Is the .25 cal LW barrel accurate in just 12 Inches length?

[pramodsid]

Every once in a while I get this question, “Are shorter barrels accurate out of a PCP Airgun”

I have always believed and said, yes they are mighty accurate at shorter lengths and
would perform the same competing with longer barrels or even better due to lesser barrel harmonics.

Kindly note we are not debating power here as most of us know that PCP Airguns
shoot at higher velocities as the length increases thereby increase in power.


Imp Note: This conclusion is only pertaining to PCP Airguns and as it comes to Springer’s or firearms, the finding would differ.

So for performing our tests I have taken an Airforce Talon frame with a 12 Inches LW barrel in .25 cal.

Couple of modifications have been done to upgrade the power.
Modifications were done to upgrade the power and not to improve accuracy.
They do shoot well out of the box but these are the wild pcp’s and do need to be tamed.

Now that’s the price you pay for a wild pcp, over a tamed FX which comes with all goodies ready to go.
I could point out the PRO’s and CONS in both but that would be a different topic altogether.

Let’s stick to the subject here.

This one in 12inches barrel length shoots at higher power than the stock FX royale 500 in .25 cal.
I have the numbers but don’t want to share them for all good reasons.

Appreciate if you folks would co-operate here and for those discussions, kindly stick to PM’S.

However I did mention the power at which it performs, if you read between the above lines.
All these power tests have been done over a chronograph.

Best I have indoors is 10 meters, so that’s the best of what I could make for now.

See the results for yourself for a 5 shot group.
The Original Video had to be edited as the size was 596MB.
I cropped off the part in between and the resultant video goes like this.

[YouTube]8kTaHxkQeME[/YouTube]

[youtube][/youtube]

Here you go with some measurements of the groups.







What better than comparing the groups to one of our new rupee coin?



Kindly note these domed or semi domed pellet do not punch accurate holes into paper like the wad cutters do.
So these groups seem real tight to me, what we call “Hole-n-Hole”

I have Also attached a video for the Sound difference with a Tony Shroud and without a Tony Shroud.
The sound test was done in a closed 10X10 sq. feet room which is injustice to the real world sound report.
I do not have a decibel meter for the exact sound reading and so that’s the best for now.
It’s much more silent in the open with the shroud.

Note:- Do remember to adjust your speaker Volume.

[youtube][/youtube]

Length Factor:

As you can see below the whole length with Tony shroud is 37 Inches in length.
And you have a quieter, shorter, powerful pcp than a FX Royale 500.

I keep talking about the FX royale as that’s another pcp I have extensively worked upon.



The length of the setup without the Tony Shroud is 28 Inches in Length.
If sound doesn’t matter to you.
Ordinarily I personally don’t think there is another pcp package out there this short and powerful.



Until Next time....Best I could Chime...

[Biren]

Hi Pramod...Thanks for sharing your expereince. I was looking for one such review. These are results at 10 m indoor, where surrounding factors like wind etc are known but since these pcps are meant to shoot targets at say 40 m and more...outdoor. How this helps shooting at 10m target indor in determining accuracy?

Anyway any good barrel has to be accurate with distence being one of important criteria.

You are very knowledegable when it comes to PCP specially airforce condor. Why donnt you write your experience about owning and using one.

Rgds,
Biren

[pramodsid]

Yes Biren,

Deep inside I want to be writing full length reviews with detailed pics and lots more.

Living in an urban surrounding, I have to wait for an opportunity which comes once in a month or 2 and that to having to drive to my friends farm which is a 4 hour drive to and fro.

Again If I happen to make it, I have to carry too much gear and time and patience to write a review like the one I did.

This one took me 4-5 hours right from setting up the scope cam that too just because all this was indoors.
When it’s outdoors setting up the gear would be twice as difficult. Moreover it is raining every now and then out here.

Since you brought the range topic, The .25 being the heavier cal doges the wind better and this one I have tested upto 56 yards and the groups are really tight. If I were to shoot at real long distances like 80 yards plus then I like the longer barrels for the extra power and still heavier pellet for even better accuracy.

Oh yes something about the condor if you like competing at longer ranges, having a chrony is a must or borrow one or go to the range share a chrony with your friend and find the sweet spot in your Airgun.
These valves in the Airforce open up quite a bit and gush out a lot of air.
You need to play with the perfect power wheel setting and top hat spacing to get between both worlds and you will get a 35 to 40 shot consistent string. This is very important for outdoors at longer ranges and will influence accuracy just like wind affects.

One thing I know for sure 10 LW barrels which are good might like its own pellet, and will shoot most accurate with that pellet.
Buy a sampler and shoot to know your barrel.

I would have to write a book on Airforce Airguns and for that I would have to write my brain out and I don’t think I have that much time to devote.
Moreover I like to play around with these airguns more than I like to write.

You may ask specific questions though and I would be happy to answer here, where the answer would be short

In a nutshell, all who wanted Airforce platform bought them for the raw power, the capabilities of being modular, upgrades can be performed by end user. Hell lot of upgrades pouring from all across the globe. Length can be adjusted from shortest to longest. Many more at the back of my mind.

[Biren]

Dear promod,

Whats the best combination when it comes to power and accuracy in air force condor? Also the max one can shoot with accuracy as per your experience.

Rgds,
Biren

[pramodsid]

Dear Biren,

Okay let me share my experiences with power and accuracy on the condor.
I shoot max up to 100 yards with the condor and can get some real tight groups with the .25 cal.
I do get them with the jsb exact in 18gr in .22 cal too, but that’s on a sunny day with no wind affecting my shooting.

In the .25 setup if you are limiting the speeds between 870~900fps the jsb exacts will perform very accurately.
The Kodiaks in 31gr love it at higher speeds and will hold an inch or 2 at 100 yards. (keep it below 1000 fps)
The Europe ones are called Barracuda and I found the performance to be same or marginally different.
If you want to pack a punch and are not worried about your groups opening upto one or 2 inches at 60~80 yards, you must see the
41gr eun jin or so called sam yang in action. They hit like a hammer.
Even worse is if you get your hands onto some slugs for the condor, but accuracy is debated over choked and unchoked barrels when it comes to accuracy with slugs.
Differs from barrel to barrel and a lot of mixed report there.

The heavier the pellet and higher the BC, the better it doges the wind.
Hits with a punch
That’s the only reason I would choose .25 over a .22

If you overpower a condor which you can then you must be shooting slugs in the 60~80gr range so it brings it
down to 900 fps and you have the best combination of power and accuracy.

All the lighter pellets like jsb,kodiaks/baracuda etc will not perform accurately at speeds beyond 1000 fps.
The Eun jin 43gr surprisingly like it above 1000 fps

I live in an urban area and would never attempt to use these condors around here, sees the light only at my friends farm which is the safest place I have found to shoot it. For anything backyard I have a sub 18~22 foot pound compact condor which I had modified and it does all what it meant to do.(Its does all that with just 8” of barrel )

I am not a firearm guy and have least exposure or experiences with one, but I would always treat a condor with the same safety rules of a firearm.

These are all my personal experience over a couple of thousand pellets ......Good Day !!!!

PS: Off Topic: It took me so many years just to study one pcp extensively. I wonder how you geeks manage to know so much about firearms and cartridges and its history. It’s an ocean and I always feel lost when people talk more about it.