New Skout Epoch in .25 cal 25" barrel

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Oct 2, 2015
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I've picked it up late afternoon today and haven't got much time to play with it.

Tomorrow morning, early, I'll go out and shoot it.
Since I live in a city, nearest place where I can shoot it is about 25 minutes drive away.

Finish looks really nice and looks high quality made.

I've put Delta Javelin 4.5-30 on it on a low rings (only ones that I have for a 34mm scope) and I think I'll need higher ones. I do see a full picture but I feel it's not a natural and relaxed head position.

I usually tune my air rifles late when I have time all to myself (it's 23:20 now in this part of the world) but this thing is a CANNON!

There is no way that I can shoot it in my basement, I'll wake up the whole house.

Regarding that, pressure on both regs seem quite high.
As per manual, for this calibre and barrel length it should be between 800 and 1400 psi, mine is 1750 psi
Low pressure regulator is at 170 psi
Both seem to be too high as far as I understood from the writings and the videos about Epoch

I'm aware that this is a shorter barrel but still pressure is higher than should be by the manual

I'll check the speed with 25 and 34 grain pellets first thing in the morning and I hope that it will shoot really hot so I can dial it down.

Could anyone with a 25 cal share their reg settings?
For both regs

Thanks
Walt
 
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With the above mentioned settings, speed with 34 grain MK2 was 950 FPS

After more than an hour of learning the settings and how the rifle reacts I've ended up with 1500 on HPR, 135 on LPR to get 890 FPS with the same pellets

I have changed dwell from 24 to 20

All that results in a tighter ES but it's still very loud, I don't think it's any less loud than on original settings

Now, let's see how it shoots...

I always start a bit slower and work my way up.
 
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In the little time I had today to answer the biggest question (Is it OK or are there evident issues and it has to go back?), conclusion is, it's a keeper. 😎

I've managed to shoot JSB 34gr MK1, 34gr MK2, Hades, FX 25gr, JTS 25gr
Worst groups were with FX 25gr pellets but that was near the end I had no time left to tune the HPR for velocity, @910 FPS, these shoot lousy out of the nominal sized barrel (0)
It's probably subjective but in my experience JSB 34gr MK1 slightly outperform MK2 and to me it seems to be the case with Epoch also
There is a saying for the Hades pellets "when in doubt and under 70 meters, use Hades" and it's true here also, some groups will be great, some average but rarely do Hades put out a lousy group under 70 meters if the speed for those is at least in the ballpark

I've shot JTS 25gr for the first time today and they do perform out of the Epoch!
2 out of 3 best groups today were with JTS pellets.
That was a nice surprise.

I had some Snowpeak pellets that I bought on an impulse but those look quite bad
I will try them eventually but with limited time today I didn't want to foul the barrel.

I wash and lube my pellets and when I have the time sort them by head size and weight
Today all but JTS (straight out of the tin) were washed and lubed but otherwise unsorted

Best groups were under 15 mm (under 0.59") @50 meters (54.6 yards) and that was as far as I shot today
I'm sure that Epoch and me can do better when we get more acquainted and with few hundred more pellets out of it

One thing that I wasn't aware of or I just didn't register anywhere is that when I adjust HPR pressure, LPR pressure changes also
I don't know if it is due to the internal workings and that is normal and I just haven't registered that fact or am I missing something?

There is a long way ahead to tune this thing better and properly but it is promising.
I think that HPR 1500 and LPR 135 is a bit high for the 34gr pellets and I have no idea why was factory setting so high (1750/170) since all reports are on a lower setting 1100-1300

I'll have to redo the moderator, change the internals for start and in the long run, probably redesign the whole thing

I like the quality of the magazine but I don't like today's norm that pellets skirts should hold the tension of the magazine spring. Unfortunately all of recent magazines are like that.

Fit and finish, build quality of the Epoch as a whole is absolutely great!
 
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Found the OEM soda straw tube in the LDC a bad design straight away ... Built myself some custom baffles and now soooo much quieter.

h.jpg
 
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Motorhead said:
Found the OEM soda straw tube in the LDC a bad design straight away ... Built myself some custom baffles and now soooo much quieter.

View attachment 370189
Click to expand...
I presume this is turned delrin?

I think I'll start with 3D printed parts just to see what is effective and what is not

Being a good or a bad design decision aside, Skout does deserve a credit for robustness, fit and alignment of the moderator
The "soda straw" in the last part of the moderator is just 0,5mm wider than the pellet itself and it doesn't interfere with the pellet flight, otherwise there would be pellet clipping and accuracy would go to hell.
 
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Motorhead said:
Still open ....
Once the air coming threw last baffle it can expand and exit via center as well radial holes at a much lower amplitude.
Just having center hole as primary exit path would increase the sound signature to a sharper snap, where as now used a low thwhop sound.
Click to expand...
And the middle holes?
Between two chambers, did you plug those?

Plugging middle ones would, IMHO, force more air to the shroud and leave less pressure in the front part.
I'm of an opinion that is why they've designed that "soda straw" with such tiny holes on it, so the pressure that moved through holes between chambers wouldn't affect pellet path
 
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So, I've encountered a first issue...

Battery doesn't charge!
I've tried with two different chargers (one included and a spare from a phone)
Charged yesterday for hours and today for hours, haven't moved from 40% which lady voice states when powering on

Anyone encountered this before?

I'll have to register the product first to get help from Skout, just asking if anyone had this issue already and what the solution was?

One thing I didn't know, I can't power on the rifle if hand grip is not placed back
 
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Maybe I've figured it out, I hope, I'll see in a couple of hours

It seems that my Epoch is missing battery holding tab:

1688649078812.png


So, when I remove the grip, there is nothing to keep the battery pressed against the terminals so it can't charge
Blue LED lights up regardless of the battery being inserted or not.
That probably explains why I can't power it on without grip, no contact

Upside to this (if it really was the issue and now identified) is that battery can be changed, maybe it some kind of a standard format which can be easily acquired, I'll check that later.
Yesterday I've used 60% of the battery in a matter of a few hours. Granted, I was testing the rifle and shot a lot but still, I've expected it to last longer.
 
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Had my EPOCH since March ... not needed charging yet, last look @ 55%
Somethings not right in power consumption ???

As too the soda straw tube in the LDC .... As pellet passes threw it, air ahead or pellets gets pushed out of the way and with the close proximity of pellet to tube there is instability created in doing so.

The shroud is sealed and it will only absorb some air volume if passages are open allowing it to happen. I have not altered any of the radial holes within the LDC sub parts.
 
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inverted said:
Maybe I've figured it out, I hope, I'll see in a couple of hours

It seems that my Epoch is missing battery holding tab:

View attachment 370336

So, when I remove the grip, there is nothing to keep the battery pressed against the terminals so it can't charge
Blue LED lights up regardless of the battery being inserted or not.
That probably explains why I can't power it on without grip, no contact

Upside to this (if it really was the issue and now identified) is that battery can be changed, maybe it some kind of a standard format which can be easily acquired, I'll check that later.
Yesterday I've used 60% of the battery in a matter of a few hours. Granted, I was testing the rifle and shot a lot but still, I've expected it to last longer.
Click to expand...
I wonder if a poor connection is impacting your battery life, although I don’t see how…I’ve only charged once in 4 months and 500-600 shots in .30 cal
 
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Scotty1 said:
I wonder if a poor connection is impacting your battery life, although I don’t see how…I’ve only charged once in 4 months and 500-600 shots in .30 cal
Click to expand...
Yes, IME with RC models, poor connection can impact battery life.
I'm no electrician but from what I can remember being told a long time ago, poor connection uses more current.
 
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