Tuning Tuning question on Maverick .22 compact

I have a tuning question about my Maverick .22 Compact -mine is that I get very good accuracy(at 25 yards, shooting in the mid 880s), however my "spread" on the chronograph always seems to be in the 30's (on a 18 shot string) with std deviation in the 7-9 area CAUSED by 1 or 2 shots at very low speeds(ie. 860-895, but most other shots are within 3-4 of the average).

My question is "how do I get smaller spreads", or can anyone advise "what is happening?". Again, accuracy is fine (1/2 inch groups at 25 yards).
Thanks for any input, in advance.
Pat
 
Thanks for the reply! So.....on the hammer friction issue, a bit of silicone oil or other lube oil????
On the sear drag......same?
Re: HST adjustment
First, I keep the regs at 25-30 bar difference and maximize the speed on the pellet at the "wheel" to 7. Then fine tune the HS on the "adjust" position and then back to 7. I hope I'm doing that correctly but dialing the fine tune to 95-97%.........not sure how that can be done. Do you mean, 95-97% of the pellet speed?
 
Set HST to the maximum level

Calculate target tuning speed - Example: 880 FPS (Desired pellet speed) / .97 = 907 FPS

Increase regulator to reach target speed or 907 in this example

Reduce hammer spring tension until you reach 880 FPS. This may include fine-tuning through the "adjust" position.
Are you saying to set the HST to the maximum level on PW #7 or should the PW be set on a desired level, say 4/5, for this adjustment? I would like to adjust my gun to be shooting at an air efficient and desirable FPS with some flexibility to move up or down in pellet weight depending on what is available at the time. Just spit-balling here with the question. I have a Wildcat MK3 BT
 
Are you saying to set the HST to the maximum level on PW #7 or should the PW be set on a desired level, say 4/5, for this adjustment? I would like to adjust my gun to be shooting at an air efficient and desirable FPS with some flexibility to move up or down in pellet weight depending on what is available at the time. Just spit-balling here with the question. I have a Wildcat MK3 BT
You start the process with PW on 7. Adjust the regulator to set the FPS to 907 from the example above. Reduce PW as necessary to achieve 880 FPS. This will ensure the hammer isn't striking too hard and keeping the valve open for an unnecessary time.
 
Well........a very odd day at the range! Right off the bat, shots were going left, 4 inches and slow (from 865-900 last week) to about 750 with WIDE variations in speed of the chronograph! Keep in mind that I had made no adjustments, at all, at this point. I'm beginning to think its the hammer issue "sticking" or something like that. When I cranked up the pressure, I couldn't get it to go past 850 even with 125 bar on the 2nd reg. So, this seems to tell me the valve isn't staying open enuf, right? So, I went from an occasional "slow" pellet to everything going to heck!
All this on PW 7.
Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated. So, what to do to fix this?
HALP!
 
PW7 is a meaningless value if you do not know where your IHS is set.
Your gun on PW7 with the IHS backed out to 6mm is a whole different critter than with the IHS screwed all the way in.
The 125 bar in conjunction with a weak hammer spring adjustment can actually reduce velocity because the plenum pressure is over powering the hammer and shutting the valve faster and reducing the amount of air getting past the valve.
Pressure alone is not enough. The valve needs to remain open long enough to provide sufficient air volume to accelerate the pellet or slug until just before it exits the muzzle.
Try setting your first reg @ 150 bar, the 2nd @ 90 bar. That should leave plenty of room to increase the pressure at the second reg. Adjust the IHS until it is 6mm out from the top of the hammer spring cap.
Start shooting and measuring velocity. Very slowly open the 2nd reg. Shoot the gun and measure velocity with each adjustment. I shoot 10-12 shots with each adjustment. Keep backing out the 2nd reg until you are 10-12% over your target speed. Then start adjusting the IHS in about 1/8 turn or less at a time. Test for speed until you reach your desired velocity. From there you can tweak the IHS in very small increments in and out until you have consistent velocities.
Don‘t try adjusting the hammer spring and reg at the same time. One adjustment at a time. Reg first to establish velocity and then hammer spring 2nd to achieve balance between the hammer and plenum pressure.
Hope this helps. If anyone has better advice please share. The OP and I would both be learning.
 
PW7 is a meaningless value if you do not know where your IHS is set.
Your gun on PW7 with the IHS backed out to 6mm is a whole different critter than with the IHS screwed all the way in.
The 125 bar in conjunction with a weak hammer spring adjustment can actually reduce velocity because the plenum pressure is over powering the hammer and shutting the valve faster and reducing the amount of air getting past the valve.
Pressure alone is not enough. The valve needs to remain open long enough to provide sufficient air volume to accelerate the pellet or slug until just before it exits the muzzle.
Try setting your first reg @ 150 bar, the 2nd @ 90 bar. That should leave plenty of room to increase the pressure at the second reg. Adjust the IHS until it is 6mm out from the top of the hammer spring cap.
Start shooting and measuring velocity. Very slowly open the 2nd reg. Shoot the gun and measure velocity with each adjustment. I shoot 10-12 shots with each adjustment. Keep backing out the 2nd reg until you are 10-12% over your target speed. Then start adjusting the IHS in about 1/8 turn or less at a time. Test for speed until you reach your desired velocity. From there you can tweak the IHS in very small increments in and out until you have consistent velocities.
Don‘t try adjusting the hammer spring and reg at the same time. One adjustment at a time. Reg first to establish velocity and then hammer spring 2nd to achieve balance between the hammer and plenum pressure.
Hope this helps. If anyone has better advice please share. The OP and I would both be learning.
ALL:

Sorry, I guess I wasn't very clear on this. I have been shooting 15.89 FX .22 pellets(sometimes JSB 15.89 pellets but got better groups with FX.) since I got the gun. It has always shot at 885-ish FPS(std deviation from 3 to 5), with IHS at 3turns from all the way "closed" to the right. Power wheel at 7 and First reg at 105, 2nd at 75. Was getting 100-125 shots per fill on the 300cc tank(250 Bar to about 150 Bar). My goals were to maximize shot count, great accuracy and a settled shooting experience. I have been tickled with the gun!

Last week I started getting the "odd" pellet or 2 in a magazine shooting 30-35 FPS slower than the AVG speed, screwing up the std deviation. I cleaned the barrel, etc. but did nothing else to the gun. I have not dropped the gun or mishandled in any way(at least to my knowledge).

Yesterday, I started getting significantly slower speeds(changing nothing)and still wider variations(ie.750's and 30-40 FPS swings from that AVG. Doesn't make sense to me......so I started to up the 1st reg and 2nd reg pressures(PW at 7) to 150-ish and 125. Still slow speeds. So, then I started to play with the "adjust" IHS, moving up and down to see what was happening or how results were varying. I am baffled as to what is happening and why such a change. Oh, and all the shots were going left 4 inches at 25 yards. Made no sense to me. So, slower speeds and shooting left, why?

I've gone back to re-setting the original pressure to 105(1st) and 75(2nd), PW 7 and IHS at 3 left from far right(clockwise). Still getting 750 -ish FPS.

Hope this explains things better. It is either reg issues or HS. Nothing else that I know of to adjust on this Maverick.
Pat
 
ALL:

Sorry, I guess I wasn't very clear on this. I have been shooting 15.89 FX .22 pellets(sometimes JSB 15.89 pellets but got better groups with FX.) since I got the gun. It has always shot at 885-ish FPS(std deviation from 3 to 5), with IHS at 3turns from all the way "closed" to the right. Power wheel at 7 and First reg at 105, 2nd at 75. Was getting 100-125 shots per fill on the 300cc tank(250 Bar to about 150 Bar). My goals were to maximize shot count, great accuracy and a settled shooting experience. I have been tickled with the gun!

Last week I started getting the "odd" pellet or 2 in a magazine shooting 30-35 FPS slower than the AVG speed, screwing up the std deviation. I cleaned the barrel, etc. but did nothing else to the gun. I have not dropped the gun or mishandled in any way(at least to my knowledge).

Yesterday, I started getting significantly slower speeds(changing nothing)and still wider variations(ie.750's and 30-40 FPS swings from that AVG. Doesn't make sense to me......so I started to up the 1st reg and 2nd reg pressures(PW at 7) to 150-ish and 125. Still slow speeds. So, then I started to play with the "adjust" IHS, moving up and down to see what was happening or how results were varying. I am baffled as to what is happening and why such a change. Oh, and all the shots were going left 4 inches at 25 yards. Made no sense to me. So, slower speeds and shooting left, why?

I've gone back to re-setting the original pressure to 105(1st) and 75(2nd), PW 7 and IHS at 3 left from far right(clockwise). Still getting 750 -ish FPS.

Hope this explains things better. It is either reg issues or HS. Nothing else that I know of to adjust on this Maverick.
Pat


The hammer spring screw can and probably did move on you. Check if it is at the same point it was when you measured it. It can and will move. Other than that, I am at a loss. Please let us know if/when you figure this out. I too have the maverick compact.


Thanks for the reply! I will check all this but like you am totally stumped. I'm of the mind that this is HS related but.....Nervoustrig suggested hammer friction or sear drag. Not sure how to fix these issues. Polishing/lubing?
Pat
 
Yeah that screw backed out on me twice now. My Maverick is always dialed in <4FPS unsorted with 44.75gr, but one day I drove all the way out to the range thr day before an NRL22 match, and it shot erratic of the blue. I didn't even know that there was a set screw in there until I got home and stuck a 1.5mm hex in there and felt how loose it was.

It happened again recently, but I was screwing around with a lower power tune and should have readjusted it once I retuned it with my normal tune.
 
Thanks! I guess I'll watch some videos on YouTube and get to it! I'm in West Tennessee and there aren't many folks around that know ANYTHING about airguns! No gunsmiths know, either. When I go to the range, I'm the only one that has one and the other shooters have no idea what I'm shooting. They're just amazed at the accuracy and THEN the questions start......
 
Well, MAYBE, just maybe I figured out the issue. As I was beginning to work on the hammer spring, I noticed the screw holding the power wheel was "loose". It was several turns out of being snug to the chassis. So, I took off the PW to make sure the adjust screw was at 6MM. It wasn't!

I was being careful not to lose the ball bearing, and made sure the "micro-adjust" screw on the hammer was at 6mm. Put it all back together and tightened the PW screw(the one to affix it to the gun chassis) snuggly. At 6mm the gun wouldn't cock on PW 7 or 6 so I turned the "micro-adjust" screw clockwise until it would cock on PW 7.
I am hoping this will do the trick.

Please comment if you think I've corrected the issue...........or not. Testing tomorrow!
 
My Maverick compact is in.25. But, I have a Wildcat compact in ,22. The reg is at 110-120. It is not a digital reg so hard to tell exactly the pressure. Shooting 15.89 JSBs at 820 fps on power wheel 4. It is shooting great with a spread of 31. It would be closer, but, the first two shots are always slower. The first two shots have always been slower. Since I hunt with it, I just put two into the dirt when I start out.
 
Well, MAYBE, just maybe I figured out the issue. As I was beginning to work on the hammer spring, I noticed the screw holding the power wheel was "loose". It was several turns out of being snug to the chassis. So, I took off the PW to make sure the adjust screw was at 6MM. It wasn't!

I was being careful not to lose the ball bearing, and made sure the "micro-adjust" screw on the hammer was at 6mm. Put it all back together and tightened the PW screw(the one to affix it to the gun chassis) snuggly. At 6mm the gun wouldn't cock on PW 7 or 6 so I turned the "micro-adjust" screw clockwise until it would cock on PW 7.
I am hoping this will do the trick.

Please comment if you think I've corrected the issue...........or not. Testing tomorrow!
mico adjust scew at 6mm is for 30 cal mostly if your at 6mm shooting a 22 compact your power wheel gotta be on power 2 os so dependont on reg presure 4.5-5.0 mm for 22 compact i bet is plenty of hammer. will be tune on one this week with further details
 
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Thanks again for the input! It is greatly appreciated!!!
I did some more testing on the chronograph. Not at all what I expected.
I am shooting more consistently but it is at 750's not near the 880's I had with the same settings.
Seems that I am losing air somewhere in the shooting sequence. Dang, this is confusing. Seals in the breech?(look OK).
Getting frustrated!