25 caliber string
I shot a string with my Condor while shooting JSB KIngs at 100 yards.
I shot off the hood of my Ford Explorer with a Caldwell range bag and used my fist under the pistol grip.
I shot with and without the Airhog and POI did not change. This was noteworthy because I had just drilled and tapped 6 holes in the two bushings and centered them, prior to that POI would change as much as 5 inches.
Power wheel was maxed out and Top hat was at .070.
Starting PSI was at 3000 PSI I shot 32 shots and then my Chrony started showing low battery and I quit. Ending pressure was 2250 PSI. Groups were averaging 1.5 inches.
Here is the string:
1-955 *** 17-975
2-959 *** 18-974
3-960 *** 19-969
4-964 *** 20-973
5-964 *** 21-972
6-967 *** 22-970
7-969 *** 23-969
8-965 *** 24-969
9-967 *** 25-969
10-968 *** 26-967
11-968 *** 27-966
12-969 *** 28-960
13-966 *** 29-961
14-971 *** 30-956
15-973 *** 31-962
16-970 *** 32-961
All Replies
I had the same reticle chart taped to my rangefinder last year,and it showed the wind speed like you say, but for some reason the wind speed thingy does not show now. I have 5 mph set in, don’t know why it does not work.
Roachcreek
Have you also put angle of wind in (next to wind speed input)
Are you happy with the Benji’s then RC?
If not, Ill offer to take them off your hands.
I spent Saturday afternoon shooting at floating targets in the river. The range-finder wasn’t able to lock onto them, but I was using the .20mil blocks at the bottom of the reticle as aiming points and connecting more often than not. Chair-gun says that must have been ±190 yards, and it looked about right.
There was a slight western breeze, and the pellets were hitting about the width of a navigation buoy left. No that wasn’t the target 😉 .
The Benji’s seemed to be “floater seeking missiles”. and the JSBs just seemed to be unwilling to stay on track way out there.
Pab,
I had the same reticle chart taped to my rangefinder last year,and it showed the wind speed like you say, but for some reason the wind speed thingy does not show now. I have 5 mph set in, don’t know why it does not work.
Roachcreek
Where does your chart show for a peek height? Was 50 yards still at +3 mil dot when the 30 yards is over +3 mil dot?
Had you used teflon tape or anything to secure the valve spring nut?
I used 7 or 8 wraps of teflon tape to get mine to tighten before going in to far. Now, I’m wondering how soon I will have to revisit the gizards of my AF tank with the blue locktite instead.
I used the teflon tape too.
Roach! Roach! Roach!
Regards,
Roachcreek
On the main screen where you input all the numbers, top right is a wind angle box and wind speed box. Input the data here and bring up the ret’ box. Should now show hold off.
Even if you don’t want windage on there, put a little on as it pulls the numbers away from the mil dots, making it easier to see.
Lurker,
It tops out at 30 yards, just about the width of a dot, not space between but actual dot, above the third dot.
In case you do not know how to do it, just enter in all your info for your rifles performance into Chairgun, and then hit the tools icon, and then the reticle icon and it will be there. I printed it, and then cut it into a 1/2 inch strip and taped it to the sunshade. I am experimenting with 5 and 10 yard units, 5yards is pretty busy, ten yards has a hash mark for 15,25,35 ect range.
I have not found how to do a winddrift one yet, and I could really use one, the wind whips those little pellets so much.
The visulation program is fun.
I just finished shooting about two tanks full in the lower part of the vineyard where my range is set up. I have spinners at 100 yards and a 50 and 100 yard target set up. I get the wind drift from shooting the target bank and then apply it to the spinners.
And with the range finder, I can also range the Madrone trees, they leave a nice little white spot when hit with a pellet, and then it turns brown a month or so. They are so hard the pellets only bounce off, but the mark can be seen for the maximum range I can shoot there, which is 142 yards. It is fun watching the wind move those pellets at that range.
The scope chart and 100 yard zero work fine, as long as you remember to turn it down to 14 pwser after shooting a group or examining something on 21 power, if you do not, you will wonder why your suddenly shooting high at 50 yards. 😆 But all in all I am enjoying this rifle so much more with better glass, it makes such a difference.
Regards,
Roachcreek
Darn good info RC.
Where does your chart show for a peek height? Was 50 yards still at +3 mil dot when the 30 yards is over +3 mil dot?
Had you used teflon tape or anything to secure the valve spring nut?
I used 7 or 8 wraps of teflon tape to get mine to tighten before going in to far. Now, I’m wondering how soon I will have to revisit the gizards of my AF tank with the blue locktite instead.
Posting strings has it benefits, my first string I posted when I started this thread was December 24th, then this Friday I shot another string, and when I compared the velocity, and fill pressures, something was different. I had a fill pressure on the 24th of December of 2900psi or so and then on Friday 2500psi was where it went off of valve lock to start a string, and the velocity was 30 to 40 FPS faster in December.
Something was different.
So at 6:00 AM I tore the rifle down and removed the valve, sure enough as Benneboy suggested, I had valve return spring problems, the retainer had worked in until it was snug. I screwed it out and put on some blue locktite, and headed for the range.
First thing that happened at the range, a crow landed up in the top of a Doug Fir tree, I slipped in a King, put the third mil dot above the crosshair on him and let it fly, feathers flew and he did that landing gear down, steep dead stick glide into the neighbors tree farm. I knew it would be a good day. So after smiling a lot, I got to work on testing.
All the same settings gave me 1005 FPS, which I knew was too fast, and the groups were bigger, so I backed off the powerwheel to 9/15 and the velocity settled at 970 and grouping improved.
So I filled to 2900 PSI and shot a 33 shot group at 50 yards.
Here is the string
1-955— Average velocity was 969 FPS which is 52.55 FPE.
2-962— I have my scope sighted in at 100 yards, so my
3-958— hold for 50 yards is the 3rd mildot above the cross-
4-963— hair. Twice during this string I used the 2nd mildot
5-966— and shot high, doing this put 31 of 33 shots into 1.5
6-970— but with two flyers, 29 of 33 shots went into .94
7-968— inches without the flyers.
8-968
9-966
10-965
11-err
12-err
13-975
14-974
15-969
16-969
17-950
18-970
19-970
20-971
21-973
22-979
23-err
24-err
25-err
26-970
27-952
28-977
29-971
30-972
31-974
32-967
33-955
BTW, sighting in at 100 yards, I entered that information into Chairgun and printed a reticle diagram, which I taped to my scope bell, showing where the 25 grain pellet will impact at that velocity out to 160 yards, where it dips into the heavy wire, 30 yard POI is just above the third dot. With the Swarovski RF-1 Rangefinder, this makes for a deadly combination when on 14 power which is the power setting the 7X21 Bushnell 3200 uses for tru mildot.
Regards,
Roachcreek
Benneboy,
Yes it is definately valve lock, I tried a heavier hammer and a heavier spring in 5 different combinations, but accuracy went south every time with the exception of the stock Condor set up.
When I cleaned it I had gobs of black come out, my 22 barrel, I never cleaned, and it shot good at any velocity.
I will hold off on judgement on this 25 thing until I get a bunch of dead animals with 1/4 inch holes in them before I make a descision on the 22 vrs the 25 thing. I will proably go spend some time at my old place this summer and shoot a lot of ground squirrels with it.
I got a lot more speed from the 22 and had better BC to boot with the 22 bullets, whether that is a valid point when I am using mildots and always know my range and holdover remains to be seen. Biggest advantage so far is it is easier to see the bigger slugs flying downrange to see what the wind is doing to them.
Maw,
Hold is important, with the lower velocity my hold is forearm on the Caldwell range bag, bag sitting on the hood of my Ford exploder, and the pistol grip on a smaller bag with both hands holding it, with the stronger springs that did not work as well, but really no hold worked with that combo. And I tried everthing from a light hold to holding it tighter than a 12 year old jacking off and feeling that tingle the first time. 😆
It was fun today shooting at inch rings drawn on paper at 50 and putting them all inside the rings.
Roachcreek
I’ve been holding mine with my thumb right behind the powerwheel seems to make the difference on my gun.
Hmm…. I say for the Diablo style pellets 950 seems to be about the top speed for decent accuracy. Maybe RJ can hook you up with the fishing weight secret. Wasn’t he getting good accuracy at 1200fps? As far as the 3000psi fill my guess is the tank isn’t opening enough(hammer not heavy enough or valve spring to strong) Also could it be the kick? My guess is at that last second when it hits the choke it’s jerkn’m at that high speed? Did you break the sb at 1150fps? Not sure on the cleaning thing. I have cleaned(ran few patches through) the barrel once after the initial polishing. I still stand by the 100 pellet rule. You could maybe do 50 but the lead of that pellet needs to get worked in undisturbed to gain best accuracy. Also don’t lube the pellets. I would even be inclined to wash those grimy EJ’s before use. Did you sort the pellets?
Shooting again today with some Kings I bought from Subsonnic, which took over night to get with Fed ex, they were here at 8am.
Rain eventually drove me out, but I learned today, or at least I verified, that my fill pressure is maxed at 2500psi, peaks at 2200psi, which is giving me 940FPS with Kings at that time,if I fill to 3000PSI the velocity starts out at 850 and takes for ever to climb into the 940 range, forever being eating up that 500 PSI. The rain drove me out before I found the bottom level. The firing mech is all stock Condor, pw at max, and the Top hat at max out.
So far, the Kings, the Benji domes and the 43 EJ’s do that Gaylord inside the wedding band group at 50 yards, and I have medium fingers. 😆
Bottom line, this barrel is no hot rod, I do not think it is possible to make it into a hot rod and get good accuracy. I can hit 1150 or better with Kings and Benji’s but the accuracy sucks, I can hit 940 with 43 grain EJ’s again the accuracy sucks. it will shoot a good group at that velocity then I will have a unexplained uncalled flyer that is 2 to 3 inches outside the group.
Take it down to 940 for Kings and Benjis or to 830 or so for EJ’s and it is a virtual tack driver.
I love this new scope, it is so clear and precise, I was keeping my shots into a two inch circle drawn on typing paper at 100 yards while adjusting for the wind, which varied from 1 to 1.5 mil dots to the right. Watching those flags and holding for the wind is just plain fun in my book.
I used to hold further than 8 feet for wind when I competed in 1000 yard gong shooting at the Burns Butte club and used the 45/100 with 500 grain+ bullets, so 1 to 1.5 mildots is an easy shot.
The other thing about the scope, is I can watch that pellet rise and fall into the 50 yard and the 100 yard target, and then see the debris bounce along the ground after it passes thru the 1/2 inch plywood backing.(note that is not a tissue penetration test Shaggy) 😆
The Shoebox keeps chugging along, I never use it more than 30 minutes at a time to refill my Pygme bottle, which I get at least three to four fills with it. I still do not have the hose for the 44 CUFt bottle, the Midway Bushnell scope sale took those funds, and the 58 caliber xpairguns will take them for the next few months, sorry Joe B.
So 25 shooters, how fast can you go and with what pellet before your accuracy decays?
Regards,
Roachcreek
Well I got my Bushnell 3200 7×21 mounted on my Condor, and today I spent a great deal of time shooting it with different springs and hammers combinations to see if I could get higher velocity with 25+, Benji’s and Kings and 43 grain pellets.
Short answer no, I doubt if it will ever be a hot rod. But I did get some great groups eventually.
I had the velocity up to 1040FPS with Benji’s and to 950 with the 43 grain EJ’s. But velocity made the accuracy suck.
Two things I learned, first, it was not my Baraska, the Bushnell, shot the same with the high power loads. Second, my barrel needs to be cleaned, how often, I don’t know yet, but once I cleaned it things changed big time.
Once I got to the Condor hammer and weight and spring combination, and cleaned the barrel, groups went from 3 inches to 3/4 of an inch, the best group of the day was .45 for 5 shots with EJ’s of all things, the velocity was 820 FPS. Benji’s shot into .70 pretty consistanly at 900 FPS. All this was at 50 yards.
By the time I got things figured out for accuracy, I was out of Kings.
I had a great time after that, shooting at 100 yards. I make my targets out of a spool of teflon tape and typing paper and a sharpie, I use the outer surface of the spool for the outer ring and the inside of the spool for the inner ring.
I had a variable wind, but reading the wind flag and using the mildots, I could keep five for five inside the outer ring, which is 2.25 inches.
And that Bushnell is so clear compared to the Baraska. I could see every shot arc to the target.
Fun day.
Roachcreek
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Pabs,
Yes the angle box was empty, so now I can print up a propper scope chart, thanks.
I decided to dial the power wheel up and see what I got with 43 grain EJ’s and accuracy, well I got 900 FPS, but the accuracy sucked, so I tried the Kings. For a change it was a bright sunny day, but the wind would come up and fuck things up now and then.
But what I have now is 1020 with Kings. I shot the 50 yard group on the left and it was looking pretty good, so I moved the gun slightly to the right to cover the 100 yard target and went to work. The last shot fucked the group up, and I even sent two more down range you dont see, to see if I could get them in the group, but the wind had picked up in addition to the velocity so what you see is what you get.
Funny tho, yesterday it did not group as well at that setting, but I only shot one group, so lesson learned is you should not settle on one group.
Also, I have maybe 250 to 300 shots thru the barrel since I cleaned last.
50 yardgroup is .35, the 100 yard group is .60, with the tight cluster in the teens. But I don’t know if I will better that in this lifetime.
I’m thinking maybe I should drive to town and buy a lottery ticket.
Regards,
Roachcreek