Video Chapters (also available in YouTube video description):
0:00 Video Overview and What to Expect
1:33 Airgun Parts You Need to Know (Regulator, Hammer, Hammer Spring, Valve)
3:45 What-Why-How of Airgun Tuning and 120 Yard 34gr Mk2 Pellet Stability Test
4:54 Getting Familiar with the Avenge-X and Airgun Parts Overview
7:55 How Do You Actually Go About Tuning? (Steps you Take)
11:16 Step-By-Step Tune Creation Demo/Walkthrough and the "Tuning Rainbow"
21:03 JSB 25.39gr "910 Tune" and 50 Yard Validation (un-moderated)
23:23 JSB 25.39gr "910 Tune" and 50 Yard Validation (moderated with DonnyFL Ryu)
24:14 JSB 25.39gr "910 Tune" and 120 Yard Stability Test
25:45 JSB 25.39gr "910 Tune" and 50 Yard Validation (moderated with Impulse Air 1350)
28:05 JSB 33.95gr Mk2 "850 Tune" and 50 Yard Validation (un-moderated)
30:22 JSB 33.95gr Mk2 "850 Tune" and 50 Yard Validation (moderated with DonnyFL Yokozuna)
32:27 My Personal Airgun Equipment (tank, valve, tank bag, compressor)
33:10 JSB 33.95gr Mk2 "850 Tune" and 50 Yard Validation (moderated with DonnyFL Ryu)
34:57 NSA 33.5gr Slugs "Max Power Tune" 120 Yard Validation
37:35 Zan Projectiles 33gr Slugs "Max Power Tune" 120 Yard Validation
38:19 NEW Hawke Sidewinder Scope 30FFP 4-16x50 30mm MOA
39:56 Zan Projectiles 30gr Slugs "Max Power Tune" 120 Yard Validation
40:07 Predator GTO 16.5gr Tin Pellet "Eco Tune"
41:50 Video Wrap-Up
Avenge-X Tunes (.25 cal)
Airgun Parts You Need to Know
Regulator - The regulator takes a higher varying air pressure and turns it into a lower steady one.
Valve - The valve takes the steady flow of air coming out of the regulator, and with the help of the hammer, turns it into a metered pulse to push the pellet or slug out of the barrel (plenum).
Hammer - the hammer collides with the valve, briefly opening it, allowing a metered pulse of air to pass into the barrel (hammer spring)
Ballistic Chronograph - a “chrony” uses light sensors or doppler radar to measure the velocity of your projectile at the muzzle, with some models being able to track velocity from muzzle to target as well.
Airgun Tuning - WHAT / WHY / HOW?
What is Tuning?
"It's the process by which we adjust the gun into a state of harmony & accuracy for any ammo or weather conditions."
Why do we do it?
“We tune to control performance, so that we can achieve the best accuracy, power, and efficiency no matter what.”
How do we go about it?
"With an organized approach, we search & test for system harmony (reg/hammer balance points) at an accurate velocity.”
Tuning = Search-Adjust-Control (SAC) for Accuracy - Velocity - Stability - Consistency - Efficiency - Harmonics - Power Output
Tuning Process (same for any adjustable PCP airgun)
The first thing I want you to do is pick a random reg pressure to start out with… don't care what it is, so long as it’s on the lower side of what you’ve heard is good & proper.
Next, I want you to back way-off your hammer spring tension, begin shooting over a chrony, and slowly bring the HS tension up, until your shot-to-shot velocity just begins to stabilize… taking at least 10 shots to be sure.
Now STOP, that newly found HS balance point marks an ideal place to be for the reg pressure you just chose. Take note, you’re close to a sweet spot.
Continue to tighten your HS tension, in ultra small bits at a time now, until you observe your shot-to-shot velocity really tighten up… like within 1-3 fps of one-another. STOP, you’ve arrived.
Don't increase the HS tension much past this balance point, or you’ll cross over into the right side of the tuning rainbow.
Now if you need more or less speed, that’s okay, but go to the reg, not the HS. Try not to use the HS as a velocity control device… for the most part, that’s the regulator’s job! Remember, “the regulator is the master flow control.” The HS is just there to balance the valve out with your reg setting.
If you need more velocity, increase the reg pressure and repeat the above steps to rebalance the HS tension to match. If you need less velocity, reduce the reg pressure and rebalance the hammer spring to match.
Now that you’ve got the basics of how to go about locating balance points between regulator pressure and HS tension, begin testing varying velocities for accuracy… and test at a minimum of 50 yds (75 yards is better).
Along the way, it’s important to rebalance your reg/HS selection for each new velocity tested, otherwise your accuracy results won’t be reliable. And always work the HS from low to high and slowly. Hammering up past the sweet spot is super easy to do.
As you go, repeat the above steps, until you find a velocity at which the projectile becomes its most accurate… and doesn’t hook, wobble, or corkscrew in flight.
Then, go build yourself out a nice clean tune around that speed… it’s that easy.
Key Things to Remember While Tuning Any Airgun
* Let the reg be your velocity throttle, the hammer spring setting just brings the rest of the system into harmony with your chosen reg pressure.
* All you’re doing with tuning is balancing out the forces between your reg pressure and hammer spring tension… at your chosen velocity.
* When searching for a new HS setting to balance out with a new reg pressure setting, always work the HS adjustments from low to high and right up to the point of velocity stabilization and NOT PAST… this will keep you on the left side of the tuning rainbow.
* If you slowly HS your way up the left side of the tuning rainbow, then observe velocity level out, you’ve arrived at that reg pressure's desired HS setting. If you continue to HS past it and observe erratic velocity or sometimes descending velocity, you’ve crossed over to the right side of the rainbow and you’ve overshot the HS balance point for that reg setting.
* Always stay on the left side of the tuning rainbow to avoid erratic fps, hammer bounce, waste air, and accuracy-ruining projectile instability.
* The left side of the rainbow is desirable because it is a place where the reg pressure is quickly closing the valve after the hammer smacks it open, creating a place of efficiency and eliminating turbulence-causing waste air.
* If you want more speed and can’t get there with the Reg/HS in a state of balance (consistent velocity) add more reg, back off the HS, and repeat the process… don’t let the HS be your go-to for increasing velocity. That’s the reg’s job.
* Learn your gun’s "Reg Pressure Road Map" by taking note of the velocity balance point at each reg pressure setting.
* Field tune for the right velocity (for that pellet/slug) in the wind at 50+ yards to ensure that projectile stability is there, then go home and build a clean tune around that speed.
* Obsess over ES & SD not because of shot-to-shot consistency but because the tightness indicates a fast-closing valve with minimum waste air emerging around the projectile as it leaves the barrel.
Golden Rules of Tuning
1) Know the speed needs of your projectile (diabolo vs redesign vs slugs).
2) Stability trumps accuracy (pellets can hook & wobble into one hole at 50 yards, then scatter in the wind or by the time they get to 100).
3) Speed trumps tune (a velocity that gets you accuracy is more important than a tight ES & SD... the pros dial velocity on the fly all the time… find the right speed then build a tune around it).
4) If one wants more or less velocity, go to the reg… that’s your master flow control, not the HS. Only use the HS to balance out the valve with your chosen reg setting.
5) Ammo matters… a lot (find the one the barrel likes and at what speed, and sort for reliable accuracy).
Steve
*For a chance to WIN the Avenge-X and much more follow this LINK to enter the Giveaway.
