.20 cal from the bench
I've admitted before that I'm not a benchrest shooter. In fact, I prefer to shoot from a more active position, usually from a bumbag or from "bucket and sticks." BUT, after some discussion with an airgun friend, I decided to spend some time at the bench with (mostly) the Ghost this evening.
Here is how it went at 35 yards. The two centered groups are with a .20 Veteran. The bigger one was 10 shots, the smaller, a 5 shot group. All the other groups (mostly left side of page) were from the Ghost, and the majority of them are 5 shot groups. Everything at 35 yards (both guns) was with the 13.73grainers at just under 20fpe. There was some turret adjustments going on with the Ghost, as I was trying to figure out wind versus scope zero. The printed circles on this target are 3/8 inch if I remember correctly.
And the next one was all at 50 yards. The left column is 4x10shot groups from the .20 Veteran, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The next (2nd from left) column is 4x10 shot groups from the Ghost, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The wind during those #40, 20fpe shots from the Ghost were the worst of the session-mostly left to right, and you can see that in the groups stretched rightwards. The third column is from the Ghost, but using the .20/15.89 at 915fps for just about 29fpe. The top group in that third column was sighters, the three below it in the same column are 10 shot groups. Check out that first 10 shot group from the 15.89s! That one is probably the best of the session. The 15.89s require hold UNDER at 50 yards with how I have the scope zeroed @ 35 yards with the 13.73s for field target. The final column (far right) was with the .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. The slugs also require hold UNDER at 50 yards. I was struggling to remember the hold under on every shot. For the slugs I shot a variety of group sizes, some are ten, some are 5 shot groups. There are also two, 5 shot slug groups in the margins on the right paper/target trap (one on each side).
As is often the case, the pellets seem to generally be outshooting the slugs at 50 yards. And I'm okay with that and still VERY excited about these .20 slugs. Where I'm seeing the slugs shine is 100+ yards ( and maybe could be argued 75+). And the biggest reason for that is how much more predictable these slugs are when the wind is blowing, which is often. When Tony and I went pdog shooting two or so weeks ago, I was using the 15.89grain pellets for most shots under I dunno, 125 yards or so. And when the rangefinder would come back with what my brain thought of as WAAAAYYY out there, I'd spin the power wheel and grab a slug. I had a tin of 15.89s and a container of the lubed 18.9 slugs open right next to me, and would go back and forth as the current target warranted. It worked WELL!
In this evenings session there were some shots where the wind got me, some pulled shots, and some brain farts about the hold unders for the 15.89 and 18.9 projectiles. But overall it was a fun little exercise. I had the chronograph set up and it was good to shoot a bunch of shots over it, at various tank pressures. By "good" I mean confidence building that the guns are producing tight extreme spreads, and that the three different power wheel settings I use for the Ghost for the three different projectiles I shoot from that .20 barrel are all reliably producing the fps that I'm counting on it to do. And it is.
Three Asides (rather than make additional posts)
First.....I pulled the .20 barrel from the Ghost yesterday and gave it a good cleaning with a one piece rod and tight fitting patches on a jag. I just finished the second 300count box of NSA slugs and thought it prudent to give it a good look see again, based on previous leading up experiences with slugs in other barrels/guns. Here's what I had.....
Left to right, it was clean by the fourth patch. And no lead speckles, which is GREAT news, cuz I'm using Gunzilla as the cleaning agent (and lube) and the Gunzilla will pull the lead if it's there. So this barrel is proof that LW can make an actual barrel that can shoot slugs as well as pellets, and also does not lead up.
Second aside....
I finished up another tin of the .20/13.73s through the Ghost with the above shooting. When I added it to the stack I noted it's getting high, so counted and it's up to 8 tins. I'm less than 50 pellets shy of adding the fifth tin of .20/15.89s to the Ghost stack. And I'm about 75 slugs into the 3rd box.
So, we're talking
Third aside...
I haven't had any issues or complaints with the grip supplied by BRK, and at one point even remember thinking to myself that the factory grip is fine, I wonder why everybody is replacing it.....Well I ordered an AK compatible grip. Do I need it? Nope. But I found one that caught my eye and I think will really compliment the gun. Not cheap, but I'm justifying it with how much time I spend shooting the Ghost. Complete splurge. I'll share some photos when it arrives.
I've admitted before that I'm not a benchrest shooter. In fact, I prefer to shoot from a more active position, usually from a bumbag or from "bucket and sticks." BUT, after some discussion with an airgun friend, I decided to spend some time at the bench with (mostly) the Ghost this evening.
Here is how it went at 35 yards. The two centered groups are with a .20 Veteran. The bigger one was 10 shots, the smaller, a 5 shot group. All the other groups (mostly left side of page) were from the Ghost, and the majority of them are 5 shot groups. Everything at 35 yards (both guns) was with the 13.73grainers at just under 20fpe. There was some turret adjustments going on with the Ghost, as I was trying to figure out wind versus scope zero. The printed circles on this target are 3/8 inch if I remember correctly.
And the next one was all at 50 yards. The left column is 4x10shot groups from the .20 Veteran, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The next (2nd from left) column is 4x10 shot groups from the Ghost, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The wind during those #40, 20fpe shots from the Ghost were the worst of the session-mostly left to right, and you can see that in the groups stretched rightwards. The third column is from the Ghost, but using the .20/15.89 at 915fps for just about 29fpe. The top group in that third column was sighters, the three below it in the same column are 10 shot groups. Check out that first 10 shot group from the 15.89s! That one is probably the best of the session. The 15.89s require hold UNDER at 50 yards with how I have the scope zeroed @ 35 yards with the 13.73s for field target. The final column (far right) was with the .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. The slugs also require hold UNDER at 50 yards. I was struggling to remember the hold under on every shot. For the slugs I shot a variety of group sizes, some are ten, some are 5 shot groups. There are also two, 5 shot slug groups in the margins on the right paper/target trap (one on each side).
As is often the case, the pellets seem to generally be outshooting the slugs at 50 yards. And I'm okay with that and still VERY excited about these .20 slugs. Where I'm seeing the slugs shine is 100+ yards ( and maybe could be argued 75+). And the biggest reason for that is how much more predictable these slugs are when the wind is blowing, which is often. When Tony and I went pdog shooting two or so weeks ago, I was using the 15.89grain pellets for most shots under I dunno, 125 yards or so. And when the rangefinder would come back with what my brain thought of as WAAAAYYY out there, I'd spin the power wheel and grab a slug. I had a tin of 15.89s and a container of the lubed 18.9 slugs open right next to me, and would go back and forth as the current target warranted. It worked WELL!
In this evenings session there were some shots where the wind got me, some pulled shots, and some brain farts about the hold unders for the 15.89 and 18.9 projectiles. But overall it was a fun little exercise. I had the chronograph set up and it was good to shoot a bunch of shots over it, at various tank pressures. By "good" I mean confidence building that the guns are producing tight extreme spreads, and that the three different power wheel settings I use for the Ghost for the three different projectiles I shoot from that .20 barrel are all reliably producing the fps that I'm counting on it to do. And it is.
Three Asides (rather than make additional posts)
First.....I pulled the .20 barrel from the Ghost yesterday and gave it a good cleaning with a one piece rod and tight fitting patches on a jag. I just finished the second 300count box of NSA slugs and thought it prudent to give it a good look see again, based on previous leading up experiences with slugs in other barrels/guns. Here's what I had.....
Left to right, it was clean by the fourth patch. And no lead speckles, which is GREAT news, cuz I'm using Gunzilla as the cleaning agent (and lube) and the Gunzilla will pull the lead if it's there. So this barrel is proof that LW can make an actual barrel that can shoot slugs as well as pellets, and also does not lead up.
Second aside....
I finished up another tin of the .20/13.73s through the Ghost with the above shooting. When I added it to the stack I noted it's getting high, so counted and it's up to 8 tins. I'm less than 50 pellets shy of adding the fifth tin of .20/15.89s to the Ghost stack. And I'm about 75 slugs into the 3rd box.
So, we're talking
- .20/13.73 (8x500) = 4000
- .20/15.89 (5x500) = 2500
- .20/18.0 (2x300) = 600
- .22/25.4 MRDs - 7 tins x200 = 1400
- .177/10.34 - 3.75 tins x500 = 1875
- .177/13.43 - 0.5 tins x 500 = 250
- And probably 300+ shots from random pellets, for testing purposes.
Third aside...
I haven't had any issues or complaints with the grip supplied by BRK, and at one point even remember thinking to myself that the factory grip is fine, I wonder why everybody is replacing it.....Well I ordered an AK compatible grip. Do I need it? Nope. But I found one that caught my eye and I think will really compliment the gun. Not cheap, but I'm justifying it with how much time I spend shooting the Ghost. Complete splurge. I'll share some photos when it arrives.
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