Today reader Ian McKee, whose blog name is 45Bravo, describes his experience with breaking in the .22-caliber Air Venturi Avenge-X Tactical precharged pneumatic air rifle.
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, Ian
The velocity and shot count of the .22-caliber Air Venturi Avenge-X Tactical
by Ian McKee
Avenge-X Tactical.
This report covers:
- Avenge-X Tactical velocity
- Shooting fast
- Stable
- Settling down
- 100 yards
- Avenge-X Tactical velocity
Today we will be looking at the velocity and shot count of the Air Venturi Avenge-X Tactical in .22 caliber. Unlike BB, who has to turn out five different blogs a week about five different topics, I have the luxury of spending more time with the guns I test than he does.
I have been shooting this gun for a while. When I get a new gun that I am going to keep, I clean the barrel and shoot at least a tin of pellets through the gun before I start tuning it. I do that for a few reasons. A tin of pellets could be 200, or some other number up to 500. Some guns settle within a few shots, while others take longer.
Doing this gives time for any residual oils left from assembly to burn off. It also allows the moving parts of the gun to break in and the surfaces to mate together and the regulator, if it has one, a chance to settle into where it was set from the factory.
It also gives you time to learn its eccentricities of the gun (if it has any) and you have a chance to learn how it performs as set from the factory. This gives you a baseline of the gun’s performance before you start turning screws.
Record the settings of the gun as it comes from the factory, the regulator pressure setting, the number of turns the hammer preload is set at and the transfer port setting if it has them. Then if your tuning efforts go awry, you have the factory settings to return to and start over.
And finally, this is your new gun that you bought to shoot. And shooting is FUN! So — have fun.
Shooting fast
The temperatures here in Texas are falling, but the Avenge-X is a little hot. Out of the box it was shooting a little fast. With JSB 18.13-grain pellets the first 10 shots went out at 923f.p.s. for a high, and a low of 916 f.p.s. The average was 920, and the extreme spread was 7 f.p.s.
The JTS Dead Center 18.1-grain pellets seated hard into the chamber like they seem to do on a lot of guns, but gave a 10 shot average of 899 f.p.s., with a high of 902, and a low of 895, like the JSB pellets the extreme spread was only 7 f.p.s.
FX 18.13 pellets gave a low of 902 f.p.s., a high of 909 f.p.s., for an average of 905 f.p.s., and an extreme spread of 7 f.p.s. as well.
Stable
I think we can safely say that from the factory the regulator is very stable with 18.1-grain diabolo pellets.
For the last few months I have been using the FX Radar Pocket chronograph. I bought it used from a friend who upgraded to the new smaller and rechargeable one, but that is a topic we will cover in a later blog.
My first groups at 25 yards were so promising, I immediately went straight to 100 yard testing, skipping over 50 yards entirely.
Towards the end of the first 500 rounds, using the factory settings, I had tried several slugs and both heavier and lighter pellets. My shooting buddies were letting me test things they had on their ammo shelves. Some worked well and some did not.
The more I shot the Avenge-X, the higher the velocity slowly crept up until I was getting 958 fps with JSB 18.13s, and the worse my accuracy became beyond 25 yards. The regulator was still showing 2200 psi, but the extreme spread dropped to 2 fps across 10 shots.
While the extreme spread is outstanding, the velocity is faster than a diabolo pellet likes to be shot.
The 25-yard groups were still pellet on pellet, but past 30-35 yards the pellets were spiraling, the slugs fared a little better, but still suffered the same fate.
Settling down
I knew I was going to have to tune the rifle to a lower velocity. I dropped the regulator to 2000 psi, and it has now stabilized at about 880 f.p.s. with 18.1-grain JSB pellets. I will make small adjustments up or down from there.
I ran 100 shots through the radar, with a high of 879 f.p.s., low of 861 f.p.s., an average of 869 f.p.s. The extreme spread was 18 f.p.s.,with a standard deviation of 5.6 f.p.s.
WOW, a $530 retail airgun can keep such a low extreme spread over its entire pressure curve!
100 yards
I moved out to 100 yards/91.44 meters, and filled the gun to 300 bar (4351 psi) to run a full string until the gun fell off the regulator. I managed 129 shots with a high of 881 f.p.s., a low of 814 f.p.s., an average of 864 f.p.s., with an extreme spread of 67 f.p.s.
In the graph you can see a spike about shot 84, where I think it actually fell off the regulator, but it carried on until about shot 110, where the velocity started dropping like a rock.
While it’s not the best tune for the gun, it’s a good starting point.
129 shots total. In the graph you can see where it fell off the regulator towards the end.
129 shots looked like this.
Before anyone says anything about the 67 f.p.s. spread being high, look at the graph where the velocity started falling. If you take those shots out, the rifle got a total of 115 shots, the high was 881 f.p.s., the low was 856 f.p.s. with an average of 867 f.p.s., and an extreme spread of 25 f.p.s., and an SD of 6.2 f.p.s. The Air Venturi Avenge-X is definitely a shooter!
This is the 100 yard target of that 129 shot string, you can see where the shots started falling off.
I will cover the lower power setting in a future blog, with both 18.1 grain pellets, and lighter offerings.
Unlike BB, I have not accumulated as large of a selection of pellets and slugs of varying styles and weights to test. To remedy that I have several different types and weights of pellets and slugs on order so stay tuned.
Shoot safe and have FUN!
Ian
Note from BB — Tomek, I didn’t plan it this way but today’s report is a perfect follow-on to yesterday’s report. That one was about the breal-in of powerful spring guns. Today is about powerful PCPs breaking in.
That’s cool. About how fast do you think the pellets were going at 100 yards?
Taking a SWAG, I would venture to say with a starting velocity of about 880 fps.
I guess the JSB 18.13 pellets to be going about 580-590 fps at 100 yds.
But as Siraniko said, the lab radar gives down range velocity, and ballistic coefficient, the FX Pocket radar does not have those options.
But I can say they have mage great improvements to the APP since BB reviewed it a few years ago.
Ian.
Roamin Greco,
Ian would have to use a LabRadar (which Tom has) to know the velocity at 100 yards. The FX Radar Pocket Chronograph probably can only record muzzle velocities.
Siraniko
Ian,
Thanks for letting us peek over your shoulder as you break in your Air Venturi Avenge-X Tactical. It sure looks pretty for a tacticool air rifle. What caliber are you planning to change this to down the road? After you have wrung out the performance in .22 caliber of course.
Siraniko
Tom and I decided to split it, he will test .177 and .22, and I will test .22 and .25 calibers.
So we will meet in the middle with .22.
I have some Zan slugs and a selection of H&N projectiles on order.
And a few different ones that we think needs to be tried in the Average-X
Ian..
Ian,
Even if you take off those last shots, 115 (accurate!) shots with an average of 30 fpe is quite impressive.
That’s a nice tune, for sure, and this would make a fine small game hunting rifle. 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
The problem is when I look at the graph, I see the ups and downs, and my OCD kicks in, yes its only a few fps, but still…
It bothers me.
I know I will find a flatter tune.
Ian
Very thorough test/report, Ian. FM gets OCD and wishes more had it; might improve the quality of a lotta processes and slow the world down to a “saner” level.
This is what type of graph I hope to achieve, with the accuracy to match.
It is the graph of the highest velocity before dropping the regulator.
It’s just too fast for a Diabolo pellet.
Ian.
Just adjust the scale of your x and y axis until you smooth out them bumps. Problem solved. ;o)
Seriously, if the pellets all go into the same hole, the Ram still will fall. He won’t feel the difference of 10 or 20 fps.
You may find a very small extreme spread in velocity, but does that always translate to accuracy? What if the harmonics of the barrel are such that accuracy is worse as you get the velocity variability down?
*** What if the harmonics of the barrel are such that accuracy is worse as you get the velocity variability down? ***
Roamin,
What you said is exactly why tuning to a specific velocity and/or to the best ES is a “rough tune” and only the starting point to fine tuning to a particular pellet/slug/airgun.
IMHO, most factory tunes are rough tunes that can really be improved on. In fairness to the manufacturers, they don’t know which pellet the buyer will be using and in a production environment, they can’t justify the cost/time to fine tune each airgun.
Hank
“I know I will find a flatter tune.”
Yep, I’m sure you will; but for my age and eyes, that thing’s already shooting flat enough for me. 😉
Ian,
You and BB sure do make it very difficult for me not to buy this air rifle. This thing sure is checking all of the boxes of what so many have said they want in a PCP air rifle.
Fortunately, I say this as I have a pretty good pile of airguns to play with as things go and anticipate many more showing up here over the years, there are a couple of “faults” with this air rifle, at least IMMHO. I will preface this some more by saying, this is a personal opinion and no one else is welcome to it. Go get your own.
I am not crazy with high fill pressures. I know I am an old geezer, most especially since I consider 3000 PSI to be pretty high. Some of the older PCP air rifles could be tuned down some, even to 2000 PSI. I had an AirForce Talon SS that would give me about 20-40 shots from 1900 PSI down to 1200 PSI. It did not like operating above 1900 PSI. I only went to a compressor when I started shooting big bore (.35 and up). Those honkers use a lot of air. The thing is, the old big bore PCPs used to use less than 1000 PSI.
Another thing I am not too crazy about is where this thing is made. I will admit that due to market pressures, the quality of what is coming out of that country has greatly improved. I do have issues with the government of that country. In the past I have met some from that country who had much support for that particular government. I am not too crazy about ours. I sure do not like theirs. Financially supporting that mess over there, not if I can help it.
Thanks for another well done report Ian. Reading part one again it appears that the specs listed 80-shots and the test showed that it exceeded this. Very impressive! It looks like you did some excellent shooting with it. Now that you have some experience shooting it, how does it feel? Is the action, including the magazines smooth? Did you try loading it single-shot using the tray? Thanks again!
I have used the single shot tray, it is smallish like the Avenger, and the Magazines inter change and the single shot trays I had printed for the Avenger fits as well,
The Avenge-X ships with a 10 shot magazine, and a 16 shot magazine. Both load and function smooth, Marauder magazines fit and function the gun, as do the JTS magazines. if you want an all metal magazine option.
The factory magazines load from the right so if you have a large side wheel on your scope, it doesn’t interfere. the JTS mags sold by PYRAMYD load from the left and the side wheel could be in the way.
Ian
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/jts-airacuda-airacuda-max-magazine-22-cal?a=10950&page=1&query=jts+magazine&lang=en&searchConfigId=643645070c547549270ccc15
Ian,
That is one powerplant! Great!
Another one who enables baddly. Guys, please! I don’t have money to buy all of them! And place to keep them! 🙂
I have that problem too, and I want to down size, but when I shoot a gun before listing it, I remember why I like it, and back in the closet it goes…
Ian
Ian,
Your shooting at 100yards is what makes me proud. (!!!)
With the right person behind it, It is capable of better accuracy.
For myself, I just have to find the right tune, and remove as much of my jiggles and wiggles from the equation.
Since I would like to start using it in benchrest competition, I have intentions of lead lapping the bore eventually.
But that will be a future blog.
Ian.
45Bravo,
Thank you for another great guest blog.
You wrote: “…, have intentions of lead lapping the bore eventually.”
Which makes me ask two questions:
First, have you borescoped the bore and detected something you didn’t like?
Second, when you cleaned the bore did you feel something that would possibly be resolved by lapping the bore?
Nice shooting! Indoor yes? (That was a third question!)
My prediction based on personal experience as i arrive a month away from my seventy-fifth year: You will work on removing the “…jiggles and wiggles…” for the rest of your days shooting.
Reducing the movement comes from the best level of physical fitness you can maintain, ignoring the movement as much as is possible while shooting, taking the time to fit the projectile launcher to yourself, and last but certainly not least returning to practice the fundamental basics of shooting often.
Thank you again for the look inside your break-in program. Looks like a sound approach to me.
shootski
The wiggles and jiggles aren’t bad, as long as you jiggle the same way with every shot.
No it was shot outdoors.
I have not bore scoped it, and didn’t feel anything unusual in cleaning it, but I have wanted to lap an airgun barrel and write a how to blog about it.
And if I screw it up, a replacement barrel and shroud is $70.
As for maintaining physical fitness, well, that passed a few decades ago….
Ian.
45Bravo,
Makes sense for a blog along with how to SLUG a bore.
Just do me one favor please:
IF this barrel happens to be a Tack Driver get another barrel to experiment on, LOL. True Tack Drivers are too PRECIOUS of a thing.
As far as fitness:
NEVER TOO SOON and NEVER TOO LATE.
shootski
You’re spot on about fitness, shootski. FM had a friend who used to mock this vintage guy about exercising and “wasting time” at the gym in our 60s; that was his excuse for inactivity. His heart gave out before he turned 70.
Ian
Your target photo of 100 plus shots at 100 yards speaks loud. Matching that group would be most difficult using any rifle regardless of propellant.
Deck
Ian,
Another excellent article. Your shooting at 100 yards while breaking in the Avenge-X powerplant is what I would call exceptional at any time from any mass produced rifle.
Just a question from someone very inexperienced in this matter. Did you adjust the hammer after reducing the pressure? Is it possible that the STDV increase was due to hammer rebound? OK, these were two but I am trying to learn from those with more experience.
Thanks!
Henry
Henry_TX,
You asked: “Is it possible that the STDV increase was due to hammer rebound?”
Although most all of my experience is with Big Bore very low shot count PCP the only thing that multiple openings of the valve does is waste gas. The internal ballistic portion of the shot is over by the time the valve opens the second or subsequent time(s) given normal barrel lengths.
It is an easily detectable occurrence on barrels with no sound attenuation devices; the more effective the suppressor the more difficult it is to determine if the valve is experiencing multiple openings.
Many folks have made much of “hammer bounce” but if you think about it since you can typically hear it that alone proves the projectile is long out of the barrel.
In short: waste of gas but NO effect on the projectile.
shootski
Thanks for the answer Shootski. As I said I have almost no experience, and your explanation makes sense. If you can hear it, the pellet is out of the barrel.
Henry
Great stuff Ian!
Excellent performance for a PCP at any price point and good shooting on your part as well!!
I’m looking forward to more blogs on the Avenge-X
Hank
B.B. and Readership,
Henry_TX’s question got me thinking.
I know…dangerous right!
At any rate (pun intended) if you are interested in regulation of air pressure in airguns this linked piece is a good place to start: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0307904X06002915
You can ignore the Math if you want and still get a great deal of knowledge about just how complex the work a regulator is required to perform. There are far more variables than are normally discussed on airgun web sites and blogs.
Temperature is one most folks don’t know is a significant variable an that is just of the gas not the mechanical parts.
shootski
PS: A simple and basic piece (ignore the low pressure values used they are not important to our understanding of regulators) but very relevant look at proper regulator terminology.
Ian, Outstanding.
Now I have a reference to go to when I get a ‘Round-Toit’ and start shooting my Western Sidewinder.
OTS
Just ordered a reduced price, refurbished, .22 Crosman Break Barrel Mag-Fire Ultra. Want to see if it works out as a knock around take along when I do outside work, so I am able to eliminate unexpected targets of opportunity … as they pop up, literally.
I would not have to carry a pellet tin or loosies in my pocket that usually get distorted by tools or are hard to get out. I try to avoid having anything in my pockets or on my body when I work anyway. Especially my compact 45 but it’s always close.
Now this rifle has a reputation for busting up mags and I would like to get to the bottom of it and try to avoid it. Is it simply too weak for the power or do certain pellets or slugs cause the problem?
Too heavy / light or big in diameter, head or skirt. Could a thin skirt expand and crack it? Deformed or hard loading pellets?
Anyone have any info or run into the problem and have any input on the pellet they were using that may have damaged it? Light pellets may depart fast enough to avoid a lot of pressure build up behind it and small diameter ones may work better, or not?
A challenge for sure.
45Bravo
Nice shooting!
What scope are you using?
Imagine opting for the large tank and getting 200+ shots on a fill. WOW!!
45Bravo, do you know approx. how many shots from a more moderate fill say 3000psi – 3500psi hand pumping? Could I still get 40 or so shots? Let me know if you were keeping track of psi at different shot counts, that info would be extremely helpful. Thanks for all you do!