Experimenting with my new Avenger

[nervoustrig]

In the sub-$200 space, the Ayin Reaper 6-24x50 on Amazon is a good choice.

https://www.amazon.com/AYIN-6-24x50-Tactical-Hunting-Turrets/dp/B099Y327Z6

Example endorsements from AGN members:

Best cheep optics

What's the Best cheep optics on Amazon?

www.airgunnation.com

Info on another scope brand (Ayin)

I like Athlon scopes and that's what I have been using lately on a few of my airguns. I have a GEN1 Helos 6-24x50, a GEN2 Helos 6-24x56, and a Ares ETR 4.5-30x56. I like FFP, MOA scopes in the 6-24x50 range and there are lots of options these days. I was looking for a lower cost option to put...

www.airgunnation.com

At the $100 price point, I ordered one of these 5-15x50 FFP under a different name a few years ago. After installing it and using it, I turned right around and bought another.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802953578559.html

This scope cam footage doesn't do it justice but may give you an idea.

 

[TQM]

I shot again at 25 yards and did a little better. This is with the regulator at ~1900 and the hammer spring all the way down. This is 6 successive 5 shot groups. Crosman Premeir HP, 14.3 grains, should be going 915-920 FPS based on my prior chronograph results.

 

[JimD]

I've used Crosman domed and hp pellets in my Prod and the 10.5 grain domed in my P35-177. In my Prod they shoot fine but not as accurately as H&N FTT copper plated. I only have a 2-7 power scope (Hawke) on it, however, so target shooting is not it's main use. My P35-177 had a PA 4-16 on it and it got a Vector 8-32 for Christmas. I haven't shot it seriously since but I am hoping a little more magnification will help - even 16X is not a lot on the 30 yard challenge target. Anyway, I got great groups out of a tin of the 10.5 177 pellets and even tied my best 30 yard challenge score using H&N pellets with the Crosmans. So I bought a couple more tins. Accuracy is about like your groups here. Not the one hole groups I got with the first tin. So I got a head size gauge and checked pellets from both groups. Surprise, the head size of the "good" Crosmans was pretty consistent and like the H&Ns. The head size of the "bad" tins covered the full range of the 10 holes in the head size gauge. Very inconsistent. I wanted to know why they did not shoot nearly as well and I found out. Long way of saying I think Crosman pellets are fine for plinking and possibly short range hunting but not serious or even semi-serious target shooting. You might lucky and get a good tin but don't count on the next one shooting the same.

Your gun seems to have a strong hammer spring and wants to shoot somewhat "hot". I would try some H&N Baracuda Match (21 grain) and some JSB 18 grain or heavier. I think one of these will shoot significantly smaller groups than the Crosmans. A heavier pellet should get you below 900 fps and I think that will help. But both H&N and JSB pellets are more consistent than Crosmans in my experience. My Avenger likes JSBs and does not like H&N. Shooting Crosmans OK is somewhat consistent with liking H&Ns, however, since both use harder lead. But I think only shooting will tell you what your gun prefers.

 

[TQM]

JimD:​

Thanks for the reply. I agree on the scope comment. I am using a 3X9 I already had, but even at 9 power and using a 10m air rifle target above, I'm pretty sure my point of aim is not consistent enough (more magnification and finer target point would probably help.

I did a little more playing, but this time without the hassle of setting up the chrono outside for 25 yards. I had seen this video, and the idea made sense to me for accuracy. I move my regulator up to ~2600 and just shot groups as the fill pressure went down. No FPS, but I watched the reg pressure reading when the shot groups seemed to be the tightest. They seemed the tightest under 2000 PSI. I went ahead and shot all the way down in pressure (under 1000), and then emptied the gun and set the regulator low again (1/4 turn back as the minimum). It seems to be around 1700 PSI or so. I'll play some more and see how things go.

On the plus side for my shoulders and back, I got a compressor. I know that people love their Yong Heng's, and many says that the non-water cooled will have a short lifespan, but I went with a TUXING TXES061. It lacks an auto shutoff, but I plan on watching it anyway. I got it on Amazon for $199 and sprang for a 4 year warrantee for $29 more. I figure that way I should get at least 4 years out of it. Time will tell if it was a good decision. It took me only 11 minutes from completely empty to 300 bar, and it only got to 38 degree. I was planning on no more than 15 minutes at a shot, so the time worked out. I also added an extra filter that has a canister I added silica desiccant beads to (I already had a bunch of rechargeable indicating silica beads that I use for my 3D printing filament and my safe). I feel much safer having the beads that give me a visual indication that it working.

 

[TQM]

So I got around to shooting a string of 100 at the minimum setting (1/4 from stop on the regulator), which seems to be right at 1700. I wan't all that happy with the 10 shot grouping, but some of that was probably me (the prior experiment seemed to show better grouping at ~2000). I had the chrono out this time though and have the data:

I had a couple of shots first shots that the chrono missed (the blanks in the blue line). Other than those two, I did see the first shot bump again at this pressure (regulator pressure appears to creep up during the delay while I reload, save chrono data, and record the gauge pressures). I didn't time my stop this time, so it was probably between 1 and 2 min between each 10 shot group. The FPS spread and std dev is again worse at this minimum regulator setting compared to ~2000 psi. There continues to be a consistent drop in the reg pressure as the fill pressure drops. In this case, before the fill pressure got down to the original regulator setting of 1700 (took 94 shots), the regulator pressure had dropped to 1450. This appears to also be evident in the downward drift in FPS.

I figure I will try a regulator pressure setting between the minimum (1700 psi) and the 2000 I went up to last time. I'll keep track of the number of turns on the regulator screw too.

Still no response from Air Venturi about my questions. I sent a message via their website before Christmas, and multiple messages left on their phone since then... I'm trying to decide if I want to pull the regulator to check/clean it in the hopes that might help, but wanted to chat with them Air Venturi first.

As a note for people reading this, Don't think I am angry, I am still happy with my Avenger purchase. I just think it can be better (as could the responsiveness of Air Venturi). This is my start in PCP's, and if there wasn't something in this price range (Avenger, Gauntlet, etc), I doubt I would have jumped in if I had to start at $800-$1000 or more for a first PCP.

Edit - Also, if anyone is interested, the Tuxing compressor took exactly 8 minutes to fill from 1500 to 4300. Not sure how accurate the gauge is, but it started at 22C and got up to 37C in that 8 mins. Its loud, but so far I happy with it (I swear the fan is louder than the compressor, or at least more annoying of a sound - it sounds like a jet engine).

 

[nervoustrig]

FYI, both this:

I did see the first shot bump again at this pressure (regulator pressure appears to creep up during the delay while I reload, save chrono data, and record the gauge pressures

and the gradually declining velocity are both indications the gun has too much hammer strike.

I happen to also be running my Avenger at 1700psi and the hammer spring did not have sufficient adjustment range to back it off to the velocity knee (approx 95% to 97% of maximum velocity). The result was excessive muzzle blast, mediocre groups, and greater sensitivity to regulator fluctuations. Removing one coil from the spring allowed me to get it adjusted properly. Shot count went up and groups improved noticeably.

If yours is similar, the most sensible options are:

• shorten the hammer spring as I did
• buy and install a weaker spring
• increase the regulator setpoint