My new LBT mold and Lee dies came in yesterday
Just got the mold and sizer die in and cast up a few to see what they look like.
They drop out at .256-.257 and from 20-1 weigh 55 grains.
It is a LBT airgun design with his WFN.
The Lee sizing die came in also, it took nearly 3 months to get the custom sizing die.
They are shown here on a handmade A. Boruk blade bordered by Kings.
Regards.
Roachcreek
All Replies
Roach,
What length of barrel is on your two different .25’s??? For me I still have a long way to go before I can shoot these or Jerry’s slugs at any kind of speeds I am looking far…
The one barrel in .25″ I have is 18″. Does put somewhat a limit to things and getting any kind of shot count LOL
Best velcoity I got out of the gun so far is 960 FPS with the 57 grain bullets, that is 117 FPE.
When I do everything right, meaning keeping the PSI between 3000 and 3200PSI, I am getting .80 inch 5 shot groups at 30 yards.
Due to the nature of the rifle and its power, I have replaced the 5×15 Tactical 3200 with the Burris 2×7.
I am using a Airarcher hammer, modified Airarcher spring and AF Breech. The Top Hat is at .13 and the PW at 0.
Regards,
Roachcreek
MR NEWBIE,
Now that more parts or upgrades have come out, like the MADDOG series of stocks, My condor is up for “RECONSIDERATION” of modification. I’ve decided that “IF” i do it, it will become a 9 mm permanently. It’s 25 now but more then likely will change it. A total makeover. With little to no frameflex, it would be worth it. But as of right now, DAMN IT, i don’t like to miss cause of the gun. THATS PEAVES ME TO NO END.
And yes, i definitely understand the “TINKERERS” thing. I went crazy when i first got my TALON, it soon became a CONDOR…lol
Same here guys, I got my Condor and I don’t expect to buy another, least no plans too… That said, it would be a really hard thing for me to sell my Condor also, I might trade her for another rifle I wanted but it would be an exceptional rifle for me to even think about trading the Condor…
I am just a gearhead at heart and love messing around with the Bird…
Your slugs read as if they have real promise man… Real promise… Good for you man!!!
I also bought a Rapid that I absolutely love the darn thing, it having the 12 shot magazine(.22) and ever bit and more as easy to modify and build into what ever you think you want, whats not to love by a gearhead LOL…
Its just got lots better quality parts and repeats itself shot to shot… I have a .25 Rapid magazine also, they one thing I am not so big on with the magazine might be the OAL of projectile you can load in them… They are quite limited when you start looking at shooting slugs. I don’t think it would be that far out of the ability to make a magazine that would be able to load up longer projectiles, and cut the receiver out to except them, if the need was really in the scope LOL…
I really think the weakest point in my Condor as she is now is the trigger, mine being all my own build from 400 series stainless parts as it is now and I still just don’t like the trigger arrangement at all… I have made over travel stop and removed the safety which I really hate not having on a rifle I like to carry hunting, but the safety just flat out interferred with how the trigger operation went through its fire for affect…
Still you gotta’ love the Condor I have, and all the others guys that shoot one. You are a great group of guys to hang around and share this and that with!!! Now that would exclude those darn spammers I hope to be seeing less and less of LOL… Those guys with the England location posted and always posting some BS, or hyper linking something about sneakers or whatever… LOL… Those guys are way to gay for me and any of you guys LOL…
Look forward to getting to droooool all over your slugs more and more as your next post reports on how they improve with each batch…
Don’t know much if anything but what I read about the Royale or the Daystate rifles… I did get lucky enough to buy me and Dawson Receiver and one of Chip’s- CTS-stock, and look forward to buying up the rest of the components to build it up to my next PCP… The Dawson just doesn’t show any signs of weak or less than perfect areas in how it builds…
The caliber is the single area I am not certain about the build on my Dawson, something like these slugs of yours and how they work out and how the Jerry slugs work as well, will directly reflect my choice on caliber…
Thanks for sharing all your info on these slugs man and good luck with all the testing…
Well said Mr Newbie.
I would not be doing this cast bullet thing with a MCT or a Royale.
Perhaps with a Sumatra like I said.
JD,
The thing on the lead on the barrel chamber. I have a barrel I purchased from Tagdagger, it has a unaltered lead, the Kings snap in and have to be removed with a cleaning rod. There is no way I could seat these slugs with finger pressure.
I could probably push them in with the flat side of a chisel or a metal ruler, but that deforms them and affects flight.
So to all of you guys who want me to send you bullets, I would be happy to, but unless you wish to alter your barrel lead, your better off with Jerry’s slugs in the new 50 grain version, these things will not go in your chamber.
If you have two 25’s like I do and one is dedicated to cast bullets, and you want to cast bullets for self sufficiency, which may be what Mr Newbie is refering to, I can send you some once I catch up.
Perhaps Kings will work still in this barrel, but the direction I am going now, the fire control system will push Kings far beyond what is considered an accurate speed.
Regards,
Roachcreek
RC, you buy that damned ROYAL or DAYSTATE and i swear you will never shoot the Condor let alone buy more parts for it. Thats exactly why i retired mine…….I GOT A RAPID……outta frustration.
Boy do I want an FX Royal or a Daystate Ranger, in fact I want one and its on my list. Sometime next spring.
But, if I just had a point and shoot gun..what fun would that be?
A gun that shoots perfect every time, no tinkering ever..borring.
The AF guns are what they are, a great 500$ gun that is highly customizable, can shoot from 12fp all the way up to 120fp.
They can shoot pretty darn good out to 60-70 yards. There is just no
other gun than you can (have to) modify as much. All fun
Bullets, I’m going to ask Santa for some.
LOL,
RC, you buy that damned ROYAL or DAYSTATE and i swear you will never shoot the Condor let alone buy more parts for it. Thats exactly why i retired mine…….I GOT A RAPID……outta frustration.
Marvin,
Yeah I hear you Marvin. 🙄
I have been searching the Yellow for the good deal on a Royale or Wolf, a Huntsman got my attention until I checked the performance on AOA.
I do love taking the Condor apart and working on it, but at times the build quality, pretaining to its adaptability to adding horsepower, is madding and I swear I will never buy anothe, then I buy some more parts.
Regards,
Roachcreek
I came to a point of more money dumped into my condor . Thinking longer barrel . But I spent the money on a 28 inch 25 caliber barrel for my 201 and I am glad I did .Good luck Marvin
RC,
How do they seat by hand into the barrel (hard,easy etc.)?
JD
Well I cast up about 150 of the bullets out of 40-1, that alloy puts them out at about 57 to 58 grains.
I was holding the ladle directly against the sprue plate to insure that I got filled out bases.
Now that was a mistake, it resulted in finned bullets that put a deposit of lead inbetween the blocks so that I only got about 75 bullets that I wanted to keep.
I sized them to .255 and lubed them with ATF, and went out to shoot them with my Condor with a stock hammer and breech, and a heavier spring that I modified from a AirArcher spring. I had a AF tophat and a RL stem.
I had gotten over 1020 FPS with this set up a few months ago using the RCBS 52 grain bullets. But they were undersized also.
These bullets want to shoot. With flyers at 30 yards I get groups around one inch, with 4 being into .6 to.5 inch. I got a few .8 5 shot groups and one .6 inch 5 shot group.
Then I was greeted by the sound of hissing air whistling down my bore, been there done that knew what it was.
Scratch one RL valve stem. Could be why the velocity was not sterling also, 860 FPS with the 58 grainers, if it was restricting air flow while slowly collasping. When I disassembled the valve, the stem was crooked and would not allow the valve seat to contact the valve body square.
I keep a few spare parts around 😯 so I had another stock stem and a custom one peice stem laying around in addition to a complete Condor valve also, plus 6 or 7 spare seats, so I got it up and running.
To make a long story short, I got some groups that hovered around a half inch and a lot of 1 inch groups at 30 yards with a stem on its way to uncunting at a hair under 100 FPE.
I suspect that as I harden the alloy up the groups will shrink even more.
I started this project looking for a home cast bullet to take coyote sized animals out to 70 yards.
I have been thinking lately of purchasing a Sumatra, get the barrel altered for a lead compatable with these bullets and see what they will do in it. I have a Sumatra 25 caliber cylinder on hand and they fit well.
Regards,
Roachcreek
The Lyman pot is heating up as I type this.
I got the MOld from LBT and the dies from Lee Precision.
Lets see how they shoot first boys and see if the barrel has to be altered to take only this bullet to work.
I got the 52 grainers in the 1020 FPS range.
Regards,
Roachcreek
Were did you buy the mold and dies?
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Rowdy,
The barrel I shoot the cast bullets from is a 24 inch barrel.
I have a 18 inch barrel that I am going to put in a Talon frame with Condor/Airarcher valving as soon as my order from AF comes in today or Monday.
The 18 inch barrel is mainly for Kings, which to me makes sence, it seems with the 24 inch barrel and Kings your always fighting velocity anyway.
Regards,
Roachcreek