Seeking help with accuracy problem

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DaSOB

DaSOB

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Apr 25, 2023
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Howdy -

I'm a noobie here, looking for some help with an accuracy problem with my Walther Talon. But first, I'll tell y'all a little bit about me.

I'm 72, retired and loving it, never married (but got a great GF!). I'm an AF vet, former air traffic controller. I collect guns and have several air rifles, mostly springers and a few CO2. I'd love to have a nice Leshy, but that's above my pay grade! I have a Banjamin 317 I got when I was 11 years old - I've shot enough birds with it to fill up the bed of my Ram. I had the guts replaced several years ago, and it shoots as well as ever.

Anyway, about my Walther Talon Magnum in .22. It's an awesome gun, but I couldn't hit the side of a barn with it if I were locked inside with a case of pellets. I've tried open sights and a variety of scopes, several different brands and weights of pellets, but it's all over the place. I sent an email to Umarex about it, but never have heard back.

If any of you good folks can give me some help with this, I would very much appreciate it!
 
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Congratulations being retired and luv shooting! My only advice would be to invest in a decent PCP as they are so much easier to shoot than a springer especially as we age gracefully 🤗! I recently turned 60, retired also amd plink almost daily with my PCP's (mainly my RAW), if a shot is errant, I KNOW it's on ME and not the rifle, makes shooting a real pleasure. The initial cost can be a bit daunting because of a fill source but the new electric compressors way more affordable than before....sorry for no help with your Walther!
 
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Not real familiar with that rifle but sounds like it might have been made by Hatsan? Or be a copy. Quattro trigger, SAS system. Gas ram or spring? Have you checked the stock screws trigger guard screws and made sure they’re tight? That’s all springers, all brands. They’ll work loose, especially on a hard hitting gun like that. Check the pivot bolt, should be snug but not overly tight so it locks up consistently every time. These are easy things that make a big difference before you start looking at things that take more effort to diagnose.
 
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First and foremost, if you aren't already acquainted with shooting a magnum springer, they are very hold sensitive. Look into the artillery hold which is a free-recoiling hold (i.e. loose hold) that tends to work best with springers.

Second, the pellets. What different pellets have you tried? If the list doesn't include domes from names like JSB (or FX or Air Arms) or H&N, that would be a good place to start.

Third, do you have a chronograph? Check for consistent speeds across 10 shots. Even budget springers will frequently hold a 15-20fps spread. A wide spread may indicate a bad breech seal or piston seal.

Fourth, inspect the barrel for defects. Hatsan made the Talon for Umarex and they don't have the best track record for workmanship.

Barrel troubleshooting and accurizing how-to - Airguns & Guns Forum

Barrel troubleshooting and accurizing how-to, Air guns, Airgun Forum
www.gatewaytoairguns.org
 
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DaSOB said:
Howdy -

I'm a noobie here, looking for some help with an accuracy problem with my Walther Talon. But first, I'll tell y'all a little bit about me.

I'm 72, retired and loving it, never married (but got a great GF!). I'm an AF vet, former air traffic controller. I collect guns and have several air rifles, mostly springers and a few CO2. I'd love to have a nice Leshy, but that's above my pay grade! I have a Banjamin 317 I got when I was 11 years old - I've shot enough birds with it to fill up the bed of my Ram. I had the guts replaced several years ago, and it shoots as well as ever.

Anyway, about my Walther Talon Magnum in .22. It's an awesome gun, but I couldn't hit the side of a barn with it if I were locked inside with a case of pellets. I've tried open sights and a variety of scopes, several different brands and weights of pellets, but it's all over the place. I sent an email to Umarex about it, but never have heard back.

If any of you good folks can give me some help with this, I would very much appreciate it!
Click to expand...
I confess I'm not familiar with your gun, so I just went and read up on it. I would recomend watching some youtube videos on shooting springers. I learned it it back in the eighties with my first large springer. The shock from the spring will affect your shot before the pellet can exit the barrel. If you brace on something on your right, the gun will bounce away from it, and shoot left. If you rest the forearm on something it'll shoot high etc. A loose hold and loose shoulder, with the ballance point on a bag, or on your left hand, if shooting off-hand, is the ticket with those guys. It has a name, called the artillery hold, because you let the gun move a bit rather than a tight grip.
I hope this helps. Let us know.
 
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Thanks, all. I tried the artillery hold, but only for a few shots. I'll try just resting the rifle on a bag and not against my shoulder. I'll look into adjusting that Quattro trigger.

Yep, Hatsan made these rifles. I've done some reading on them, and QC does seem to be spotty. Some shooters had rifles that were dead-on, shot after shot, but others said that their rifle was wild as a March hare.

I checked all the screws - they're tight. The pivot pin is nice and tight also, so I don't think that's a problem. I haven't cleaned the barrel yet, so I'll do that. I've chrono'ed it and the velocity is pretty consistent.

Pellets - I've tried RWS Meisterkugeln and Super H Point, H&N Barracuda Match, JSB Exact Jumbo Monster, Predator Polymag, Crosman PowerShot Red Flight, Gamo Rocket, Benjamin Discovery and even Gamo round balls. None of them seemed to be any more accurate than any other.

I mostly just shoot soft drink cans in my back yard (with a pellet trap behind them) and I don't have a problem with tree rats, but I would love to be able to "one hole" the "O" in "Coke"!
 
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Sorry to be a wet blanket but polishing is very unlikely to alter the character of a barrel that can be described as "couldn't hit the side of a barn with it if I were locked inside with a case of pellets". Lapping, maybe. Polishing, not so much.

If the barrel is at fault, look first at the crown, the leade, and push a few pellets through to check for loose or tight spots or snagging at the crown.
 
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Hateful McNasty said:
My hatsan barrel was pretty dirty / filthy. Took some scrubbing once clean shots well improved.. whatever the factory used was well set in and slow to break-up even with solvent.. lol, good luck
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Thanks. The Patch Out is a slow but thorough solvent that removes carbon, lead and copper. I have used it on weapons that I considered clean, only to come out with patches that looked like they had been dipped in used motor oil. I'm going to keep working on this.
 
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I use strong nylon harness thread but here you see i can use 2 strands with whatever in the middle ( scotch Brite, brass,copper, steel wool). With solvent so i can pull the scrubbing patch back and forth to fit .177 .

If yours a .22 then normal .22 rod and brush fits fine. Only thing is if you need to temove the muzzle end thing ( break? Moderator? Or just somthing the sight is attached to?).

patchworm.jpg
 
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DaSOB said:
I haven't tried to take the "brake" off yet - want to be sure that if I get it off, I can get it back on and timed correctly. But I'm definitely going to look at that.

I like the pull-through idea. I'm using a coated, free-rotating rod with a .22 bronze brush and patch. One push through, then I take the brush off to remove the rod.
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My .22 i use normal .22 rod and brush. I dont have any qualms in pulling back and fourth to scrub well with solvent or oil ( never dry)

Muzzle end...
90% of the time its indexed that the end thing and barrel end is slotted or dovetailed so its a this way or no way install fit.. / goof proof. You could index it yourself with like a silver shirpe pen to line the marks back up .

Then just do as you feel comfortable in doing. Id hate your gun sight is in the 10% thats not or super glued on .


However you go about it its just cleaning the barrel. Just some required extra measures if mean gunks builtup
 
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