Here is the latest target. The first shot was a little off center, then the next four shots were the two strings, and then the last few were back in the group. This is basically the pattern.

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OkeyMaple
I don't mean to be disrespectable either, but unless you can post a picture of 5 shots in a 1/2" target at 25 yds, don't be too critical.  Personally I think shooting a .22 for accuracy at 200 yds is playing in the "Twilight Zone". Remember in the "Black Death" game rear bags are not allowed, Bench rest rifles not allowed.

Don G

Don G, I think you are correct when you say that the 22s out of the bulk box will shoot accurately enough for several forms of competition at 25 yards.  Our Tuesday Afternoon Schuetzen group is in its 2nd year of weekly offhand matches, 50 shots at 25 of the WSU or ASSRA gallery bulls, 2 shots per bull.  A couple of our better shooters use the Walmart stuff and mostly break 1100 every week. That means that most of their shots go into a dime-sized circle, offhand.  But there are odd shots that sound strange and sometimes the bullets don't quite go where the shooter called the shot and there are a few misfires every week.  The target-grade stuff provides both uniformity and confidence that does not come with the bulk ammo boxes.

SquirrelStalker is trying to evaluate a Stevens 414, a rifle that is normally quite accurate, and a Unertl scope, also normally an accurate scope.  Is the problem something loose?  Or is it a heavy trigger pull?  Or is it a ringed barrel? Or is it some of the variation that comes when you shoot some types of ammo from a barrel that has been scrubbed clean?

The suggestion to get target ammo & let the lube build up was directed towards eliminating as many variables as possible.

waterman wrote on Jan 24^th, 2013 at 11:57am:
The diameter of the dot is one inch.The target posted was shot with RWS subsonic ammo at 25 yds.

Quote:
I am considering  recrowning the gun. I'm also taking in all the advice I've been given here on the forum. My passion in the shooting sports is, and always has been, small game hunting. I have dropped many deer over the years. But I am profoundly obsessed with small game hunting. Most of my small game rifles are .22,17M2, and springer air rifles. All my rimfire guns are modern bolt action and sport quality  glass, with the exception of my two Anschutz rifles that were made in the 1960's. Some guns like hot ammo and others perform well with standard or subsonic. My comfort zone is out to seventy five yards.Fifty yard max on the subsonic guns, and twenty five yards on the air rifles. It works for me and there is a lot of squirrel meat in my freezer. So, with the 414, my goal is to get her to punch holes into a 1/2 inch circle out to seventy five yards with standard velocity ammo. With my 414, I'm into a new realm previously unexplored. A ninety year old gun with a sixty year old scope, and a barrel that leaves much to be desired. The question I keep asking myself is how far do I go. If I get the trigger down to two pounds, confirm the scope is fine, recrown the muzzle, and she still all over the target, then I will consider other options. Maybe having a liner installed in the barrel.

You mention that the barrel leaves much to be desired. If the barrel was shot I would tend to think you would be getting patterns that were more shotlike. Still thinking something loose. Have you tried it using iron sights to eleminate scope problems?

That would be my conclusion.  There are a lot more knowledgeable people here. Curious as to what they think.