Guys,
Many thanks for all of your good suggestions which I will hold onto. Now for a big laugh from everyone: Ready?
I discovered the problem. When I was buying the gun I was talking only about a .177 caliber while amidst the noise and bustle of the Baldwinsville Airgun Show, Stephen Archer was thinking .22 caliber (and the only carbine he had left was a .22). So what he gave me to take home was a .22 gun while I thought it was a .177.
See where this is going??? I was putting .177 pellets in a .22 gun. Naturally they were spraying all over the place!
The upshot is that with one phone call to Archer Airguns, they are going to exchange the .22 for the expected .177 gun.
Again, many thanks for all of the helpful responses. People here are much like all of the strangers I met at the gun show - very friendly and welcoming. Much appreciated! Now you can have another laugh as I will!
Gerry