I am wondering about the accuracy of the springer I bought to replace my sheridan. It is a crossman optimus in 22 caliber. On my 20 yard range my sheridan would shoot 1/2 inch groups. The crossman is lucky to go 2 inches. I am useing Grossman priemere pellets. Both the gun and the pellets received good reviews and I am thinking the poor quality 4x scope is the problem. My sheridan has the 5dsh peep sight. I have a new scope on order. I would appreciate any advice you can send my way thanks mike
At first springers (all) have additional effort to shoot accurately than a .22 rimfire of any sort.
I shoot only offhand and have always done it that way since 1969 with my first air rifle a BSF Springer Air Break Barrel made in West Germany.
It was .177 and dad had dry fired the thing on the rack in front of the salesman in Carson City and I remember smoke coming out without the pellet inside.
We took the rifle home and dad set up a target and me and my next youngest brother shot at it. From that time that pellet rifle worked clear through all of my own college days while my younger brother was using it and then taking it apart after many many thousands of crossman hourglass pellets made back then in red and black holding 500 per can.
Bottom line was me leaving that rifle and while away in post graduate school I bought an HW35 in San Rafael in .177.
That reignited my fever for the spring air rifle all over again even with the smell after firing it. I was a lost cause from then in post graduate school studying things more complicated that pellet rifles but also in the meantime never ever forgetting the break barrel springer.
I went through pneumatic pumps like Sheridan and Benjamin in rifle and pistol and felt they were short of the air spring rifle from Germany.
Then I added an air spring rifle after the HW35 in Feinwerkbau in 1988 with the rest that followed in PCP and break barrel and gas ram.
Today the simple HW30 or HW35 or HW50 or HW95 or HW98 are the best break barrel springers anyone can buy in the midst of saving money at a store to get a common air gun of mass production. What we sell here in USA in a box at a discount store for an air rifle is not expensive and many or most won't go above BB gun level and CO2 or something.
Start over and forget Benjamin and Sheridan and Crossman.
Just get a real spring air gun from German. I think England sold out air rifles in the Webley to Turkey but that is ancient history.
I have an ancient history gas ram from England that I liked when I got it and never let it leave the house despite .20, .22 competing rifles in my hands at the same time.
It's the .25 Theoben Eliminator still working to this day and actually getting smoother and faster after about 2000 rounds since 1999.
The other rifles are not gas rams. Many gas rams are out today called nitros or some powerful sound creating total inaccuracy compared to the old traditional England Theoben Eliminator.
Practical accuracy to me was achieved decades ago with a true accurate W. German Springer like the HW30 today and NOT from Crossman Benjamin Sheridan pumps or PCPS (had em all) to date.
To date.
Pick up an HW98 and end it forever.