

Going to be the DEVILS advocate ...

TACK as in a small nail or push pin ..... Unless HIT dang near DEAD CENTER you won't DRIVE IT IN, but push it over or send it flying in all likelihood.

That actually would be a killer test & fun too. Place say 1 dozen metal Tack / Push pins into a pine board just starting the point enough to hold them vertical from board. Take a pencil or pen and trace around the heads onto the board. ( This become a Center reference of each tack from its place of origin )
Pick your distance to shoot and take ONE SHOT at each tack only.

ONLY THOSE TACKS driven into board square & true would be seen as DRIVEN ( Driver ) and those sideways or missing ... lol you get the idea

Real tack driver you say LETS SEE IT
Takers anyone ?

 

[Crabbypatties]

I completely understand the term tack driver. For years when I was done shooting, I shot the tacks then staples out of my targets and retrieved them from the ground before I left the range. The term laser associated with an airgun is a term I will never understand. For one a laser has no trajectory. An airgun has one of the most horrible trajectories in shooting sports only just above an arrow. Whoever started the whole laser thing must have certainly never shot anything other than an airgun in his whole life.

Laser accurate is just an expression used just like any other term. I’ve used it before in a mind blowing shooting session when I couldn’t seem to miss no matter the distance. So by saying "laser" it’s just the wow factor my guy.

 

[airgunmike56]

LOL Motorhead
I have done something like that, But I pushed the tacks in and shot them, They were plastic ones with some metal ones , I get tired of shooting paper all the time,
Mike

 

[L.Leon]

All mine are sparrow drivers, as they are the smallest sentient pest I go after. Driving tacks? Too specilized for me, I lack the discipline, M.O.S. minute of sparrow, out to 60 yards? Nirvana…