Can ask a Q re an issue with my BSA airgun?

[troggy]

Hello all, hopefully there is an BSA air rifle expert out there. I purchased a BSA r-10 mk2 177 cal new 6 years ago specifically to reduce the magpies, rats, and Squirrels who insist on entering into my garden to attack the nesting tweetie birds we all love.
Up until a few days ago, this rifle fed with air arms diabolo feild pellets zeroed at 35 mtrs, was incredibly accurate, tiny 1/4 inch groups if I really concentrated off of a bunny ears bag rest. Even my left handed takes no notice of my coaching wife, hits the ball park when she has asked to have a few pops.
However, a few days back, 2 magpies had come into my baited killing zone on the back lawn, zirca 40 mtrs away from my hiding place. Usual MO, cross hairs on the eye socket, blat your dead. However, no blat, nor dead. I thought it was maybe drivers error, pulled or something. A little later on, Mr and Mrs ( they are pairing up that's why I needed to reduce numbers) reappeared, unfortunately same problem, a total miss. OK, I then stuck a splash target up up on a wooden board, got out the bunny ears, made a cup of tea and set up on one of the garden tables. Dead steady aim, nothing showing on the target. Investigated where the pellet went, 2 inches high??? Wound down, still and inch high, would down, now 2 inches low. Getting annoyed, double checked the scope for tightened, floating barrel for touching, checked the fitted mod for issues, and obviously double checked the air tank gauge. All seemed 100%. So, I pinged off 5 pellets, 4 of which landed up in the orange splash bit but the last one did not seem to land anywhere near. I persevered for another 10 pellets, some of which landed in the ball park, some definitely low. Before I take the rifle for a 2 month holiday at Fultons gun shop for their spin, can anybody say what might be the issue. The gun has only shot circa 250 pellets in 6 years, the scope is the one BSA fit, and I have never as yet cleaned the barrel? Regards Troggy

 

[Franchi Matt]

I'd start by cleaning the barrel.

 

[enfieldspares]

Seals have gone IMHO.

 

[Stevie/P]

Do the seals need replacing is it holding air
Years ago had a sharps innova same problem seals had gone .
But I’m no expert

 

[Cottis]

These things are normally sighting related. So scopes, mounts or the point at which the unit is mounted to the rifle. I would be checking those things first.

Cleaning the barrel would be the last thing I would be doing. Literally. I have an air rifle with north of thousands upon thousands of shots through it. Never been cleaned. Owned countless other air guns, again none cleaned. Low velocity lead pellets are not going to contaminate a bore other than with a nice even veneer of lead.

Try another scope with different mounts. That would be my first port of call unless the rifle has been subjected to something very foreign like water ingress, a huge drop or some other random circumstance.

 

[bluesako]

scope issue?as cottis said dont clean your barrell you could try another scope first if it came with that scope start their bs

 

[FISH BOY]

Do you store the rifle standing up leaning all the weight on the end of the mod?

Had this years ago that the screw cut seating had ever so slightly shifted spitting pellets all over the place. Barely visible when looking at the profile of the barrel.

Try it without the mod and look at the mod to see any evidence of clipping.

 

[VSS]

Maybe a poor batch of pellets with dented skirts? Or maybe you're getting towards the bottom of the tin and they're rattling around a bit and getting dented? Or you dropped the tin? Sort through the pellets, and discard any that are even slightly distorted, then try again. Even a slightly dented skirt will affect accuracy.

 

[jcampbellsmith]

AirGun Forums are a helpful bunch too.
Regards
JCS

 

[sikadog]

I have a friend who repairs air rifles in Warrington and he hates pcp rifles, he says everyone over 12 months old needs the seals changing, he works on his own and the last time I had a word he had 6 months work waiting.

 

[Bowland blades]

Too many variables to diagnose the issue . Get a chrono-graphed string done to check consistency shot to shot. Is it maybe a bit more windy ? Has your zero slipped out of whack ? 40 yards with 12 ft lb and a smaller kill zone by an exited shooter isnt as easy shot to take

 

[B&W FOX]

When you fill a pcp airtank to the correct level, the first 5 shots can be erratic, the next 50 can be in the sweet spot and on target from there on in your loosing power and also accuracy.
If your seals are slightly perished this can add to your problems.
PCP air rifles are also pellet fussy and you need to use a quality pellet with a set weight and work out which one's your rifle likes.
People that do lots of field target shooting spend hours trying different batches of pellets to find the perfect brand and weight.

 

[urx]

Id recommend checking the probe seal as stop #1
Do this by firing gun with tissue over the closed breech…the tissue will show any loss of air

If all is good there then swap the scope with one thats known good
If that still gives the random flier result then seals or a problem with regulator if fitted looks very likely.
I have had a lot of springers pcps and tac type guns over the years …they all have their weakspots…

 

[enfieldspares]

Cleaning the barrel would be the last thing I would be doing. Literally. I have an air rifle with north of thousands upon thousands of shots through it. Never been cleaned. Owned countless other air guns, again none cleaned. Low velocity lead pellets are not going to contaminate a bore other than with a nice even veneer of lead.

This +1. Unless it's been out in a downpour or somehow got a soaking I've never cleaned the barrel of an air rifle unless (like an old BSA Cadet Major I was given for £5 by Bill Elderkin about five years ago) it's been a sleeper unused for, literally, years...decades...and not been shot in all that time. Ditto I never cleaned the barrels of my BSA Martini .22 RF smallbore target rifles shot with modern non-corrosive ammunition after a first cleaning when initially acquired or if they got wet (which they never did).

 

[troggy]

This +1. Unless it's been out in a downpour or somehow got a soaking I've never cleaned the barrel of an air rifle unless (like an old BSA Cadet Major I was given for £5 by Bill Elderkin about five years ago) it's been a sleeper unused for, literally, years...decades...and not been shot in all that time. Ditto I never cleaned the barrels of my BSA Martini .22 RF smallbore target rifles shot with modern non-corrosive ammunition after a first cleaning when initially acquired or if they got wet (which they never did).

Thank you all for the informative feedback, I will firstly check the pellets for damaged skirts, never thought of that, the tin started of with 500 pellets, probably down to 240 ish, so they are rattling around, the scope is the one BSA sold with the rifle, probably not the best. I will take the scope off the. 22lr rabbit rifle, which is a decent one, and try it. Also the suggestion to try grouping without the mod is a good idea. If the pellets are still flying about, it's down to Fultons for new seals. Annoying though, I wanted to make a dent in the magpie and Squirrel numbers before the twittie birds start nesting

 

[landkeeper]

I have a friend who repairs air rifles in Warrington and he hates pcp rifles, he says everyone over 12 months old needs the seals changing, he works on his own and the last time I had a word he had 6 months work waiting.

Grappenhall ?

 

[enfieldspares]

Annoying though, I wanted to make a dent in the magpie and Squirrel numbers before the twittie birds start nesting

Tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree! Or rather go on a walk about just before the trees start to bud. Look up. Take a spray can, or a pot of paint, whatever you have, and make a dab of paint on the trunk of the ones with crow and magpie nests and squirrel drays. I don't advise a ribbon as it can get removed and you'd need a lot of ribbon. That way when the nesting season starts even though these trees are now in leaf you'll know which ones have crow and magpie nests in them.

 

[Cyres]

Try a group without the moddy. If good then it's poss odd pellet is just skimming it. Had this issue on a friends PCP moderator fitting was loose. If not this it's likely to be a seal issue. Pellet skirt damage is also sure way to get inaccuracy.
D

 

[Dunwaters]

Sounds like a scope/mount issue.

 

[Tdes]

I would clamp the rifle in a work bench so it is rock solid stable, fire a few at the target and see how they are landing. The scope is playing no part so you know if that is playing up.

Do this with and without the mod on to eliminate that as well.

T