N/A My biggest aggravation in PCP guns ..so far..

Bumping the barrel /shroud and having impact changes....

My first PCP was a simple Marauder. I noticed no issues with POI changes when handled. I bought a Diana storm rider for fun just to shot invasive birds close to the house. I noticed it would shoot a few inches left or right at 50 yards for no apparent reason. I finally realized if I bumped the barrel, it would go wacky. I got the band to attach to the tube and barrel. It was worse since it would bind and lock the barrel in whatever position it was bumped. Now realize. I am NOT taking a hammer to it. just leaning it up against a window frame or laying it on the carpeted floor. I bought a Avenge X next. Same aggravating issue.

Some will say, just shoot it to confirm zero. BUT, the main reason for an air gun is to shoot invasive birds off my purple martin housing at about 30 to 50 yards. I need it dead on at all times. If I shoot my sight in steel (near the martin housing), I will scare off the poop bird. If it is too far off, I might damage my martin housing which is worth 3x the air rifle!!

With my Aveng X; It was suggested to take off the band connecting the barrel/shroud and the tank. This works...BUUUUT eventually the recoil made the shroud slide past the little detent screw that hold it to the barrel!!! The *&%^ shroud is tight and I need to get it off some day with heat and more force. I am currently using a aftermarket band on the shroud and tank. It is ok, but I still am not confident on it holding zero.

I am looking to upgrade from the AVeng X. It is VERY accurate. need to shoot the 30 yard challenge. I think It could do ok. If I spend $1500 buck or so for a higher quality rifle and I end up with the "don't touch the barrel" bs I will throw it in the creek!!

Believe it or not I DID do a search on this topic. I see it appears to be a "thing" and I am not crazy. I would THINK a bullpup design that supports the barrel more would not have this issue...but I don't know if I like the looks of a bullpup. The RAW and guns like it with a skinny barrel hanging out there forever just worries me.

So my search is for a dead nut accurate .25 (.22 2nd choice) at 50 yards that can take a bit of bumping around. I would like it to be right up to or close to being used in accuracy competitions. I have won a few bench rest matches in the past with a powder burner, so I am drawn to the crap like a moth:rolleyes: I could pound the barrel with a hammer and not worry about it shooting 2 inches left/right for no reason....

I am fine with a used gun (leak free) looking at the FX Wildcat 2-3, FX Maverick. The huntsman but the barrel band scares me for bumpies. The FX DRS is intriguing, but I have not seen a lot of reviews yet.

Free for opinions.. Thanks

I don't think I've experienced this POI shift/barrel issue. With a solid shroud, how does this even happen? Wouldn't a good tensioned barrel make POI shifts an infrequent occurrence? I own varied brands and very few take barrel liners. I lean my daily use rifle up against trees, fences, posts, etc and with it's shrouded barrel, no problem. I've had a gun fall out of a saddle mounted atop a tripod, guns that fell over when leaned against something, sling mounts come loose or break and the gun hits the ground, I've slipped and fallen while carrying an airgun and came down on the gun. All of these things and these guns still hunt with no noticeable POI shifts.
 
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Dang, I see alot of names that I dont want to trade with or buy their used guns.lmao. I have never had a POI shift other than a 700mm Dreamline and it fell off of a table. So that is one out of a couple hundred. I dont know what you guys do to them, but dang, mine get some rare unavoidable abuse but still never had an issue. These are Thousand to multi-thousand dollar toys, take care of your toys. Lol
 
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You had a Marauder that had no issues and then went to a Diana. Why didn't you go back to the Benji? Maybe I missed it in your OP, do you still have it? Those are pretty rock solid and some of quietest OEM guns without having to spend extra on a muffler. Most of the other brands mentioned, except Taipan, need a moderator, that's an extra cost. I vote for a Marauder or a Taipan Veteran. My Vet 1 .25 never loses zero, ever, and it's a 48 ft.lb machine, 28 inches long and stealthy quiet. If you go down the FX route, just be prepared for really great experience, or a potentially head scratching WTH experience. I have a DRS Tactical, it's a decent gun for $1100, but if I had to do it again, I wouldn't - not because it's bad, but because it's not near as good as my $1100 Veteran (yes, that was New price). Also, Brocock makes incredible airguns. I have a Compatto XR non-regulated that outshoots my DRS. Airguns of Arizona just had the regulated and non-regulated on sale for real cheap. No longer on sale tho. Most of the Brococks are fantastic guns.
 
You had a Marauder that had no issues and then went to a Diana. Why didn't you go back to the Benji? Maybe I missed it in your OP, do you still have it? Those are pretty rock solid and some of quietest OEM guns without having to spend extra on a muffler. Most of the other brands mentioned, except Taipan, need a moderator, that's an extra cost. I vote for a Marauder or a Taipan Veteran. My Vet 1 .25 never loses zero, ever, and it's a 48 ft.lb machine, 28 inches long and stealthy quiet. If you go down the FX route, just be prepared for really great experience, or a potentially head scratching WTH experience. I have a DRS Tactical, it's a decent gun for $1100, but if I had to do it again, I wouldn't - not because it's bad, but because it's not near as good as my $1100 Veteran (yes, that was New price). Also, Brocock makes incredible airguns. I have a Compatto XR non-regulated that outshoots my DRS. Airguns of Arizona just had the regulated and non-regulated on sale for real cheap. No longer on sale tho. Most of the Brococks are fantastic guns.
Have to agree on the Compatto, mine was an unregulated version. The way it shot and handled start my BRK love fest. I’ve owned five different BRKs and every single one as solid as the next…🙏 Currently own three, Atomic, Ghost Carbine and Pathfinder XRs… They all
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small pests…
 
The POI topics are always interesting. It can’t be a conspiracy topic like some make it out to be because it’s been so consistent over the years. The problem with getting to the bottom of the issue is how many factors are involved. One of the simplest factors is just a guys standards. Bobs no POI shift gun can be handed to Joe for a week and Joe will say the POI wonders around a bit. There is what I consider definitive data. A Taipan or Taipan like gun with a solid barrel locked down in a simple robust cassis is your best deterrent. A long barrel flapping in the wind or attached to a tube or bottle is risky. A gun constructed of many pieces and the barrel not locked down as an integral part of enforcing the rigidity of the chassis can also be risky.

I‘ve watched these topics over the years and I see comments that are very crucial yet simple that fly right over peoples heads because it doesn’t cast blame on hard parts or a manufacturer defect. For example, @JimD stated in another POI topic that he changed his speed. His gun wondered around a little shooting at the little specks we shoot at in the 30 yard challenge. It was a first couple shots issue that was resolved because the gun wasn’t harmonically happy. It shows that even if your gun doesn’t have a complicated barrel system, your tune can still cause you problems if you’re picky enough.

I got a little long winded but there is still something you can deduce from POI topics. It’s undeniable even though you can always find an internet guy example defending said guns. Some guns are prone, some are not. There are some guns after owning them, when I see guys saying no POI shift even after using it as a walking stick, I just scratch my head. They are for a fact POI shifters. But other guns like the FX line of 500mm compacts can be surprisingly rock solid. But don’t confuse rock solid with Taipan or AGT rock solid. There could still be an issue with a FX compact and I won’t think the dude is out of his mind. They are just the least prone in the lineup. But you must respect their power limitations compared to their longer barreled brethren. That’s when you open the door to POI problems.
 
Vetmx raises an interesting and useful point. When I say that my guns do not change POI from handling type issues I am talking about shifts in POI attributable to the gun. I count little 1/8th inch at 30 yard shifts. But on virtually every 30 yard challenge target I've shot with any of my guns I see little shifts like that. But often it is in the direction of the wind and I conclude the wind and not the gun caused the very small POI change. Sometimes my trigger pull is not smooth and it causes a small POI impact. I am not sure I can tell 100% of those but when being more careful with the trigger makes it go away on subsequent shots I conclude that is what happened. I was struggling a couple months ago with whatever gun I had my Athlon Argos 10-40 on at that point. It may have been my P35-22 which is a dependable gun. After switching scopes and noticing the POI issues went away I concluded it was the scope. It went back to Athlon and they quickly provided a new one that has been fine.

My point is just that we need to be open to any of several potential sources for POI shifts. It is not always the gun's fault. But there are aspects of the design of some guns which makes them a bit suspect (like the ultra thin barrels used by FX). But even for those guns we need to be sure we've ruled out other potential causes. And it would be useful for people with issues to say something about the magnitude of what they are talking about. 1/8th inch at 30 yards is not a big deal for a hunter or pester but it may be to a target shooter. An inch at 30 yards would probably bother almost all of us.
 
Vetmx raises an interesting and useful point. When I say that my guns do not change POI from handling type issues I am talking about shifts in POI attributable to the gun. I count little 1/8th inch at 30 yard shifts. But on virtually every 30 yard challenge target I've shot with any of my guns I see little shifts like that. But often it is in the direction of the wind and I conclude the wind and not the gun caused the very small POI change. Sometimes my trigger pull is not smooth and it causes a small POI impact. I am not sure I can tell 100% of those but when being more careful with the trigger makes it go away on subsequent shots I conclude that is what happened. I was struggling a couple months ago with whatever gun I had my Athlon Argos 10-40 on at that point. It may have been my P35-22 which is a dependable gun. After switching scopes and noticing the POI issues went away I concluded it was the scope. It went back to Athlon and they quickly provided a new one that has been fine.

My point is just that we need to be open to any of several potential sources for POI shifts. It is not always the gun's fault. But there are aspects of the design of some guns which makes them a bit suspect (like the ultra thin barrels used by FX). But even for those guns we need to be sure we've ruled out other potential causes. And it would be useful for people with issues to say something about the magnitude of what they are talking about. 1/8th inch at 30 yards is not a big deal for a hunter or pester but it may be to a target shooter. An inch at 30 yards would probably bother almost all of us.


@JimD I’m far from an expert, but just a moment or two prior to reading your post I had similar thoughts about a couple of points you raised here: chiefly eliminating other possible factors and the scope. Well stated.
 
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Don’t bother with FX for multiple reasons, including known POI issues. Look at a BRK Sniper or Taipan Veteran
It's NOT FX! It's the PLATFORM one chooses. It bugs me when people trash a company when it's one or two of the particular platforms they chose that's caused them troubles & frustration. I have nothing but admiration for the Bobcat, Boss, Royale platform. Their other complex guns, not so much. Too much to go wrong. FX has made some fine, simple, dependable & ACCURATE guns that do what they should, every time, straight outa the box. Could say the same for a number of other companies. RESEARCH would save a lot of people experiencing POI shift problems a lot of frustration!
 
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@JimD I’m far from an expert, but just a moment or two prior to reading your post I had similar thoughts about a couple of points you raised here: chiefly eliminating other possible factors and the scope. Well stated.
Yes, I thought it was the scope. I eliminated that issue. It seemed to correlate with me pulling the gun back into the house from my "sniper" window. If I would bang..and I mean by bang is a slight tap on the side of the barrel, SOMETIMES I would get a shift. I proved the impact change was barrel strike related by just grabbing the damn thing and pushing it by hand at the muzzle left or right and immediately, it was off (The barrel grub/set screws are tight).When I removed the factory barrel/air tube clamp It was under a lot of pressure. It is better but not perfect since I bought an aftermarket barrel band. I am NOT bashing this thing around, these are very incidental taps and bumps. One, it just rolled over in my front rest and taped the rest sandbag wings and poof 2 inches right!!!

Thanks for all the advice: I just agreed to buy a Brocock Sniper XR with the shorter barrel from a AGN member... so that is the next adventure! The brand name makes me laugh when I see it....I think I would have used a different name...:rolleyes:
 
It's NOT FX! It's the PLATFORM one chooses. It bugs me when people trash a company when it's one or two of the particular platforms they chose that's caused them troubles & frustration. I have nothing but admiration for the Bobcat, Boss, Royale platform. Their other complex guns, not so much. Too much to go wrong. FX has made some fine, simple, dependable & ACCURATE guns that do what they should, every time, straight outa the box. Could say the same for a number of other companies. RESEARCH would save a lot of people experiencing POI shift problems a lot of frustration!
'tis why I asked....BRK sniper inbound!!!
 
You had a Marauder that had no issues and then went to a Diana. Why didn't you go back to the Benji? Maybe I missed it in your OP, do you still have it? Those are pretty rock solid and some of quietest OEM guns without having to spend extra on a muffler. Most of the other brands mentioned, except Taipan, need a moderator, that's an extra cost. I vote for a Marauder or a Taipan Veteran. My Vet 1 .25 never loses zero, ever, and it's a 48 ft.lb machine, 28 inches long and stealthy quiet. If you go down the FX route, just be prepared for really great experience, or a potentially head scratching WTH experience. I have a DRS Tactical, it's a decent gun for $1100, but if I had to do it again, I wouldn't - not because it's bad, but because it's not near as good as my $1100 Veteran (yes, that was New price). Also, Brocock makes incredible airguns. I have a Compatto XR non-regulated that outshoots my DRS. Airguns of Arizona just had the regulated and non-regulated on sale for real cheap. No longer on sale tho. Most of the Brococks are fantastic guns.
You make a good point on my Marauder. It is not quite as accurate as the Aveng X. My X is kinda...wow!! The only issue with the Marauder is I need to shim the back scope ring A LOT to get the scope I was using to hit at 25 yards. It is hard to find a base or rings with the 20 or so MOA to make it work right, unless I am missing a good product out there??
 
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Yes, I thought it was the scope. I eliminated that issue. It seemed to correlate with me pulling the gun back into the house from my "sniper" window. If I would bang..and I mean by bang is a slight tap on the side of the barrel, SOMETIMES I would get a shift. I proved the impact change was barrel strike related by just grabbing the damn thing and pushing it by hand at the muzzle left or right and immediately, it was off (The barrel grub/set screws are tight).When I removed the factory barrel/air tube clamp It was under a lot of pressure. It is better but not perfect since I bought an aftermarket barrel band. I am NOT bashing this thing around, these are very incidental taps and bumps. One, it just rolled over in my front rest and taped the rest sandbag wings and poof 2 inches right!!!…
@DaleR That’s sucks. I don’t think I’ve had That isssue. Good luck with your BRK. the Sniper has been a solid platform for me. I hope you have a good experience with yours.
 
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Bumping the barrel /shroud and having impact changes....

My first PCP was a simple Marauder. I noticed no issues with POI changes when handled. I bought a Diana storm rider for fun just to shot invasive birds close to the house. I noticed it would shoot a few inches left or right at 50 yards for no apparent reason. I finally realized if I bumped the barrel, it would go wacky. I got the band to attach to the tube and barrel. It was worse since it would bind and lock the barrel in whatever position it was bumped. Now realize. I am NOT taking a hammer to it. just leaning it up against a window frame or laying it on the carpeted floor. I bought a Avenge X next. Same aggravating issue.

Some will say, just shoot it to confirm zero. BUT, the main reason for an air gun is to shoot invasive birds off my purple martin housing at about 30 to 50 yards. I need it dead on at all times. If I shoot my sight in steel (near the martin housing), I will scare off the poop bird. If it is too far off, I might damage my martin housing which is worth 3x the air rifle!!

With my Aveng X; It was suggested to take off the band connecting the barrel/shroud and the tank. This works...BUUUUT eventually the recoil made the shroud slide past the little detent screw that hold it to the barrel!!! The *&%^ shroud is tight and I need to get it off some day with heat and more force. I am currently using a aftermarket band on the shroud and tank. It is ok, but I still am not confident on it holding zero.

I am looking to upgrade from the AVeng X. It is VERY accurate. need to shoot the 30 yard challenge. I think It could do ok. If I spend $1500 buck or so for a higher quality rifle and I end up with the "don't touch the barrel" bs I will throw it in the creek!!

Believe it or not I DID do a search on this topic. I see it appears to be a "thing" and I am not crazy. I would THINK a bullpup design that supports the barrel more would not have this issue...but I don't know if I like the looks of a bullpup. The RAW and guns like it with a skinny barrel hanging out there forever just worries me.

So my search is for a dead nut accurate .25 (.22 2nd choice) at 50 yards that can take a bit of bumping around. I would like it to be right up to or close to being used in accuracy competitions. I have won a few bench rest matches in the past with a powder burner, so I am drawn to the crap like a moth:rolleyes: I could pound the barrel with a hammer and not worry about it shooting 2 inches left/right for no reason....

I am fine with a used gun (leak free) looking at the FX Wildcat 2-3, FX Maverick. The huntsman but the barrel band scares me for bumpies. The FX DRS is intriguing, but I have not seen a lot of reviews yet.

Free for opinions.. Thanks
My very best .25 Rifles:

1.- FX Leopards 600 mm

2.- Vulcan 3 700 mm.

3.- FX Panthera Compact Hunter.

4.- Sidewinder.

5.- Delta Wolf.

6.- Wolverine HP HR.

7.- Wolverine HR.

8.- Vulcan 2 Tactic.


1 to 4 would considered that as High Power

5 and 6 medium power

7 and 8 low power.


All very accurate and problem free.
 
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Bumping the barrel /shroud and having impact changes....

My first PCP was a simple Marauder. I noticed no issues with POI changes when handled. I bought a Diana storm rider for fun just to shot invasive birds close to the house. I noticed it would shoot a few inches left or right at 50 yards for no apparent reason. I finally realized if I bumped the barrel, it would go wacky. I got the band to attach to the tube and barrel. It was worse since it would bind and lock the barrel in whatever position it was bumped. Now realize. I am NOT taking a hammer to it. just leaning it up against a window frame or laying it on the carpeted floor. I bought a Avenge X next. Same aggravating issue.

Some will say, just shoot it to confirm zero. BUT, the main reason for an air gun is to shoot invasive birds off my purple martin housing at about 30 to 50 yards. I need it dead on at all times. If I shoot my sight in steel (near the martin housing), I will scare off the poop bird. If it is too far off, I might damage my martin housing which is worth 3x the air rifle!!

With my Aveng X; It was suggested to take off the band connecting the barrel/shroud and the tank. This works...BUUUUT eventually the recoil made the shroud slide past the little detent screw that hold it to the barrel!!! The *&%^ shroud is tight and I need to get it off some day with heat and more force. I am currently using a aftermarket band on the shroud and tank. It is ok, but I still am not confident on it holding zero.

I am looking to upgrade from the AVeng X. It is VERY accurate. need to shoot the 30 yard challenge. I think It could do ok. If I spend $1500 buck or so for a higher quality rifle and I end up with the "don't touch the barrel" bs I will throw it in the creek!!

Believe it or not I DID do a search on this topic. I see it appears to be a "thing" and I am not crazy. I would THINK a bullpup design that supports the barrel more would not have this issue...but I don't know if I like the looks of a bullpup. The RAW and guns like it with a skinny barrel hanging out there forever just worries me.

So my search is for a dead nut accurate .25 (.22 2nd choice) at 50 yards that can take a bit of bumping around. I would like it to be right up to or close to being used in accuracy competitions. I have won a few bench rest matches in the past with a powder burner, so I am drawn to the crap like a moth:rolleyes: I could pound the barrel with a hammer and not worry about it shooting 2 inches left/right for no reason....

I am fine with a used gun (leak free) looking at the FX Wildcat 2-3, FX Maverick. The huntsman but the barrel band scares me for bumpies. The FX DRS is intriguing, but I have not seen a lot of reviews yet.

Free for opinions.. Thanks
Life is to short for shifting poi ! Get a Taipan veteran 1st edition not only no poi shift the Taipan is the cold shot King . I have three two standard one .177 a .22 and a .25 short , I have full confidence every time I pick one up it's going to hit the spot I aim it at even after sitting for weeks or months this is what I appreciate the most about these rifles.

It looks like talon tunes still has some .22 standards and they do pop up on the AGN classifies from time to time .
 
Yes, I thought it was the scope. I eliminated that issue. It seemed to correlate with me pulling the gun back into the house from my "sniper" window. If I would bang..and I mean by bang is a slight tap on the side of the barrel, SOMETIMES I would get a shift. I proved the impact change was barrel strike related by just grabbing the damn thing and pushing it by hand at the muzzle left or right and immediately, it was off (The barrel grub/set screws are tight).When I removed the factory barrel/air tube clamp It was under a lot of pressure. It is better but not perfect since I bought an aftermarket barrel band. I am NOT bashing this thing around, these are very incidental taps and bumps. One, it just rolled over in my front rest and taped the rest sandbag wings and poof 2 inches right!!!

Thanks for all the advice: I just agreed to buy a Brocock Sniper XR with the shorter barrel from a AGN member... so that is the next adventure! The brand name makes me laugh when I see it....I think I would have used a different name...:rolleyes:
Wise choice.
 
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Bumping the barrel /shroud and having impact changes....

My first PCP was a simple Marauder. I noticed no issues with POI changes when handled. I bought a Diana storm rider for fun just to shot invasive birds close to the house. I noticed it would shoot a few inches left or right at 50 yards for no apparent reason. I finally realized if I bumped the barrel, it would go wacky. I got the band to attach to the tube and barrel. It was worse since it would bind and lock the barrel in whatever position it was bumped. Now realize. I am NOT taking a hammer to it. just leaning it up against a window frame or laying it on the carpeted floor. I bought a Avenge X next. Same aggravating issue.

Some will say, just shoot it to confirm zero. BUT, the main reason for an air gun is to shoot invasive birds off my purple martin housing at about 30 to 50 yards. I need it dead on at all times. If I shoot my sight in steel (near the martin housing), I will scare off the poop bird. If it is too far off, I might damage my martin housing which is worth 3x the air rifle!!

With my Aveng X; It was suggested to take off the band connecting the barrel/shroud and the tank. This works...BUUUUT eventually the recoil made the shroud slide past the little detent screw that hold it to the barrel!!! The *&%^ shroud is tight and I need to get it off some day with heat and more force. I am currently using a aftermarket band on the shroud and tank. It is ok, but I still am not confident on it holding zero.

I am looking to upgrade from the AVeng X. It is VERY accurate. need to shoot the 30 yard challenge. I think It could do ok. If I spend $1500 buck or so for a higher quality rifle and I end up with the "don't touch the barrel" bs I will throw it in the creek!!

Believe it or not I DID do a search on this topic. I see it appears to be a "thing" and I am not crazy. I would THINK a bullpup design that supports the barrel more would not have this issue...but I don't know if I like the looks of a bullpup. The RAW and guns like it with a skinny barrel hanging out there forever just worries me.

So my search is for a dead nut accurate .25 (.22 2nd choice) at 50 yards that can take a bit of bumping around. I would like it to be right up to or close to being used in accuracy competitions. I have won a few bench rest matches in the past with a powder burner, so I am drawn to the crap like a moth:rolleyes: I could pound the barrel with a hammer and not worry about it shooting 2 inches left/right for no reason....

I am fine with a used gun (leak free) looking at the FX Wildcat 2-3, FX Maverick. The huntsman but the barrel band scares me for bumpies. The FX DRS is intriguing, but I have not seen a lot of reviews yet.

Free for opinions.. Thanks
This is a non issue if you buy a quality PCP
But having proper storage or a horizontal gun rack is important as well
also how you mount and secure your scope is critical
 
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