I have owned and tested lots of airguns over time, and feel the claimed average group sizes of many, if not most airgunners shooting standard new airguns is overstated.
Now there have always been some models that typically shoot tighter groups than most, often much tighter, but I don’t think the average intrinsic accuracy of airguns has improved much, if at all in the last thirty plus years I have tested airguns seriously.
Granted, results are generally much better nowadays than thirty years ago at ranges beyond 30 yards, but I opine its the PELLETS that are better, giving results far better even with old guns than they ever did with pellets of old. The airguns were never intended for hole-in-hole accuracy at fifty yards back then, as that was target powder burner territory … so pellets were made to deliver minute of beercan accuracy at that range.
So how good are modern run-of-the mill airguns now? I’d say a typical best thirty shot rested outdoor group at fifty yards using standard ammo from a typical mid-priced ($300-$600) airgun will be around 1.5” center to center of the widest shots. Go back to popular pellet designs that are still around, like flatheads, hollowpoints, and some pointed models and groups will be lots bigger.
The best over the counter, mass-produced gun/pellet combinations around would reduce the above 1.5” 30-shot outdoor efforts to just over an inch, but with light breezes shifting from 1-4 mph I would suspect that would be about tops. Sure about any of em will sometimes put several in a row into the same hole, and maybe once in awhile put five into the same hole at 50, but other groups from the same session will be many times that size,
The reason we all see and brag on sub-half inch groups nowadays is because we mostly only look at the best 5 shot groups of the day, discounting groups with “fliers”. Heck, I used to carry a 3/8” five shot fifty yard group fired from my old HW77 using Crosman lites I cut out and had in my wallet. I still have a gun just like it and it can still shoot (some) half-inchers if there is no wind to speak of, but its a one-in a dozen similar rifles I didn't keep.
So, if a new gun you just got “only” does middling groups, well thats normal! Clean the barrel, try a few pellet weight/velocity combinations, clean some more, and it will often get better over time (if you are a good shot).
Now there have always been some models that typically shoot tighter groups than most, often much tighter, but I don’t think the average intrinsic accuracy of airguns has improved much, if at all in the last thirty plus years I have tested airguns seriously.
Granted, results are generally much better nowadays than thirty years ago at ranges beyond 30 yards, but I opine its the PELLETS that are better, giving results far better even with old guns than they ever did with pellets of old. The airguns were never intended for hole-in-hole accuracy at fifty yards back then, as that was target powder burner territory … so pellets were made to deliver minute of beercan accuracy at that range.
So how good are modern run-of-the mill airguns now? I’d say a typical best thirty shot rested outdoor group at fifty yards using standard ammo from a typical mid-priced ($300-$600) airgun will be around 1.5” center to center of the widest shots. Go back to popular pellet designs that are still around, like flatheads, hollowpoints, and some pointed models and groups will be lots bigger.
The best over the counter, mass-produced gun/pellet combinations around would reduce the above 1.5” 30-shot outdoor efforts to just over an inch, but with light breezes shifting from 1-4 mph I would suspect that would be about tops. Sure about any of em will sometimes put several in a row into the same hole, and maybe once in awhile put five into the same hole at 50, but other groups from the same session will be many times that size,
The reason we all see and brag on sub-half inch groups nowadays is because we mostly only look at the best 5 shot groups of the day, discounting groups with “fliers”. Heck, I used to carry a 3/8” five shot fifty yard group fired from my old HW77 using Crosman lites I cut out and had in my wallet. I still have a gun just like it and it can still shoot (some) half-inchers if there is no wind to speak of, but its a one-in a dozen similar rifles I didn't keep.
So, if a new gun you just got “only” does middling groups, well thats normal! Clean the barrel, try a few pellet weight/velocity combinations, clean some more, and it will often get better over time (if you are a good shot).
