by B.B. Pelletier
Happy Thanksgiving!
The TitanGP with lower velocity is a smooth shooter!
Today is accuracy day! Finally we’ll get to see what this special lower-velocity version of the .22 caliber Crosman TitanGP Nitro Piston can do downrange. First, I’ll address the scope since so many people have commented on it.
The 4×32 CenterPoint Optics scope that comes with the rifle is not adjusted for parallax at close range. When I aimed at the targets 25 yards away, they were slightly out of focus, even at only 4x. That can really drive you nuts, so I have to agree with those who have said you should think about replacing the scope. That being said, however, I don’t think it had a great influence on the outcome of this test. The low magnification probably affected my aim more than the slight focus issue.
The 2-piece scope mount isn’t a name brand, but it’s adequate. The biggest detractor is the caps, which are held on with Phillips screws that tend to strip out when they’re tightened if you’re not careful or if you use the wrong screwdriver bit. But they have a proper scope-stop pin, and you’ll be able to use them for a long time because the rifle doesn’t put much of a strain on them. Being 2-piece, these rings can be positioned to accept almost any scope.
I’m still impressed by how easily the rifle cocks, and shooting it is very quiet! The action of the Nitro Piston is much quieter than that of a conventional coiled steel spring-piston powerplant, and the rifle sounds like a tuned airgun.
Shooting conditions
I shot the rifle from a rest at 25 yards. I used the artillery hold, as this is a breakbarrel and is therefore sensitive to how it’s held. However, once the right pellets are found, the hold becomes far less of an issue
Pellets that did not work
I tried three pellets that didn’t want to group. Crosman Premiers, RWS Hobbys and Gamo TS-22s were only mediocre in the rifle.
Then, I switched to 14.5-grain RWS Superdomes, and everything turned around. Superdomes are very accurate, plus the rifle needs far less care in the hold when shooting off a rest. They’re my pellet of choice for this rifle because of the accuracy and also because of the extreme velocity stability they displayed during the chronograph test.
Once I switched to Superdomes, the rifle started lobbing every shot where I wanted it to go. These 10 pellets grouped in a spread of 0.825″ at 25 yards.
I enjoy shooting when something like this happens, because it makes my job so much easier. No longer is it all up to me. The rifle is now helping get the job done, too.
Oh, make no mistake, the TitanGP Nitro Piston is no tack-driving field target rifle. But, it wants to lob all its pellets into the same general place without much fuss on the shooter’s part. And that’s what we’re after at this price point and feature set.
Kodiak Match and JSB Exact domes were inconclusive
I tried Beeman Kodiak Match pellets and JSB Exact Jumbo Express domes next. While both pellets gave good 5-shot groups, they had some outliers that opened the 10-shot group up too much. The JSBs were especially tantalizing, as 6 of 10 went into a quarter-inch, but the other 4 opened the group up past one inch.
Finally, I tried Air Arms Diabolo Field Plus pellets and got similar results to the RWS Superdomes. Of course, this pellet weighs 1.6 grains more than the Superdome, so it’s going slower, but the accuracy and freedom from hold sensitivity is definitely there.
Like Superdomes, the Air Arms Diabolo Field Plus domes are also accurate without a lot of fuss. Ten shots in 0.959″.
Bottom line
I found the heavy, creepy trigger didn’t hinder grouping nearly as much as people might think. If Crosman had only attached the barrel with a through-bolt, that could be tightened instead of a plain crosspin, I would have added the TitanGP to my picks list. I like this rifle a lot and recommend it to anyone as a medium-powered, smooth-shooting breakbarrel that has enough power for some hunting.
B.B.,
In each of the two groups that you show, there seems to be a single outlier/flyer, otherwise the accuracy looks pretty great. I too didn’t find the original trigger to affect performance too much, at least when shooting out in the field. It was a different story when I took it home to my back yard. I’ve since replaced the trigger with the GRT-III and am REALLY happy with it at home. I wonder how well your groups might improve if you added the GRT-III?
Also, regarding finer details of the rifle, I found many flaws with the fit and finish. The breach seemed a little off on mine, so I was initially very concerned whether the rifle would shoot well, at first. Also, the trigger (and probably the whole spring housing within the stock) doesn’t center within the trigger guard, and almost touches on one side.
Despite the flaws, I love shooting this rifle!
Victor
About the only thing I saw with the breech on mine was that the breech seal sits noticeably higher on the bottom, but it does not seem to leak.
twotalon
B.B.
I also had scope issues with mine….too much parallax, poor focus, not enough magnifiation for backyard shooting. I put a different set of rings and a 4-16 Centerpoint AO from WW on mine and now am happy with the results (set at 8x). I can see what I’m shooting at and the ‘fliers’ have left the groups.
Mine is the higher velocity version I think, but it is not MUCH higher for what I think is an extra amount of cocking effort.
I wondered what your best pellet would be. Not that it matters much. The starlings have a considerable dislike for mine already.
twotalon
twotalon,
My best pellet has to be the RWS Superdome. It seems to fly like a guided missile from this rifle. Of course I wouldn’t stop testing with other pellets, but you will notice that I did test quite a few this time.
B.B.
Superdomes did not fit right in mine. The skirt was too large to seat flush. So far, boxed CP and 16gr Exacts fit right. Preds may fit right as well, since they usually fit the same as the Exacts.
I am talking about both head and skirt.
FTS are a bit on the snug side but can be seated with thumbnail pressure without deforming. Did not try Kodiaks.
twotalon
Twotalon,
I’ve not been particularly happy with any of the CenterPoint scopes that came with my air-rifles, but I’ve also not had much trouble, other than needing to use a scope stop on my Gamo CF-X. I’m still learning about scopes so that I can buy a few that are a reasonable match for the rifles that I do have (CF-X, Quest 1000X, and the Titan GP). I’m always open to any good recommendations. For these particular rifles, I don’t think that I’d want to spend too much over $100, but I also don’t want to buy junk. Lots of scopes in the $50.00 to $125.00 range seem to get very good reviews, so it’s just a matter of picking something with the right specs.
Victor
I have the same kind of Centerpoints (4-16x from WW) on 4 different rifles and am happy so far.
2 are on AF Talons, 1 on a 97K, and the other on the Titan GP. None of them are brutally recoiling rifles.
They are cheap in price but seem to work fine so far. I would not have any idea what scopes in the 50-125 range will hold up well for you. There are so many.
We are still talking lower end scopes if you look at the price range for optics. Some guys claim that their lower priced scopes hold up well, while others claim that their very expensive scopes broke. Others insist that you can’t get a good scope that is not expensive. Makes it difficult to tell which way to go. Would like to try everything, but not practical to do so.
I like an AO scope with variable magnification and mil dots. The illuminated reticle is just about a waste because lower light levels have to be just right or it lights up too bright and blinds you to the image. Fairly fine but not super fine crosshairs are a fair compromise for plinking and hunting. Too wide a crosshair can be hard to live with for precision, and too fine a crosshair can be hard to pick out on the target. That’s my own preference. Such subjects are expected to bring disagreements. I use what works for my purposes.
twotalon
I need to add that the scopes you get with the lower priced package deals are REALLY low end. None of the scopes that I got that way were worth a crap.
twotalon
Yeah, I assumed they were cheap. But, thus far they’ve allowed me to enjoy what I have. I’ll replace those scopes with something of a bit more quality soon, and then more closely realize what I really have. As it is said, “Success is not a destination, but a journey”. I rather enjoy the journey, even if it means starting at the bottom sometimes.
B.B.
You and Edith have a good Thanksgiving dinner today. Don’t forget to share with the cats.
My schedule for today…
Drink coffee.
Watch American Airgunner.
Throw turkey in the oven.
Drink beer.
Eat.
Drink beer.
It has been raining since yesterday and will continue to do so through tomorrow the way it looks. Then it will get much colder.
twotalon
B.B.
Don’t forget to share your dinner with the cats!
We usually get a couple extra cheap turkeys to spoil the cats with during the winter. We cook them and pick the bones out before we let the ravenous horde chow down. I think they could pick an ostrich clean in about 20 minutes.
twotalon
Twotalon,
Way to go man! Any guy that loves animals is a good guy in my book! Same with gals that love animals.
And cats get my special vote. Have two of em and I love them and they love me to death!
Enjoy this day every one!
They are going to go nuts when the turkey cooks long enough that they start smelling it.
twotalon
BB, Edith, and all readers,
A very happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you from my family! We here in this country are infinitely blessed to be able to own these guns BB blogs about. We have the money to afford them, the time and places to shoot them, and not much restrictions on our doing it except is some liberal states.
And we are infinitely blessed to have other freedoms which allow us to post freely on these blogs and to worship freely with almost no government interference.
This Thanksgiving take the time to reflect on what we all have that others don’t and thank the creator for giving us these things!
God Bless all and Happy Thanksgiving!
Amen to that! Thank The Lord this day. We have a lot to be thankful for.
BB,Edith and All.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Too early for Turkey over here I am afraid.We have to wait till Christmas.
DaveUK
Dave,
Too early for turkey, eh? Over here it’s almost never too early for turkey. We even have luncheon meat now made from turkey for lower fat diets. I bet you do, too. 🙂
B.B.
BB:
I must confess we do have Turkey available all year round as well.
Most folk don’t cook the bird other than at Christmas or possibly Easter though.
After Christmas day +3 of eating turkey,I feel like spitting feathers and have the rest of the year off 🙂
DaveUK
DaveUK
I purchased a 22 pound Butterball turkey this year. It was less than a US dollar a pound.
True, I will have to cook it for 4 hours, but the oven will warm the house, and fill it with a delicious scent. So the energy used is not a concern. This year I am going to inject the turkey using a syringe with cajun spice marinade. I made it a few years ago, and as a saying in the deep south goes, “it would make you smack your mama.” We will be feeding either 6 or 8 people. All will be sent away with leftovers, and me and the better half will be able to make sandwiches or embellish soups for a week. A very economical indulgence indeed.
We actually do the BIG turkey thing several times a year if we find them at a good price. Also, pork tenderloin. Slow smoking BBQ pork tenderloin with wet hickory chips. On holiday weekends, the local grocery store usually has enourmous boneless tenderloins for about $24. I have to cut them in thirds just so they will fit on the grill. I usually marinate them for 8-12 hours in Mojo, or Stubb’s Beef Marinade. Or both. Then they are slow smoked for about 6 hours. Tastes so good, it will keep you up at night thinking about it.
Dave ,SL biggest turkey are originaly from Croatia more exact Istria- place called Pazin ,those monsters can be heavier than 30 kilos (66 pounds) i used to have them as a kid (they did used to scared the hell out of me 🙂 )
Sorry guys 66 lbs not pounds (really i dont get pounds we use kg) my bad
Milan:
You’re going to need a bigger gun Milan.
Ibs or pounds,with 66 of them coming at you,that is the least of your worries. lol
DaveUK
Slinging lead:
Stuffy British tradition can hang.
Please Fed Ex me some of your finger lickin,mama smackin turkey 🙂
DaveUK
I to, had a butterball this year. I thought it seemed a little funny…Slimy almost, even after it was cooked for 5 hours. Tasted darn good, though!
Good morning B.B.,
What a wonderful year with so many things to be thankful for our health, good friends and most importantly our Lord who has blessed us all. A very happy Thanksgiving to each of you!
Bruce
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Can i echo Dave -happy Thanksgiving guys !Now i have a frustration that i have to share- Gamo pro magnum pellets sucks 🙂 every pellet is a flier (worse than Gamo magnum
)-they have a mind of their own and they got me worried -is it something wrong with my 34?- then i tried RWS hobbies and i get 10 shots in black ….
Always the same problem unless you get lucky the first time….
Good pellet with a bad fit, bad pellet with a bad fit, bad pellet with a good fit, good pellet with a good fit. Then does the gun like it anyway?
twotalon
Milan
I have had the same experience as you. I have tried 4 different Gamo pellets, and none of them are worth even plinking with. My experience with RWS superdomes has not been spectacular, but it has been awhile since a picked some up, and I have a lot more guns to test them in now. I might need to give them a second chance.
SL -best Gamo pellets are pro match competition pellets(try them ) at least for my D34 (bad finish on pellets but they are still good )but RWS pellets rules 😉 my Slavia 634 and 631 do good even with Gamo pro magnum pellets(off course 17 cal) but they “like” gamo pro match also.
“Thanksgiving, when the Indians said, “Well, this has been fun, but we know you have a long voyage back to England”. –Jay Leno
Happy Turkey Day!
Volvo
It looks like lingering holiday guests, out staying their welcome have always been part of the holidays. Best wishes to Mrs. Volvo, Petey, and the Wilt Chamberlain of airguns.
Slinging Lead,
Watched the People are Crazy video a little bit ago. The old man is a dead ringer for my dad, especially the side views, even the way he smokes…
Reminds me I need to bring a Bud to his grave for Christmas.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKpQRjj_WbU
Punkin chunkin tonight on discovery channel.
twotalon
twotalon,
With all the HPA expertise that this blog has we ought to build a cannon and win that contest. Let’s get PA to spring for a sponsorship. The world’s biggest pellet rifle that also shoots pumpkins. On ward to victory and fame for one and all! We might even get Denise Quackenbush and Big Bore Bob interested.
Bruce
Mr. B.,
I like the canon on Pawn Stars that shot bowling balls. I gotta get me one of those LOL!
kevin
It was actually a cannon not a camera that shot bowling balls. I’ll never be a very gud righter.
kevin
Have a question that’s been bugging me for a while it is about cleaning barrel -can you use a rope and piece of cloth or it is no no like i heard ?
Hi guys and gals,
First an answer for Milan–yes you sure can use a rope and piece of cloth. Sorta like a primitive bore snake. Google bore snake.
Now a question for you all: can I do some penetration tests on my uncooked turkey as long as I lube the pellets with coconut oil to protect the meat from traces of lead or perhaps Slinging Lead will fax me some Cajun spice marinade.
Bruce
OK All, let’s here 3 things you are thenakful for on this great holiday (you can skip God & Country and all of our brothers in arms, I’ll state those here FOR ALL of US!)
1) My wife and great grown up kids, including our U.S. Navy Captain Doctor, Mike
2) All of the guns and ammo and toys that I probably dont’ deserve!
3) Long distance friends and mentors on this great blog!
Happy Thanksgiving
Brian in Idaho
The true history of Thanksgiving, as explained for foreign (especially French) visitors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/23/AR2005112302056.html
Pete,
haven’t thought of Art Buchwald for years. I used to love reading his column and, he was an alumni of Forest Hills High School in New York, as I am.
Hope everyone didn’t overeat too badly.
Fred PRoNJ
BUUUUURRRRRRP !
twotalon
BB; If you haven’t, you may want to fine tune the focus adjustment on the ocular end of the scope. Some times it will clear up the focus issues with these low end scopes. Focus it for the distance that you are going to shoot at. I most often stay away from these but sometimes use them on .22 rimfire rifles, especially if they are given to me.
Mike
BB
Can a through bolt be retro fitted in place of the cross pin?
Ton
Ton,
I think a good machinist could do it.
B.B.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. How about those problems with the Centerpoint scope? Mine has worked perfectly although I think it is a more expensive model.
Matt61
I also wish everyone a happy thanksgiving and would like to relay my experiece with the centerpoint 4x16x40 scope on my RWS Diana 54. Well it exploded internally the other day. But it worked quite well for two years and several thousand shots.Now I believe I will try the Hawke 4-12×40 I believe it has the best reputation on hi-power spring guns.
Volvo,
“…..long voyage back to England.” Now that was funny. You’ve probably heard this:
A woman recently received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude
and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was rude,
obnoxious and laced with profanity. She tried and tried to change the bird’s
attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and
anything else she could think of to clean up’ the bird’s vocabulary.
A couple of days before Thanksgiving she was finally fed up and yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back.
She shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. So, in
desperation, she threw up her hands, grabbed the bird and THREW him in the
freezer.
For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly
there was total quiet.
Fearing that she hurt the parrot, She quickly opened the door to the
freezer.
The parrot calmly stepped out onto her outstretched arm and said ‘I believe
I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I’m sincerely
remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do
everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior.’
She was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude.
As she was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in
his behavior, the bird continued, ‘May I ask what the turkey did?’
kevin
Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving.
BB,
I don’t know why 4x should be a limitation at 25 yard; focus should be sharp enough not to notice. Possibly the ocular adjustment is off, as suggested elsewhere. Superdomes are always a viable option, although I’ve never tried .22’s — they don’t seem to be so relatively heavy in .22 as they are in .177. The only downside to them is that they are really weak past 30 or 35 yards, due to BC, at least in .177. How about .22 Crosman Field Points? They are amazing in .177 for long range, though the sorting is a little off, but I haven’t ever seen them tested in either caliber.
Happy Thanksgiving one and all.
Be Thankful for The Lord, your freedom to worship, pray, vote, eat, drink and merriment.
Be Thankful for The Lord, your wife, your family, freedom of choice.
In all things give Thanks because we know that; all things work together for good, to them
that love God.
God Bless you all, God Bless our Troops
Happy Thanksgiving
Titan GP trigger. I appreciate the comments on the length of pull and heaviness. I’d be holding the target and concentrating on the pull and thinking,,,,”OK,,,its gonna release sometime now.” It is good training to learn to shoot something like that, I guess. For me it just wasn’t what I would call predictable.
I’ve taken the trigger apart three times polishing the sears and pivot points and that has helped a lot,,,BUT,,,what I just did helped me a WHOLE lot. I found a way to shorten the second stage to the point of predictability. It lengthens the first stage as well. Its still a heavy trigger but in my opinion this is WAY better,,,has improved my accuracy with this gun,,,which I love this gun.
I know there will be some who say,,,be careful,,,very easy to make the gun unsafe that way. But here is what I did,,,very simple,,only costs 20 cents and requires to only take off the trigger guard: I replaced the adjusting screw (size M-3) with the next length longer as found in the box of screws at my Ace Hardware store – which is about twice as long as the original. Its very easy.
Yes it will be possible with that long of a screw to adjust the sears so they won’t engage at all making it unsafe,,,,but this is an adult air rifle and with caution it can be made to be a sweet trigger. I am very happy with this trigger now.
Neric, a very clever solution! I opted for the GRT-III trigger to get rid of that long, creepy second stage. Question for you, do you have any kind of definite first stage?
Fred PRoNJ
neric
This post is a few days old so you may not see this but… Bravo on your elegant solution with the trigger. Yes, the trigger could be made unsafe by too much engagement against the lever/sear but… so can a finely made FWB or Anschutz match trigger.
Key word is ADULT airgun, and all that it implies.
neric,
What a neat simple solution. Thanks.
Got any others up your sleave? If so let us know! Either way stay in touch and let us hear from you!
Bruce
Just today (12/2/2010) I replaced the trigger on my Titan low velocity with a GRTIII. I have been really pleased with this gun but was not real happy with the trigger. A common complaint it seems. However I had some previous experience with the GRTIII on a G1 Extreme and liked it very much. So I put one on my Titan and it is a real big improvement. Less travel and very little creep. It make a fun gun even better.
Robert
I like what I’ve read in this blog. I picked up my gun at Walmart a couple years ago for $80. Crosman titan gp model C8M22NP. Love hate relationship. I’ve put about 1500 shots on it. 3 different scopes. 3 tins of crosman premier hollow points and 50 or so gamos with bb on the end. I’m 5 8 but claim 5 9 so you have perspective about what I claim as my shooting ability. I’m not good but I’m not bad. This year I decided I wanted a couple squirrel pelts to line my winter hat so I went about the process of really trying to get it zeroed in. The gun or the pellets is squirrelly. Going to order the test pack of heavier pellets (diablo I think). I keep thinking I’ve got it where I want it and then I’ll get a shot 2″ off. At 12-13 yards I think I should be able to keep it inside a quarter from the bench I have on the deck. I got two pelts very humanly but had one get away. I don’t want that to happen again. You guys impress me as knowledgeable and personable, any advice would be appreciated and respected
Gabe,
Welcome to the blog.
To cut to the chase, I think your scope is adjusted too high and the erector tube inside the scope is bouncing around when you shoot.
Your rifle is a breakbarrel and probably a drooper. The scope needs to be shimmed in the rear to bring down the elevation (if I am right). That will keep the zero from shifting.
Of course I am assuming that you are sooting with the artillery hold. Do you know what that is?
You don’t have to post way back here. Come to the current blog, where over 60,0000 readers will see your comment and possibly offer to help.
/blog//
B.B.