Bsa Ultra Problems

[bryson 562]

hi all i have recently bought myself a second hand bsa ultra in .22 the guy i bought it off had it painted in cammo and it looks shit anyway the problem is the power when i first got the gun i pumped it up to 200 bar and put 50 odd pellets through and was well impressed with the grouping so decided to get myself out on real quarry so i pumped it up again to the 200 mark.. i hit a rabbit at roughly 25 yards and it dropped straight away i was pleased but did not expect anything else from the gun.i put the gun away and never used it for hunting for about a month i still had the kids out shooting targets but tonight i went out for an hour i zero the gun everythings good i stalk up to 20 odd yards on a rabbit take aim and fire whack i hit it but it never dropped it ran about 5 meters i took aim and hit it again it was still alive and looking as though it could still run for the hedge so i hit it again all head shots but was still alive so i got abit closer and changed my pellet took aim and killed it this time but i was probably only 15 yards away and it was nearly through the hedge i was devastated i felt bad it was as though there was hardly any power i came straight home after only putting 7 pellets through and put the the pump on and it was still up at 200 bar so i dont think theres a leak the pellets im using are rws super point extra field line 0,94 g 14.5 gr and rws super dome 0,94 g 14.5 gr and this was the pellet that killed also i have not cleaned the rifle since i had it lazyness on my part could this be a factor any advise will be appreciated

Bryson

[ArchieHood 3,692]

The first thing I would do is get it on a Chrono.............

[Alsone 789]

I once had a situation like this, shooting from a vehicle with a Gunpower Stealth at 12ft lbs with a 28 grain hunting pellet.

 

Shot a rabbit right between the eyes from 10 feet (!), it stood there bleeding. I got out reloaded walked up to it and had to shoot it point blank in the head again. I felt so bad as I don't believe in causing suffering to any animal. But there was nothing more I could have done. The gun was fully charged, I had a hunting pellet in which I was led to believe was suitable and it was shot bang between the eyes. After a couple of repeat injuries I sold the gun.

 

I wonder now if the pellet weight was simply too high and thuys the velocity was too low, although I would have thought the greater weight would have transferred more energy.

 

However, I do think personally 12 ft lbs is very marginal.

 

The laws in this country are stupid, we have hunting weapons that are marginal at best. I doubt there'd be many more fatalities from misuse at 16ft lbs. After all, whilst anything can kill in theory, don't they reckon on 40 ft lbs for a fox for a humane kill and a fox is much smaller than a human being?

 

Why don't they up the limit to say 18ft lbs and introduce a compulsory 1ft lb margin so we can have rifles such as the US version of the Benjamin that puts out 16 ft lbs? That would also help avoid prosecutions for exceeding the legal power if guns that were found to be 17 ft lbs were issued with an advisory to reduce them down to 16 ft lbs as opposed to a prosecution with a prosecution onyl happening at 18 ft lbs.

 

Also, why FAC for more powerful air rifles?

 

You don't reach rimfire velocities until 100ft lbs (and only then sub sonics). So why aren't air rifles up to say 30ft lbs available on a SGC? Are we really to believe a 30 ft lbs air rifle is more dangerous than a shot gun and someone vetted for a shotgun isn't responsible enough to own an air gun with a fdraction of the killing potential.

 

Personally, I see no reason for air guns up to 30 ft lbs to be FAC and nor do I see the need for safekeeping at that level. They should be licensed to SGC holders without safekeeping requirements. Over 30 ft lbs to FAC only with safekeeping as at present. Up to 16 ft lbs, should be unlicensed.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Alsone

[Cedric 132]

As a preference I use domed pellets rather than pointed but even then they will occasionally go right through a rabbits head at 25 yards (.177 though).

 

My Ultra puts out about 11.8ftlbs with heavy pellets but sounds as though it has no power at all, just a light 'phut'.

 

Get the speed tested on a chrono.

 

Skin the head and see where your pellets hit, might just be a little off zero and hitting it in the neck.

[bryson 562]

it was definatly on the head it took the fur off with the shots 1 was just below the ear and 2 just above the eye the last was through the eye

[Cedric 132]

It's a strange one! The percieved knowledge is that it only takes 5ftlbs to despatch a rabbit hit in the head. The power in your rifle would have to be well down to get below this plus (in my Ultra) when the charge is low the pellets drop by 1 to 2 ".

 

I don't have any experience of pointed pellets but it's difficult to believe that at that range they wouldn't do the job.

[bryson 562]

well my mate picked the gun up today and put a few pellets through the chrono the super points acheived 7.13 and the super domes only got 9.4 so still not as much power as i was expecting i will have to try some different pellets and that fails i will need some one to have a good look at it

[moxy 617]

I think the latter may be a better option mate. At least then you are sure it's doing its job.

[bryson 562]

cheers moxy i will just do that am skint just now though so looks as though no shooting for the kids for a while

can anyone recommend anyone in northumberland who could take a look at it for me

also there is no markings on the gun because the previous owner had it painted i only bought it for the kids but then started to get in to hunting with it i only found out what it was by looking through pics of different guns is there many different models of the ultra this is single shot

[Cedric 132]

The kids can still use it for plinking at those pressures, I presume it would be safe - maybe someone more into pcp's knows.

 

Then you can get it sorted when you can. My second hand Ultra does over 11ftlbs.