First groups with my new cricket .25 wst
Yesterday I received my new to me (used) Cricket .25
I spent the day cleaning it meticulously. I used Ballistol and a polyester type cloth to wipe down all external parts. I then used the ballistol on a Hoppes .223 sized bore snake to clean the barrel, 4 pulls through and it was shiny to the eye. By the time all that was done it was dark outside.
So today I got to sight in my Optisan Viper 4-16×50 on it. Just took about 3 shots and I was on the bull at 50yds. My first mag was kinda spread wild around 1 1/2″, but continually tightened as I continued. I assume the barrel was leading.
All my shooting was at 50yds, off a bipod holding the stock to my shoulder sitting.
The best group of the day, and my life for that matter, was 1/4″ ctc. It was five shots (JSB King) and occured immediately after I switched my shroud back to the oem from the Neil Clague cf. I was planning on shooting a full mag, but I got a flier on the 6th shot. If I include the flier to group size, it was around 3/8″ ctc.
Another group produced 3/4″. A full 12 shot magazine. It was pretty windy, maybe 10-15mph.
I also had one magazine of Predator Polymags to try out that the seller was kind enough to include. The first seven shots with those ended up being 3/4″ strung perfectly horizontal.
I figured maybe the barrel wont show true potential from a different kind of pellet in the first few shots, so I saved the last five for a fresh target. My last five shots with the polymags made a nice 1/2″ group ctc. Im really stoked about this and am eager to get my hands on a nice sleeve of those. My Cricket is going to be the primary hunter so the benefit the polymags offer is really a great asset. I have a prod that also shhots them well, but its going to now be designated my plinker and sparrow puffer. The starlings on up are only getting the adult sized dose of .25 cricket from now on :biggrinn:
Im pleased to report the cricket has exceeded my expectations. Its very quiet and at 920fps, with a 230 bar fill, I got 5 mags before I refilled at around 120 bar without any notice of poi shift. I assume thats the way to tell if youve come off the reg or not yet?
Im not sure what this guns reg is set at, and if there is a way to tell besides poi drop, please let me know.
One of the features I enjoy with the Cricket is the way it slowly fills itself. My old valve on my scba tank can be a pain to use, extremely touchy.
Hopefully I’ll have more posts to come on my Cricket, and will start including pics once I figure out how to transfer them from my iphone to the tablet and post on here. I hope its a less painful process than what I used to have to do over on the Yellow.
Thanks for reading fellas. If anyone wants to see the group pics, or pics of my cricket, pm me your cell number and I’ll send you some.
All Replies
I didn’t know the polymag came in .25?
*update**
The neodynium magnets I received from RatRacer work fantastic for holding on the Cricket cheek piece. I drilled two holes on each side of the cheek piece over the barrel section.
I used a 3/8″ bit. The magnets are circular with measurements 3/8″x1/8″
I believe their strength is at least “n48″ possibly n50.
I used the 3/8” drill bit so I could just pressure fit the magnets into the wood with no additional adhesives. It worked and turned out great.
If anyone would like more info or a pic of the completed project, you can pm me your email.
This alteration was quick, cheap, and painless.
I have had neodymium magnets too but is not so strength. Ok, I will wait for your result.
Use better magnets..
There are high grade neodynium magnets having a “pulling force” of 13lbs each! They’re smaller than a dime. Even one of those and the cheek piece isn’t going anywhere!! Lol
I’ll have to experiment to see which grade and how many is too much or not enough. They wont actually be touching the barrel but will be very close so they’ll lose some of their strength.
Trust me, whether they’ll work or not isn’t an issue as long as you find a nice combination of grade (pulling force), and placement. The area the cheek piece runs along the barrel could easily accommodate many magnets and has a wide enough foot print that it wont matter there’s dead space above the receiver.
I’ll take pics of the project and post if anyone is that interested.
It will not enough!! Put magnets only along to barrel. I know it because I have it and it doesn’t work so good as I thought 🙁
Yes, the magnets are going over the barrel section
That 3M washable clear tape works perfectly (its not really tape in the sense of the word). It deposits nothing, gives some, holds well, and is non-corrosive. 😉 it is completely reusable and as far as I can tell lasts for ever.
Isn’t the receiver aluminum? 😯
The magnets may take me an hour to inlet and install in the cheek piece, but I enjoy that type of “chore” and will be happier with the outcome. I don’t like the idea of glues, sticky things on my rifle. Plus those neodynium magnets are insanely strong for their size, I should literally be able to lift the cricket by the cheek piece once they’re in- not that I’m going to.
Damn it man – it´s all Duct Tape nowadays ! :fishinghole:
Groups seemed about the same whether I had the longer Carbon Fiber shroud on or the original cricket shroud. Not sure what type of baffles the cf one had.
I thought it was strange that I shot such a tight group immediately after putting the original cricket shroud back on, thats why I made a point to include that info, not because one shroud was more accurate than the other.
As long as there is no clipping or issues, shrouds won’t effect accuracy.
Haggard616, do you mean that groups with a custom silencer are more tight? What kind of sliencer do you have? Carbon one? What kind of baffles?
Congrats on your new gun!
I have a 22 and just love it. Accuracy is unbelievable. Shot count high, quiet, and just about everything I like is in that gun.
The one annoying thing is the mag loading system and that small lever resetting preventing cycling and having to remember to set it again after every mag load. So you are not alone on hating this part, but I got used to it.
Awny
Ive got one of these coming myself. Cant wait.
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Yup, they do. Actually talontunes was just having a sale on them-12.99$ a tin. It may still be going on.
The new Predator “MetalMags” aren’t available in .25
at least not yet..