Some thoughts on pellet energy
A couple of weeks ago I was watching Mythbusters, the episode where they compare a car crashing into a steel wall at 50mph, compared to two cars crashing head on both traveling 50mph. They compared these scenarios to one car crashing head on to a wall at 100mph. Interestingly enough, the cars crashing head on with each other at 50mph looked identical and measured identical g forces during the collision as the single car at 50mph.
The single car traveling 100mph, as expected, was hugely different. The standard energy formula says that it should carry 4 times as much energy as the car traveling 50mph.
It got me thinking about my Talon SS. I now more thoroughly understand the benefit of tuning my gun for as much velocity as possible, no matter how insignificant the velocity gains may initially seem. According to my calculations a 10% gain in velocity should yield a 21% gain in energy, which is pretty significant. On the flip side, if my gun has not been cleaned and lubed lately and my velocity drops 10%, I will see a 21% loss in energy. So the difference between a neglected gun and a tuned gun could be a 42% difference in pellet energy. VERY significant.
I really need to get myself a chronograph and do my best to get my gun tuned well!
–Dan
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Maximum velocity is great for shooting at steel walls, etc. When it gets down to can you hit a squirrel in the head at 25-50 yards, you begin to tune for the most accurate velocity for your choice of pellet.
Oh, the squirrel might move if you miss… Which proves shooting at walls at maximum velocity is less frustrating.
I went through the same crap a while ago. What TH setting is best ? what can I expect from this pellet or that pellet. Same answers buy a chrongraph. I tune under the speed of sound now. Tried a couple across the chronograph that were screaming! try a predator when your adjusted for Kodiacks! crack! my wife was screaming down the basement what the hell are you shooting!? No way to know what your doing without a chronograph trust these guys, I fought it for a while and once I got it I love screwing with different pelllets and power wheel settings.
I like to tune for as much velocity as possible.
I simply adjust it to where I get a tank dump every time I shoot. I figure that will definitely get the maximum amount of air behind it. 😉
Without a crony, your farting in the wind! 😆
I have about 2000 pellets through my condor. It has never been taken apart and cleaned. I run a patch through it once in a while with the weed whacker cord type barrel cleaner. I shoot extra heavy kodiacs at about 1035 feet per second. I probably should slow that down a little for accuracy. The point is you can have both with the condor mass and velocity thats why we are all here! 😆
You need both calculations to get an idea of what your (gaining)
A heavier pellet slower can have more energy and usually does.
Perhaps I should have not said “tuning for as much velocity as possible”. I should have said something like “fine tuning for added velocity…” or something similar. I am running a factory SS and if I wanted max velocity I would just get a 24″ barrel, high flow valve, hammer, etc. I like quiet and compact.
My point is that even small gains in velocity equal sizable gains in energy. Also, small losses in velocity equal sizable losses in energy. Simple things like tuning your tophat adjustment and cleaning and lubing appropriately, gaining even small percentages in velocity, will increase your energy output at an even higher percentage.
–Dan
Tuning for as much velocity as possibly will end you up at a point of diminishing returns.
Much depends on what you wish to use the gun for. For me, small game inside of 50 yards…. 20-24fpe is plenty.
You can always squeeze out that last little bit of velocity, but often at the cost of much, much more air usage.
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Yeah get the chrony. Just got the combro in yesterday!!!