BRK Ghost Review

[ScoWeb]

It took me a while to get there the first time: https://www.wftc2024.com/course-map then click Google Earth Course Map, then Blue Course on left margin, then its three vertical dots, then "fly to". After that you can cruise around all the courses.

 

[Solo1]

Would love to come out but cost makes that prohibitive and i cant shoot from a bum bag anymore!

 

[Franklink]

For the last couple months I've shot the Ghost occasionally but my shooting time has mostly been devoted to a couple .22 barrel projects with other guns. Primarily benchrest @ 100yards. I've really gained a loathing for the .22 Monster RD pellet from all that testing!

So 8 days from now we've got a long range/high power field target match here in AZ. There is a slug class at this venue and after not gaining any ground with the .22 Monster RD projects, decided I better get in some practice and dope verification with the Ghost and the .20 slugs.

Spent a few hours shooting from stool and sticks, from 20-100 yards. Had a quartering in headwind that was troublesome so dope verification didn't go great. Wind would switch in 11 o clock and 1 oclock, highest wind speeds were gusts up to 20mph but most of the day was 6-9mph. Might be dealing with slugs here, but they weigh less than 20 grains and I'm only pushing them to 32fpe so I'm not shooting an air powered rimfire by any means. But I did get some good practice in and remembered why I like the Ghost so much.

At the end of the shooting session decided to try some 100yard groups from my plastic table (bench). Still had that 6-9mph headwind quartering in from 11 and 1 o clock, switching back and forth.

I was clicking around chasing the most recent wind affected impact points too.
On the left column I had a pretty good looking 4 shot group, less than 1/2", and the fifth one took a ride in the wind.

The other 5 shot group on the left had a lot of vertical, which is what was happening when that head wind would come up and then die, off and on, on me.

3, ten shot groups on the right column. Bottom two are meh, but that top one! Nice stuff right there. 9/10 under an MOA coin with one straggler shot. And even the straggler shot isn't far from the rest of them.
Very nearly had a ten shot, moa group.

Fun stuff.

 

[Corvid_hunter]

Nice shooting. Can't all be the gun.

 

[Franklink]

Nice shooting. Can't all be the gun.

I appreciate the vote of confidence but if I shared the groups from the .22 Monster RDs that I tried to shoot this morning before I moved on to the Ghost you wouldn't be impressed.

It takes a good barrel to projectile match, being launched from a consistent platform, before the shooters skills even become a factor.

Best shooter in the world can't make junk equipment and junk pellets (like the typical tin of .22 Monster RDs) look good.

 

[Franklink]

Been playing with the home-made 38grain hammer weight and the speed of the .20/18.9s. Wasn't doing it with the intent to share, but rather just looking for that last bit of "better" for the slugs. BUT with the recent discussion about the spring kit and power output, thought it might be of interest to fellow Ghost owners.

In short, the next thing BRK needs to start making and selling is hammer weights. That's you, @BRKairgunsUK With the spring kit and a couple different hammer weights, a semi savvy Ghost owner can really change the energy output, and more importantly, the shot cycle of the Ghost.

Here's an example....
Reg of 128 bar + hammer tension at "MIN" + 0.047" wire hammer spring + light skeletonized hammer = 580fps with .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. Or just over 14fpe.

Reg of 128 bar + hammer tension at "MIN" + 0.047" wire hammer spring + light skeletonized hammer + 38 grain hammer weight = 912fps with .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. Or just under 35fpe.

That's some pretty serious fpe gain.

Yes, the only difference was adding 38grains of weight to the hammer. This is the light hammer, that weighs 455.2grains. Less fpe gain would probably be seen with the heavier/standard hammer weight.

The added hammer weight also preloads the hammer spring, about 1/8 of an inch.

I don't have a photo of the hammer weight @ 38 grains, but here it is at 57.3grains, as I was reducing it during experimentation. The only difference between the 38 and what is seen in this photo is the shaft is shorter, exactly 19grains shorter. Essentially just a flanged weight that sits in the hammer at the front of the spring. The shaft of the weight slides into the hammer spring, keeping it in place without permanently fixing it there. Best part? It can be added or removed without much fuss, simply through the spring hole at the back of the gun.

 

[Franklink]

For the sake of continuity.....

Competed with the Ghost in a long range/high power field target match this past weekend.

Summary was that we had 19 shooters, 2 slug, 2 rimfire, and 15 pellet. I used the .20/18.9gr NSA slugs from the Ghost and scored a 41/48. Overall high score was my buddy Steve M. He used an AGT Vulcan 3 and the .25/60grain Altaros slugs for a 44/48. The rest of the field was 39/48 or less.

Can't blame my misses on the gun. I made too many bonehead mistakes like forgetting to return the turret to zero and pulling shots at the trigger break. Had a bunch of fun though. And went 4/4 on the 4 furthest shots (100yards.). Also 3/4 on the offhand shots, man the Ghost is good for offhand shooting!

Here's the long version...

Results - Ultimate Field Target at PRGC, 2/24/24 Match Report

https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/ultimate-field-target-at-phoenix-rod-and-gun-club-02-24-2024.1305834/ For many of us, this was the first long range/high power ft match in a very long time! It was the first time I've seen some of these airgun friends in MONTHS, and it was great to catch up...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[cavedweller]

Been playing with the home-made 38grain hammer weight and the speed of the .20/18.9s. Wasn't doing it with the intent to share, but rather just looking for that last bit of "better" for the slugs. BUT with the recent discussion about the spring kit and power output, thought it might be of interest to fellow Ghost owners.

In short, the next thing BRK needs to start making and selling is hammer weights. That's you, @BRKairgunsUK With the spring kit and a couple different hammer weights, a semi savvy Ghost owner can really change the energy output, and more importantly, the shot cycle of the Ghost.

Here's an example....
Reg of 128 bar + hammer tension at "MIN" + 0.047" wire hammer spring + light skeletonized hammer = 580fps with .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. Or just over 14fpe.

Reg of 128 bar + hammer tension at "MIN" + 0.047" wire hammer spring + light skeletonized hammer + 38 grain hammer weight = 912fps with .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. Or just under 35fpe.

That's some pretty serious fpe gain.

Yes, the only difference was adding 38grains of weight to the hammer. This is the light hammer, that weighs 455.2grains. Less fpe gain would probably be seen with the heavier/standard hammer weight.

The added hammer weight also preloads the hammer spring, about 1/8 of an inch.

I don't have a photo of the hammer weight @ 38 grains, but here it is at 57.3grains, as I was reducing it during experimentation. The only difference between the 38 and what is seen in this photo is the shaft is shorter, exactly 19grains shorter. Essentially just a flanged weight that sits in the hammer at the front of the spring. The shaft of the weight slides into the hammer spring, keeping it in place without permanently fixing it there. Best part? It can be added or removed without much fuss, simply through the spring hole at the back of the gun.

I absolutely enjoy reading your posts

 

[Headshots]

I have an interest in the ghost. Has there been any changes since it was first introduced ?
Is there a hammer spring adjustment or just different springs ?
Solid barrel ?
Is it easy to work on ?
Does it have a choked barrel ?
Adjustable reg while assembled ? Or does the power wheel give enough adjustment for fps or fpe ?

 

[rc4fun]

I have an interest in the ghost. Has there been any changes since it was first introduced ?

Some. Not major

Is there a hammer spring adjustment or just different springs ?

Both. Depens on how much adjustment you need.

Solid barrel ?

Yes

Is it easy to work on ?

For me yes and i am not special.

Does it have a choked barrel ?

Yes.

Adjustable reg while assembled ?

Up but down you need to remove the bottle and empty the plenum to go down. Like most guns. External adjustment .

Or does the power wheel give enough adjustment for fps or fpe ?

Depends on how big the changes you want.

 

[Franklink]

I have an interest in the ghost. Has there been any changes since it was first introduced ?
Is there a hammer spring adjustment or just different springs ?
Solid barrel ?
Is it easy to work on ?
Does it have a choked barrel ?
Adjustable reg while assembled ? Or does the power wheel give enough adjustment for fps or fpe ?

The only changes since it was originally released have been minor, and might even border accessory versus changes. Things like a slightly higher cheek riser and various color options.

The hammer spring tension adjustment is a wheel at the back of the gun, with indents for each step. There's a MIN and MAX with I think 19 numbered settings between them. And yes, for caliber changes or drastically different desired fpe output, the hammer springs can be completely changed.

Very easy to work on. For example, the valve can be pulled without complete disassembly, the scope can even be left in place to get to the valve.

Edit: thanks @rc4fun, we must have been working on that at the same time.
15mm outer diameter solid barrel. Factory barrels are Lothar Walther.

Currently the barrels are choked, although there's been much discussion about yet to be released slug barrels, and I'd guess they won't be choked.

The regulator is externally adjustable.

Thanks @rc4fun, we must have been working on that at the same time.

 

[rc4fun]

I tend to be brief and short. Your answers are more complete. I knew you would answer but thought you might be having family fun or shooting something

 

[Franklink]

Making some changes to my intended use with the Ghost .20.

As has been covered, for the last 10 months I've been running the Ghost as a tri-tune, utilizing the power wheel.. The .20/13.73 @ 805ish for sub 20 field target (AAFTA). The .20/15.89 @ 910-920 for high power long range pellet usage. And the .20/18.9gr NSA slug at 875ish for long range/high BC uses. Both the .20/15.89 and the .20/18.9 have been used for the long range/high power field target game.

That has worked well, but is compromises in various ways. Since all 3 used the same 128ish bar reg pressure, the sub20fpe tune required a couple wasted shots when the gun was "cold" to get fps up to the 805. And the slugs were also a bit slower than what seems to be optimal for them. I also used the same scope zero for all three, complicating matters. The sub20fpe tune was the baseline, and that meant the scope zero baseline was for it. This resulted in holdUNDERS for the 15.89 and 18.9, a fact that's been annoying me since I started doing it. I think those holdUNDERs have cost me a couple shots here and there.

Well a few weeks ago I added in the 38grain hammer weight, bringing the .20/18.9 up to about 910-915fps, but leaving the reg pressure at that 128bar. So now the slugs are going 910-915fps. I shot the last Ultimate Field Target manner like this, using the holdUNDERS. And after doing so, I've decided to abandon the .20/13.73 in the Ghost, and make it a dedicated 30ish fpe hunter/pester/high power field target'er. So I'm making the .20/18.9grain NSA slug the "primary" or baseline projectile for the Ghost .20. I will also be able to use the .20/15.89s with the same set up. That means that yesterday evening I rezeroed the scope for a 30 yard zero with the 18.9grain slugs, and will no longer have to deal with the frustrating holdUNDERS. The 30 yard slug zero was within a few 1/10mil clicks for a 30 yard zero with the 15.89 JSBs also.

So, long story short, the Ghost .20 will now have dual usage, instead of triple usage. I'm doing away with the ability to (easily) use it for AAFTA field target, but also doing away with some annoyances that I've dealt with for the two long range uses. Yes, I could still pull the hammer weight and rezero to use it for a sub20fpe match, but I REALLY hate rezeroing scopes. AND I've got some other really great sub20fpe options in my gunroom that will go back into rotation for AAFTA type matches.

With how incredibly well this gun/barrel shoots those .20/18.9grain NSA slugs, they really deserve to be this Ghost's primary projectile. This was 10 consecutive shots taken yesterday at 100 yards with a tricky 10-16mph headwind. Two of the ten share a hole, I think the one just to the right and above the printed "9." Anyway, it measures 1 and 5/16" which makes it a 1.2533MOA group. And the large vertical is the headwind. Again, a barrel and non-benchrest gun that shoots a projectile like that needs to be dedicated to THAT projectile.


Calling that highest shot an 8 (might plug up to a 9) and assuming that two shots in one hole situation is the one I think it is...makes this a 92/100, which would be a 230/250. I've shot quite a few 230+s with the .20/18.9 from the Ghost, so that seems reasonable.

 

[cavedweller]

Making some changes to my intended use with the Ghost .20.

As has been covered, for the last 10 months I've been running the Ghost as a tri-tune, utilizing the power wheel.. The .20/13.73 @ 805ish for sub 20 field target (AAFTA). The .20/15.89 @ 910-920 for high power long range pellet usage. And the .20/18.9gr NSA slug at 875ish for long range/high BC uses. Both the .20/15.89 and the .20/18.9 have been used for the long range/high power field target game.

That has worked well, but is compromises in various ways. Since all 3 used the same 128ish bar reg pressure, the sub20fpe tune required a couple wasted shots when the gun was "cold" to get fps up to the 805. And the slugs were also a bit slower than what seems to be optimal for them. I also used the same scope zero for all three, complicating matters. The sub20fpe tune was the baseline, and that meant the scope zero baseline was for it. This resulted in holdUNDERS for the 15.89 and 18.9, a fact that's been annoying me since I started doing it. I think those holdUNDERs have cost me a couple shots here and there.

Well a few weeks ago I added in the 38grain hammer weight, bringing the .20/18.9 up to about 910-915fps, but leaving the reg pressure at that 128bar. So now the slugs are going 910-915fps. I shot the last Ultimate Field Target manner like this, using the holdUNDERS. And after doing so, I've decided to abandon the .20/13.73 in the Ghost, and make it a dedicated 30ish fpe hunter/pester/high power field target'er. So I'm making the .20/18.9grain NSA slug the "primary" or baseline projectile for the Ghost .20. I will also be able to use the .20/15.89s with the same set up. That means that yesterday evening I rezeroed the scope for a 30 yard zero with the 18.9grain slugs, and will no longer have to deal with the frustrating holdUNDERS. The 30 yard slug zero was within a few 1/10mil clicks for a 30 yard zero with the 15.89 JSBs also.

So, long story short, the Ghost .20 will now have dual usage, instead of triple usage. I'm doing away with the ability to (easily) use it for AAFTA field target, but also doing away with some annoyances that I've dealt with for the two long range uses. Yes, I could still pull the hammer weight and rezero to use it for a sub20fpe match, but I REALLY hate rezeroing scopes. AND I've got some other really great sub20fpe options in my gunroom that will go back into rotation for AAFTA type matches.

With how incredibly well this gun/barrel shoots those .20/18.9grain NSA slugs, they really deserve to be this Ghost's primary projectile. This was 10 consecutive shots taken yesterday at 100 yards with a tricky 10-16mph headwind. Two of the ten share a hole, I think the one just to the right and above the printed "9." Anyway, it measures 1 and 5/16" which makes it a 1.2533MOA group. And the large vertical is the headwind. Again, a barrel and non-benchrest gun that shoots a projectile like that needs to be dedicated to THAT projectile.


Calling that highest shot an 8 (might plug up to a 9) and assuming that two shots in one hole situation is the one I think it is...makes this a 92/100, which would be a 230/250. I've shot quite a few 230+s with the .20/18.9 from the Ghost, so that seems reasonable.

View attachment 448228View attachment 448229

That’s really good information
So that said what will you set up for <20 HFT?

 

[Corvid_hunter]

Hard to argue with results like that. I received my .25cal Ghost a couple of days ago and the initial impression is very good. I can't wait for a day off and some decent weather to get a good idea of how it shoots.

 

[Franklink]

That’s really good information
So that said what will you set up for <20 HFT?

I've got a .20 Taipan Veteran in a chassis stock all set up and ready to go for field target. Barrel from the same old stock Sterling batch of LWs as this one in the Ghost My oldest son typically shoots that one and we could share it during a match and have one less gun to haul through the course.

Ive also still got the 19fpe USFT with the .177 polygonal barrel that is also a bit of an outlier in the performance dept. It currently has an early Falcon X50 on it without a 16x mark, so a scope swap would make it a viable Hunter class gun too. And I just freed up a Midas Tac with a side wheel from the youngest son's ft gun by putting a PARD on it. He is young enough that he's still using a tripod, making him "unlimited" or "freestyle" class anyway. We played around with the PARD on his .177 Vet yesterday and he was liking the built in rangefinder and ballistics app telling him where to hold for each distance. When squadded together we'll have him shoot last so there's no question about him giving me and his older brother distances.

 

[Treks]

Was texting with @XSUltimate a bit ago about this.....

He asked what I thought about air splitters, remembering that I had tested with and without and various splitter cone depth settings with the BSA Gold Star that I reviewed a few years ago.

In that particular gun, there were accuracy gains to be had by using the splitter versus a moderator. They were small, but measurable. Now, for myself and many others, I'm pleased as punch with minute of field target kill zone accuracy (as long as the gun will do it consistently). But for the hardcore benchrest guys like Dan, their eyes light up at the mere mention of "accuracy gains." (Dan placed and was in the money, quite a ways up actually, at EBR a few weeks ago. so maybe there's something to being excited about aggregation of marginal gains.)

Anyway, the downside of that BSA Gold Star's design was that it was stripper OR moderator, not both.

And now, for how the Ghost plays into this discussion.....the design of the air stripping, "cone" in the end of the shroud allows for tinkering. AND it allows for a moderator to still be used.

DId you test accuracy on the Ghost when you had straight 1/2unf to moderator?

 

[Headshots]

I've got a .20 Taipan Veteran in a chassis stock all set up and ready to go for field target. Barrel from the same old stock Sterling batch of LWs as this one in the Ghost My oldest son typically shoots that one and we could share it during a match and have one less gun to haul through the course.

Ive also still got the 19fpe USFT with the .177 polygonal barrel that is also a bit of an outlier in the performance dept. It currently has an early Falcon X50 on it without a 16x mark, so a scope swap would make it a viable Hunter class gun too. And I just freed up a Midas Tac with a side wheel from the youngest son's ft gun by putting a PARD on it. He is young enough that he's still using a tripod, making him "unlimited" or "freestyle" class anyway. We played around with the PARD on his .177 Vet yesterday and he was liking the built in rangefinder and ballistics app telling him where to hold for each distance. When squadded together we'll have him shoot last so there's no question about him giving me and his older brother distances.

It's great your getting your children involved at young age .

 

[cavedweller]

DId you test accuracy on the Ghost when you had straight 1/2unf to moderator?

I have on mine with several moderators and had zero issues

 

[Solo1]

DId you test accuracy on the Ghost when you had straight 1/2unf to moderator?

Here’s a pic of 5, 5 shot groups with my ft ghost with 13 gr jsb. Top row is 950 fps with mod middle is 810 fps with mod and bottom is 810 fps no mod. Was shot at i think 35 yds mod was a short 0 db

Groups were shot single load same aim point and no wait on wind