Acceptable Groupings for a budget PCP at 20 yards

Griddamus

Griddamus

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I’m new and have been having what I perceived as some issues with my Reximex Lyra where the barrel wasn’t seated in the action properly. Having now fixed that, my groups have gone from 30-40mm on average to 12mm at 20 yards.

Is this the sort of size groupings you would expect at that range? I have no prior reference to compare it to. Here are some cards I shot today, is this acceptable? These were shot while the foreend of the rifle was seated on a bag and then shot from shoulder so not viced or anything. 10 shots a card on a calm day.

Do these look ok?
 

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Thats a start for sure 👍

Outdoors very rarely gives as good results as indoor ranges, if you need better try finding the right pellet, scope set up and parralax and finding your rifles sweetspot helps plus the wobbly bit that holds the gun might need sorting 😂

Enjoy the journey
 
32:1 said:
Thats a start for sure 👍

Outdoors very rarely gives as good results as indoor ranges, if you need better try finding the right pellet, scope set up and parralax and finding your rifles sweetspot helps plus the wobbly bit that holds the gun might need sorting 😂

Enjoy the journey
Click to expand...
These result are the best set I’ve had yet, and I shoot down an alley way, so minimal wind interference.

I have got an after market barrel band, but since I took it apart again, I have to press the end of the barrel quite hard for the reximex one to allow any movement now. I don’t think it would under normal use unless I knocked the gun into something.
 
Griddamus said:
These result are the best set I’ve had yet, and I shoot down an alley way, so minimal wind interference.

I have got an after market barrel band, but since I took it apart again, I have to press the end of the barrel quite hard for the reximex one to allow any movement now. I don’t think it would under normal use unless I knocked the gun into something.
Click to expand...
Very good start, there are so many factors to get that perfect group and it’s not just skill and practice but sometimes it’s weather, pellet type, rifle and even temperature but when you get consistent groups it is a warm and fuzzy😊 and you start to look for more challenges like cut the cards for example and range cards with one shot centres which can get frustrating when you do 9 perfects in a row and then one decides to wander off for what ever reason.
 
I see that that's a 10 shot group. Were you using a single shot loader? I've found that magazines can throw a spanner in the works when it comes to grouping. The fact each group is wandering around the bull a bit might suggest a bit of head position movement or parallax error.
 
CapitalBee said:
I see that that's a 10 shot group. Were you using a single shot loader? I've found that magazines can throw a spanner in the works when it comes to grouping. The fact each group is wandering around the bull a bit might suggest a bit of head position movement or parallax error.
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Yeah that was with BobP's SSL. The only grouping that wasn't was the Baracuda FT's. To my eye they look like the same kind of shape as all the others but I could not get them pushed into the chamber through the SSL without forcing the probe forward, so I used a mag for those so I didn't risk damaging the gun or the SSL.

In typical fashion, they grouped really well, tied with the QYS for max deviation at 12mm for me. I wonder if they'd have been the best had they gone through easy! :P
 
My bad, I looked at the groups and didn't open each photo to see you were trying a range of pellets! If you're getting a 12mm group with the magazine, that's not too bad to be fair, that's less than a pellet width either side of centre.
 
Martindale2025 said:
Very good start, there are so many factors to get that perfect group and it’s not just skill and practice but sometimes it’s weather, pellet type, rifle and even temperature but when you get consistent groups it is a warm and fuzzy😊 and you start to look for more challenges like cut the cards for example and range cards with one shot centres which can get frustrating when you do 9 perfects in a row and then one decides to wander off for what ever reason.
Click to expand...
I shoot a BR20yd comp at my club, and am yet to beat 179/200 (5 shots per card, x4 cards), and yeah it was frustrating seeing the reticle hovering over the 9 or bull, and then the pellet hit in the 6 or 7 zone. I mean, I know i'm new to this but it got pretty disheartening. I shot some .22 rimfire at 20 yards a few weeks back and had far, far more success (shot a typical bisley 10 shot card, and the RO said I would have scored 96 on it), so pleased I investigated more.

I guess next down the line is washing and oiling my pellets! :P
 
CapitalBee said:
My bad, I looked at the groups and didn't open each photo to see you were trying a range of pellets! If you're getting a 12mm group with the magazine, that's not too bad to be fair, that's less than a pellet width either side of centre.
Click to expand...
when you put it like that (less than a pellet each way of centre), I feel much better about the output of my rifle now. I know it's only cheap in comparison to what competition shooters use so not expecting laser performance from it, but at least I now have something I can use that I will hopefully see improvement of as I become a better shot :)
 
That won’t cut it for BR
So much goes into it and I’ve only dipped my toes in as goes BR, it’s a rabbit hole for sure 😂
That said, practice and testing making notes of changes helps you progress, how far you wish to travel through the ‘burrow’ is your journey
I found tuning the fps to suit my barrel/pellet helped more than washing and weighting, a scope with a fine dot or CHair, a trigger with a light crisp break, stock fit, theres so much to learn and everyone will have their own methods and opinions.

Enjoy

Plenty of advice on YT with AirAbility and in here 👍
 
Something else to try to test group accuracy,,click your turret a few left or right,,that way you don't destroy your ai point,,once a one hole group develops on target it's easy to lose track of where to aim snd the hole gets bigger,
Obviously count the clicks and return it to zero after🤪
 
To me - the group looks fine. Not only is the rifle new to you, but you are new to it.
There are many actions, holding, trigger squeezing (amongst the myriad of things). I go along with the recommendation of others, that you should try various pellets and also examine the "skirt" of each one - pellets get damaged in transit.
Good luck and welcome here. (y)
 
Griddamus said:
I’m new and have been having what I perceived as some issues with my Reximex Lyra where the barrel wasn’t seated in the action properly. Having now fixed that, my groups have gone from 30-40mm on average to 12mm at 20 yards.

Is this the sort of size groupings you would expect at that range? I have no prior reference to compare it to. Here are some cards I shot today, is this acceptable? These were shot while the foreend of the rifle was seated on a bag and then shot from shoulder so not viced or anything. 10 shots a card on a calm day.

Do these look ok?
Click to expand...
Look pretty good to me.
 
I'd say chose one pellet, park the "testing" for a bit and relax into the combination.
Testing can mean you don't yet mentally trust the combination.

Also put up some sort of simple wind flag.
An alleyway is no guarantee of still air, in fact if you are between two houses (or more) the alleyway can be a way for the pressure to equalise, so the changes are more instant, and unpredictable, at least front/back.
I live in a terrace, on a slight slope, and from some wind directions the pressure differential, is ridiculous, so much so, I have wondered how to embed small turbines in the flow, for electricity generation.
 
I like the look of the Barracuda 8 group but really you need to push the range out further but yes this is a good start.
Personally I would say 25 yard is a good starting point for Zero. Then I would expect the JSB group to open up (but nothing's guaranteed) then you could discount them for now but another batch of JSB could be far better likewise with the AA.
As said above, so many variables but they are groups, so looks like the rifle is behaving quite well a vertical line would indicate inconsistent power.
How is the trigger 1st stage too long for you or not long enough? Personally I like a short first stage my trigger finger doesn't work so well too close. 2nd stage short and crisp or do you find it creeps ie you pull and pull wondering when it is going to release. If you are going to make trigger adjustments make small adjustments making note so you can put it back where it was if you make it worse. I'm not familiar with the rifle so don't know how much adjustment you have? Do you shoot thumb up or thumb around, try it both ways if you can and pay attention to your control of the trigger.
Practice practice practice....
I've been shooting over 40 years, just getting the hang of it... :rolleyes:
 
Skorpion 660 said:
I like the look of the Barracuda 8 group but really you need to push the range out further but yes this is a good start.
Personally I would say 25 yard is a good starting point for Zero. Then I would expect the JSB group to open up (but nothing's guaranteed) then you could discount them for now but another batch of JSB could be far better likewise with the AA.
As said above, so many variables but they are groups, so looks like the rifle is behaving quite well a vertical line would indicate inconsistent power.
How is the trigger 1st stage too long for you or not long enough? Personally I like a short first stage my trigger finger doesn't work so well too close. 2nd stage short and crisp or do you find it creeps ie you pull and pull wondering when it is going to release. If you are going to make trigger adjustments make small adjustments making note so you can put it back where it was if you make it worse. I'm not familiar with the rifle so don't know how much adjustment you have? Do you shoot thumb up or thumb around, try it both ways if you can and pay attention to your control of the trigger.
Practice practice practice....
I've been shooting over 40 years, just getting the hang of it... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Good info too.

Trigger adjustments, I don’t really know what I’m looking for tbh. I wouldn’t know if something is ‘better’ or not. From that respect I think I should just stay and muscle memory where the gun fires from as it is.

Gripwise, this depends on how I’m shooting. For benchrest, I notice I have less wavering on target if I have a light grip with the thumb almost behind the action, and allow the gun to rest on my hand at the rear (we shoot nsra rules at my club). If I’m standing or out on the HFT range I wrap my thumb around the outside of the grip more.

As you say, from now it’s practice. I made this post more to make sure I don’t have duff equipment still so I can start focusing on more what I’m doing and not have it in my head that the rifle may be causing wide groups
 
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