Question 2: Piecing together a rifle that will do what I need.
I guess that’s another way of saying I’m going to pay as I go lol. But what do I need to be looking for when it comes to a platform to build from.
I’ve owned a couple of AF guns in the past but never really had a need for the power. But now I do. Power and accuracy without breaking the bank is the plan here. I’ve been watching the progression of this platform and it seems to me to be a cross between an AR15 meets the Savage Bolt Action rifle.
I want a rifle that I can reliably shoot out to 200 yards that is 2moa accurate, roughly 4.2″ I’ve had Edguns that would do this and seems like once I had a short little AF gun in .22 that had a Maddog stock that would do it too. But now I”m thinking about going .25.
Anyway, I’m looking for a good starting point. I see AF rifles for sale from time to time at a very reasonable price. I wold like to get one and start tricking it out. I understand there may be some difference in the frames? Are there bottle limitations or is it just a matter of changing parts? Sometimes there a target gun for sale, sometimes a Talon SS, and sometimes a Condor. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Paul
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Target shooting will cover at least 90% of my shooting. Are the .257 caliber rifles shooting slugs or pellets? And what is the dividing line between the two. I know that big .25, .30 and 9mm pellets are being used in some rifles. But some of the AF guns are using slugs that are essentially cast bullets.
Is this a twist rate situation?
Are you going to be hunting with it or just target shooting? Been away for a minute but a 257 is hard to beat tons of bigger stuff out there with all the taxan models available. Basically breaks down to how much building and what you want to do with it. Thats the beauty of a Airforce gun, you can make it a all day target gun or a full blown freight train. I can cover everything from mice to yotes with the 2 setups i have and 5 minutes of tuning between each setup change. Love these guns.
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Yes! You will want a barrel with a faster twist rate. The faster the better. Also, you want to shoot slugs with drive bands to minimize the friction and the footprint. I own two molds from MP molds (.22 and .25) that cast the described boat tail slugs. They are tack drivers. But there’s a LOT involved in achieving what you’re looking for.
https://www.mp-molds.com/e-shop/molds/air-rifle-molds
You need way more power for slugs because the weight and surface area on the rifling create a lot more friction. To compensate, you need more power. You also want more power because the BC of the projectile actually goes up, and it becomes more stable at faster velocities (unlike pellets). But an increase in power means an increase in barrel harmonics. And at 200 yards, 1/10th of a millimeter of harmonic vibrations can equate to 3″ at the target. I’m not sure if what you’re looking for is even achievable. Harmonic barrel issues are HUGE factors in inaccuracy issues. You really need to shoulder your gun and let your body absorb some of those harmonics. Also, stabilize your barrel as much as mechanically possible.
You also need to regulate your gun. You want to regulate it with a well built regulator so you can get consistent muzzle velocities. You also need to weigh and sort your pellets. Try to keep them within .1gr of each other. This gives you a level playing field for each shot.
Regarding twist rate, if you have a barrel that has a 16:1 twist, and you have a 2nd barrel that has a 12:1 twist rate, and you’re firing a 48gr boat tail round out of the muzzle at 1000 fps from both guns, the flight and groups of the tighter twist will be significantly better downrange. Simple physics that applies to bullets.
http://www.romanorifle.com/22601.html
Supposedly, these guys can make any caliber, with any twist, with 2-8 lands and grooves in the rifling. I’m not sure if they can machine (lathe) the barrel to match a AF Condor barrel. But you can always have that done elsewhere if you have them make you a barrel. They could even make a bull barrel. It would be pretty heavy, but it sounds like you’re looking for a bench gun.
If you want to make this from a AF platform, you’re talking about $1000 in after market components. But that thing would be a BEAST! I would love to see it. Currently my Condor is shooting slugs. I think I could improve my accuracy with a faster twist and an unchoked barrel. I’ve never contacted the custom barrel manufacturers before, but I have a buddy locally that could put the barrel blank on his lathe and machine it for me. I’m like you though. I need to to it piece by piece. I’ve already dropped a small fortune on tuning and upgrading it. My wife thinks I’m nuts.
There’s an old saying. How do you eat a whale? One bite at a time. Same with customizing your rifle.