How to shoot a springer

[Batmancaver]

I know there will be a lot of advice returned from this enquiry, but I do need some assistance.

 

What is the best way to hold a springer for the best accuracy?

 

I have a 177 BSA Lightning XL. I have owned it since January and I sometimes feel that I am really getting the feel of it. I have had some great target sessions. I have also had some great rabbit sessions within my limits.

 

Conversely I have also had some appalling sessions, thankfully not on live targets as I tend to check my skills before aiming at anything live and on my bad days I have given up on live targets and gone home.

 

I was wondering if anyone can give me advice on the best hold for a springer?

Or

Can anyone recomend any good springer skills books?

 

Thanks in advance for all the help,

 

Karl

[roblade]

firstly there is a very fine art to a shooting a springer accuratly, you dont so much hold he rifle, more just ballance it there. Never rest the rifle on anything hard whilst your shooting (ie no resting it on the bench whilst you pull the trigger, or on a gate post) the rifle needs a constant hold which can only be attained by keeping constant contact with the rifle.

 

Another contributing factor to being able to shoot a springer is choosing the right scope. PCP rifles dont care what scope you mount, stick a bipod on and away you go. But becasue a spinger is always in your hands shooting if you have a high mag scope (more than 10x mag) you will see every little movment through the scope, the bigger the target looks the more it will show the wobbles of your aim. This can be very off putting, as instead of concentrating on the hold, you concentrate on becomeing more steady, which makes things a lot worse. You must try to relax when shooting and a low mag scope will help you concetrate on the target more than wobbles (4x or 6x mag is just about perfect).

 

and dont forget about your choice of pellets you need pellets that can consistantly hit a 2" target at your chosen distance its no good going for second best to save a few pennies, if your pellets always hit where you want them and you get a flyer 9-10 times you will know that flyer was you, and how will you know this.........see next important factor.

 

DONT EVER FORGET FOLLOW THROUGH!

 

yep this is the biggest single most important thing to learn when you shooting the good old springers, follow through is where you have the rifle on aim and are taking the shot, instead of jerking the trigger as sometimes happens, ease the trigger back against the first stage, then just keep squeezing until you fire the rifle, DO NOT LET THAT FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU HAVE SEEN EXACTLY WHERE THE PELLET HITS! this is follow through keep the rifle on aim all the time until the pellet hits and even for a second or so after, again this forces youo to relax whilst shooting.

 

as it sounds like you have a nice quiet area on your shoot where you can lay some lead, do this as offten as possible, i go through apporx 500-1000 pellets a week some months and the majority of these are through a springer. There are some days i wont hit a thing im aiming at down the club, and others where i cant miss a single drawing pin at 35 yards! There is no such thing as a bad day with a PCP rifle, but when you shoot a springer you will find pleanty of them

 

I think the BFTA have a technical skills manual on their web site a link is on here somewhere if you cant find it on here i shall fin the link again and repost it here for you. A lot of the info in there will be useless to a field shooter, but there will be some things in there that will make you go "WOW! i didnt think of that!" so well worth a look.

 

My favorite shooting position is in that manual, almost all my shots are taken sitting when im in the field, it would be next to imposible for me to explain the stance but find the pic in there and it will all become clear.

 

always try to shoot in the position you zeroed your rifle in, any change in the way you hold the rifle can effect the zero of the rifle. ie if you zero from a bench and then do some shooting kneeling or sitting its possible your point of impact will be different.

 

well i think that covers the basics will come back to this after i have had a readd of what i have written and thought about it some more.

 

all the best

 

ROB

 

ps join a club, its well worth the little drive and the subs.