Daystate Building a Blackwolf for HFT

[cavedweller]

We will get to the Blackwolf in a second but first some background.
I enjoy all Airgun related activities. Besides trying to start a new airgun range and field target club in the Mobile Alabama area called, S.A.G.E. short for Southern Air Gun Enthusiasts. I also enjoy helping new shooters get started and helping them discover what they like and often i help them find and set up their stuff. It's not as painful helping other people spend "their money". I'll post some pictures this weekend as time permits.

My newest shooter is 78 years young; he's in great health but he is still 78. After trying all my different (i have "20" too many) PCP air rifles he decided most all of them were just too heavy. Money wasn't a problem so he wanted something snazzy, and lighter.
Weight considered, the closest option i had that was to his liking was my Redwolf L.P. version with a 300 CC bottle; the turkish walnut is the lightest stock for a Redwolf. This RW currently has a pretty big Sightron S3 on top.

Hmmm... pause

In steps the Blackwolf in the entry level model. I suggested and he agreed to place a pre-inventory order with AOA 2 - months back? It arrived late last night 10 April 2025 too late to play with or take pictures. AOA had already done the hard work. They Tuned it Down for HFT <20 FPE and kindly shared their experience in doing this tune along the way. I already shared some of this tune info in another thread called Blackwolf Information.

The first thing i noticed at 3:30 a.m. this morning, during some initial setup, was just how light this PCP was.
AOA put a 300 CC btl on it per request to keep the weight down.
With the Athlon scope and wheel shown, the all in weight is 10 lbs 3 ounces. which includes a PRS single shot loader and a PRS M-Lok to UIT adapter.

The second thing i noticed was: you better use medium, or better yet, HIGH scope rings.
I initially tried my ol “slam the scope down as close to the barrel as you can, using low mount rings. No worky, the 50 mm bell on the Athlon Ares BTR Gen3 HD 2.5-15x50 using low rings the bell was probably going to touch once the pic rings were tightend up. I ended up temporarily using some Eagle Vision 30mm inf adjust rings i had laying around and they worked fine.

Ares BTR GEN3 HD 2.5-15x50 APRS13 Riflescope

When you want the best features from the top-tier rifle scope but not break the bank, look no further than the new Ares BTR line of scopes.

athlonoptics.com

This particular Athlon scope may get replaced with the Maven RS.5 4-24x50mm in SFP depending on which scope reticle and weight the end user likes prefers. https://mavenbuilt.com/collections/riflescopes/products/rs-5-4-24x50-sfp?variant=38111355240619

Even in a <20 FPE tune this .177 had a BARK. So after trying several different moderators I chose the Weihrauch moderator as it IS the quietest option that i had. https://www.airgunspares.com/weihrauch15unfweihrauchsilencer12unf.html

got off early today and went straight to work on the Blackwolf.

First thing was to chronograph it to see if it was Hft legal.

reg pressure was at 120
power wheel was at 10

jsb 13.43’s were flying around 915 FPS.
Too hot for Hft so I began turning down the power wheel and at 6 I hit the sweet spot of 815 FPS….

Based on experience with my Ghost, I chose 30 yards as my starting point for zero; and it was a good choice.
I had a 5-7 mph wind right to left but was still able to lock it in Within a click or two. I’ll fine tune or adjust a click or two later when the wind disappears.

The Blackwolf did not disappoint!

25 shots at 30 yards… see picture - those are 1/8” blocks. 4 outliers out of 25 from a wee bit of a wiggly bench. I made no attempt to correct for the wind.
This wolf likes the JSB 13.43 exacts.
45 shots were avg of 813.8 FPS on my Garmin C1 chrono

I found it easy to get a good eye box, on the bench, but there isn’t much room on the Blackwolf to move things around unless you have some sort of adapter.

This Blackwolf, as tuned, is very air efficient. If time permits this weekend I’ll try to get a full shot count from a 230 bar fill to the reg setting at 120 bar.
i did create a basic dope chart from 10 - 30 yards by taking actual shots and every shot by the 1/2 yard was very predictable and consistent.

 

[Gear_Junkie]

Looking forward to hearing more about this - THANKS!

 

[cavedweller]

Looking forward to hearing more about this - THANKS!

I would say that this Blackwolf will be a stellar HFT rig.

 

[davestr2]

Is this the 17-inch barrel? I'm waiting for mine. They only have a 23-inch, but I want 17-inch?

 

[cavedweller]

Is this the 17-inch barrel? I'm waiting for mine. They only have a 23-inch, but I want 17-inch?

Yes this is the 17” model
AOA didn’t think they could slow the 23” version down enough to be HFT legal.

 

[cavedweller]

Yes this is the 17” model
AOA didn’t think they could slow the 23” version down enough to be HFT legal.
View attachment 554826

AOA reports being able to get low power, but even the lightest (white) spring was "too strong" at low reg pressures of 80-90bar and they reported getting zero velocity change with the PWR wheel; and mentioned it was still using a lot of air and sounded wasteful (and didn't shoot great).

to create this HFT legal <20 fpe model
They ended up using the transfer port from the UK sub12 guns with everything else the same and it worked perfectly.

This BW reg is set at 120 and pwr wheel at 6 sending jsb 13.43‘s at 815 fps

AOA installed the low power TP but included the HP one, so we could use either. The conversion is simple, the transfer port is a brass piece threaded onto the barrel - all you would need to do is remove the barrel and swap out the transfer ports. But the HP TP would run the pellets to hot for HFT.

 

[cavedweller]

AOA reports being able to get low power, but even the lightest (white) spring was "too strong" at low reg pressures of 80-90bar and they reported getting zero velocity change with the PWR wheel; and mentioned it was still using a lot of air and sounded wasteful (and didn't shoot great).
to create this HFT legal <20 fpe model
They ended up using the transfer port from the UK sub12 guns with everything else the same and it worked perfectly.
my reg is set at 120 and pwr wheel at 6 sending jsb 13.43‘s at 815 fps

AOA plans to include the high power transfer port as well as the low power one so customers can use either. The conversion is simple, the transfer port is a brass piece threaded onto the barrel - all you would need to do is remove the barrel and swap out the transfer ports.

I’m supposed to be driving to Baton Rouge LA today for an Hft shoot but thanks to a certain puppy dog last night, not happening guess I’ll have to finish what I started yesterday…. Setting up this BW.
I hope Norman likes the Athlon Ares Gen3 reticle? Otherwise I’ll be switching the scope to the Maven … old eyes don’t like thin crowded reticles; we shall see.

 

[cavedweller]

I’m supposed to be driving to Baton Rouge LA today for an Hft shoot but thanks to a certain puppy dog last night, not happening guess I’ll have to finish what I started yesterday…. Setting up this BW.
I hope Norman likes the Athlon Ares Gen3 reticle? Otherwise I’ll be switching the scope to the Maven … old eyes don’t like thin crowded reticles; we shall see.

So we’ve tried 3 different scopes on this BW. The Athlon mentioned above and then the Sightron S-Tac which has a much thicker reticle and brought the weight down to 9 lb 6 ounces. we also tried a Athlon Heras 6-24x56 at 10 lb 3 ounces.
of note:
not all picatinny mounting surfaces are machined and created equally.
lesson learned-I took a scope off a ghost monorail and thought I could drop it right in the BW pic rail, seemed like a fit but when I started to tighten the rings to the rail something was affecting pellet probe / feed cycling.
I ended up having to loosen the scope in the ring mounts completely before tightening the scope rings to the picatinny rail to prevent something from tweaking the BW pellet feed?
Odd, but glad I discovered how tight the tolerances were before snugging it down to spec.
The BW has at least 400 rounds through it and continues to group nicely out to 55 yards - 25 rounds all within a 1” box Even with the wind blowing.

 

[Hobbyman2007]

So we’ve tried 3 different scopes on this BW. The Athlon mentioned above and then the Sightron S-Tac which has a much thicker reticle and brought the weight down to 9 lb 6 ounces. we also tried a Athlon Heras 6-24x56 at 10 lb 3 ounces.
of note:
not all picatinny mounting surfaces are machined and created equally.
lesson learned-I took a scope off a ghost monorail and thought I could drop it right in the BW pic rail, seemed like a fit but when I started to tighten the rings to the rail something was affecting pellet probe / feed cycling.
I ended up having to loosen the scope in the ring mounts completely before tightening the scope rings to the picatinny rail to prevent something from tweaking the BW pellet feed?
Odd, but glad I discovered how tight the tolerances were before snugging it down to spec.
The BW has at least 400 rounds through it and continues to group nicely out to 55 yards - 25 rounds all within a 1” box Even with the wind blowing.

Not sure if this applies to what you saw but here’s a quick link. https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/wet-mounting-a-scope.1326504/

 

[cavedweller]

Not sure if this applies to what you saw but here’s a quick link. https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/wet-mounting-a-scope.1326504/

Thanks for the link… I read that and thought… wow.
it’s easy to be lazy
BUT
its best to begin mounting a scope from scratch; it’s really the best way.

The Blackwolf is a stellar shooter… I underestimated it.
Not as good as the Redwolf but better than the Wolverine‘s air efficiency and ergonomics. It’s not as adaptable as our ghosts either but it’s really a ghost in a traditional rifle format.
this BW deserves a nicer scope than I anticipated.

 

[davestr2]

Big statements. Can you be more specific?

 

[cavedweller]

Big statements. Can you be more specific?

Depends on what you want me to be more specific about. But I'll try.

I'm 3-4 days into setting up and playing with the BW and since i have 2 Ghosts with all available calibers, and three Redwolfs; one is .25 for EFT, and two Wolverines, including a wolverine sapphire, i have direct ownership and setup comparisons to offer...
I must mention that my general use of airguns is more directed towards field target 10-55 yards and usually in .177 caliber although i have a .20 Raw pistol for pistol HFT and A Brocock Commander XR Pistol for pistol EFT.

Regarding comparing to the Wolverine it is easy... the ability to adjust reg pressure and hammer spring tension easy peasy and the restriction on T.P. limitations have been addressed and you get an adjustable cheek comb and a M-lok accesory spot on the forend.

Regarding comparing to the Ghost, the ergonomics of a traditional rifle tend to be easier to reduce the center of scope to center of barrel and thus it gets easier to achieve a repeatable eyebox. However, the quick change artist we call the "Ghost". remains king of the quick change world.

Regarding the Redwolf, the RW's electronic valve system does rule on air efficiency and a VERY gentle shot cycle (i like quiet and smooth) and with no hammer spring being cocked, it doesn't get any easier or quieter.

Please remember that i am comparing the most basic BW model in .177 to the other platforms i own.

I do think the BW is shooting so well, it could easily use a pricier scope to improve ranging ability / distance estimation.
All this and with the Sighton S-Tac 4-20x50 scope, and selecting a 300 cc bottle, i was under 10 lbs all in weight.
Depending on how this new FT shooter feels about the S-Tac, we may or may not upgrade... his eyeballs are not my eyeballs.

Hope that helps.

 

[cavedweller]

Not sure if this applies to what you saw but here’s a quick link. https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/wet-mounting-a-scope.1326504/

The quick change (i tried to do albeit lazy and stupid in retorspect) was taking a scope off the Monorail you see below which has a 20 MOA feature built into the rail - very stiff.

I did NOT loosen the Burris 30 mm 6 bolt rings around the scope tube body; i just removed the scope at the rail.

The Blackwolf has a 20 MOA feature built into the top of the action also, but it's achieved differently ? than the monorail? and the action is split front to back for magazine insertion and the rear is where the pellet probe comes from.
When i began to tighten the Burris rings down i notice something just wasn't quite right (kind of a feeling) so i cycled the bolt and I noticed it was becoming harder to cycle or stiffer.

hmmm.

So i loosened the front Burris ring at the pic rail, the pellet probe cycling returned to normal... ah ha.

Not being a complete lugnut, i loosened up everything on the scope, or you could say i started over and first reset the Rings in their new home and then dropped the scope in and slowly snugged things up, voila, smooth silky cycle again.

lesson learned - don't be lazy... when moving a scope... start from the beginning.

 

[davestr2]

Depends on what you want me to be more specific about. But I'll try.

I'm 3-4 days into setting up and playing with the BW and since i have 2 Ghosts with all available calibers, and three Redwolfs; one is .25 for EFT, and two Wolverines, including a wolverine sapphire, i have direct ownership and setup comparisons to offer...
I must mention that my general use of airguns is more directed towards field target 10-55 yards and usually in .177 caliber although i have a .20 Raw pistol for pistol HFT and A Brocock Commander XR Pistol for pistol EFT.

Regarding comparing to the Wolverine it is easy... the ability to adjust reg pressure and hammer spring tension easy peasy and the restriction on T.P. limitations have been addressed and you get an adjustable cheek comb and a M-lok accesory spot on the forend.

Regarding comparing to the Ghost, the ergonomics of a traditional rifle tend to be easier to reduce the center of scope to center of barrel and thus it gets easier to achieve a repeatable eyebox. However, the quick change artist we call the "Ghost". remains king of the quick change world.

Regarding the Redwolf, the RW's electronic valve system does rule on air efficiency and a VERY gentle shot cycle (i like quiet and smooth) and with no hammer spring being cocked, it doesn't get any easier or quieter.

Please remember that i am comparing the most basic BW model in .177 to the other platforms i own.

I do think the BW is shooting so well, it could easily use a pricier scope to improve ranging ability / distance estimation.
All this and with the Sighton S-Tac 4-20x50 scope, and selecting a 300 cc bottle, i was under 10 lbs all in weight.
Depending on how this new FT shooter feels about the S-Tac, we may or may not upgrade... his eyeballs are not my eyeballs.

Hope that helps.

Perfect shooting competition will reply tonight. Thanks

 

[davestr2]

Aa awesome. I shot Alpha Wolves. I am also a team member of AAA. I have sold Ghost, they are great. I got one for a client from the first batch of Black wolves. I think it is a fantastic gun. In 30 Cal, I'm waiting on a 177 for me and a 30. Since last year, all the great guns can now shoot a pellet 50 gr at 950. Before that, they could not even do it with a 45. The wolf came to high reg, and the first shots were pushing a 45 at 980 insane. This platform is excellent for many shooters who like the traditional rifle style. I can help you with better scopes. I am a sightseeing dealer and other scopes. I'm running the 5-40 SVII and the 10 to 60 S, and I love them.

 

[davestr2]

PS , Great thanks for all your info.