FX Royale 500 Behaving Strangely

Doing some target shooting at 15 yds trying to figure out why my Royale is not staying on zero. I adjust reticle and get a dime sized group. I put the rifle away and come back a few hours later and see if the rifle is still shooting tight groups. The first 5 shots are near, within 2", of the bulls eye but not spot on. Then the rifle, with no adjustments, comes back to the set zero and shoots exactly where it is aimed.
I've done what is the obvious to me. Checked all the mounting attachment points for tightness. The pressure is right where it was when I left it well above the regulator cut off. Using the same pellets out of the same tin even the same magazine.
Is this just the nature of the Royale. Does It has to have some shots through it to 'warm up' before one can count on the accuracy? I would understand a little bit how things might change at 50 or 75 yards but at 15 yds?
I am a relative newbie with PCPs but don't remember reading about this issue on the forums. Thanks
 
Hi jim81 -

Try dreuf's suggestion first for sure!

No expert here, but some things that come to mind:
1. At 15 yards the FX Royale 500 should be a 1 hole rifle. Pretty much any higher end rifle should be 1 hole at 15 yards.
2. Is the 2" off bullseye in the vertical or horizontal?
3. Do you have or have access to a chronograph?
4. Do you have or have access to a different scope?
5. Any air "puffs" from the breech when firing?

If you're always off the 2" vertically, probably low, then it may be a regulator issue of some kind. If you're off horizontally, then it may be a bad scope.

Debug steps I would try...in this order:
1. Put a kleenex type tissue over the breech (just loosely draped) after you cycle a pellet into the chamber. If it blow around when firing, you may have an o-ring problem.
2. If you have a chronograph, try to recreate the scenario where it's off by 2" while shooting over the chronograph. If there is a big variance in FPS than then goes away or stabilizes, you may have a regulator issue.
3. If you don't have a chronograph, but you have a scope available (even if you borrow it from a friend or a different gun) - try that.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Scott
 
If it was mine, I would let it fall off reg and keep the cylinder pressure there, for few shots only and test if it is doing the same, just keep topping it up to just under the reg setting and not higher.

if the poi stops wandering around, you know it is the reg what needs attention.
i hope this will help you to narrow down the possibilities. there are way to many for guesswork
EDIT:
I see some geniuses awarded me with some minuses again. 'Great'
 
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Is it cold where you are? Just asking that consideration because it has been really cold here and my Wildcat is acting a little funny. The reg doesn't like being cold and does require a few shots before the reg wakes up. It still doesn't perform well in the cold. Could that be the issue?

Scott is right. At 15 yards it should just stack one pellet on top of the others.

Crusher
 
"sirk"If it was mine, I would let it fall off reg and keep the cylinder pressure there, for few shots only and test if it is doing the same, just keep topping it up to just under the reg setting and not higher.
if the poi stops wandering around, you know it is the reg what needs attention.
i hope this will help you to narrow down the possibilities. there are way to many for guesswork
EDIT:
I see some geniuses awarded me with some minuses again. 'Great'

That is actually a pretty good idea to do a basic check on the reg. Hadn't thought of that.

Maybe someone was trying to give you positive and accidentally gave you negative credit?

Crusher
 
I did the easiest suggested check first. I cleaned the barrel. No joy! Shot last night with a perfect zero. This morning 2" off to right. Vertical remained solid. Wonder why it's solid on one axis but wanders on the other.
I had no puff of air when placing a tissue over bolt area. 
Next is chronograph or different scope. Then shooting when it just comes off reg. and see if it changes when kept at reg. pressure.
Talked with AOA, where I bought the rifle, and if they should get it for repair it's about $40 each way. If I send it into factory authorized repair they say FX will pay for the shipping both ways... but no telling what the turn around time is. Fortunately I have an Impact that will sustain the addiction. I actually like the way the Royale shoots more than the Impact though.
Just had a brain cell fire. If it remains on zero vertically but wanders horizontally wouldn't that suggest scope issues??
 
I had a scope that changed point of aim and thus point of impact when I adjusted the parallax. It would happen at 50yds (right where I do most of my shooting). It took only a very slight turn of the parallax and the POA would track diagonally and fix on a new POI that was about 2in away from the first POI. Drove me nuts untill I discovered it. Leapers did exchange it for me. Definately try another scope.
 
different scope on it tomorrow for the test. got it installed this morning but didn't have a chance to try it yet. Adjusting parallax may have ocurred on a couple of sessions. I;ll check again and keep that in mind. The scope is an aztec Emerald.
Thank You for the suggestions.
I am thinking that it's the scope or something involving the regulator. It's relatively new. Well within the warranty. Maybe a 1000 rounds through it.