There you have it folks, manufacturing cost- as in convertible bolt probes like I use in mine are not very mass production warranty friendly, and the lawyers say no caliber swaps.
If you want to swap calibers, still gotta roll your own.
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Is Benjamin too late to the party coming out with a .257 Bulldog?
- Thread starter MileHighAirGunner
- Start date
If you want to swap calibers, still gotta roll your own.
As CrosmanEngineer mentioned, removing the Bulldog bolt is a PITA. Not just pressing the sear pin(s) out, but dealing with the cocking pin and its tensioning spring is not something you would want to do with any frequency.
IMO, the 2 key components make a caliber swapping Bulldog practical.
1) Complete "upper" for each caliber---a complete barrel and shroud system. IMO, for accuracy I replaced the plastic barrel bushings with 2-3 solid aluminum bushings. One can make their own, or buy multiples of the rear barrel bushing, which will require a thin sleeve of .050 IIRC due to the tapered OEM barrel. I solidly attach these to the shroud. My theory is this ensures the pic rail and barrel become locked as one assembly.
2) Some type of interchangeable probe system. I copied the design Jim Gaska used on the WAR guns and provided it to GTA member luge007 (Matt) He made a couple for me using the OEM bolt, IIRC he has a design for an SS bolt. IIRC he made a few of these and may have some sitting in stock so to speak... One could always make the probes from SS if desired.
Using these 2 components and drilling 2 holes in the breech clamshells allowing access to barrel retention setscrews allows for literally 5 minute caliber swaps. If one has a scope for each upper, my experience has shown zero to be right where you left it, assuming you can consistently retune for each caliber. An item that helps with tuning, assuming you are unregulated and strangling the transfer to flatten the string, is a caliber specific transfer port bushing, much like the plastic one crosman provided in earlier guns (I have no idea if that is still part of the platform.) You can size a bushing to match each caliber's tune, and adjust HST if needed. If regulated transfer port size really doesn't matter as much.
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I appreciate your opinion and knowledge on the subject, I'll have to file this into the maybe someday category.
I ended up taking the bolt out of my gen1 BD, I don't remember it being particularly difficult. Maybe there was more cursing that I remember. Can't remember why I had to pull it, but it was important at the time.
Wish I had a workshop and a small lathe!
I ended up taking the bolt out of my gen1 BD, I don't remember it being particularly difficult. Maybe there was more cursing that I remember. Can't remember why I had to pull it, but it was important at the time.
Wish I had a workshop and a small lathe!
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I should also mention, I do have the ability to nickel plate if you want any of those custom pieces plated. I haven't done stainless, but brass and steel come out nice. Did a 24 inch muzzle loader barrel and all the other pieces of a kit not long ago. Kept all the solutions in case I needed them.
Sorry, can't do chrome. I decided the process was too hazardous for me in my house. But still thinking about Nickle lined barrel.
Sorry, can't do chrome. I decided the process was too hazardous for me in my house. But still thinking about Nickle lined barrel.
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I got tired of waiting ,so I had airgun revisions make me one. Very happy so far . Very accurate .
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Imo , if benjamin would just make a change to the looks of the bulldog, theyd sell a lot more. I know whats important to most is how the rifle performs but its got to be the UGLIEST airgun on the market.
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Hi .. when is the 257 bulldog supposed to be available for purchase... I don't see it anywhere an the original post is from February..10 months ago...?
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Well there is hope .. I imagine That it would move forward faster if the interested ones email..costumer service..
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For me ,personally the airforce tank/stock is very awkward. Not comfortable to pull up at all...
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I've owned more than a dozen of them over the years and so am used to it. I've dwindled down though and now have 6 AF guns..
257 Condor
257 Condor MadDog stock
Edge
.22 Talon
Texan Carbine
Condor Airrow shooter
The ergonomics dont bother me much any more, but will say the MD stock does make a difference. Just feels better off a bench for me.
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Crosman Engineer...
Please tell us about the rifling available on the soon to be released .257 Bulldog. What slug weight range is the barrel designed around?
Personally, I've refrained from purchasing a Bulldog because it's not available in a removable carbon fiber bottle configuration, but if the .257 can perform well on coyotes out to approx. 100 yards, I could see myself shooting it tethered to a 30 minute carbon fiber cylinder.
Thanks,
Dawg
Please tell us about the rifling available on the soon to be released .257 Bulldog. What slug weight range is the barrel designed around?
Personally, I've refrained from purchasing a Bulldog because it's not available in a removable carbon fiber bottle configuration, but if the .257 can perform well on coyotes out to approx. 100 yards, I could see myself shooting it tethered to a 30 minute carbon fiber cylinder.
Thanks,
Dawg
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I had the 257 Texan, you don't need a different stock. you just have to know how to dial it in. I'll take a Texan over any bulldog all day long.
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I keep thinking of how to take a Bull Dog and strip the space gun clothing from it and put it inside a more conventional stock.
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I’d chop it the same way Veradium Air does their Taurus. But I guess you'd have to support the barrel after loosing some of the spacers in the shroud?
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I haven't gotten to play with the 257 all that much. It was tested with 6x, 7x, 9x and 10xg slugs. All with good results at 50 and 100 yards. Of the 5 rifles that went for testing,only 3 were returned to engineering. The boys in QA liked them so much they have "held on to them for further evaluation ". 1 is set up for coyote and the other for woodchucks.
I cannot remember the barrel twist off the top of my head.
I cannot remember the barrel twist off the top of my head.
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