Should I quit while I'm ahead?

[Rob27]

Perhaps it's time to quit.

Stacking those 5 pellets is awesome shooting. Two or even 3 you could write off to a happy accident, but for 5 in a row you were obviously tuned in to that gun. Savor the great shooting and keep that as motivation since you have proven that you CAN do it, you just have to find the right magic ingredients or wear the same pair of socks or eat the right thing for lunch again...

Last month for one of my online competitions, I shot a new personal best with a particular rifle (Crosman Phantom .22). I was very happy. I was knocking the middle out of the targets.
This month, I shot the same rifle with the same pellet and was HORRIBLE - worst competition score ever with that rifle. I shot some practice shots and everything was going high and even when I thought that I held low enough, they still went high. Since the competition was due, I gritted my teeth and hung up the official target and tried to convince myself to hold low. Nothing worked, everything was going high, then in frustration when I aimed about an inch low, it went exactly where I aimed it.

I played hockey a few years ago with a new bunch of guys and for some reason in that first game, everything was going in. I scored 4 goals that game and a friend who knows how I usually play was there and he was amazed/shocked/stupefied. For the rest of the season, there was an expectation that I was going to deliver that same performance.... I didn't. Should have retired the jersey and quit as a legend. Some days the puck just bounces your way.

Best wishes to find the magic again!
Rob27

[Daryl]

Never quit experimenting until, you are either WAY ahead, or bored.

[PlinkerDad]

I am seeing some progress. I did manage one 0.21" CTC group since. It seems for me to be more about controlling my breathing and not overthinking. I have a similar problem with golf - I know the shot I want to take, but sometime between drawing the club back and striking the ball, I change my mind. I think my grip is changing slightly as a squeeze the trigger.

Lock time is an interesting issue. With the full power spring, the pellet will be in the barrel for a shorter period of time, but the initial jerk when the piston first starts to move will also be much higher. Maximum jerk happens while the pellet is still in or close to the breech. I suspect there is a bit of a tradeoff here.

Just browsing the site and noticed a blurb about a Toronto Airgun Club.

Dave

I did reach out to these guys a few months ago, but sadly they shut it down quite a while ago.

[PlinkerDad]

Can hold change POI by 5 MOA? I had the gun dialed in, then put it away for a couple of days, and then shot the top left group. The POI was down 5 MOA from my last session. I adjusted the scope and then shot some more or less centred garbage:

The other interesting thing here is the bottom left. It took a while to convince my wife that shooting in the basement was safe. That's her group - started dead centre and then drifted upwards. She may be catching the bug...

[Rob27]

Can hold change POI by 5 MOA?

Yes.
I have really started paying attention to the position of my front hand and the location of the mono-pod when I am using one with my spring powered rifles. I find that it most forgiving when I am close to the balance point of the rifle, although the biggest key for me is consistency of position. If the hand is farther back - and thus the rifle is more "front heavy" I find that I shoot quite a bit higher than expected.

This is the opposite of what I expected since I expected the forward weight to pull the muzzle down.... maybe it is just me or something else about how I am holding when I do not have my hands in their ideal spot.

This also means that my POI is different when shooting standing vs seated with a monopod since my hold is different. I have to hold a bit lower on the target when standing.
Rob27

[YepYep]

Perhaps it's time to quit.

Stacking those 5 pellets is awesome shooting. Two or even 3 you could write off to a happy accident, but for 5 in a row you were obviously tuned in to that gun. Savor the great shooting and keep that as motivation since you have proven that you CAN do it, you just have to find the right magic ingredients or wear the same pair of socks or eat the right thing for lunch again...

Last month for one of my online competitions, I shot a new personal best with a particular rifle (Crosman Phantom .22). I was very happy. I was knocking the middle out of the targets.
This month, I shot the same rifle with the same pellet and was HORRIBLE - worst competition score ever with that rifle. I shot some practice shots and everything was going high and even when I thought that I held low enough, they still went high. Since the competition was due, I gritted my teeth and hung up the official target and tried to convince myself to hold low. Nothing worked, everything was going high, then in frustration when I aimed about an inch low, it went exactly where I aimed it.

I played hockey a few years ago with a new bunch of guys and for some reason in that first game, everything was going in. I scored 4 goals that game and a friend who knows how I usually play was there and he was amazed/shocked/stupefied. For the rest of the season, there was an expectation that I was going to deliver that same performance.... I didn't. Should have retired the jersey and quit as a legend. Some days the puck just bounces your way.

Best wishes to find the magic again!
Rob27

LOL! Yeah~ My initial read on the post is OP had a happy accident to stack 5 pellets together in a line, so OP was thinking that's just too easy and no need to play this "boring" game again~ Did I get it right?

Have to say, PlinkerDad (LOL!! I am also a plinker-dad too... too bad my kids look don't have interest on shooting.... yet..... ), you got a very nice tuned magnum springer gun! While a magnum springer got detuned to a power like 800fps something (UK 12fpe standard?!), it will be very smooth for sure!! And the weight of the rifle plus the shooting style you are having now, it will be a tack driver without doubt. But, putting 5 pellets in the same hole and stacked them together is still not easy... I am pretty sure I can do 3 all the time in my basement setup... but 5 in a line.... uhh....

And springers are sensitive to anything... so it's normal to find the POI "shifts" from time to time.

And at last, my plinking hobby is a nice way to release my stress. I usually just take 5 or 10 or just a single shot on any time I want and walk into the basement range... no pressure at all for anything... and if you find the detuned 460 not giving you enough challenges.... just make it back to full power!! I love my full power Diana48 177cal very much too~ It's a monster vs all my pop cans and other targets~ a great plinker's rifle!

[Atlas_cn]

Good questions. I was really just surprised at how tight that one group was (~0.13" CTC), so the gun is capable. It'll never happen again.

Answers are as follows:

1. 460 Magnum - detuned to 780-ish fps

Well, that's the issue in a nutshell. If not the most powerful springer in the world, it's bound to be in the top 5. @ 780 fps, I suspect a .22 cal doing about 20 fpe. Anyhow maybe try with something tamer around 10-12 fpe then come back to this beast, it can make single hole groups, you know that.

Benjamin Trail 2 .22/.25 should be the most powerful springer, .22 have 25fpe and .25 have about 30ish

[PlinkerDad]

Did I get it right?

I knew right away it was never going to happen again, and to make it worse, the evidence is on a scrap piece of cardboard.

And at last, my plinking hobby is a nice way to release my stress. I usually just take 5 or 10 or just a single shot on any time I want and walk into the basement range... no pressure at all for anything...

I do the same, one, sometimes two 5-shot groups. After a particularly bad meeting perhaps 5 groups, but they're not good at all. Sometimes I pull out the Benjamin Classic and then suddenly I'm very happy with the 460's groups.

[YepYep]

And at last, my plinking hobby is a nice way to release my stress. I usually just take 5 or 10 or just a single shot on any time I want and walk into the basement range... no pressure at all for anything...

I do the same, one, sometimes two 5-shot groups. After a particularly bad meeting perhaps 5 groups, but they're not good at all. Sometimes I pull out the Benjamin Classic and then suddenly I'm very happy with the 460's groups.

LOL!! Don't let the shooting bring you more stress~

And I don't do groups usually, except zeroing scope, or checking up the gun etc... I like to shoot "things", not paper~

20190929_194640.s.jpg (43.61 KiB) Viewed 56 times

Maybe you should also get a PCP as a backup, like the CZ200 I have... I do like springers more, but while I couldn't do well at a time, the CZ200 is always able to give me some peace in the mind~ But so far, looks my HW30 and the FWB300 never fails me

[Uslanja]

Oh my!!! Just look at that smiley face on the bottom of that can! The only way I could do that is with a small punch and a hammer....nice!!! Ooooppps on that braided line.