Prompted by another thread, I thought I'd start this discussion.
There's no right or wrong answer here, and It's not about brands or particular rifles or even parts of rifles.
Accuracy can mean different things to different people. Here, we all talk about airguns and what makes them "accurate". Well, what is "accurate"
ACCURACY Let's look at some official definitions...
The quality or state of being correct or precise.
The degree to which the result of a measurement, calculation, or specification conforms to the correct value or a standard.
The condition or quality of being true, correct, or exact; freedom from error or defect; precision or exactness; correctness.
The ability to work or perform without making mistakes.
The ability of a measurement to match the actual value of the quantity being measured.
Yup... all that sounds great! "Aaahh, freedom from error or defect" doesn't that sound nice? I would like to request "freedom from error or defect" at my next competition please. lol!
So, as it relates to airguns, what is accurate?
To me, overall, it would mean hitting your intended target, exactly where you wanted to, every time you wanted to.
How about grouping 5 shots? Well, that's been the unofficial measured standard for air gunners for quite some time. A new trend that is growing is grouping 30 shots. Would that do it for you? And at what range? For some it's close and others it's far.
What's her definition of accuracy?
and his...
and his...
For some it might mean being able to hit a soda can at 5-10 yards, sometimes.
How about hitting 16 targets at different ranges as quickly as possible?
Maybe it's not so much about the pellet hitting the target as it is about the rifle being consistent. Somedays, that's all I want!
So, onto part 2 of this...
How do we achieve accuracy as air gunners?
Buy the best rifle? Well, that would be a heated debate to say the least! But what does that really get you? A rifle that does its job in the hands of a shooter that isn't doing their job makes for poor accuracy. Right? The same could be said for all kinds of accessories. Fancy scopes, bipods, lasers, levels, grips, cheek rests, lights, etc in the hands of a shooter that isn't doing their part won't add up to much when the scores are being tallied.
Now reverse the scenario. Give a top notch shooter a sub par, barely functioning rifle. What's going to happen? Similar results, I would imagine, and the shooter is probably going to get frustrated pretty quick which will only make matters worse.
Practice? Well, of course that's going to help tremendously! "Practice makes perfect" but practice alone isn't going to do it.
Consistency? Yup, that's got to be in there for sure. In regards to both the shooter and the rifle.
Equipment? I think it plays a part too.
Overall, I think a focused well practiced shooter with a high end (possibly tuned) rifle, coupled with good equipment is an excellent attempt at accuracy. But, it's even more than that, IMO, to achieve accuracy. I believe that there has to be a relationship between the shooter and his rifle. Lets use Ted for an example. He started out using an almost unknown russian bullpup style rifle to make incredible shots at ridiculous ranges (for a "pellet gun"). Accurate? Yes. Why? The shooter was doing his job, with a rifle that he had an intimate understanding of and was very comfortable with, that was doing its job. Think about that last statement in terms of hours! So, shall we add Passion to the list? But, he wasn't at his ultimate in terms of accuracy. Ted has stated in one of his vids that the rifle he's going to use is the one that he's the most accurate with (not an exact quote). Well, that makes a heck of a lot sense! Fast Forward... He's not using that same rifle anymore. Why? Another rifle came along and the shooter proved to himself that he was more accurate with it. Was it the rifle? Maybe that had something to do with it. Was it the shooter? No doubt the shooter became more skilled while using and learning the previous rifle. Could it be that the relationship between the shooter and his rifle was a better match? Fast forward again. The shooter has grown even more. The rifle he uses the most is the most accurate for him. But, it's not the same one as before. It's a new one. Has the equipment improved that much, or the shooter, or both? I think all of the above.
My own story is not much different (minus the incredible shots, camera equip, etc.) With each rifle I acquired, I learned what worked for me. It didn't always work out the the newest rifle was the most accurate for me. I had that same bullpup. I learned that was more accurate with a traditional style rifle that was ~1/2 the cost. That doesn't mean that the rifle wasn't doing its job. It meant that I, as a shooter, needed to improve my skills on a rifle that I had a better relationship with. I've been through many many high end rifles since then. Each one more advanced than the last. But, I still have that old rifle because it is consistent for me. I know what my limitations are with it. Today, I have bullpup style rifles that I can outshoot that old rifle with. Over the course of all that time, I became a better shooter and found a rifle that I could really get along with. It's the most accurate rifle I have and it's the one I reach for when the shot counts. It's the... _______. Nope, I'm not going to put it out there! Why? Well, just because it's the most accurate for me doesn't mean that it's going to be that way for you. I've spent years and more money than I care to add up getting to where I am today. If I could do it all over again, I'd do it the same way. It would have sucked to have my most accurate rifle first! The journey that followed would have been filled with disappointment.
So, what are your thoughts?
How does one achieve maximum accuracy?
What are the key ingredients?
Happy (accurate) shooting!
Tom
(Related topic regarding bullpups)
There's no right or wrong answer here, and It's not about brands or particular rifles or even parts of rifles.
Accuracy can mean different things to different people. Here, we all talk about airguns and what makes them "accurate". Well, what is "accurate"
ACCURACY Let's look at some official definitions...
The quality or state of being correct or precise.
The degree to which the result of a measurement, calculation, or specification conforms to the correct value or a standard.
The condition or quality of being true, correct, or exact; freedom from error or defect; precision or exactness; correctness.
The ability to work or perform without making mistakes.
The ability of a measurement to match the actual value of the quantity being measured.
Yup... all that sounds great! "Aaahh, freedom from error or defect" doesn't that sound nice? I would like to request "freedom from error or defect" at my next competition please. lol!
So, as it relates to airguns, what is accurate?
To me, overall, it would mean hitting your intended target, exactly where you wanted to, every time you wanted to.
How about grouping 5 shots? Well, that's been the unofficial measured standard for air gunners for quite some time. A new trend that is growing is grouping 30 shots. Would that do it for you? And at what range? For some it's close and others it's far.
What's her definition of accuracy?
and his...
and his...
For some it might mean being able to hit a soda can at 5-10 yards, sometimes.
How about hitting 16 targets at different ranges as quickly as possible?
Maybe it's not so much about the pellet hitting the target as it is about the rifle being consistent. Somedays, that's all I want!
So, onto part 2 of this...
How do we achieve accuracy as air gunners?
Buy the best rifle? Well, that would be a heated debate to say the least! But what does that really get you? A rifle that does its job in the hands of a shooter that isn't doing their job makes for poor accuracy. Right? The same could be said for all kinds of accessories. Fancy scopes, bipods, lasers, levels, grips, cheek rests, lights, etc in the hands of a shooter that isn't doing their part won't add up to much when the scores are being tallied.
Now reverse the scenario. Give a top notch shooter a sub par, barely functioning rifle. What's going to happen? Similar results, I would imagine, and the shooter is probably going to get frustrated pretty quick which will only make matters worse.
Practice? Well, of course that's going to help tremendously! "Practice makes perfect" but practice alone isn't going to do it.
Consistency? Yup, that's got to be in there for sure. In regards to both the shooter and the rifle.
Equipment? I think it plays a part too.
Overall, I think a focused well practiced shooter with a high end (possibly tuned) rifle, coupled with good equipment is an excellent attempt at accuracy. But, it's even more than that, IMO, to achieve accuracy. I believe that there has to be a relationship between the shooter and his rifle. Lets use Ted for an example. He started out using an almost unknown russian bullpup style rifle to make incredible shots at ridiculous ranges (for a "pellet gun"). Accurate? Yes. Why? The shooter was doing his job, with a rifle that he had an intimate understanding of and was very comfortable with, that was doing its job. Think about that last statement in terms of hours! So, shall we add Passion to the list? But, he wasn't at his ultimate in terms of accuracy. Ted has stated in one of his vids that the rifle he's going to use is the one that he's the most accurate with (not an exact quote). Well, that makes a heck of a lot sense! Fast Forward... He's not using that same rifle anymore. Why? Another rifle came along and the shooter proved to himself that he was more accurate with it. Was it the rifle? Maybe that had something to do with it. Was it the shooter? No doubt the shooter became more skilled while using and learning the previous rifle. Could it be that the relationship between the shooter and his rifle was a better match? Fast forward again. The shooter has grown even more. The rifle he uses the most is the most accurate for him. But, it's not the same one as before. It's a new one. Has the equipment improved that much, or the shooter, or both? I think all of the above.
My own story is not much different (minus the incredible shots, camera equip, etc.) With each rifle I acquired, I learned what worked for me. It didn't always work out the the newest rifle was the most accurate for me. I had that same bullpup. I learned that was more accurate with a traditional style rifle that was ~1/2 the cost. That doesn't mean that the rifle wasn't doing its job. It meant that I, as a shooter, needed to improve my skills on a rifle that I had a better relationship with. I've been through many many high end rifles since then. Each one more advanced than the last. But, I still have that old rifle because it is consistent for me. I know what my limitations are with it. Today, I have bullpup style rifles that I can outshoot that old rifle with. Over the course of all that time, I became a better shooter and found a rifle that I could really get along with. It's the most accurate rifle I have and it's the one I reach for when the shot counts. It's the... _______. Nope, I'm not going to put it out there! Why? Well, just because it's the most accurate for me doesn't mean that it's going to be that way for you. I've spent years and more money than I care to add up getting to where I am today. If I could do it all over again, I'd do it the same way. It would have sucked to have my most accurate rifle first! The journey that followed would have been filled with disappointment.
So, what are your thoughts?
How does one achieve maximum accuracy?
What are the key ingredients?
Happy (accurate) shooting!
Tom
(Related topic regarding bullpups)
