by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Beeman P1 air pistol.
This report covers:
- The test
- RWS Hobby
- Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
- Smoothing makes a difference
- RWS Superdome
- Experience so far
- Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets
- RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
- Summary
Today we are back with the Beeman P1 air pistol I disassembled and lubricated in Parts 4 and 5. I said at the end of that job that I felt the gun was behaving like it had just been tuned, so instead of doing the velocity test next I would shoot it for accuracy. That would give it a chance to break in a little before velocity testing. Today is the accuracy test.
The test
I shot the pistol off a rest at 10 meters, using a 2-hand hold. My hands rested on the bag and the pistol did not touch it. I intentionally did not read the first accuracy test before shooting because I wanted to test this pistol without any bias. I also did something that I thought was very clever. Then I discovered that I had done it in the first accuracy test, as well. Oh, well, when you are old like me, everything is new each day!
I normally shoot 10-shot groups for accuracy. This time I shot 10 shots with each pellet, but the first 5 were on low power and the second 5 were on high. Then I photographed both groups together, so reader GunFun1 got his wish of me backing up to show more of the target. Let’s get started.
RWS Hobby
First up was the RWS Hobby pellet. The first 5 were on low power and landed in the center of the bull in a group measuring 1.172-inches between centers. It’s more vertical than I would like, but it’s in the right place.
Then I shot 5 more on high power. They landed 2.8-inches below the first group and measure 1.023-inches between centers. That’s pretty much the same accuracy for both.
On low power (top) 5 Hobbys went into 1.172-inches and on high power they went into 1.023-inches.
There was no problem keeping the two groups separated. This test also shows the effect of recoil and shot time on pellet placement, which on the P1 is dramatic, as you can see.
Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
Next I tried some Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets. On low power 5 went into 0.912-inches at 10 meters. It’s a well-centered group.
On high power 5 pellets made a 1.038-inch group. It looks like 4 shots, but one of the holes has 2 pellets through it. This group hit the target 3.2 inches below the low-powered group. What a dramatic difference!
On low power (top), 5 Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets went into 0.912-inches at 10 meters. Below are 5 shots on high power in 1.038-inches.
Smoothing makes a difference
The Sig pellet looked good in this test. When I looked at what the pistol did before, Sig pellets didn’t do so good. Quieting the powerplant seems to have made a difference!
RWS Superdome
The RWS Superdome pellet gave a surprising result. In fact, it is so surprising that I think it’s worth a second test, though I didn’t do it at this time. I refer to the low power test that gave two very tight and distinct groups that are nearly 1.5 inches apart. Look at the picture to see what I mean.
The low power group measures 1.467-inches between centers. There are three pellets in one group and two in the other and I can’t tell you which is which.
On high power five pellets landed in a 1.037-inch group at 10 meters. Measuring from the center of the two low power groups, this group is 2.6 inches lower.
Low power (top) produced 2 distinct groups 1.5-inches apart. The group measures 1.467-inches between centers. High power brought all the pellets together in a 1.037-inch group that is 2.6 inches lower.
Experience so far
So far the P1 is performing well. The shot cycle is smooth — much smoother than before I worked on it. Tune in a Tube (TIAT) grease gets the credit for that. I also like the factory trigger. It’s light and crisp, but not too light. My other P1 breaks too light and I have to handle it like a target pistol.
Cocking remains heavier than my other P1, but the hesitation after low power is gone. That was apparently the result of not enough lubrication.
Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets
If the RWS Superdomes gave a curious low power group, Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets were even curiouser. In both the low and high power group 4 pellets were tight together and the fifth pellet was significantly apart. On low power 4 Premier lites went into 0.478-inches with the fifth shot opening the group to 1.19-inches. That’s more than double the size! The two groups are about 2.4-inches apart.
On high power 4 pellets are in 0.448-inches and the fifth shot opens the group to 1.233-inches. That is actually a good guess, because less than half the fifth pellet landed on the paper.
Premier lites were tantalizing because 4 grouped very tight and the fifth one shot low and away. Low power produced 1.19-inches and high power made1.233-inches (my best guess) between centers at 10 meters.
Even stranger is the fact that both stray shots hit below the main group. I think it has to be a sighting error, but it’s a huge one, if the rest of the group is any indication. It could also be an error in my hold.
The strangest thing of all is when I first went down to get this target it only looked like 4 shots had been fired on high power. The cloverleaf on top was just 2 shots together at that point. I went back and shot another pellet and got the cloverleaf you see here. These pellets all want to go to the same place!
Premier lites have traditionally been wonderful pellets for Beeman P1s. The small 4-shot groups on both power levels testify to that. The wide shots tell me something is up and I don’t know what it is. This pellet needs to be tested a lot more.
RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
The last pellet I tested was the RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle pellet. On low power 5 pellets landed in 0.98-inches at 10 meters.
On high power 5 pellets are in 0.801-inches at 10 meters. These two groups are 2.2-inches apart, the closest of all five pellets by a small margin.
RWS Meisterkugeln Rifles pellets did well on both power levels. 0.98-inches on low and 0.801-inches on high at 10 meters.
Summary
This pistol is shooting well at this point. It really needed the lubrication I gave it, and it doesn’t look like I need to replace the spring or piston seal. Of course that will be verified in the velocity test that comes next.
B.B.
Why is this gun so inconsistent? Seems 4 great shots and one lousy one. Aside from the RWS MK rifle( do you have any RWS MK pistol?). What is it?
I want to like it by my LP8 shoots better than that.
-Y
Yogi,
Like I said — I don’t know. It bears further investigation.
B.B.
B.B.,
You might want to run through a Pelletgage some Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets before you shoot it again through this P1. I’ve been hearing some negative feedback lately on the social forums I’m on regarding Crosman pellet Quality Control.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
That’s a good idea. I want to look into this further and that would be one good way to do it.
B.B.
Thanks BB.
And it looks like you used a different target this time too which I think helped.
And the gun looks like it wants to shoot except for them flyers.
Have you tryed deep seating in this gun by chance?
GF1,
I haven’t tried deep seating yet.
B.B.
B.B.,
You’re making this last week before Christmas vacation really tough for me. I now desperately want to dust off my HW45, but I have no time for the next few days. Aargh.
On the subject of air handgun shooting, I discovered something about using my UTG monopod. A few weeks ago I used it to shoot my Schofield with pellet shells but with a much lower stool than my usual one, and the monopod fit into a “sweet spot” more quickly, and my hold seemed more stable and comfortable. I intend to try it with my Daisy 747 with both my regular stool and the very low one to see if there is a difference in accuracy.
On the other hand, it was much more painful to stand up afterwards with the short stool. My bad hip doesn’t like the new height.
Michael
Michael
That 747 of yours can likely rest direct on a bag (grip butt) for some serious small groups with the right pellet. Mine is not at all hold sensitive. I even wonder what this P1 would do.
Decksniper
Decksniper,
“I even wonder what this P1 would do.”
If you are saying that you would like to see this gun shot with the underside of the “slide” on the bag or the butt of the grip on the bag, I second that. Spring guns still baffle me and I like to see them held/rested different ways. Most of the reviews that I see don’t really even make much of the issue of the hold. BB does address it in some of his reports and I’d like to see even more, understanding that it would require more work.( Dear Santa, I want ….. ) I think any fleshing out of that aspect of shooting a particular gun would be helpful to me and others.
Halfstep,
Santa is listening. Santa is always listening. 😉
B.B.
Michael,
As Decksniper pointed out as regards the 747, I have found the same insensitivity to hold with my 777, which I think is similar, if not identical, in all the important ways, as far as rested accuracy.
BB,
You mentioned the reason for the high power shots hitting low on the target almost as an aside. I’m glad you did because I, for one, was scratching my head at that point.
Do you have any MK Pistol pellets to try and would you consider doing some 10 shot groups with the Premiers to help rule out the two flyers as simply flukes? I have assumed that the possibility of that sort of thing happening is,in part, the reason that 5 shot groups aren’t considered representative.
Halfstep,
After reading the first couple comments this morning I am planning on doing another accuracy test of this pistol. I will sort the Premiers with a PelletGage and I will try seating them deep, as well.
I though about 10-shot groups as well. That helps rule out things like the stray shots.
This report is turning out to be fun, plus a significant learning experience on the Beeman P1.
B.B.
The effect of recoil? Or was there something else B.B. wrote that I missed?
Javagonzo,
On high power the pellets were out the barrel before the gun started rising from recoil, but on low power they took longer to leave the muzzle. The muzzle was then higher because of recoil and the low power pellets hit higher on target.
B.B.
Makes sense. Thx
B.B.
Very interesting. I had missed this point in the article and was wondering why the high-power shots would be lower.
It will be interesting if you discover the reason for the occasional flyers. I have this problem all the time with my groups! I’m sure there are many possible causes.
Dennis
B.B.,
When I had a scope on my P1, it would creep backwards on high power and forwards on low power. Still one of my favorite pistols.
Paul,
I used my front sight as a scope stop!
B.B.
BB
So does that mean on low power the gun has settled and more stable as the pellet finally leaves the barrel. Or at least more calm then when it’s on high power?
GF1,
I think the sooner the pellet leaves the barrel the better on a heavy recoiling gun like the P1.
B.B.
BB
But a couple of the pellets got better groups on low power and with a higher point of impact compared to high power.
Maybe that’s why the gun was built with 2 power levels.
Basically a way to add or take away power for each pellet tryed to give a type of tuning to a paticular pellet.
Javagonzo,
Yes , I was referring to the recoil, but I was mainly pointing out that I didn’t figure it out on my own ,as perhaps you did and had he not mentioned the reason, I might still be trying to figure it out. I was just left thinking that someone ( myself at the forefront) who doesn’t know how to “shave with a straight razor” may have needed it pointed out with more of an exclamation point. And now that you have asked, it has been covered ! 😉
Hi B.B.,
If my P1 rests on a bag the groups are about 3 inches higher than with my wrist on the bag. I don’t know why.
I kept trying to re-sight the gun until I noticed this 🙂
John
John,
It’s the harmonics of the thing.
B.B.
I have a ruger mk 1 break barrel air pistol. I leave the muzzle extension to help you with cocking it when I shoot it and it shoots dirt cheap destroyer pellets at 10 meters into a ragged hole long as I rest it just in front of the trigger guard. talking about harmonics I added onto the front of the muzzle extension about five wraps of electric tape and that did it along with the right rest/hold