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Ammo .22-caliber Lightweight Disco Double: Part 5

.22-caliber Lightweight Disco Double: Part 5

by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Disco Double new stock
The Lightweight Disco Double in its new stock looks striking!

Today, we’ll look at the Disco Double out at 50 yards. I used the best pellets from the 25-yard test to speed up this test. No sense going over the same ground twice.

The first pellet I tried was the JSB Exact Jumbo RS. It did the best at 25 yards, plus it’s so light, at 13.43 grains, that it gives the rifle a little extra zing.

The rifle arrived at the range filled to 2,000 psi, so I went right to work. I clicked the scope up 5 clicks in elevation to account for the greater distance and began shooting. The day was surprisingly cold — about 28 degrees F. My trigger finger had very little feeling, yet I was able to feel when stage 2 engaged on the trigger every time. That’s important on this rifle because the trigger is very light on stage 2.

There was no wind on the range, which made this a perfect day for shooting a pellet rifle. The first 10 shots went into 1.558 inches between centers. That’s not as small as many 50-yard groups you’ve seen me shoot, but let’s keep testing.

Disco Double 50-yard JSB RS group 1
This initial 10-shot, 50-yard group of JSB RS pellets measures 1.558 inches between centers. I’d hoped for something smaller.

Crosman Premiers
Next up were .22-caliber Crosman Premiers. The first 3 shots went into 2.269-inches and I stopped shooting. These pellets weren’t going to work at 50 yards.

JSB Exact, 15.89 grains
Next up were the heavier 15.89-grain JSB Exact Jumbos that looked promising at 25 yards. They produced a 10-shot group that measured 1.778 inches between centers. It was a little larger than the JSB RS pellet group at 50 yards, just as it was a 25 yards. So far, no prize.

Disco Double 50-yard JSB Exact group
This 10-shot, 50-yard group of JSB Exact pellets measures 1.778 inches between centers.

Beeman Kodiak
The last pellet I tried was the Beeman Kodiak, which just did fair at 25 yards. Here at 50 yards, they put 10 into 2.458 inches. That’s hardly accurate! I almost stopped shooting this group when I saw how the shots opened up; but I thought that after doing that with the Premiers, I ought to let one go the distance just to show you what it looked like.

Disco Double 50-yard Beeman Kodiak group
Ten Beeman Kodiak pellets went into 2.458 inches at 50 yards. Not a pellet for this rifle.

Back to the JSB Exact RS
I wasn’t finished with the testing just yet. The rifle was topped off at 2,000 psi again, and I went back to the pellet that was giving me the best results — the JSB Exact RS. The next group of 10 was the tightest of the session, at 1.318 inches between centers. I’d adjusted the scope for the Kodiaks, so this one landed below the bull.

Disco Double 50-yard JSB RS group 2
This best 10-shot group of JSB Exact RS pellets measures 1.3418 inches between centers.

I then shot 2 more 10-shot groups with the RS pellet. The first measured 1.522 inches, and the second measured 1.543 inches. When I examined the target after bringing it back from downrange, I saw a pattern. The RS pellet wasn’t giving tight groups, but they were very consistent. Out of 4 groups, the total variance was 0.24 inches — from 1.3 to 1.5 and change. That’s pretty consistent.

What do we know?
We know this Disco Double can put 10 pellets into 0.365 inches at 25 yards. And with the same pellet, we know that it opens up to about 1.5 inches when the distance is doubled. We know it was warm when the 25-yard target was shot and cold when the 50-yard targets were shot.

And that’s about the only difference — other than I did remove the TKO silencer after shooting 25 yards. I think what I will do next is the following.

1. Clean the barrel.

2. Shoot 5 groups at 25 yards with the JSB Exact RS pellet.

3. Clean the barrel again.

4. Shoot another 5 targets at 50 yards.

One last feature I want to show you is the special optional barrel band Lloyd makes for the Disco Double. It has a Picatinny rail on the bottom, allowing you to attach a bipod at just the right spot with very little extra weight added to the gun.

Disco Double barrel band
This optional barrel band has a Picatinny rail on the bottom to accept a bipod.

Disco Double on bipod
The Disco Double on its bipod. Photo provided by Lloyd Sikes.

Summary
When I originally tested the .22-caliber Benjamin Discovery rifle in 2007, it was a pre-production prototype that was made out of a Crosman 2260. I shot several approximately half-inch groups at 50 yards with Crosman Premier pellets, but they were 5-shot groups. Now, I’m shooting 10-shots groups that I know are going to be larger. I didn’t use the JSB Exact RS pellet because it didn’t exist back then.

I believe this lightweight Disco Double has more accuracy than we’ve seen to this point. I think it must be capable of shooting at least one 1-inch group out of 5 at 50 yards. So, the test continues.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

52 thoughts on “.22-caliber Lightweight Disco Double: Part 5”

  1. BB
    I’m going to tell you about my secret weapon for .22 cal. guns. Well secret pellet anyway.

    /product/h-n-field-target-trophy-22-cal-14-66-grains-round-nose-250ct?p=31

    The head size I think is part of why they have worked good for me. A .22 cal. Disco, a Marauder pistol, a Benjamin nitro piston rifle, And a Monsoon.

    You know the only reason I ain’t said nothing is because if you test them and they work then they will sell out and I will be out of luck. 😉

    But seriously I have had good luck with them.

    • I had a .177 Gamo CFX that absolutely loved the 4.52mm FTTs. Almost every other pellet I repeatedly tried in that thing would make one inch groups at 25 yards, but with the FTT you could literally cover the group with a dime. It was phenomenal.

      I have always been pleased with H&N quality and the FTT weight in any of the calibers is in the middle range which is where the majority of the accurate pellets reside. The light pellets usually only work well in low powered airguns and so far I have not been pleased with the accuracy of the heavies at any power level. The Baracudas are about as heavy as I go.

    • For my tx200, the 5.53 head size version of this pellet is dynamite. The chronograph also showed more consistent velocities from the 5.53 head size over the 5.52 head size.

    • Also, in .177 cal, the 4.51mm head size turned out to be the magic size for my other tx200 and my Feinwerkbau 124 sporter. I also lube my pellets with Krytech finish line wax. The rifles bores stay quite clean. It’s amazing how the change of .01mm in head size can have so much effect.

      • Feinwerk
        What is the Krytech wax. I usually will not oil a pellet because of how dirty it makes things. But you say the wax is pretty clean. That would be something I would be interested in trying.

        • Gunfun1,

          KRYTECH FINISH LINE is a wax with carrier that dries quickly leaving only the wax behind. Typically used by bicycle riders to lube their chains.

          I never saw an improvement in accuracy using it on pellets in pellet guns BUT it does extend the period necessary between barrel cleanings on guns that have temperamental barrels.

          If you use krytech, or any lube, using little is more. A little goes a long ways.

          Wetting the middle of a papertowel and rolling your pellets across the moist middle of the towel is enough.

          kevin

      • Krytech finish line wax is a slippery wax dissolved in a fast evaporating solvent. It comes as a liquid in a dropper bottle. It is not an oil and leaves a dry film after the solvent evaporates so it doesnt attract dirt. One of its primary uses is lubing bicycle chains. I discovered it after doing an internet search on pellet lube.

        • Thanks Kevin and Feinwerk I will find some and try. The mess is what turns me off. So if its clean thats good for me.

          So if it evaporates I guess if I’m understanding right. That means I should only lube up enough pellets that I’m going to use for that day I will be shooting. Right?

      • My technique is to put 20 drops in a clean soup bowl and then immediately dump in an entire tin of pellets. I then flip the pellets over themselves just like sauteeing vegetables in a saucepan. If you’ve never seen this done, it’s accomplished by first pushing the bowl forward then jerking it back suddenly. The pellets slide forward and ride up the curved wall of the bowl, then (if you do it right!) they cascade over themselves back toward the center of the bowl. I do that a few times, then I turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat flipping and turning until the solvent has dried, which takes about a minute or two. Then I pour all the pellets back into the tin. This process frequently dislodges lead flakes from the pellets, and you’ll see the flakes collecting on the bowl. Some pellet brands have more flakes than others. I’m sure such flakes cause flyers in groups, so I guess that’s why the serious shooters wash their pellets first. I haven’t tried that but I’d bet that common rubbing alcohol would be good for washing.
        After dumping the pellets back into the tin I wipe the bowl with a paper towel before doing another batch.

        • Feinwerk
          I have seen that technique before. I guess you have to be gentle so you don’t bend the skirts on certain brand pellets. I know some are thinner than others. But yes either way I’m going to give some of the wax a try.

      • BB
        For some reason the bigger head size pellets work better in my .22 cal. Discovery.

        And I also have a .177 cal. Discovery barrel on a 1377 pistol with the 1399 stock and it also loves this type of pellet in .177 cal. as well as my .177 cal. Discovery that I have with the Marauder trigger.

        Here is the .177 cal. version I’m talking about with the bigger head diameter.
        /product/h-n-field-target-trophy-177-cal-4-52mm-8-64-grains-round-nose-500ct?p=841

  2. I noticed AoA has a regulator for discovery that is supposed to make an incredible shot count and consistency increase. It would be cool to see a reg-equipped discovery compared to the double…and then to see a reg equipped double! (Job security?). 🙂

  3. BB
    It is grouping just like my Disco groups at 20 yd…
    Mine also started off accurate and then degraded. Barrel just circles around as it is fired and creates a circular pattern of POI, very consistent too. The barrel is just too flexible to be accurate and then you have to rely on fastening it tight to reservoir. Not saying that is the issue with the Double, just venting my frustration with the Disco.

    TE

  4. Mine was experiencing the same issue Tunnel had but I was able to fix it by adding a second barrel band and shimming both with little pieces cut from soda cans.

    I gotta say, the Double’s pretty mean looking. I like it!

  5. BB: Would the cold affect the striker time(lube viscosity perhaps?) enough to throw off the shot string enough to open the groups? Would the cold affect the barrel bands enough to cause shifts in POI from shot to shot, due to expansion and contraction of the material they are made of and a change in barrel harmonics?

      • BB
        One of the reasons that I have 2 band clamps on my Discovery’s is for the purpose of adjusting the band clamp that is closest to the muzzle end. I slide it forwards or back wards and lock it down hard. Also I leave the rear one in its factory position locked down hard.

        I believe that it does help with the harmonics on the barrel because of the way the little front (Sight adapter/mini-muzzle brake) that slips on the front of the barrel. You know the factory one you put back on after you took the TKO brake off rests on top of the air reservoir tube. I believe that both the barrel and tube vibrate a slight amount when the trigger is pulled and the striker moves forward.

        You can test what I’m saying by dry firing the gun with the bolt of the gun in its locked position to your cheek and feel the vibration. And remember I said Dry Fire.

        And I think that the band clamp position helps the greater distance you shoot at.

  6. That’s a significant change in accuracy between 25 yards and 50 yards. You sure you used the .22s in this test?

    *ducks and hides*

    Actually, I keep meaning to ask this every time you do a post on the disco, and I keep forgetting. Does the pump that comes with the disco in the set only go up to 2000 like the disco? Or is it good for higher pressures? In other words, will it power guns like the marauder, and the air force guns with the right adapter?

    • Tim,

      The pump goes up to 3,000 psi. It is a full-powered hand pump. It’s just under-stressed when used with the Discovery, which should make it last forever.

      I had a pump like this one that lasted for 11 years, until a person bled the air on the ground and got dirt up on the shaft. That killed it immediately. But it lasted until then without a problem.

      B.B.

      • BB
        You know I never thought about that. Dirt blowing up from the ground. When I do use my hand pump it was always on the concrete floor in the garage. But I’m sure something still had to get blown onto the pump shaft.

        And I do keep my ShoeBox compressor setting on a towel. And I have a styrofoam container that I set my bottle in when I fill it. And on that note I always keep the fill caps on my guns. And I cover the fittings on my pump and bottle with little rubber covers from our old tool containers that drill bits and such come in at work. They throw them away all the time. So why not.

  7. 28 degrees F for a Texas boy is like zero degrees F for a Colorado boy. Although I don’t need extra excuses to shoot poorly I never shoot well at those temperatures and neither do my guns.

    Considering how round those groups are I think cleaning the barrel is a very logical next step to try and shrink those 50 yard groups…..as well as waiting for a warmer day without wind. 😉

    kevin

      • BB
        One of the things I encounter living in the Midwest is weather change. Depending on the time of year one day it could be 27 degrees and snowing. And the next day it could be 60 degrees out. Or we can have 30 degrees one day and 10 degrees the next day.

        And yes call me crazy but I do shoot in all the different conditions. Matter of fact I make sure I do.

        And then another thing I have found the weather affects is your fill pressure. I found that to be a challenge on PCP guns that don’t give as consistent shot strings because of the limit on the tuning of the gun.

        And then throw the mechanics in of how a scope works. See how much that can change in day of shooting where I live. That’s why I say there are so many variables to making a gun group that it ain’t funny.

  8. Spritzer,

    On another blog, you asked this question:
    “BB (or possibly Edith) Going back to the invisible air-gunner topic – Do you think that Pyramid could publish on their website what shows they plan to attend (and perhaps what they are ‘doing’)? For instance will they be doing the usual NRA show stuff? I read on the other board Pyramid did something similar over in Pennsylvania several weeks back. Would there be the chance of bumping into the Pelletier’s at the NRA show?”

    I asked Pyramyd AIR if they’re going to create such a page, and they’re not planning to do so since they attend only 2-3 shows a year that are aimed at airgunners: NRA show (they have a booth & provide the airgun range), the Great American Outdoor Show (they have a booth & provide the airgun range) and sometimes the Toys That Shoot show in Finley, Ohio (they have a dealer table if that show doesn’t conflict with the NRA show).

    For some of these shows, they have sent out email messages to people who’ve signed up to receive their email promotions.

    Edith

  9. BB,for what its worth I can tell you that in the past on a hot summer day I have taking the marauder out of the house were it was cool and the gun was topped off at 2500 psi.So on my drive to groundhog hunting I’d stop by the country store get a pop talk for a few min.and when i got back to the truck with the windows up and door locked,well you know how hot it can get fast and the pressure was now 2750 psi.M.rod does play nicely at those pressures.So if you put air in the Disco in your home would”nt the air inside the tank cool and condense some being just a small bit of a issue? Then when I used to fly in my powered parachute in cool weather verses hot weather,I would leave the ground be are born much faster then in hot temperatures.So the air is just a bit thinner when its cold as we know.I got the felling it is two or three factors working here including pellet selection.As all ways you will break the code one way or another.Finding these problems is it seems to be familler to the code breakers back in the world war days.Good luck’ I will stay tuned for the next NBC update.

    • Steve,

      Sure, the pressure will drop a little. But with the Disco that will put it solidly into the good part of the curve — or at least that’s the theory.

      I do think shooting on a warmer day might help things — along with a cleaned barrel.

      B.B.

  10. BB, I recently bought a Daisy m14. Its just like the one you tested, with one exception. One of the needles does not puncture the co2 cylinder, unless I shim it. Daisy told me to use their brand, instead of Crosman cylinders. Did you have this problem, and is there any difference between the different brands of co2 cylinders ? Thanks , Ed

  11. BB, I just looked at the Pyramyd air site, but could not find umerex co2 cylinders . Does umarex sell them under a different brand name? Crosman cylinders are the most common ones sold in my area .They are the most economical cylinders here. Am I wrong in expecting every brand of co2 cylinder to be able to function in most (if not all) co2 guns? The m14 instruction booklet says use Daisy pellets, but does not specify the kind of co2 cylinders. What brand of co2 cylinders do you use when you run your tests ? How interchangeable are the different brands? I used shims under the cylinder, and that worked. A slightly longer needle, or a longer screw , and I would not have had a problem. Ed

      • FWIW, I had some trouble with the Crosman carts sealing quickly in my Umarex Luger replica. The Walther carts have a small step at the neck. Also, and this happens very rarely , but Crosman carts can sometimes not pierce cleanly. I had a box that you could clearly see a smaller somewhat ragged hole in the end of the spent cart and velocity suffered.

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