AF vs cricket accuracy
I do have a Condor SS but it’s a 25 cal and I don’t have a Cricket 25 cal to compare it to.
The only fair comparison I have is my Talon SS 22 cal and a Cricket Standard 22 cal.
Both self tuned the Cricket with its regulator it’s hard to beat.
Just with the chrony stats results will indicate its constant accuracy over an entire shot fill.
The shot count as well will be won out by the Cricket and its length is 10″ shorter then the Talon.
Tuned to the same FPE the Cricket is much quieter also without adding more length to each.
My Talon tuned to shoot JSB 16g @ 700 fps, 70 shots from 1 fill.
And my Cricket is tuned to shoot JSB 18g @ 880 fps, can shoot close to 100 if I fill to 270 bar.
If tuned to shoot 16g at the same 700 fps it would probably get 200 shots or more.
Mind you that both gun are pretty much stock with 1 or 2 after market parts.
Thus it’s hard to compare a $600 Talon with a $1,600 Cricket.
I’m not saying if you spend the difference of a thousand on the Talon that it will perform as well.
After all the work, time and frustration may end up with subpar results, I’d save up for the Cricket if I where you.
It’s just what I did and I’m sure others have other options and experience to share as well.
Just my 2 pennies worth of info for ya.
~ ATB ~ GKU
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Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
Crows and smaller. You will be fine with a .177 best would be a head shot.
Depends… Brits hunt with 12 FPE max guns…
Get some JSB .177 Beasts and I’m sure you could easily double the FPE they use. Of course you will need to be accurate and take appropriate size game. What are you looking to hunt?
i own both and id say cricket takes the win for accuracy due to regulator and barrel mainly. my .25 condor groups ard .75 ctc at 50m but i never really focus hard on accuracy as i take it out for hunting. its putting 1060-1080fps with baracuda. having that much power compared to cricket i think its a fair game. i machined everything on my AF but im not anywhere good at all so i think in the right hand AF definetely could be top contender for accuracy too. as mentioned paying that much for cricket we could expect that out of the box. i wouldn’t trade any of them. they are just awesome
I think there is something definitely not right with my Condor SS. It shouldn’t be shooting this poorly at 50. I need to start at the scope and work my way through, by process of elimination. I’ll try putting fingernail polish on the barrel bushings to help align them but after that I’m at a loss as to what to do. 🙁
KP
My Condor makes 1 ragged hole at 50 yards, .75″ @ 75 yards, turning the power down and making efficient is the secret.. Oh and living 49min from TalonTunes…lol
I have a Cricket .25 and a condor SS .25 and the Cricket easily out shoots the Condor. But I think that the Condor has some issues which are effecting it’s accuracy..
The Cricket is right out of the box ( no tweeks or that sort of thing….just set the velocity to 930fps) and after break in, which was probably a 1000-2000 shots…it has become a real shooter with JSB Kings.
I’m trying to correct the Condor’s issues.
I shot a target at 50yd last night with the Cricket and it was around 3/8″ center to center for 5 shots. I did not shoot the Condor at that distance last night but a few days ago I shot it at 50 and it was 2-3″…not good…but that’s MY gun…I think others out there are getting better results.
KP
wonder what a condor would do with a CZ 23” HF barrel would do….?
Usually I can shoot up to 300 yards at the farm, but I’ve been leaving the targets on a tree for the next time just to check my zero.
I’m not a paper puncher, but this is some average target I’ve saved over the years.
My Cricket standard 22 cal at 50 yards, maybe I’ll retrieve a target soon but I know it does under an inch @ 100 yards. :biggrinn:
My FX Revo 22 cal ST barrel.
I luck out on this Condor SS 25 cal, out of box it was already a nail driver with no after market parts needed.
It just needed to be rebuilt and self tuned. http://talonairgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27882#p274167
Not as lucky with my Talon SS 22 cal, it’s very hold sensitive and harder to shoot well.
My Morini 162ei 177 cal match pistol @ 10m, 10 shot group with Olympic rules.
~ GKU
heres my condor at 75-85 yards,
https://youtu.be/7d6Z0H_H_B8
https://youtu.be/X0ve21FSGMM
https://youtu.be/rd-m9PSsZkE 115 yards
Not quite apples to apples…. I have an untuned .22 Cricket which I bought new from Talon Tunes. I’ve had it for a couple of months and love it.
About 18 months ago I bought a used Condor SS. I did not have huge expectations, and I was happy with the gun. Before long I bought a QC top hat and a WOK butt. I sent it to Talon Tunes a few months ago for a tune and added a quiet hammer, MadDog Hunter stock, and trigger shoe. The Condor is a completely different bird with the tune and added goodies. The (new style) trigger went from pretty darn bad to pretty darn good. Accuracy increased exceptionally. I don’t have picts but 1″ at 75 yards all day long with JSB pellets if I’m doing my part. For the first time ever today I tried H&N pellets and the new Heavy .25 JSB’s. Tentatively the H&N’s equal the 24gr JSB’s and the Heavy JSB’s are a bit superior.
I don’t regret buying the Condor….. But IMO a Cricket is a better value. I’m a man of modest means. I added value to my Condor as I could afford it… First the QC top hat, then the tune, then the stock. If I added up all I spent on the Condor I’m sure it’s more than a Cricket untuned. Part of that is I needed to pay for shipping both ways to Talon Tunes. Buying new and tuned from Tony pretty much eliminates that cost.
When I recieved a small inheritance I splurged on my Cricket. Out of the box it is a nicer rifle than my tuned Condor. The trigger is better, accuracy is better. Shot count is far better although .22 v .25 is not insignificant , also my Cricket can be filled to 4.5k basically the max I have in my Great White, but my Condor fills to 3k and performs best south of that.
I give the nod to the Cricket. I greatly prefer the looks and ergonamatics of the Cricket. I also prefer a repeater, I’d love a single shot tray for my Cricket. I’m dumbfounded they don’t make one. Scoping a Cricket is straight forward, but scoping an Airforce is a bit wanky… The scope is so far from the barrel…. Also, the adjustability of AirForce guns initially appealed to me, but I learned I’m a “set it n forget it” guy. So for me there is no added value with changing barrels etc. In fact I sold the extra barrel that came with my gun.
The MadDog stock helped a lot, but I still consider my Condor “hold sensitive” This is not my experience with my Cricket… Also, Crickets are regulated, AirForce guns are not. The tune on the Condor helped a ton, but the tune was pretty spendy; a tune by a well regarded Cricket tuner is a fair bit less than I spent to tune my Condor. I intend to have Earnest tune my Cricket. He chargers ~ 2/3 what I paid to tune my Condor for the labor, and there are no parts to buy. Earnest also will sell me a single shot tray for a fair price.
My own bias and preferences apply here… Both are solid choices and good values, but I’m very confidant in my opinion that out of the box AirForce guns are greatly improved by a tune. If you’re paying a pro for the tune… You’re approaching or exceeding the price of an untuned Cricket, and reaching the plateau of performance. An untuned Cricket is superior and has improved performance “in hand” with a tune. A Cricket has more utility as a hunter because it is a repeater. My Cricket is also quieter, but that may be because I’m compairing a .22 to a .25. Also; not a really fair comparison, but .25 ammo is quite a bit more than .22 ammo. For me, plinking with .22 is in reach…. Plinking with .25 hurts.
AirForce guns can run off CO2, which is HUGE. CO2 has far, far more shots (albeit at less FPS) but for most a lower cost and eaiser fill than HPA. I own a Great White tank, and have easy access and low cost to fill it, so for my needs Czo2 is not worth trying, but I’d expect for many it’s a great advantage.
Bottom line is there is no best gun for everyone. How you will use it, how you feed it, what accuracy means to you, and your budget are the deciding factors. Airforce and Crickets are both great guns… The deciding factor is your unique situation. Crickets have more potential, but AirForce cost less, are more versital, and (can have) lower operating costs.
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ull be fine with .177 for crows. i have .177 bt65 with almost no mods. it does 1080fps with jsb beast 16.2gr. ive taken small boar 30ish kg. its deadly accurate up to 40m. at 50m it does an inch group. i do hunt small game with my .177 cricket too mainly because of the shot count. if u can do a well placed shot, it doesnt take much power to take down most target.