I am working improving the accuracy of a Talon SS which has seen a lot of love over the years.
One of the problems I think I am observing has to do with muzzle pressure when the pellet exits the barrel.
Since the rifle is the SS model with 12" barrel it has a shroud and comes with three K baffles and a standoff to create a small expansion chamber at the muzzle. This arrangement definitely improves the accuracy of the rifle a bit. Without any baffles and just the endcap on the shroud the rifle scatters pellets all over the target. With the baffles installed the gun shoots into a quarter at 25 yards (pressure 150 BAR). That is about average springer accuracy for a cheap spring rifle.
I have added an Altaros regulator and checked it at 150 BAR and 135 BAR. Dropping the regulator down to 135 BAR improved accuracy so that now the rifle is shooting perhaps nickle size at 25 most of the time. Some groups are dime sized or even one ragged hole but there are always the fliers. Tried with multiple pellets.
Today I pulled all the baffles and discovered what I reported above that the rifle was shooting something like 5 or 6 inch groups at 25 yards. This led me to conclude that there was a pressure front catching the pellet while it was inside the shroud and destabilizing it. I put the baffles back in and the groups shrank back to normal for the rifle.
I got to thinking about it and concluded that the pressure at the muzzle of a 12" in .20 caliber (~6 CC volume) would be working at regulator pressure (or very nearly that) when the pellet exited the barrel. Well that tells me that I need to set that regulator a whole lot lower than 135 BAR to get the accuracy that I require. So I am going to have to sacrifice a lot of velocity. The rifle was shooting the JSB Heavies at 860 fps when the reg was at 150 BAR. I backed the power wheel back to the point where I felt the gun was venting the whole regulated volume for each shot while not wasting air. Then I backed the regulator to 135 BAR. That dropped the velocity to about 765 fps for that same pellet and improved accuracy substantially. I also got ten more shots on reg. BUT I am still not happy with the accuracy.
SO it looks like I will have to sacrifice more velocity to get that muzzle pressure down.
Two questions for you experts.
1) Does anyone know the regulated volume for an Altaros regulator for a Condor? I can measure it but hoped someone has that so I don't have to empty the bottle.
2) Those of you who know or who have calculated the muzzle pressure for your rifles, what values in your experience have given good accuracy?
Thanks guys.
One of the problems I think I am observing has to do with muzzle pressure when the pellet exits the barrel.
Since the rifle is the SS model with 12" barrel it has a shroud and comes with three K baffles and a standoff to create a small expansion chamber at the muzzle. This arrangement definitely improves the accuracy of the rifle a bit. Without any baffles and just the endcap on the shroud the rifle scatters pellets all over the target. With the baffles installed the gun shoots into a quarter at 25 yards (pressure 150 BAR). That is about average springer accuracy for a cheap spring rifle.
I have added an Altaros regulator and checked it at 150 BAR and 135 BAR. Dropping the regulator down to 135 BAR improved accuracy so that now the rifle is shooting perhaps nickle size at 25 most of the time. Some groups are dime sized or even one ragged hole but there are always the fliers. Tried with multiple pellets.
Today I pulled all the baffles and discovered what I reported above that the rifle was shooting something like 5 or 6 inch groups at 25 yards. This led me to conclude that there was a pressure front catching the pellet while it was inside the shroud and destabilizing it. I put the baffles back in and the groups shrank back to normal for the rifle.
I got to thinking about it and concluded that the pressure at the muzzle of a 12" in .20 caliber (~6 CC volume) would be working at regulator pressure (or very nearly that) when the pellet exited the barrel. Well that tells me that I need to set that regulator a whole lot lower than 135 BAR to get the accuracy that I require. So I am going to have to sacrifice a lot of velocity. The rifle was shooting the JSB Heavies at 860 fps when the reg was at 150 BAR. I backed the power wheel back to the point where I felt the gun was venting the whole regulated volume for each shot while not wasting air. Then I backed the regulator to 135 BAR. That dropped the velocity to about 765 fps for that same pellet and improved accuracy substantially. I also got ten more shots on reg. BUT I am still not happy with the accuracy.
SO it looks like I will have to sacrifice more velocity to get that muzzle pressure down.
Two questions for you experts.
1) Does anyone know the regulated volume for an Altaros regulator for a Condor? I can measure it but hoped someone has that so I don't have to empty the bottle.
2) Those of you who know or who have calculated the muzzle pressure for your rifles, what values in your experience have given good accuracy?
Thanks guys.
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