by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
TexanSS big bore air rifle from AirForce.
- Different
- The challenge
- Start — 210-grain SWC
- 250-grain hollowpoint
- Heavier bullets
- Predator “pellet”
- What I have learned
- Noice
I finally got out to the range to test the velocity of the AirForce TexanSS. I told reader Aaron that I would report on that as soon as possible and today is the day.
It takes a chronograph to test like I did.
Different
Aaron, I discovered that the TexanSS powerplant behaves differently than the .45 Texan I told you about. Today I will reveal what I have discovered thus far.
The challenge
The TexanSS is a .45 caliber big bore air rifle that has a bullet tuner on the left side of the gun. Some folks might be tempted to call it a power adjuster, because that is what it does, but it’s not there for power. It’s there to tune the rifle for each different bullet you shoot. That gets you the best velocity and accuracy, plus you don’t waste any air. You may see that in today’s report.
As I have said many times — you don’t adjust a rifle like this for many different bullets. You try to find one or possibly two bullets that are the most accurate and tune for them. I hope to show you a way of keeping track of that today. If I were tuning it for two different bullets I would want a heavy one for bigger game like bison and elk and a lighter one for smaller critters like deer and coyotes.
Because the power adjusts, and also because you can shoot bullets that vary in weight by hundreds of grains, there are an infinite number of possibilities to test. Watch what I do and you will be able to cut the testing time dramatically. You will need a chronograph for this.
Start — 210-grain SWC
I started out testing a 210-grain semi-wadcutter that had been accurate in the Texan. At first I started with the tuner on this rifle set on Texan settings, but on the SS the velocity was way too slow. Even with the power set on the halfway mark the velocity with this bullet was just 438 f.p.s. So I dialed the power up to the 3/4 mark and the next bullet went out at 825 f.p.s. Obviously this rifle doesn’t come up to power at the halfway point on the power scale.
The bullet tuner with the gross adjustments identified. Line up the line on the adjustment wheel with the lines indicated. The rifle is set at 3/4 power in this picture.
Three-quarters power was evidently a good place to be. I refilled the rifle to 3000 psi and shot 5 shots with the 210-grain bullet and 3/4 power.
Shot……..Velocity………….Pressure after the shot
1…………..818 f.p.s…………………..2700
2…………..815 f.p.s…………………..2500
3…………..794 f.p.s…………………..2350
4…………..790 f.p.s…………………..2200
5…………..767 f.p.s…………………..2000
That’s 4 good shots on a fill. I’m saying that shot 5 is too slow, when compared to the others. The pressure after each shot comes from the rifle’s gauge, and I use it just as a reference. You will see why as the test continues.
250-grain hollowpoint
Next up was a 250-grain hollowpoint bullet from Hunter’s Supply. Since these weren’t much heavier than the previous bullets, I decided to see what they did at different settings on the adjustor. At 1/4 power they went out at 280 f.p.s. At 1/2 power they went 535 f.p.s. At 3/4 power they went 782 f.p.s., so I refilled to 3000 and dialed the power to 7/8. Then this same bullet went out at 781 f.p.s. That tells me 3/4 power is where this bullet wants the tuner to be.
Heavier bullets
The next bullet I tested was a 315 flat point from Tin Starr Bullets. The first test was at full power and a fresh fill to 3,000 psi.
Shot……..Velocity………….Pressure after the shot
1…………..737 f.p.s…………………..2750
2…………..724 f.p.s…………………..2500
3…………..713 f.p.s…………………..2250
4…………..663 f.p.s…………………..2050
This test shows there are 3 good shots with this bullet on full power. The fourth shot could finish off an animal, but wouldn’t be in the same group if you shot at any distance.
You can also see from this string that when the onboard pressure goes below 2200 psi, the power drops off. Look at the first string with the 210-grain bullet and you can see the same thing.
Next, I tried the same bullet at 3/4 power.
Shot……..Velocity………….Pressure after the shot
1…………..720 f.p.s…………………..2800
2…………..729 f.p.s…………………..2650
3…………..716 f.p.s…………………..2450
4…………..684 f.p.s…………………..did not record
There are still just three shots with this bullet on 3/4 power. But shot number 4 might hold in the same group out to 30 yards or so. And the shots are closer in velocity. While 3/4 power might not be the perfect setting, it’s where to start with a heavier bullet like this. And what I mean is testing accuracy. You want to find the sweet spot for the best accuracy and then record what power you have. By the way, this 315-grain bullet generates 427.84 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. A heavier bullet will generate even more.
Predator “pellet”
The last bullet I tried was a 247-grain “pellet” from Predator. The box says they are sized 0.457, but they did not fit well in the breech of the rifle. I took a picture of this to show you, plus I measured this bullet with a caliper when I got back to the office.
That’s as far as the Predator pellet will go into the breech of the TexanSS I’m testing.
It was the head of the pellet that wasn’t entering the breech. When I measured it at home they measured between 0.459 and 0.462-inches in diameter, so no way were they going to enter a 0.457-inch barrel easily. They heads were not uniformly round, either. I have heard this bullet isn’t very accurate in the Texan, so I don’t expect much from it. All the other bullets seated in the breech up to their bases, so this came as a surprise.
What I have learned
Well, Aaron, everything I told you in my reply last week goes out the window with today’s test. The TexanSS is not performing like my Texan did. I guess the longer barrel of the Texan is the reason.
The TexanSS power band is around 3/4 power and up — at least it is for the 210-315-grain bullets I have tested so far. That tells me a lot about what I have to do when I start testing for accuracy.
With round balls that weigh only 143 grains the lower power settings might become much more useful. That’s something I need to test.
Noise
I saved the best for last. The TexanSS is very quiet! I shot the entire test with no hearing protection, and even on full power the rifle comes nowhere near the noise of a .22 Long Rifle round. Maybe it’s like a .22 Short standard speed, but probably less.
Now that I know where to adjust it, accuracy testing comes next.
BB,
As I commented in an earlier report, I have been “adjusting” my stormrider without benefit of actual “adjusters” so I’m very keen to make sure that I’m following your process. In my instance I just happened to notice that a couple of pellets that I was shooting one day were more accurate as my air pressure ebbed. I used a chronograph at that pressure to ascertain what velocity that pressure yielded with those pellets, then made Fixed, Hardwired changes to the gun to give me as many shots at that velocity as I could get. You, if I am following correctly, on the other hand, have no idea what velocity will give good accuracy at this point and are simply trying to establish what setting gives the MOST velocity, for now. Do I have that right? The statement, ” At 3/4 power they went 782 f.p.s., so I refilled to 3000 and dialed the power to 7/8. Then this same bullet went out at 781 f.p.s. That tells me 3/4 power is where this bullet wants the tuner to be.” , threw me until I opined, ” Oh, he must just be talking about max velocity”.
Half
Half,
Until I start shooting for accuracy we only know half of the answer. So this is just the first step.
However, it does show where the valve starts to open up and work well. It’s a narrow band near the top with the bullets I tested.
B.B.
Hi BB et al..
Off topic yet again!
Well – it’s been an interesting month since my last blog entry. As well as slowly breaking in the new QB Chief I recieved the Yong Heng HPA compressor a week ago (3 days from Shanghai to my doorstep) and shortly after the Ninja 90ci carbon fiber tank with the slow fill valve/bleeder combo and a micro bore whip. I was a little under the weather most of last week keeping my place clear of snow ( plowed 4 times and again for sure tomorrow) was all I had time for.
Saturday I was able to get it set up and everything works great. The hand pump is just too much for my back. I’ll hide it in the back of a closet and hopefully never have to use it again.
Gunfun1 said I should be able to get about 13 or 14 fills from the tank. He was right and the slow fill bleeder valve combo is so very easy to use giving a precise fill evoery time.
I also have the 24x scope mounted and shooting .30″ 10 shot groups at 15 yards. I think the reason for the poor accuracy is my heartbeat moves the cross-hair back and forth ⅜’s inch on target and I have to time my shots perfectly. Maybe I should cut back on my coffee intake!
I figure I’m only a third of the way breaking in the valve and looking forward to seeing how it does at 600 shots.
And all this with 14.2gn CP domes that never shot well in any of my other guns but the QB Chief just loves them.
Cheers
Dave
Dave
Was wondering how that Chief was doing. Well and the compressor. What do you think about the compressor?
And .300″ is good. Your shooting a .220″ caliber pellet. Right? Or is it a .177 gun?
But you know I keep hearing people saying their heart beat is moving the gun. I have to honestly say I do not see that at all when I bench rest. Something makes me think your resting your cheek to hard up against the comb of the gun. That will transfer all kinds of movement to your gun. And of course what is a scope. It’s a magnifier. Yep not only to see your target better but also it will magnify your movements.
But it sounds like the Chief is going to be a keeper to me.
Hey Gunfun1
The Yong Heng compressor is a pretty nice piece of equipment. Not much for a manual included but common sense will get you up and running just fine. Don’t go by the YouTube videos as they give a lot of bad info.
Like I said use common sense!!
Yes, it’s .22 cal. and my only complaint is it is loud on my indoor range. Shooting the gun this afternoon I decided it was time for hearing protection indoors from now on.
As far as my heart beat moving the gun I think the problem is with the scope. I have it mounted so that when I lift it to a comfortable off hand shooting position with my eyes closed when I open my eyes the eye relief is perfect. Shooting off a bipod on a bench I think my head is too far forward, possibly something to do with length of pull and stock geometry. My Tau BRNO has the same problem. The only scope I could find to fit that gun was a Leapers Bug Buster and the way it’s mounted is written in stone. At 6x it does magnify my heart beat. The Chief at 24x – well I guess it does magnify more than just the target. I’ll play with the scope position a bit and let you know.
Cheers
Dave
Dave
Glad the compressor is working for you.
And I do run into that problem also when I shoulder some guns off hand verses bench resting. But remember. You have room to move the scope forward or backwards to fall in that spot so you don’t have to move your head forward or backwards. That’s that fine line of getting the scope postioned right for you. When you get that done it will be more comfortable shooting that gun either way. Off hand or bench resting.
And if you do try to not but your cheek as hard into the comb; let me know how that does on that felt heartbeat. I bet it will be reduced in your scope.
Dave
Ok I see you said the 14.2 CP’s.
And you say breaking in the valve. What about the barrel breaking in?
Hey Gunfun1
I’m hoping the 600 shot break in will sleak up the barrel as well. That’s why I like Crosman pellets to break in my guns.They’re cheap and the lead is a little bit harder.
Cheers
Dave
Dave
Yes sir you are right they are harder. And I do believe that is what happens too.
What gets me is how far do you go on that break in with harder pellets before you switch to the softer ones.
Gunfun1
From the way the gun is shooting now at .300″ @ 15 yds. I think the CP’s may be the forever pellet. It can only get better, hopefully. Time will tell. I’ll just have to wait for spring for the long range testing. Will keep you informed on it’s performance.
Cheers
Dave
BTW did you know useing the Tanθ expression that .300″ @ 15yds extrapolates mathematically to exactly 1″ @ 50yds!
Who’d a thunk that!
Dave
Definitely will be waiting to hear what it does out farther.
Dave,
Isn’t it fun to discover the secrets of a gun this way?
B.B.
BB
Right on!
I knew within the first 50 shots on the iron sights that this gun was going to be a keeper. Now that it’s scoped and the back breaking hand pump is out of the picture I’ m looklin forward to a lot of enjoyment shooting itcome spring.
Cheers
Dave
Dave,
Please continue to report on both the QB Chief and the compressor. I am very interested in reading your continuing impressions about them both. I am frustrated by the lack of written reviews of the Chief in particular.
How is the Chief’s trigger and bolt action? (Some reviews say they are slightly gritty.)
Thanks,
Michael
Hi Michael
Yes, the bolt was a little rubby – I won’t call it gritty though. It was also dry so I lubed with a little Slick 50 – just a drop rubbed on my finger tips and worked into the exposed part of the bolt, seal and pellet loading tray then wiped off the excess. Worked the bolt a dozen times and now, about 150 shots later I had completely forgotten about any roughness till you mentioned it. Love that teflon!
Out of the box the primary throw of the trigger is a little to short for my liking. But it is two stage adjustable and when I finish the general break in I will look at setting up the trigger. There is a good YouTube video showing how to do this.
I’m happy with the compressor so far, have not used it enough to give an in depth report. It works as advertised and the 4500psi auto shut off is just enough high that when the 90ci tank cools down it reads exactly 4500 psi.
Stay tuned, I will be posting more on these topics, but not until I test everything and become thoroughly familiar with their use.
Cheers
Dave
Dave
Post a picture of your compressor when you can. My compressor does not have a auto shut off. I guess yours is a electric pressure switch?
Gunfun1 – This is my compressor sold on Amazon.ca.
Maisi High Pressure Air Pump
Auto-Stop 4500PSI 300 Bar
110V Water Cooling Electric Air Compressor
For Airgun Scuba Rifle PCP Inflator
The photos don’t show any decals
Mine has the normal Yong Heng decals on the sides
Three photos attached
Photo 2
Photo 3
Dave
Basically the same compressor I have. They have the lines a bit different on yours and the gauge relocated compared to mine. But over all the same.
Dave,
I believe the QB Chief has a trigger that is a copy of one of the most liked triggers of all air guns, the Crosman 160 2nd variant trigger that was also used in the 167, 180, 187 and 400. Once properly adjusted, it can be very nice. As B.B. once wrote, “To adjust it, the action is removed from the stock, and then a sideplate is removed from the unitized trigger. You can adjust pull-weight, sear engagement and overtravel . . . .”
/blog/2006/11/the-qb78-a-copy-of-the-crosman-160167/#comments
B.B. also wrote an entire report on that trigger’s design in 2015: /blog/2015/09/a-special-trigger-from-the-past/
Michael
Dave,
Here is the diagram B.B. provided back then. /blog/2015/09/a-special-trigger-from-the-past/
Michael
Dave,
First thing I want to point out is that down here in the Midwestern US when we say we’re “under the weather” it means we are sick, not literally covered up by the weather, as it apparently means up there ! 🙂
I think .30″ is very respectable, myself. If you have shot any CP Hollowpoints out of that gun I’d like to know how they did. They are so cheap and I have a truck load of them for that reason, but I haven’t found a gun that really shoots them well. I find that odd since they look just like CP Ultra Magnums/Premiers with the addition of that little useless dent in the dome. I’d buy a Chief if I thought it would shoot these HPs accurately.
I get that magnified heart beat sometimes, too. I have found that it comes from an artery or vein that runs through the pocket in my shoulder where the butt plate of the gun rests. It is more obvious when I’m wearing a tee shirt than when I have on heavy clothes and a jacket. Shouldering the gun lightly as opposed to really pulling it in has helped to mitigate it. A folded towel over the shoulder might help too, if that turns out to be where your pulse is coming from.
Keep us posted on your results.
Half
Hey Halfstep
Only about 100 CP Domes left in the tin. Just looked and the next tin will be CP Hollow Point’s and will let you know sometime later this week.
I think GF1 nailed the heart beat thing on the nose with his comment on scope placement. Possibly tbe scope is just a little too far forward which is forcing the butt into the artery in my shoulder. Will work on it tomorrow.
Cheers Dave
G’day BB
Why would you use a heavy pellet on larger game and lighter on smaller game if these pellets bleed out the animal?
Does the heavier pellet penetrate further?
I thought you just go for the most accurate pellet.
Cheers Bob
Bob,
First off — these are BULLETS — not pellets. What I mean is they are solid, heavy projectiles without open skirts — except for the Predators. These also do not slow down rapidly like diabolo pellets. That’s something we must take into consideration for safety reasons.
Heavy bullets penetrate deeply. That’s why I use them on larger game. Bison shot with .45 caliber bullets weighing 400 grains seldom stop the bullets inside the animal.
Lighter bullets still cut a .45-caliber hole but they don’t over penetrate. That’s why I use them on lighter game. That said, they will still probably go through a lot of light game.
B.B.
B.B.,
First outing for the DOA shooting bench. Aren’t you supposed to be sitting on the seat? Would the Predator pellets work if they were swaged down to size?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Good eye!
I do want to write about that bench, but I first need to discover all its secrets. I didn’t know everything this first time out. Yes, I can sit, but as you can see the bench is high enough for me to stand, as well.
B.B.
Siraniko,
I didn’t see your question about resizing the bullets. Sizing should be limited to less than two thousandths of an inch. Otherwise, the axis of the bullet is changed and it will fly erratic. The Predators are too large for the bore of this rifle — I think. Only accuracy testing will tell us for sure.
B.B.
BB
I just noticed in the picture above you don’t have any sights on the Texan. I guess because your just chronying the gun?
GF1,
Yes. It’s easier to align with the skyscreens if there is no scope on it.
B.B.
BB
Hmm. Kind of like shooting open sights and using spots on the target to reference point the sights that line up. I use the whole width of the rear sight to center it on my target. Not only the center area where you can see the front post sight.
B.B.,
Very interesting. A good reminder that one will need a full auto compressor and large tank if they want to play in “Texan Land”.
The adjustment is interesting. My first thought is that holes would “waller out” after repeated adjustments. My first thought would to find a drill bit of the (perfect) size, be it a fractional, metric or numbered and put some tubing over the twist of the drill as a handle. Another idea would be to thread it and have it mated to a threaded thumb wheel.
And,.. Siraniko beat me to it,… not a word about the new shooting table. I was not aware that it could be elevated for standing. It looks to be very substantially built. Looking forwards to hearing more on that,… cost, weight, height adjustment range, built in? seat feature,… etc., etc..
Looking forwards to more testing and tuning of the Texan SS.
Good Day to you and to all,…… Chris
Chris
I’m guessing the thumb wheel is not under alot of force to turn. Probably more force than other AirForce guns like my Condor SS. But still relatively easy to turn.
Just got to say if you ever get yourself a Condor SS or Talon SS or other AirForce guns you just might be surprised when you see the striker spring. They are very small diameter wire and loosely wound and not long at all.
Really search some videos of barrel changing on AirForce guns and you might be a bit amazed at what’s inside a AirForce gun.
GF1,
For most of its travel the wheel is under no pressure at all. It only gets a little stiff near both ends of the range. Then I use a ballpoint pen in the holes to turn it.
B.B.
BB
I figured that about the spring. It seems some think that a heavy spring is needed to make power. It’s a combination of the spring, the weight of the striker and the valve and fill pressure.
Chris,
I do want to blog the bench. I’m just not ready. There is a LOT to learn!
B.B.
BB,
Once again you have demonstrated how barrel length can affect power with PCP air rifles. This also demonstrates how this is a hunting air rifle. With so few shots per fill you are not going to want to “plink” with this all afternoon.
RR
What the heck you going to plink at with 400+ fpe. 😉
And yep not only pcp guns but Co2 guns like 2240’s modded with longer barrels and even pumpers like 1322/77’s.
GF1,
I have various size stainless steel discs I can hang up with small cable. They make a nice sound when they get smacked with a big chunk of lead.
RR
Now to get you a 400+ fpe airgun to try out. And ok on the usable shots per fill isn’t that why a person has a compressor or a bottle for?
Gunfun1,
What would one plink at? I don’t know about 400 fpe, but Mr Hollowpoint plinks with an 80mm — that’s .82 in caliber — air rifle producing almost 1400 fpe.
(Fast forward to 9:30 in the video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAjZ8GYdqx8
Michael
Michael
That is what I was getting at with my first comment to RidgeRunner. The Texan can be used as a plinking gun and not only a hunting gun. That’s what I meant about the bottle or a compressor. If you got that and get a appropriate target why not plink with it.
Obviously the Texan would be more expensive to shoot than my .177 Gauntlet. It if I had the place I could see myself setting up some steel targets and plinking all day with a Texan.
Heck that’s what I been doing today with my measly 60 fpe .25 Condor SS out at a hundred and plus yards. 🙂
It’s all about scaling the power up or down. And that’s part of why I didn’t get a Wing Shot air shot gun. It would work for me as a shotgun. But if I was to shoot bullets or round balls in it that would probably be more power than I need for the distance I have on my shooting area.
So yes I would have no problem plinking with a .82 caliber 1400 fpe air gun as long as someone will furnish the gun and ammo and fill device. Oh and the place to shoot it. 🙂
Gunfun1,
I concur that Plinking with a Big Bore can be fun and either Over the Top expensive or reasonably cheap depending on if you do/don’t do a few things. If you collect all your lead SPLATS to cast your own slugs and if you have a cheap source of air. I started off mostly hunting so I bought all my bullets because I figured out I would never probably break even on the casting gear cost. I used my two 3.6K psi 100 Steel SCUBA tanks, a standard aluminum 3K decompression bottle I already owned in a cascade which kept my trips to, the very near by and low $$, dive shop down to a minimum. I upgrade as my Big Bores multiplied to two big 4500 psi CF cylinders. I still use the bunch of SCUBA bottles as a cascade which allows me to get almost all the air out of the tanks. I have thought about using a booster to wring out the last of the air (if I don’t bother to clean my shop and power tools with an air blast wand) but the economics are still cheaper to drop them off at the dive shop with say 1000 psi or so. The air is always DRY and breathing clean to boot! If you don’t have the $$ dive shop nearby then the cascade can still lower the driving time cost because you will make fewer trips. If the compressor is cheaper and takes less time invest in the most you can afford would be my take to keep life cycle cost low.
The way a steel gong sounds when hit by a big lead slug is not “plink” it sounds more like the Liberty Bell ringing to my ears! So I guess it is not Plinking after all!
I think RR knows that sound.
shootski
Shootski
Like Deja vu. It seems I had these conversations in the the past.
Don’t know about RidgeRunner ringing the gong. But yep on the other stuff.
Hey B.B., that’s a great report on a big power gun; at the opposite end of the spectrum,
I finally got my .22 caliber HW30S from my wife for my birthday.
(we do cat rescue, and the vet bills were too high to get it for Christmas =>)
I now see why you love your .22 caliber Diana model 27!
I like this rifle even more than my old .177 Beeman R7; it’s got the same great German quality,
but those heavy .22 pellets really ‘put der smackin’ on small cans and bottle caps and such.
It shoots flat from 5 to 15 yards, so it’s a perfect backyard plinker. =D
Dave,
That’s a beaut! I can’t see the groups very well, but I know they are small.
Isn’t it wonderful to have something so nice?
B.B.
Thanks, B.B!
I posted the stats below so they would be easier for everyone to see.
I’m sure the best group (0.75″) should be smaller.
I plan to modify the front sight (make a thinner, centered, non-6-o’clock post for it)
and see if that helps.
But yes, it is wonderful to have something so nice! =D
Thedavemyster,
I really believe that you would get much better sight definition and consequently tighter groups by using a round black bullseye as an aiming point rather than an X. Dirty bird or shoot n see targets in my opinion would not work as well as a plain black bull. Blackening the front sight with a carbide lamp really helps also, but obviously cannot be used on plastic sights found on many guns today. Just a suggestion from past, personal experience.
Bugbuster
Bugbuster, you have a good point; I was in a rush to shoot before it got dark, so I drew up a few targets of the type I usually use with a scoped gun; but you are right; for the sights as they are, I should have used a small round bull I could have set on top if that front post. Thank you.
take care,
dave
The lighting makes the 15-yard 5-shot groups hard to see, but initial testing
(after adding a Williams 5D-AG receiver sight from PyramydAir) is as follows:
Pellet 15 yard group muzzle velocity (fps & variation) muzzle energy (fpe)
H&N Excite 0.75″ 485 (27) 6.78
13.0 g
H&N FTT 0.875″ 463 (5) 6.97
14.66 g
Crosman HP 1.25″ 477 (3) 7.2
14.3 g
RWS Hobby 1.375″ 535 (14) 7.56
11.9 g
JSB Jumbo RS 2.125″ 473 (28) 6.67
13.43 g
Note: it was windy out, and hard to see at dusk, but it was the only time I had to shoot that day,
(and I really wanted to shoot!) but this sample of pellets I got from Pyramyd AIR tells me something.
The RWS Hobby and JSB pellets (both accurate in other guns) fit the bore loosely;
they fell right in, and got shotgun type groups, so they are not the pellets I will be using.
The H&N Excites and the H&N Field Target Trophies will both get further testing under better conditions.
Davemyster,
Super looking rifle. What kind of peep sight did you put on it? I like the looks of that. Is it very hold sensitive? Also, can you shoot say wild coke can out to say 40 yards? Thanks for the pic.
Doc
Doc,
I grabbed a Williams 5D-AG receiver sight because I can see a little better than with just an open rear sight. The rifle is accurate enough to shoot a coke can at 40 yards (with some hold-over), but our yard is really small; that’s why my backyard range is only 15 yards. My plinking back there is at 5 to 15 yards, and that’s why this gun is so perfect. I need to play with it some more, and likely open the rear sight a bit. My old C model Sheridan has the PERFECT sight picture for hunting and plinking! (The rear aperture has been opened from the original .093″ to .107″) But sadly, it is much too loud for backyard use. The HW30S is very quiet, as well as not being hold sensitive. It’s not a powerhouse, but that’s OK, because it allows me to shoot it indoors on my 5 meter range at very small targets.
This gun is just plain fun; now I know why B.B. loves his .22 Diana model 27! =D
take care,
dave
Dave
Interesting that it’s loud. My .177 HW30s is whisper quiet.
Gunfun1, oh no, I meant my Sheridan is quite loud! My HW30S is whisper quiet, just like yours. =)
Dave
Ok I see now. I miss read.
=D
Dave
Looks like the excite and ftt’s did nice. I always wondered how the.22 caliber version of the HW30s shoots. I bet it’s smooth.
Gunfun1, I really liked my Beeman R7 in .177, but I LOVE this .22 caliber HW30S! It is way smooth; I can’t say enough good about it. =D
Dave
That’s good. And that would make for a good 20 yard and in bird pesting gun. That should transfer energy good. Bet it would not be a pass through either. Probably accurate enough for mice at the distance you shot at. Sounds like a nice gun.
Yes, it would; it’s a great little gun!
Hopefully, PyramydAir will start to carry these HW30S’s in .22 caliber.
They could call them,
“The B.B. Special, Diana 27 model 2.0,” hahaha!
Then many people who read B.B.’s reports on his 27 would get the .22 HW30S.
If my wife hadn’t got this one for me,
I would have had to drive to Texas to try and score a model 27 at the next show,
…or cried an awful lot to B.B. till he felt sorry and picked one up for me.
Yes, this .22 HW30S has definitely made my life easier. *lol* =)
BB
Yes I wondered that in the past about them not carrying the .22 version. Maybe you will inspire them with what you have said about yours.
Hopefully so; I really love this gun in .22 caliber!
Dave
🙂
Dave that’s a nice gun and B.B. I really like that that shooting bench beats my card table but I can’t have all the toys at once.
Bill
I need more coffee B.B. I don’t stutter but seems I wrote two that’s man I’ll never get to do a guest blog
Thanks, Buckaroo; I love my new gun; and B.B.’s bench is MUCH cooler and way more sophisticated than mine, hahaha! =)~
Dave
Than mine too. But my old trusty end cabinet serves the purpose well for my shooting table.
But I can see if the seat and such is adjustable on the table BB got should help lock he gun in when resting.
GF1,
The seat adjusts up and down and swivels completely around the table post.
B.B.
BB
It looks like it could make the table ergonomic. You will have to report if it adjusts easy and quickly. And of course price.
GF1,
I paid a little over $600, shipped.
B.B.
BB
A little high I suppose. But when it comes to trying to shoot your best it’s very important to have the proper place to comfortably shoot the gun.
So in reality it doesn’t cost that much does it.
B.B.,
Where does it plug in? I’ll bet there is a coffee maker tucked in there somewhere. 😉 Nice!
Chris
BB,
I was admiring your bench also. It looks like a souped up heavy duty version of my Caldwell Stable Table. It will serve you well if you don’t get tired of of loading and unloading and assembling it.
I am glad to hear how quiet the Texan SS is. I hope it is a hit for AirForce.
David Enoch
BB
The QB Chief has a power range from 1000 to 2000 psi. For storage purposes what would be the best psi to leave in the gun. At present I have been storing at around 1000 psi after shooting out the power range.
Cheers
Dave
Dave
Fill the Chief up to the full fill. That will press the o-rings and valve seat tighter to the mating parts. Whatever full fill is that I establish for a PCP is what I fill it up to and store it with. I have good luck as to not having slow leaks that way.
Dave,
1000 is pretty low for storage. I would fill it full. I have stored a TalonSS full for 17 years without a problem.
B.B.
DAVE & BUGBUSTER——-There is a spray called sight black that works on metal and plastic sights. I no longer use my carbide lamps and matches to smoke my sights. DAVE—-Get a Redfield meritt adjustable iris sight disc for your peep sight. It enables you to adjust the size of the aperature to the existing light. It has an iris diaphragm , just like a fine camera or a microscope. ——Ed
Thanks for the info, Zimbabweed. =D
Zimbabweed,
Thanks for the information from me also. I can see where an adjustable iris diaphragm aperture would be of great benefit for old, tired, seventy-one year old eyes. I have already had cataract surgery done on both, in my opinion though, not near as good as the original equipment!
Bugbuster
Thanks guys
I will in future be filling the QB to 2000 psi before storage!
Cheers
Dave
Dave
No problem.
B.B.,
Is that “shoulder pad”,… for a (complete) lack of any better word,… a plastic piece? Does it have flex at all? Is it metal? Plastic over metal? If it flexes,.. is meant to have flex?, so that you apply more/less pressure to get the perfect feel and eye relief? A bit “bouncy” perhaps?
Also,.. is the scope rail so high for a reason? Is that to offset the (in-line) stock of the gun? Equals better cheek weld/scope ocular alignment?
Chris
Chris
Are you talking about the peice that is on the end of the bottle that is basically the butt of the gun. It’s metal with a textured rubber peice attached to the metal. It can be adjusted many different ways. Heavy duty stuff in other words.
And yes I do believe the raised rail is to help with the inline stock of the gun. If you didn’t have the raised rail you would have to lay your head over sideways to get line of sight and probably even a drop down bottle adapter for sure if the raised rail wasn’t there.
B.B.,
First, I want to thank you for your very complete explanation about your testing. Second, I really appreciate that you were able to get out and shoot this so quickly! I have continued to shoot the weapon nearly every day in the evenings when there is no wind, but the results have not improved at all.
I am writing this background for the benefit of the new audience; taken directly from a previous email:
I am currently in Hawaii, where gun laws are extremely restrictive. There are many people here with severe pest problems. There are many different size pests, so I formulated a distinctly different plan to deal with all the variables. My plan seemed simple to me, although unorthodox. I thought it would be very successful; however, to this point it has been anything but simple and I have met with no success.
The problems –
Noise – neighbors that don’t like the idea of shooting pests
Variable pests – birds, mice, rats, mongoose, feral animals & some pigs
Varying distances – each property that needed assistance presented with difficult shooting conditions over several varying distances
Laws – pellets must be intended to stay within the bounds of the property once shot, that is why I wanted different pellet weights
Close proximity of people – know your target and consider its background before shooting. Bullet carry is a very real concern in some locations so we can’t just shoot everything with 355gr for example because it would leave the property
The solution –
The Texan SS – quieter than previous model and a plethora of pellets are available to dispatch any size creature I may run into.
The ATI XSight II HD 5-25 – can have 6 different rounds or weapons systems saved in its computer with the proper zero and data for each projectile. I wanted 6 different pellets programmed into the sight so I can pick the best option
The plan –
Run the power up to the higher levels since we are dispatching animals and not just hitting paper. Choose the correct projectile for the pest encountered. Set the sight for that distance and projectile. Dispatch pest quickly, quietly, and most importantly, with as little suffering as possible because of well placed shot and correct pellet for the job. The idea was to load the pellet after encountering the pest, adjust the scope settings, and then dispatch the animal.
I know my idea was not what the air gunning community usually does – pick your pellet, your distance, and your optic, and tune for the absolute best results – but I thought with the best tech available, I had a winning idea.
I have purchased everything I can think of to rule out the gun as the culprit of my terrible grouping, but nothing has helped. I think the gun must be able to shoot better than a 5-7 MOA group. Compressor to refill the bottle every 4 shots – check (by the way, it is the same compressor that another reader wrote about in these comments, and I have been using it daily to fill bottles without incident since late November). Spotting scope to be absolutely sure where I am shooting – check. Best optic available for varying zeros & changes in pellets – check. Anemometer – check. Reactive targets for perfect zero – check. All the different pellets – 143gr round, 166gr flat point, **255gr PHP, 355gr flat point – check. And lastly, because I can’t hit a damn thing, chronograph with logging app and shades – check. I am too many dollars down the rabbit hole to scrap the whole project and the TalonSS that I also have just does not have the power to dispatch the mongoose that prey on the chickens.
To be very very clear, the ladies at AirForce have been absolutely wonderful to me. They have worked with me over the phone and even sent the box of 355 grain flat points to me to try. They have bent over backwards to get me the Talon SS before Christmas for my girlfriend and really made me feel like they value each customer they have. I have no complaints about them at all. Before I give up on this gun and get a Condor instead, I would like to give it one last chance with a group of people that knows more than I do. Thanks.
OK, that was about a week ago. I have been shooting at 50 yards for zero and cannot get a group with any pellet down to less than 2.5 inches. Most of my targets present at 40+ yards and are mongoose. 2.5 to 3.5 inches tall and about 10 to 12 inches long excluding tail. The TalonSS can hit them from that distance with 18gr JSB and 28gr Eunjin but it will not dispatch them. I cannot have wounded, or “they will die later” pests around this location. I have tried the tuner on the TexanSS but met with very little success unless making large adjustments. The gun will not even shoot unless over the 1/2 way line, and it develops very little power until over the 3/4 mark. Since BB and I both shot 255gr PHPs, here are my numbers:
Shot at about the 7/8 power setting from 50 yards, no wind, prone off shooting bags
1 – 805 @ 359.79
2 – 802 @ 357.11
3 – 777 @ 335.20
4 – 760 @ 320.69
Group Size 2.65 inches @ 0.18 ballistic coefficient for the X-Sight II
The same night, in the same position with the TalonSS, we were shooting dimes taped to the top of the box with both the JSBs and the Eunjin pellets. The compressor was right next to us with the generator, so we were filling every 20 shots with the TalonSS and 4 to 5 shots with the TexanSS.
The only thing I have not recorded was the air remaining in the tank on previous strings of fire; I will include them in the future. To this point I have cleaned the gun several times with a standard Otis kit from breach to tip, dismantled the suppressor and cleaned all the baffles (directed by AirForce), removed and replaced the optic in favor of a lower mount due to originally having a very high (4.15 inches above barrel) center (guided by ATN), and re-snug all external bolts and the spin-loc tank. None of those things have made a noticeable difference. The only thing I have not tried is changing the optic, but many air gunners swear by it, and there have been no complaints from customers of ATN that use it on the Texan, so my assumption about the optic is that it is fine.
Any guidance or assistance would be greatly appreciated! I am willing to try anything at this point. I have been messing with this since December without any progress, so it is nearing the time to send it back to the Techs at AirForce. I am hesitant to do this since I am so new to air guns and since the TalonSS shoots so very well; I want to believe it is something I am doing wrong or that I missed…
Thanks again to B.B. for putting this up so quickly and attempting to help me get this gun working!
BlackMoon
aka Aaron
** Note – the 255gr PHP bullets were originally recommended by AirForce for the TexanSS. I purchased my first box from AirForce when I bought the gun. I thought this was odd since those bullets are very clearly marked as .454 on the box, the website, and the order form but the Texan is well documented to shoot the .457 bullets normally. All other bullets are labeled as .457 on the boxes. The 143gr round ball was Horady and Speer. They were recommended by a black powder shooter that said one is a little harder than the other and the results may vary depending on bullet softness. There is no noticeable difference in ballistics of those two rounds.
BlackMoon,
Welcome to the blog.
Okay — I write the blogs around here! 😉
A very detailed answer that I need to take the time to read and understand. Trust that I’m on the case as of now.
B.B.
BlueMoon,
Okay , I understand a little more. Forst, don’t try to shoot groups of 4 shots if shot 4 drops way low. Shoot just 3 shots, thewn refill and shoot 3 more. You don’t care about groups anyway. You care about the accuracy with the first shot.
Second, there is no animal that the TexanSS won’t kill cleanly on 3/4 power. You don’t need to shoot 350-grain bullets. In fact you might want to try some light bullets — as light as you can find that measure 0.458. I will ask Tin Starr if they can make up some collar-button .45s that weigh around 160-175-grains. What you are shooting is way overkill.
And third, I still have no experience with accuracy. So I have to stop here. When I shoot groups for record, though, I will use those velocity figures I wrote in the report and I will shoot 3 on a fill, never more.
B.B.
BB –
Point one is well taken. I saw your previous shot group from the Texan at 100 yards with 6 shots in it and tried to duplicate shooting down to 2000 psi. Not sure why I decided to do that. From now on, I will be shooting 2, refill, shoot 2 and then measure.
The good people at AirForce sent the 355 since I bought the 255 and the 166 trying to get better results. I never intended to shoot those at anything on this island.
One question, why would the first shot be low (770 fps) and then the next 4 are much higher (904, 922, 891, 891) with the 166gr bullets??
Thanks for everything
BlackMooon
BM,
The first shot isn’t opening the valve all the way. Adjust the tuner for it.
B.B.
BlackMoon,
Aloha!
Don’t know much about your shooting or Big Bore history…but most find it a steep learning curve. Black Powder is a great source of directly related information as B.B. preaches; and mind you he is spot on doing it.
B.B. also has far more experience with AirForce airguns than i do (since I have ZERO, also I never “blow smoke” up someone’s keister so I won’t even try to talk AF idiosyncrasies) anything directly AirForce I defer to him. As far as shooting Big Bore I have a bit of experience all with .25 – .58 cal Quackenbush Airguns and some P.B..
BlackMoon I learned to break the the word ASSUME into three parts during Flight Training you may have seen this before A$$-U-ME; we never want to assume anything and you seem to have. Your assumption about your optic is the very first thing that I would question. You need to mount another Known optic or dismount the ATIX Sight II and test it on a known accurate rifle. I will also question you ZERO Point; shooting pellets (over to B.B. on using pellets with the Texan SS.) I would however zero for no more than 40 yards and probably 30-35 yards depending on the bullet path for my chosen slug for a hollow point slug heavy enough for taking out a Mongoose. The Mongoose is a pretty small vertical target equivalent to many birds or rodents so you need to be able to group better that 5-7 MOA (closer to ≤ 2MOA) to make clean kills. I would also “SLUG” my barrel to ensure proper caliber selection to the thousandths to oversized by 1 thousandth.
Good luck! Hope you can help the islands get rid of lots of invasive species; time is running out to save the native Flora and fauna!
shootski
Over to B.B. and the other knowledgeable Big Bore readers.
Shootski
Have you ever heard of Chairgun. It’s a ballistics caculater from Hawke scopes. It’s air gun specific. But pretty cool stuff. Check it out if you haven’t.
Thanks for the help with the TexanSS accuracy issue. I have searched the blog here and found nothing about how to slug the barrel. I am going to hit up YouTube to have a look, but if you know of a better resource than some random video, I would appreciate the guidance. Don’t know anything about slugging a barrel.
I did say I was shooting pellets, because it is sold as such, but all the projectiles are bullets from AirForce. I am trying to get < 1 inch shots at 50 yards. That is what this is all about. After all these shots, and all this time, I just don't think this gun will do it. We will see how BB does, but my guess is he will have a lot teach me and I will have a lot to adjust!
BlackMoon,
Drive a bullet that’s larger than the bore through the bore and measure is afterward. Use a soft bullet and start at the muzzle.
But AirForce told us this is a 0.457-inch barrel, so I don’t think we have to do that. Just shoot until you find an accurate bullet, then measure it before loading.
B.B.
Gunfun1
Yes I’m familiar with the Chairgun program. I have the APP on my tablet. I seldom us it or any of the other balistics calculators I have collected. Instead I do it old school with mental math occasionally supplemented by a small calculator. I used to own a sexagesimal and a milliradians (MRADS) slide rule (Wiz Wheel)as well as electronic calculators but someone needed them bad enough to walk off with them; never to return them! It was actually a blessing in disguise! . I memorized all the formulas and really dug into what my USMC MilDotcould actually do. Have not had one take my pencil and cheap calculator I stick with those now.
There is a book I recommend however: The Ultimate Optics Guide To Rifle Shooting. By Reginald J.G. Whales (C.A.F.) it is for sale on the Vortex Optics sight. It gets almost all the formulas and techniques I have gathered from lots of different sources and compiles them all in one thing volume. The author knows his stuff and is on the same page as I am (bias alert.)
shootski
Shootski
I’ll have to check out the book. And yep I got the app on my phone and don’t use it much anymore. Is nice to have it readily available nowdays with our phone gadgets and all.
And I have always been one for shooting and take notes for different situations. Mostly mental notes now. But I sure use to do alot of writing in the past on targets and such. Isn’t it something how the deeper you dig the more you find.
Good morning all.
Just a quick update and question about this gun.
I have been treating this gun like a part time job almost. I spent several hours meticulously taking apart, cleaning, and putting it back together. I watched another 10 or more videos. I have shot another 40 to 50 rounds, which is a lot more work than fun when its 2 to 4 shots, and back to the compressor. No improvement at all.
166gr Flat point is all over the place. Groups of fps are like 604, 630, 780, 704. That was over and over. Tuner at about 7/8. Same results with heavier and lighter projectiles.
Since the gun is clean, and everything else has been checked, could it be the valve??
Anyone have experience with a valve problem??
Thanks for all the help and advice!
BM