New TT AAA Condor SS
I just plunked down a deposit on a new AAA Condor SS. I’m in for a rough 6-8 weeks. I don’t remember waiting on Santa Claus being this nerve wracking.
I’ve got a serious feral dog / cat problem. I started hunting a break-barrel, but I needed something quieter than stock. I ran across the Condor, and ended up here trying to learn enough to decide if the AirForce guns were worth the price. Somehow I went from a cheap springer to a high-end custom PCP in the process. I’m not sure how, but I’m pretty sure I made the right decision. As a kid, I’d burn through a brick of. 22 rimfires in a good weekend. Now that my kids are raised, I’ve got time for such things again.
So how do I keep from gnawing my fingernails to the knuckles waiting for Christmas?
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How does on keep the TT Talon Tunes Butt stock in place ?
Thank you
Craig
good idea knife, never thought to do that
Try the felt pellets BEHIND a regular pellet. It causes the felt to expand as it is crushed against the back of the lead pellet. Does away with that damed crack as well. 😉
Knife
I pulled the restrictor today and shot both Eun Jin 35.x grn. domed and 43.x pointed pellets. We had 25mph wind gusts all afternoon, running 10-15* off straight behind. Didn’t have a big effect, but it impacted most shots. <- excuse
The pointed won’t shoot over 900fps. They shoot great at 870-840fps. That’s about 6 on power shooting 3200-2800psi, around 10 shots maybe a dozen. That’s about half the shot count of the large restrictor. I started shooting domes at 990fps and quit for the afternoon due to wind. (Power wheel 4, when Tony warned of inconsistency at settings below 6-8 due to hammer tuning – He’s right.) I never got a useful group. I will try the domes again with the restrictor in and I can shoot mid-800 velocities.
I started at top left just holding target and watching POI drift. I shot the center target using velocity and holdover lessons from the first group. Factoring out wind and lousy shooter, that’s plenty good enough for my needs. The right target is domes running near 1000fps. Other than drifting down, the pellets weren’t stable enough to draw conclusions.
I put about 150 shots through the Condor and decided a cleaning might be helpful. I got some felt pellets as gimme stuff when I bought something useful. I guess the felt cleaning pellets are useful if you need a supersonic crack but otherwise, not so much. The cleaner came out pristine except for green grass stains. A proper patch to follow up came out black-nasty. It took several to pull clean. Cleaning pellets suck.
I’m burning off to Los Angeles via Los Vegas next week. Poor pitiful me.
John
I’m fascinated by Skenko pellets. The Ultrashock hollow point and Ultramag have an interesting design. I’m planning some experiments with these pellets, and I’ll post as I go along. I did some preliminary testing today with surprising results. The idea is to transfer all the projectile’s energy to the target on contact. Penetration is nice but wastes much of your muzzle energy. Ideally the target absorbs most or all of the energy with minimal penetration. I think I did that today.
The view follows the pellet. This is the entry “hole” in a sealed can of soda. The blast wave blew out the back of the can, but the “echo” ripped open the front of the can, rebounding so hard it nearly sucked the can inside out. I’m gonna up the power on the Condor and try completely blow a soda can inside out. Next step? Cheap beer!
John
Nice rifle John! I am patiently waiting on my Condor from Tony . I can’t wait to get to shoot it. Just have to remain patient. Keep us posted on your results.
Tony
I’m loving it. I can’t believe the way this thing shoots and I’m just learning my way around it. I love the way people’s jaws drop when they (don’t) hear it.
Looking good John.
Hope you are happy with your Condor.
Tony
I’ve had a couple of sessions with the Condor. I’ve been playing with different pellets and velocities, and just getting a feel for the gun. The gun loves JSBs and Predator Polymags. Yesterday I was shooting with the large restrictor in the tophat and 3200-2800psi. The JSBs and other mid 20 grn pellets were running 920-880fps giving 15+ shots. I found several pellets, including Kodiacs and Eun Jin that are seriously velocity sensitive. A chronograph is really necessary for a rifle with so much adjustability. I finished up the day shooting down the gun with 31grn Kodiaks. I got a decent group down to 850fps when the group fell apart.
Sorry, I’m still learning photobucket.
The only problem I’m having is ergonomic, and I think I’ve worked that out with help from WoK. I really like the TT tank cover with cheek rest, but it’s very sensitive to adjustment. Thankfully, the cover is easy to adjust and locks securely with a setscrew.
This makes about ten crappy photos I’ve taken of the Condor. A thumbprint on the lens in this shot reminds me of old time porn with vaseline one the camera lenses. Airgun porn anyone?
The scope is a Hawke Eclipse 4-16X50. I’ve always been a fan of peep sights, but my vision requires a scope nowadays. So this is a bit new to me. That said, I’m really happy with this scope. I went out last night with a 3/4 moon at about 10:00 o’clock I could get a sight picture at 15 yards. That’s what I hoped for and I’m pleased. It’s going to take a while to learn this scope, but I’m satisfied it’s worth making the effort.
I’m using the Hill pump with good results. I want a 50yd gun that’s self-sufficient for a weekend trip. So far it’s working out well. I had small blisters Monday from pumping, but they dried overnight and no problem yesterday. I wish my back and shoulders recovered half so well.
Next I’ll remove the restrictor and shoot some Eun Jins. Without the restrictor this thing gulps air, but no shot count yet.
John
The Condor arrived Friday, an hour before dark and twelve house before the hordes descended for my Mom’s 80th birthday. Usually I live too close to mom. This weekend I was just too damned close. So this morning, I finally got some peace and I loaded out and headed for my buddy’s place ‘cuz his shooting range has less livestock than mine. If I’m gonna do some serious shooting, it’s easier to drive five miles than to resist the urge to shoot the damned geese.
I got there and his wife’s dog had died overnight. The dog was old and she’d raised it from a puppy. All of us have been close for over forty years. So my crisis.
I was losing daylight by the time I got to shoot. My first impression of the AAA Condor was rushed and I was pretty frazzled. Given that record-breaking disclaimer, the gun is amazing. I sighted the scope (sort of) and finished with a 5-shot group under a nickel at a measured 100ft. JSBs running 920-890 fps.
The ergonomics are awful. I drove modified stock on a dirt oval back in the day, and my neck isn’t so great, even when I actually do the exercises every day. It’d be impossible without the TT Tank Adapter. That’s a must have, period. I’m ordering an AirForce tri-rail which will raise the scope a half-inch and let me move it back a bit more. My trigger finger was broken in three places, and that’s a bit of a problem (hey WoK!) .
The thing sounds like an AR cycling the bolt. Not firing, just loading a round. I tell people it sounds like a fly-swatter, and that’s not far wrong. My accuracy is amazing considering this is the first time I’ve shot an AirForce. I usually learn a new gun slowly.
So for a rushed and tired first shooting, I couldn’t have asked for better. This thing is amazing.
John
All of us that have one of Tony’s rifles have had to wait what seemed like forever and we feel your pain BUT the wait is well worth it. Love my .25 condor i got from him. The coons,possums,treerats and chipmonks don’t like the condor much but the birds are happy their feeders stay full now. 😀
What do you use your Condor for?
The AirForce guns are accurate and reliable. The Talon is middle ground, the Condor is a muscle-bound Talon. The AAA is Condor steroids. If I wanted a ballet dancer, I’d start with a Talon. I’m sure Tony can teach it to pirouette.
In brief: I require: hit-the-rat-in-the-eye accuracy, 12-15fpe, and as many shots per fill as I can get — like 100 or more. I just keep wondering if many of the tunings are for higher power and long-range accuracy. The latter I will take, but the power I will have to spare. I also need to develop fast loading in the dark.
Once you know for sure you’re ready to pull the trigger on buying one I suggest giving Tony a call and tell him exactly what you want to do. He was extremely generous with his time when I was ready to build. He’s extremely knowledgeable about all things Airforce, and he can guide you to just the right upgrades that will get you what you need. He’s busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest so I always felt a lil guilty using his time, but he was always willing to spend the time before and after the sale to help me know what I needed, to do what I wanted. You can’t go wrong with any or all mods from Talon Tunes. My AAA Condor is the pride of my life and my go to gun every time I go shooting. Long story but it has literally changed my life. I’ll never be able to thank Tony enough. I’m just waiting for a 12″ .25 barrel to make it even more versatile.
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The cover is a snug slip fit. A setscrew forces a rubber pad against the tank to lock the cover in place. Since that post, I replaced the butt pad with a WoKbutt and rotated the tank adapter some. It looks Frankenstein, but it snaps to a perfect sight picture like legos.
John