Author Topic: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!  (Read 5926 times)

Offline wahoowad

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Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« on: May 12, 2010, 12:27:04 PM »
I mean, WTF!?!?! Sunday I'm getting some semi-consistent groups during my first real sight-in session with the replacement Trail XL. Not driving tacks but seeing the beginnings of things coming together. Today all I could think of at work was coming home and putting some more rounds through it. But it's like I'm shooting a mini-shotgun. The better grouping pellet from last time (CPHP) is spraying like a male tomcat. 2" groups at 20 yards, fliers. Whats weird is the gun finally seemed to stop smoking today so you'd think things would be even better. But noooo. It felt like a hammer, felt good, but shot like crap. Of course I'm left wondering is it me, the damp weather, the scope, etc. Distance is more or less the same. No wind. Dangit, I just wanted to get it ready to go bust some groundhog ass this weekend. Now I just have to keep punching paper. I don't feel close. Freaking annoying.
Beeman R9 .20
FX Whisper .22


Offline longislandhunter

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RE: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2010, 02:25:40 PM »
I would suggest re-doing your pellet testing and experiment with different holds.  If you have some Kodiaks give them a try and see how they group.  Don't get frustrated, just keep at it, keep testing different pellets and different holds and I'm sure you'll find the right combination.

I know each gun and shooter are different but... my XL likes a firm grip, just like I'm shooting a powder burner, with my left hand gripping the stock right at the front sling swivel and with the butt of the rifle pulled firmly into my shoulder.  

Jeff
\"If it was easy it wouldn\'t be hunting, it would be shopping.\"

Offline LongIslandArcher

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2010, 04:19:35 PM »
Clean your bore.

Offline Gene_SC

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2010, 04:26:43 PM »
And do not forget to check the stock screws. They will work loose sometimes.
THE ONES I SLEEP WITH: BSA Lightning XL, AA TX-200, AA ProSport, BSA Ultra, HW-97K, Crosman NPSS .177, FX Cyclone, HW-30 Nicle Plated, AA-S200, Crosman Marauder, CZ-634, R-9 DG, Webley/Scott UK Tomahawk, Benji Kantana, Benji Marauder, Benji Discovery.....
....

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Offline wahoowad

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2010, 11:04:36 PM »


Quote
Gene_SC - 5/13/2010  12:26 AM  And do not forget to check the stock screws. They will work loose sometimes.



Is it OK to loctite the stock screw that goes in the back of the trigger guard? For the forward screws, do I put loctite on as I screw them in or do I put the loctite on the threads that are visible looking down through the stock?

Beeman R9 .20
FX Whisper .22


Offline airiscool

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RE: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2010, 11:13:25 PM »
What the others have said, keep checking for best pellets, hold, loose fasteners, clean the barrel. If you have a chrony, re-check pellet speeds. Something changed and it may be the gun ... or, it may be you.

To re-inforce what Jeff said.
Like Jeff's, my XL shoots best with a firm, high powered rifle hold - butt pulled firmly into the shoulder - cheek firmly on the stock. But, mine prefers the front hand right at the checkering. If I put my hand forward, like what works with Jeff's XL, mine starts vertical stringing. Both guns look identical (except mine has a really cool DougT-WadeS pellet holder  :D ), but with just a couple inches differance in placement of one hand, it makes a big differance out at 30 yards.  

And, do you have a good cheek weld on the stock? Or, when you put your cheek firmly on the stock, are you looking into the bottom of the scope?  The scope mounts on the XL are tall. Raising your head up the stock to see in the scope's center makes for a loose cheekweld which is a sure way to get inconsistant groups !!!!!

Shooting at the end of a work day may seem like a good way to relax, but it could affect how well you shoot, compared to shooting on a day off.  

Paul.
Benji Trail NPXL 1100, Gamo .22 Whisper, Crosman 760 Pumpmaster, Crosman 66 Powermaster, Crosman .22 revolver, Daisy model 102, Daisy early Model 25.

Offline TennTux

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2010, 11:18:03 PM »
Take care which Loctite you use...they're graded based on the amount of force needed to break the screw/bolt loose.  Go to their website for a comparison.

I personally use Loctite 222, also known as Loctite purple.  It's ideal for gunsmithing because it holds firmly but can be broken loose using just hand tools.

Offline airiscool

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2010, 11:20:25 PM »
Quote
wahoowad - 5/13/2010  7:04 AM



Quote
Gene_SC - 5/13/2010  12:26 AM  And do not forget to check the stock screws. They will work loose sometimes.



Is it OK to loctite the stock screw that goes in the back of the trigger guard? For the forward screws, do I put loctite on as I screw them in or do I put the loctite on the threads that are visible looking down through the stock?



Yes !  :D

Doesn't matter if you put the Locktite on the screw threads, or hole threads. It wicks into the clearence in the threads as you put the screw in. Clean the threads thoroughly with alcohol, brake cleaner, lacquer thinner, or other non-residue oil solvents. Let the Locktite set 24 hours before shooting again.

Paul.
Benji Trail NPXL 1100, Gamo .22 Whisper, Crosman 760 Pumpmaster, Crosman 66 Powermaster, Crosman .22 revolver, Daisy model 102, Daisy early Model 25.

Offline wahoowad

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RE: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2010, 12:31:17 AM »


I was consistent in cheek weld/hold/etc between the prior shooting and yesterday so would not expect that to be a factor at least. I know those things will help with overall accuracy but I should do more or less the same using the same technique. Both days I used the same hold and shooting rest setup. Lately I have been using this single bag to support the forearm. Seemed to work OK Sunday with decent groups.



I'll try running a few patches through it and also break out the chrony again. Also just dropped an order on Pyramydair for a bunch of pellets some of you recommneded in another thread. Dang that add$ up fa$t!





Beeman R9 .20
FX Whisper .22


Offline LongIslandArcher

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2010, 02:56:46 AM »
I use blue loctite on all my screws.  I use the red loctite on the bolt that screws into the receiver tube buttplate.

Offline Ray

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2010, 03:03:33 AM »
My Trail XL shoots Crosman Hollow Points like a shotgun too. Crosman field points and Benjamin Hollows points work great in my trail.

Ray

Offline airiscool

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RE: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2010, 03:13:21 AM »
Quote
wahoowad - 5/13/2010  8:31 AM
.............. Also just dropped an order on Pyramydair for a bunch of pellets some of you recommneded in another thread. Dang that add$ up fa$t!  


 :D

When the price of lead went up, I got into AG's thinking it would be alot cheaper than feeding my powder burners .... WRONG !!!!  :D  :D

Paul.
Benji Trail NPXL 1100, Gamo .22 Whisper, Crosman 760 Pumpmaster, Crosman 66 Powermaster, Crosman .22 revolver, Daisy model 102, Daisy early Model 25.

Offline Checco

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2010, 09:35:28 AM »
Don't get discouraged.
My partner has the same rifle & had to put 350 pellets before his started to group
& has to use eather the 18.1 jsb or the kodiac 21.10gr we hold his loose. It's strange all guns art different.
But it stacks pellets at 30 yards. He felt like you in the beginning .Now you cant get the smile off his face.

Offline Mug08

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RE: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2010, 11:47:45 AM »
The only advice I could add here is  - don't give up. My NPSS was all over the place when I first got it. I thought I had everything dialed in, and the next day -like you say - everything would change. Good pellets one day were junk the next, and vice-versa. I picked up some H&N pellets that were really tight fitting, and after a few hundred of those everything changed.
 I almost gave up on mine, thought I just got a "bad" gun. I was wondering at the time - and still do to some extent - if some of the pistons themselves need a break in time. I've worked with pneumatic pistons on other things at my job, and even out of the same batch - some seem "stickier" than others at first.
  Just some random thoughts

      Mark

Offline LongIslandArcher

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Re: Frustrating sight in session with the Trail XL. BAH!
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2010, 12:20:45 PM »
The gas ram that came with the NPSS I bought went bad after 1500 rounds.  I contacted my executive connection there and he was kind enough to let me send him back just the bad gas ram and he sent me a new one.  The new one had "revision B" stated on the invoice, so let's hope they fixed all the problems with their initial (and second) run of gas rams.  After installing the gas ram and putting my rifle back together, I swabbed out the bore and put more pellets downrange.  After about 25 shots, the groups started getting tight again and it really likes the H&N Hollow Point, 12.65 grain pellets and is shooting them at over 800 fps.  Like I said before in other threads, I was grouping 1.5" at 65 yards with this gun before the gas ram failure, and I told my executive connection that I do NOT want them to swap out my gun.  I'm glad he was so accommodating.