I'm getting happier (accuracy)

This might be my 2nd or 3rd post.  Sorry for being excited.  I bought a Viper about 3 weeks ago and have found out it is the Gamo with bling.  Maybe I should have bought a Shadow and saved a few bucks?

I hated the trigger and replaced it with a GRT-III due to the fact that I have a Beeman at the crappy end of their line that I hate.  I quit shooting air rifles about 10 years ago because of that gun.  The new trigger is not a panacea, but it's a big step in the right direction.

I've been testing pellets and not seeing any consistency yet.  However, I started reading about hold sensitivity and playing with how I hold the gun.  It turns out to be primarily a forearm hold issue for me, I guess.  Who would have thought moving your hand back two inches would have made such a huge difference?

Holy cow!  I've gone from an embarrassing, and I mean really embarrassing, 1 1/2 inch 5 shot group at 15 yards to less than half an inch.  I'm not very good, but now I have confidence in this gun.  Woohoo!

Thanks for the forum, guys and gals.

Rob

[longislandhunter]

Glad to hear you're gettin that shooter dialed in Rob.  The more you shoot it the more consistent you'll get with it.  Keep us up to date on your progress.  Sounds like you're right on track.  

Jeff

Thanks.  The key for me is confidence and this gun is not even broken in.  Maybe 250-300 pellets through it and there are so many variables that affect accuracy on a springer.  Finding a good base line for improvement seems to be key.

The reason I'm happy is that I was having some real doubts about my purchase.  I just could not get the results I wanted even though I've made some good shots on live targets.  Last week I made a head shot on a grascal at 27 yards.  That's what my son calls them.  It seems that paper scares me, but accuracy interests me.

BTW, I like your line, "If it was easy it wouldn't be hunting, it would be shopping."  Many times my hunting buddies and I have discussed how much easier and cheaper it would be to buy ducks and turkeys.  You could walk to the store for the exercise and save a ton of money.  Funny that we never do that.

Rob

[shadow]

Yup, each of those babies are different and like to held in defferent way's, sound's like your finding the sweet spot and it just get's better. Ed

[longislandhunter]

I know what you mean Rob regarding "buying" the game,,,,,,, my wife has pointed out to me on MANY OCCASIONS that with all the money I spend on hunting and fishing equipment I could very easily buy more game and fish than I bring home.  Of course I guess she's correct, and that would apply to most hunters/fisherman  I guess, but there's just something about getting out in the woods,or out on the water,  and using your own physical and mental skills to bring home your own dinner.  After that explanation my wife just usually gives me "that look" and moves on to another topic.    

She's really pretty good about it though, she knows that hunting and fishing are my passion and that life just wouldn't be the same for me without those pursuits.  She even eats all the game I bring home, except for the squirrels, she thinks they're to cute to eat.  

Jeff

[Silo]

Welcome to the club Rob, I'm kinda wobbly so I have "loose" groups
Glad to hear that you are bonding with your rifle though:) it's a sweet thing. Just don't
give up.

Thanks for the tips, guys.  I'm sure reading this stuff is a bit boring for the more experienced crowd, but I certainly appreciate the help.

I'm confident with my hold now, but I was questioning it earlier this week.  It seems sensitive to where you hold, but pressure is not so much.  I was concerned about my hold because I was shooting 25 yards and kept getting horrible groups.  Like 2-3 inch groups?  I kept scratching my head until I picked up my tin of JSB Predators, which I was saving until I was a little more confident with my shooting.  Mistake!

First five were within a dime.  Holy cow!  Second group about the same.  All the rest were crap with Gamo Hunter, Match, Magnum, and CPHP's all week long.  All of a sudden the cost of performance is not quite so high.

So, I hit the order button for JSB Exacts, Superdomes, CPL's, and one more shot at Gamo with their Tomahawks.  3000 pellets at little more than a penny a piece is not so bad.  I was avoiding buying the CPL's because you have to buy so many at one time, but we'll see on all of them.  Now, I just want to find a target/plinking pellet that I can live with.

What do you guys do with the pellets that just don't group?  I've been shooting spinny targets with my son at 15 yards.

Rob

[Gene_SC]

All the pellets you mentioned are good pellets Rob. I use all of them in my springers and the CPL's will go fast when you shoot paper allot.. The Tomakawks you cannot go wrong with in most of the Gamo .177 air rifles..

Best of luck

Gene

Thanks, Gene.  I chose pellets based on what was working for most of the other folks on the board.  I figured my chances were pretty high with those as opposed to some of the more bizarre meisterbleisters.  I'll let you know next week.

Have you ever considered doing stickies for the newbie questions?  Kind of a permanent spot for the questions that come up all the time.  It might be helpful to see how the knowledge base for say pellets improved over time.  I've read a couple of starts for those types of questions, but they end of buried in the forum below the new topics.  Charlie seems to have started a bunch of threads like that.

Rob

[leftcoast1]

Hey Rob,

   Depending on the pellet if it doesn't group well in one gun they may in another. Hold on to them unless you know someone you can give them to. I have some Chinese domed pellets that don't group well in my guns that are over 800fps so I shot them in my CO2 guns. You could always keep them till friends come over and want to shoot and let them shoot them up.

Jason

I got a good one, guys!  The Viper is a shooter.  This newbie thanks you for your help.

Here's the process I had to force myself through:

Install the GRT-III  (check)
Find where it likes to be held  (check)
Find pellets that it likes  (check)
Shoot 1 inch groups at 40 yards  (check, not consistently but that's me and not the gun)

This gun does not like Gamo pellets.  Even the Tomahawks were pretty inconsistent.  However, CPL'S are pretty good.  Superdomes and Exacts are very good.  And for some reason, the Predators are the best.

Now all I have to do is learn to consistently shoot 1 inch groups at 50 yards.  Yeah, right!  

Rob

Right on Rob,almost gave my viper away,then about 2200 it came in and has be goin good since!