Benjamin Bulldog Power Upgrade?

[Wannab12]

I'm just getting into air gunning and have a question about Pyramyd Air Power upgrade service. If you were buying a Benjamin Bulldog would you go ahead and get the $149 power upgrade? Being a service it doesn't appear you can leave reviews and I hate to pay for it if it's not really worth it. I'll post the text from their page below.

Benjamin Bulldog Power Upgrade

• For Benjamin Bulldog .357 PCP Air Rifle
• Capable of increasing muzzle energy by 15-30 ft. lbs depending on ammo selection.

JSB 81 gr. .35 caliber

• Before: 149 FPE
• After: 185 FPE

Nosler 145 gr.

• Before: 206 FPE
• After: 224 FPE

 

[Airgun Advisor]

Not sure what they do, but PitBull Airguns has a good reputation for upgrading the Benjamin Bulldog.

 

[ImpactX]

If you want more power why not the airforce texan. It can go up to 700 ft lb. Enough to kill an elephant if needed.

 

[Wannab12]

I'm not opposed to a Texan, I just bought a used Talon and I like it. With the current offer there's about a $500 difference in price, $350 if I add the "power upgrade"

 

[TheLakeRat]

What they are doing is pretty simple stuff as far as "tuning" goes. They are doing a very basic porting job and tightening the hammer spring.

I've only had one of their "tuned" guns apart but I can tell you that Pitbull Airguns and just about any Airgun smith goes with a larger port and better smoothing of the port.

Of course they are going to charge more too so...

 

[tkerrigan]

Here's a posting on how to do the upgrade yourself with more power resulting. Regards, Tom

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=107531.0

Sorry in advance if links not permitted. Regards, Tom

 

[thetoyman]

Best mod to improve accuracy of the Bulldog? Thank you

 

[bthurman]

Purchase 3 factory front barrel supports. Cut off the muzzle end of support /remove the flat in the support diameter and shape to the diameter of the barrel. Use 3 at equal distant points on the barrel and use the front barrel support. The bulldog barrel Outer Diameter has a slight taper to it. I have opened the diameters in supports to match specific points on the barrel. This way when you slide the shroud back the supports will not go back past there diameter on the barrel so you can pick exactly where you want them to sit. I suggest using the factory supports as I have found they are the best at maintaining proper barrel aligment and you can precisly fit the location.

 

[Kinetic45]

Although I decided to go with the Pitbull company re-worked Bulldog instead of doing it myself as I did not have the time, at the time. I went with the Mega version but If I had it to do over I would get the longer tubed 'Unleashed' version' They did good work and quick too, 11 days as they promised https://www.pitbullairguns.com/

And here is a link to a thread where you can learn about DIY the Bulldog upgrade to a Pitbull (sort of)

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=148299.0

Here's the Pitbull Mega with my DIY camo job

 

[Wannab12]

This is how things get out of control. I came here trying to decide if I should go from $650 to $800 now I'm trying to decide between $650 and $1500

 

[steveoh]

Personally I like to start with a 100% stock air rifle and just shoot until I understand what works and what doesn’t in terms of ammo, pressure, etc. This way I have a known baseline. You’ll want a chrony, so you can determine what your current power level is, FPS, and how many usable shots you can get per fill.

Next consideration is how are you going to fill the gun? Pump, tank, tank and compressor? It can get mighty expensive mighty quick. Big bores suck air and pumping by hand sucks balls. That’s how I started out. Got old real quick. 

 

[thetoyman]

Thank you everyone, for all the great info.

 

[Kinetic45]

FYI on the subject of when you up the power of a Bulldog, what to shoot?

Got an email from Al at NOE that he has done another batch of molds which has been out of stock for a couple of months. This slug was designed for .357 Slayers (and other high powered .357 airguns like Texans and Pitbulls, etc).

Designed to expand at the lower air rifle velocities but have low bore friction which robs speed it also has, because of its length and weight a good BC. 

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=35_590

 

[steveoh]

Although I decided to go with the Pitbull company re-worked Bulldog instead of doing it myself as I did not have the time, at the time. I went with the Mega version but If I had it to do over I would get the longer tubed 'Unleashed' version' They did good work and quick too, 11 days as they promised https://www.pitbullairguns.com/

And here is a link to a thread where you can learn about DIY the Bulldog upgrade to a Pitbull (sort of)

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=148299.0

Here's the Pitbull Mega with my DIY camo job

That is one awesome camo job!

 

[Ezana4CE]

Also checkout Veradium Air for Bulldog tunes. Here’s a link to details about their Bulldozer tune. https://www.veradiumair.com/bull_d.html

Also checkout the Taurus https://www.veradiumair.com/term_1.html

 

[Fatmike]

I'd look into an aea challenger. Great guns for the money. Wood stock and not nearly as ugly as the bulldog. With the money saved you can experiment with more kinds of ammo. I do have a bulldog and a challenger and like them both. The bulldog seems a bit low on power but that was fixed with a pitbull hammer spring.

 

[dasman]

I'd look into an aea challenger. Great guns for the money. Wood stock and not nearly as ugly as the bulldog. With the money saved you can experiment with more kinds of ammo. I do have a bulldog and a challenger and like them both. The bulldog seems a bit low on power but that was fixed with a pitbull hammer spring.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :^)

 

[Cheplicki]

my guess is there just adding the $20 power spring... u can get the same power by ordering a spring yourself form pitbull.. drilling out the port will give u 50-75 fpe more

 

[Kinetic45]

Brian at Veridium Air is doing a lot more than just drilling out the port and changing a spring. Here's his description of what he does.

"Ok top to bottom. On the Taurus

Barrel reworked ie cleaned polished recrowned. Chamber worked as required. Barrels slugged for sizing Tensioned barrel system that includes harmonic testing and balncers located on barrel. The barrel system is shrouded with hi mus carbon fiber and then tensioned. A functioning muzzle brake finishes out barrel.

The valve is system is reworked to our specs. An new hp air tank*. Internal plenum**. Machining and Polishing air passage.

Polish hammer and hammer bore. Beefed up hammer spring. Light weight heavy duty cocking handle.

The shroud sytem is reworked***

In 2 different layouts the LR or S R. Long rail or short rail. There are a few other tricks i do that i don't reveal. Bu this is the basic. And it is covered in black camo or we do the realtree camo. The third pic is a custom design i did for a client."

The Taurus puts out 360 FPE with a 180 gr slug

The Bulldozer puts out 320 with a 180 gr slug

* Note that he's installing not only a higher pressure tank-tube but also it's LONGER so more air volume/shots

** I think this is a combination plenum / depinger assembly

*** I think he means where he machines the factory shroud and cuts away a lot of it, leaving a long or short rail for sight sys

Sorry, having trouble attaching the photos he sent me I'll try again after I rework it

well, got the pics loaded but they didn't load in order, sigh

 

[dasman]

That is Brian's work in my post above. That's the Taurus.