Airgun myths & legends

[JoeWillie]

Another great one! Have heard tell of those barrels that never, ever need cleaning, not even a dry patch. Never owned one though. Every barrel has eventually needed some kind of cleaning to stay at peak performance.

That said, have had many that would stay "good enough" for certain purposes with no or very infrequent cleaning. Just not at their very best.

@hameditor - The Granddaddy of them all ! Us forum dwellers tend to overlook that one since most have quite a bit of experience, or came to these forums to get the real skinny before diving in. Without the benefit of having been there & done that (or learning from those who did), brand new airgun buyers are prime candidates to be sucked in by the gaudy numbers.

@pan60 - Great point! A good machinist can work metallic miracles. At least one regular on HAM has numerous rifles with custom machined barrels, & does darn well with them.

Got me one of those, 1000 plus pellets through it and keeps getting better, would not believe it if it wasn’t Mine. Pull one patch and it takes 3-400 pellets to make it play even a little nice with the other Kids. No doubt I’ll get a few BS’s but I’ll bring it with me to the next UFT at Wynot and you can have a go with it

 

[wolfmangreg]

Got me one of those, 1000 plus pellets through it and keeps getting better, would not believe it if it wasn’t Mine. Pull one patch and it takes 3-400 pellets to make it play even a little nice with the other Kids. No doubt I’ll get a few BS’s but I’ll bring it with me to the next UFT at Wynot and you can have a go with it

Darn it completely forgot about the Problem Child! I stand corrected (ninth time today )! No doubts here, it's all coming back about the troubles with that one.

 

[Linehauler73]

Crosses all platforms of shooting. A larger tube diameter on a scope allows more light transmission. Big misconception/wives tail.

 

[Miles_M]

A couple of my favourite myths.

A crosswind blows on the side of a pellet, so the shorter the pellet, the smaller the area for the wind to blow on and the smaller the wind drift.

Pellets are drag stabilized so they have to have a high tail drag to be stable.

 

[wolfmangreg]

A couple of my favourite myths.

A crosswind blows on the side of a pellet, so the shorter the pellet, the smaller the area for the wind to blow on and the smaller the wind drift.

Pellets are drag stabilized so they have to have a high tail drag to be stable.

Excellent examples!

 

[Franklink]

Regulated guns are more accurate than non-regulated guns.

 

[Franklink]

Slugs won't shoot well through a choked barrel.

 

[Franklink]

Higher max working pressure = better.

 

[Franklink]

You've gotta spend big money on scope rings or you'll have accuracy problems.

 

[Franklink]

The scope should cost at least as much as the gun it's going on.

 

[Franklink]

You've gotta have a bubble level and make sure there isnt cant before every shot or you won't hit anything long range.

 

[Franklink]

Single shot loading is too slow for hunting/pesting.

 

[Franklink]

GA versus G1 is a huge deal.



(This one really likely to get folks d up, but.....changing input from GA to G1 or vice-versa doesn't alter output values enough to affect trajectories meaningfully. This based on tens of thousands of pellets and slugs shot out to 250ish yards every summer x YEARS, typically minute or prairie dog head/vitals = desired precision level. In short, reality ≠ theory.)

 

[AtlasAirguns]

How about one hole groups at 100yd. Sure, maybe 1/20 on a nice day, but when you only see one holes it's fake. Aggregate scores at major US events or the Worlds show that this much is true.

 

[AtlasAirguns]

How about one hole groups at 100yd. Sure, maybe 1/20 on a nice day, but when you only see one holes it's fake. Aggregate scores at major US events or the Worlds show that this much is true.

Funny anecdote, I was working and uploaded a short of a winning card at EBR 100yd (won the entire event with that same card) and it was filmed with a triggercam I think. Someone commented that the shooter (who won the event) was a poor shot. It goes to show you how the consumer market has been fed a lie for so long that they come to believe in the make-believe. It's not their fault, either. I blame influencers.

 

[wolfmangreg]

Wow, @Franklink & @AtlasAirguns bringing the heat ! Thanks for chiming in guys.

Can't & won't argue against any of those, though I do use bubble levels faithfully. Know very little of the math behind the effect of cant on downrange results, but it does help me feel comfortable that I'm building a consistent position before each shot. Admit it might be more of a "feel good" talisman than a true shooting aid, especially at modest range.

Find the drag law debates interesting, and always read those kind of forum posts. In practical use though, G1 has always worked just fine for me (regardless of projectile). Yep, its sometimes off a click or three from actual results. So is every other drag law I've tried. That's why we prove out what our laptop/phone program says, on the firing line. My dope cards don't get laminated until they've proved their worth (many times).

Great anecdote Tristan. Makes you wonder how many folks have been one-&-done with high end PCP rifles... after learning the hard way that they are not, in fact, automatic 10-ring hole punchers.

 

[Billm]

I’m

How about one hole groups at 100yd. Sure, maybe 1/20 on a nice day, but when you only see one holes it's fake. Aggregate scores at major US events or the Worlds show that this much is true.

Part of the problem with one hole is how people define "one hole". In my mind, "one hole" has always meant a group of pellets that have passed through the same hole. For example maybe widening the hole to .25' for .22 projectiles. But, I've watched several videos where the shooter said they were getting one hole groups and what I was a string of hits that barely touched either on the periphery, but I guess tg hey were one single hole, even if it was an inch long LOL.

 

[Billm]

GA versus G1 is a huge deal.



(This one really likely to get folks d up, but.....changing input from GA to G1 or vice-versa doesn't alter output values enough to affect trajectories meaningfully. This based on tens of thousands of pellets and slugs shot out to 250ish yards every summer x YEARS, typically minute or prairie dog head/vitals = desired precision level. In short, reality ≠ theory.)

Honest question: are you saying the myth is that it does make a difference? I know the general argument that you are referring to, I just don't understand where everyone falls on it.

 

[Billm]

Wow, @Franklink & @AtlasAirguns bringing the heat ! Thanks for chiming in guys.

Can't & won't argue against any of those, though I do use bubble levels faithfully. Know very little of the math behind the effect of cant on downrange results, but it does help me feel comfortable that I'm building a consistent position before each shot. Admit it might be more of a "feel good" talisman than a true shooting aid, especially at modest range.

Find the drag law debates interesting, and always read those kind of forum posts. In practical use though, G1 has always worked just fine for me (regardless of projectile). Yep, its sometimes off a click or three from actual results. So is every other drag law I've tried. That's why we prove out what our laptop/phone program says, on the firing line. My dope cards don't get laminated until they've proved their worth (many times).

Great anecdote Tristan. Makes you wonder how many folks have been one-&-done with high end PCP rifles... after learning the hard way that they are not, in fact, automatic 10-ring hole punchers.

Today's rifles are very accurate. Just accurate enough to show you how bad you really are, if you're sharp enough to realize it.

 

[Franklink]

Honest question: are you saying the myth is that it does make a difference? I know the general argument that you are referring to, I just don't understand where everyone falls on it.

Yes, the myth ive seen propagated extensively, leading to multiple HEATED debates, is that GA is absolutely the wrong drag law to use for slugs and G1 is wrong for pellets. In reality (actual shooting and mapping out trajectory curves relative to what ballistic apps predict), and as @wolfmangreg commented, the trajectory curve (and the BCs) dont change enough to matter, whether using GA or G1.

The "GA for pellets and G1 for slugs and n'er the twain shall meet" crowd are dying on the hill of semantics. Academically and theoretically, sure GA for pellets and G1 for slugs. But in the real world of throwing lead downrange and wanting it to go to a very specific place, it simply doesn't make much of a difference.