RWS 350 Feuerkraft Pro compact for noobie.

[ZELDA]

Is it normal for a new airgun to be NOT accurate and have inconsistent power the first few days of shooting? Cause I just got mine and shooting at 40 yards I cant get a good group. I tried 3 kinds of pellets and shimmed the breech seal. Will accuracy improve over time? I think I get the closest groups with RWS domed pellets, but still not to good. And I was shooting at a board about 1cm thick at 40 yards and every say 20 shots I would have a pellet that would only pierce or dent the board, but the other pellets would go all the way through the board. This is using domed pellets every shot and at the same distance every shot. Whats up with that? Is this all just break in or what.

[MEHavey]

Christian,

First, are the action/barrel screws locked down tight and fingernail polish "dots" on them so you can see if they rotate/move?

Second, are the scope mount(s) locked down tight to the rails, with that same fingernail polish mark to ensure the screws aren't rotating/backing out? Ditto, do you have pencil marks on the receiver where the mount edges are to see if the mount(s) are moving backward on the rails as you shoot?

Third, do you have pencil marks on the scope before & after the rings to ensure the scope is not moving back in the rings themselves?

Fourth, do you have/keep an absolutely consistent hold on the rifle? (Springers are terribly dependent on consistent hold.) Some swear by balancing just forward of the trigger guard and almost no hold on the stock. Others (like me) grip the forearm firmly just under the break hinge and at the same time firmly anchor the stock w/ my cheek just back of the scope.

Fifth, consider starting at 20 yards and tell/show us what the groups look/act like.

Sixth, ... yes Springers (and their owners) take a while to settle down. But neither should be wild… even at the start.

[GoodOlRWS45]

Your power shouldn't be very inconsistant.  i would stick to one pellet that shoots best, and sight my scope in using that pellet.   I would suspect the scope mount moving, for your accuracty problems.  Also, check your barrel's crown for damage.  that's the end of the barrel where the pellet leaves the barrel.  You may also check to make sure the muzzle brake is not interfering with pellets exiting the barrel.  As far as your board and some pellets going through, and some not,........Penetration in wood is not a good indicator of power.  wood can vary in density from one place to another.  How much did you shim your breach seal?  If it was shimmed too much, it could be possible that it's not lining up properly.  

try one thing at a time, so you know what the problem is.  Please let us know what you find.

Good luck!

[ZELDA]

I think it could have been the scope mounts. I shot yesterday and it did much better. But I stripped a screw on the scope mount rings. Oh well.   How much should the breech seal o-ring be sticking out of the groove? Mine was all the way out of the groove so i shimmed it and now it sticks out a little bit. Im looking for pics of how it should look. Got any?

[GoodOlRWS45]

Here's a pic of mine.

[ZELDA]

Oh. Thanks, mines not shimmed that much. But now Im getting good results in accuracy. I went hunting in the back yard today and the squirrels were crazy! I sat there for 10 minutes and shot 5 times. They just kept on coming out. I did not drop any though. every time I shot the squirrel would run off. I assumed I hit it and I planned to search for them after the hunt. Well, after those 5 shots at squirrels from 90 feet I decided to go look for them. Then I got mad. I knew I missed 4 of them after looking so I start looking for the last one. I found blood, so I started tracing the blood trail. After about 30ft of blood trail the blood stops. It looked like the spot where the squirrel died. but no more blood. Nothing. Then I remembered that my dog went to that spot after I took the shot. Immediately I started whistling cause my dog always comes to me when I whistle. So my dog runs up and sure enough theres blood all over here face and one of her legs. I never found the squirrel because my dog is very greedy. I think next time I hunt in the back yard Il chain that dirty little theft to a tree or something. haha. So after that, i went and shot some targets from 90 feet and my gun was shooting about 3 inches low. I zeroed it in and now Im as happy as could be because on the last target I put 5 pellets in a circle the size of a quarter.

[GoodOlRWS45]

Thats good news.  Keep shooting and you'll get a feel for the rifle, and it will only get better.  Good luck on those squirrels!

[ZELDA]

Thanks, Im gonna hunt those same squirrels again tomorrow. Im just trying to decide if I want to set my alarm and force myself to get up early tomorrow, or just make an evening hunt!

[ZELDA]

thanks Super9. i might get it tuned later on down the road.

[ZELDA]

thanks Super9. i might get it tuned later on down the road.

[ZELDA]

Hey guys, can I use predators in my .22 350? I ask because people say NOT OVER 15grain but yet EVERYONE uses predators which are 16grain. The LAST thing I want to do is weaken my spring, so can I safely use predators or will it effect my spring. Please help, cause the predators look badass and I need to know if they are OK. Thanks.

[jables61]

won't be a problem in a 350- I'd be more concerned over light pellets.....

[ZELDA]

So i can FOR SURE shoot predators w/o worrying about weakening the spring?

[jables61]

Yes. Your 350 is one of the more powerful springers out there - It can easily handle a 16 gram predator. It could probably handle pellets in the 20 gram range, but don't take my word for it. I'd be more concerned over lightweight pellets... your 350 is so powerful, firing a lighter pellet would be like dry firing it.

[jables61]

here's a link which tackled the pellet weight issue: http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=13136&mid=105303#M105303  - My personal opinion for a 350 magnum would be somewhere between 14-17 grams. too light, and your pellet will go supersonic, resulting in poor accuracy. Granted, the Predators are in the mid to upper weight class, but you'd probably have to shoot thousands upon thousands to do any damage (plus, they're expensive) I'd use them for hunting, and a domed pellet such as the RWS Superdome, JSB Exact, or Crosman Premier for general plinking.