RWS 34 accuracy issues

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rbeckey

Member
Jul 7, 2022
46
27
Pittsburgh, PA, US
I have a 34 that is probably 15 years old. Maybe 1000 pellets fired. UTG Bugbuster 3-9 AO scope. Always accurate and dependable for pests until a few days ago. Suddenly missing starlings. On paper the shots group but the groups wander. This follows a strange cycle. At 50 feet from a rest I get 3-4 shots in a wide group at 6 o'clock two inches low. Next 2-4 at 6 o"clock 1 inch low slightly tighter group.. Next 2-3 shots 12 o'clock 1/2 inch high. Next 10-15-20 shots X one (large) hole. No adjustments made to the scope. I set the rifle down and replace a target or what ever and 9 times out of 10 the pattern repeats from scratch when I pick it back up. I went over every bolt and screw in the rifle and scope mount and all are tight. Doesn't matter what pellet I use of the several I have available. Bore is cleaned with pull through patches or felt pellets about every 100 shots. That doesn't seem to alter the cycle. This cycle has repeated more or less the same perhaps 10-12 times.

I am more of a firearms user. Been shooting them 50 years. Never saw or heard of this type of thing before. Tomorrow I'm pulling the scope and trying iron sights. Thoughts?
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I chased a problem just like that for the better part of a year. Very predicable shift in group location during a shooting session. Refused to believe it was the scope, but it was. Installed a scope I knew to be 100% reliable and the problem went away. Sent the original scope back for warranty replacement, and put its replacement on a pcp.

May not be the scope, but it would be the first thing I would try to rule out. Had the rifle been a dependable shooter from a rest in the past? Springers do not usually do well when shot off a rest firearm style. Try a single padded rest just in front of the trigger guard. That almost always gives decent accuracy.
 
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I zeroed the scope many years ago and never touched it until a few days ago when it stopped hitting targets.. Accuracy was minute of starling at 50 feet +/- 10 feet for all those years. Headshots on most pests. I did try shifting the rifle on the rest at different points along the fore end and even barrel. No noticeable difference in the pattern. I will take your advice on rest placement. Thank you.

I never even looked through the iron sights. Tomorrow I'll see how they do. No shift of point of impact then it must be the scope I guess. Unfortunately I do not have another air gun scope on hand and I don't want to damage a rifle scope. Would the recoil impulse of a spring air damage a standard red dot sight?
 
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Yep, check your breech seal. You can lay a tissue over the joint when firing and look to see if it jumps. That will definitely tell you it's leaking. Because your groups were all relatively centered, windage-wise, this would indicate velocity variations more than anything else.

It could also be your piston seal needing a bit of lube. Springers need a few drops of silicone chamber oil from time to time. It has to be specific, low volatile, silicon chamber oil, no petroleum distillates. Break the barrel part way, use a needle applicator, and get two or three drops into the transfer port and then cock it all the way to suck the lube down into the chamber.
Hold the barrel and pull the trigger then work the barrel up and down in between closed and cocked position to make the piston spread the lube around inside the compression chamber.

I have an RWS 34 Panther, in .177, and it likes the Baracuda Match 4.53 head size.

Here's what the breech seal should look like, proud from the breech block, not flattened:
Black Beauty 5.jpg
 
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Thank you for responding. I will test the breech seal and get the appropriate lube before calling this issue solved, but earlier today I pulled the scope and fired 50 pellets with iron sights. The group was centered and I had a few fliers but I called them all. Hardest part was seeing that tiny little black needle alleged to be a front sight. I had to print a target with a red center ring around a white X to use it at all. My buddy has a newer version of this rifle and it has fiber optic sights. I'll have to see if I can get them onto mine.

Does anyone know if newer Diana fiber optic sights can be purchased and mounted to an older rifle? Alternately is there another distributer of suitable fiber optic sights? It would be good to have effective back up iron sights.
 
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Considering their cost and apparent ease of replacement I ordered several breech seals from Vortek. Since the shipping is flat rate I got a couple for my friend who also has a 34. If we don't need one yet we will eventually. I did not see vertical stringing with iron sights. I tried the tissue test and there was no movement. I reckon a bit of gas could be leaking out the bottom though, so for a buck I will replace the seal on general principle. I does appear a little flat.

I have a new scope coming. I will post the results in the next few days.
 
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If you have a chronograph, or a friend who has one, use it to check for velocity variation that could cause stringing. It would have to be substantial to cause the vertical stringing you were seeing. It will also give you an idea of whether performance has degraded over time due to seal wear or loss of lubricant. If it looks like a relube is called for, it really is best in my opinion to tear it down, and replace seal and lubricant with high quality modern equivalents. That should keep it running like new for many years.
 
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Unfortunately I do not have access to a chronograph. I have to think that the scope was the main culprit since using iron sights did not produce vertical stringing. It probably is time for the rebuild you mentioned. I'll look for articles and videos and research supply vendors. Is there a specific video channel or vendor you think would be more useful? Also, any thoughts on finding fiber optic modern sights? The only references I found to them were out of stock in Australia and Pakistan of all places. I would not be ordering from there even if they were available. Is there a compatible brand that you know of that parts might be easier to access?

I have built rifles and can do depot level maintenance on most of my firearms so I do have appropriate tools but I am almost a complete air gun novice.
 
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