Springer cold bore?

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drpietrzak

drpietrzak

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So, what causes a cold bore pattern with a springer? The top bull is shot 1. Bull 2 shot 4 is the lower left. Shots 3 to 5 are back to user error. It typically is the once a day if the rifle sits 20 hours or more. It is easy enough to deal with. 5 shots to start off and the I am good to go. I am just curious.

In this case the rifle and pellets (weight sorted and wax lubed) have been a few days in a 35°F to 45°F environment. The shooting is in a 65°F indoor environment. The same happens not matter the temp though. Outdoors with everything warm in the summer same thing.

It has always shot this way. I am shooting a TX200 MIII using AA Field Heavy 10.3. I have tried cleaning. Last time I removed all internals and clean relubed and assembled it back down to the compression chamber.

20230121_093106.jpg
 
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Possibly lube slipping past the piston seal while sitting? Maybe the first shot is a slight diesel and throws the shot off?

Other option is maybe you're just not settled in and using the proper hold for that first shot. You see the first shot go way off zero and that kind of "wakes you up" and you start concentrating more.

These are both guesses because I've noticed it too on occasion. I'm curious if anyone has a better answer.
 
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I’m fairly new to springers. I have a Weihrauch HW95 and shoot it primarily offhand in the basement, it’s not like I’m on sandbags so who knows if it’s me or the gun. Maybe try exercising the spring 3 or 4 times without cocking it, if that’s possible (I don’t know a TX200 well enough to know if that’s possible).
 
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My excuse for buying the TX200 was to defend my bluebird houses from sparrows, LOL. The most violated box is in my front yard, exactly 30 yards from my hide, a shrub at the corner of the house.

This one was in the box with his head out of the hole bragging to his mate about their new home, it was his mistake.

sparrow1.jpg
 
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This topic came up a couple years ago and was discussed here. What I said then still holds true. It took years for me to figure out to stop chasing my pellets around with my scope when I bust out one of my springers. I give it several shots and get the old girl warmed up before I pass judgement. I recently worked over my TX and am curious if this phenomenon still exists with this gun. It’s a 177 so I have to wait for perfect weather conditions before I judge it. The only ironic thing is for the last 40 years I’ve pulled out a cold springer and dropped a critter many times. But take the gun out and try to bench shoot it out of the gate and the gun acts weird. Could partially be that’s part of the problem.
 
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drpietrzak said:
So, what causes a cold bore pattern with a springer? The top bull is shot 1. Bull 2 shot 4 is the lower left. Shots 3 to 5 are back to user error. It typically is the once a day if the rifle sits 20 hours or more. It is easy enough to deal with. 5 shots to start off and the I am good to go. I am just curious.

In this case the rifle and pellets (weight sorted and wax lubed) have been a few days in a 35°F to 45°F environment. The shooting is in a 65°F indoor environment. The same happens not matter the temp though. Outdoors with everything warm in the summer same thing.

It has always shot this way. I am shooting a TX200 MIII using AA Field Heavy 10.3. I have tried cleaning. Last time I removed all internals and clean relubed and assembled it back down to the compression chamber.

View attachment 325176
Click to expand...

I'm experiencing the same warm up issues with my backup TX but not with my main Field Target TX. They are both almost identical internally. Tony Leach 22 mm skirt-less pistons. The only difference is the springs (can't remember which spring I used, I need to start recording these details). My main TX is more consistent on the Chrono ... the back up TX there's more of a velocity spread. However, both are very consistent and accurate down range (accuracy is almost neck to neck after 1-3 shots to warm up the back up).

I'm with you. I'm not changing anything till there's an accuracy issue.
 
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rcs9250 said:
I’m fairly new to springers. I have a Weihrauch HW95 and shoot it primarily offhand in the basement, it’s not like I’m on sandbags so who knows if it’s me or the gun. Maybe try exercising the spring 3 or 4 times without cocking it, if that’s possible (I don’t know a TX200 well enough to know if that’s possible).
Click to expand...
I do that ... 2 or 3 fake cocks cold ... I think it can help.. though i find my first shot cold is a bad shot anyway. I see a lot of guys claim that as well. I just take it as one of them springer things..

Also as said above maybe a seal issue i had guys say that as well.. for me i can just shoot one or 2 in the air then shoot a group .. tough call on any reason..
 
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Mo-Ron said:
Dang, was going to ask os your first cold shot pretty much going in the same place? Like ot normal hit say high left for example ?
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True; is it a consistent direction?🤔 I find on my ruger it's a bit high and left cold. Winchester is usually right and high🧐 then on my pumpers it's usually low....hmmm🤔got me thinking about making a cold bore shot group chart
 
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Vetmx said:
This topic came up a couple years ago and was discussed here. What I said then still holds true. It took years for me to figure out to stop chasing my pellets around with my scope when I bust out one of my springers. I give it several shots and get the old girl warmed up before I pass judgement. I recently worked over my TX and am curious if this phenomenon still exists with this gun. It’s a 177 so I have to wait for perfect weather conditions before I judge it. The only ironic thing is for the last 40 years I’ve pulled out a cold springer and dropped a critter many times. But take the gun out and try to bench shoot it out of the gate and the gun acts weird. Could partially be that’s part of the problem.
Click to expand...
When I go squirrel hunting with my son it is usually at the end of a day. (Work and all.) Temperatures vary from below zero to the 60's, depending on time of year. We use iron sights and do not worry about anything other than a miss, or a kill. FWB 124's in 177, for both of us.
 
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I guess I don’t know what your talking about. I store many springers and pull them out and take squirrels after the gun has sat weeks.
I change up every time ..
what I have found I’d if you get cold gun shooting off then it warms up andvfalls back into place .

Its one of these things

to much spring tar
loose piston seal
breech seal leak
Or lube in cylinder causing dieseling With no external smoke

smell the end of your barrel after first shot. if it has anything but a soft lead smell it’s combusting to much… your guns should be ready to pick up and shoot accurate immediately. Game don’t wait till you warm up. Shoot.
 
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I have experienced this phenomenon for years. There are two or three springers out of my collection that typically are dead on every time - namely HW97s and an AA Pro Sport. The balance of them tend to need a shot or two and then are back dead on. I have never figured out why unless it is just like me of a morning -takes a little action and stretching to get back to normal and have everything in sync.
 
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Read the opening post decided to try my guns cold out the rack. Some were zeroed at different distance they aren't always on point.

Most of them had little variance between the first shot and the rest. They did move some during the ten shot string but they were within the realm of operator and pellet errors.

The Hw30 showed the most variance between the first shot and the rest. The overall accuracy was down from normal so I continued shooting it to see if it didn't like those pellets.

These targets were shot first thing this morning after a couple of cups of coffee at ten yards with the guns cold out of the rack.

20230122_094540.jpg
 
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