Tuning Taipan Compact .25 - lead free - sub 15 fpe

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puddleglum

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Apr 26, 2022
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WI, United States
Hi all,

I have two Taipan Vet 1 .25 cal rifles, one long and one compact that I enjoy a lot. The compact is my current squirrel gun, as well as the occasional pest bird in the barnyard, and pest rabbit/woodchuck in the flowerbeds if I am walking about. The long hasn't been set up yet, but is going to be my mobile artillery for knocking off pest birds at distance in the breeze off of a tripod.

I have been thinking I need a Taipan .25 Standard to complete the collection. My thought would be to set up the standard as my squirrel/rabbit/woodchuck gun, and setting up the compact as a barn gun, shooting lead free pellets at low power. I have an adjustable Huma Reg for a Taipan that came with the long I bought. In theory, I could set the reg pressure low fairly easily, and then dial back the hammer spring. Or maybe keep the compact as a squirrel gun for walking the woods, and the standard could be the barn gun for hiogher shot count.

Anyone have any idea how a CZ barrel might do with lead free .25 pellets?
Are Taipan Vets set up to be able to be dialed way down in power and still be consistent?

Thank you,
-pg
 
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TimeRabbit said:
Would you consider a .177 standard for the barn gun , they tune down nice.
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Yeah right, .177s are mythical creatures. hehe

In all seriousness, another caliber isn't out of the question, but I will be looking at used if I want a Vet 1 and it will depend on what comes available. I was considering "least likely to be tennable" scenario with the 25. Obviously a 22 or 177 would be easier to tune down, but I was pondering the idea of the 25 compact tuned down since I have one already. Also having overlap in parts between guns would be nice, so all 25 has it's draw, if it were doable.
 
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I have my Veteran Short .25 tuned quite low at 25 FPE. This is at 65 bars reg pressure with the Huma Air regulator. This is also using the lowest pressure rated Belleville washers set that Huma Air sells; 60 to 115 bars.

20 FPE would probably be about the lowest the .25 Short can go while still having the hammer spring tension properly balanced with the reg pressure. For ratting, it will still go much lower with just the hammer spring tension but I've never tried it and I don't know about shot consistency. My experience with the Taipan Veterans is that the "cold barrel" first shot really suffers when the hammer spring tension is set way below for what is a proper tune for a given reg pressure. For ratting though or other target rich environment, I'm pretty sure the shot consistency will be acceptable especially since shooting opportunities like that are usually shot within 20 meters.

There's also an issue that some OG Veterans experience where the magazine won't cycle properly when tuned down below 15 FPE. So far, I've only read of a few reported cases like this so you just have to try it with your gun.

20250214_022353 blur.jpg
 
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Sorry for the tease I see .177 are gone from Talon Tunes still a couple .22 V1 standards left.

I am a fan and now owen three vets one just acquired .25 compact that's going to be my woods walker and two standards a .177 and .22 both tuned down and on back yard defense duty.

The .22 is at 600 fps with JTS 21.53 semi Dome about 14 15 ft,lbs I get no pass thru on chipmunk and squirrel head shots but body shots on starlings do pass thru although I can tell the pellet is dumping a lot of its energy buy the way they take the birds off their feet .

Good luck on the barn gun and here's to mythical creatures.
I am waiting on a .177 compact to run out in the road.
 
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Ranchibi said:
Nice tune for rats! That .25 will still smack them into rat-topia...😂👍. Awesome compact little night time ops set-up! How FUN! I snipe rats in my back yard with my Notos, never gets old. Have fun!
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This gun gets 80+ shots on the reg with the 25 FPE tune and very quiet as well. 😅😅😅
 
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MushroomPsyche said:
I have my Veteran Short .25 tuned quite low at 25 FPE. This is at 65 bars reg pressure with the Huma Air regulator. This is also using the lowest pressure rated Belleville washers set that Huma Air sells; 60 to 115 bars.

20 FPE would probably be about the lowest the .25 Short can go while still having the hammer spring tension properly balanced with the reg pressure. For ratting, it will still go much lower with just the hammer spring tension but I've never tried it and I don't know about shot consistency. My experience with the Taipan Veterans is that the "cold barrel" first shot really suffers when the hammer spring tension is set way below for what is a proper tune for a given reg pressure. For ratting though or other target rich environment, I'm pretty sure the shot consistency will be acceptable especially since shooting opportunities like that are usually shot within 20 meters.

There's also an issue that some OG Veterans experience where the magazine won't cycle properly when tuned down below 15 FPE. So far, I've only read of a few reported cases like this so you just have to try it with your gun.
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Good info, thank you. Sounds like it could be done, but a 22 might be a more reasonable platform.

I have a BRK Ranger that is fine, but I do SO like the decocking and anti-double feed on the Taipan...
 
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puddleglum said:
@MushroomPsyche @TimeRabbit

Have either of you tried lead free pellets in your Taipans and, if so, do they shoot well?

Since this would be primarily for inside the barn, I don't want to spread lead around if I miss.

Thanks,
-pg
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Sorry but I have not tried the lead free pellets. For anything under 20 yards though, there's a good chance they will be accurate enough at those distances.
 
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MushroomPsyche said:
Sorry but I have not tried the lead free pellets. For anything under 20 yards though, there's a good chance they will be accurate enough at those distances.
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The barn is 25 yards long, 12 yards wide, and the upstairs is about 12 yards tall. Running a pythagorean theorem twice, I get about 30 yards if I am shooting at pigeons or starlings roosted upstairs from one end of the barn to the other. Most shots will be much less though.

Downstairs might actually be more interesting as I may need to hit a house sparrow in the head in a little nook or cranny, next to a rafter/beam, so good accuracy will be required, but that will definitely be inside 20 yards.

I will be doing my darndest to make sure I don't end up with rats in the barn. All chicken feed will be stored in rat proof containers, and the coop itself will be rat proof.
 
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puddleglum said:
The barn is 25 yards long, 12 yards wide, and the upstairs is about 12 yards tall. Running a pythagorean theorem twice, I get about 30 yards if I am shooting at pigeons or starlings roosted upstairs from one end of the barn to the other. Most shots will be much less though.

Downstairs might actually be more interesting as I may need to hit a house sparrow in the head in a little nook or cranny, next to a rafter/beam, so good accuracy will be required, but that will definitely be inside 20 yards.

I will be doing my darndest to make sure I don't end up with rats in the barn. All chicken feed will be stored in rat proof containers, and the coop itself will be rat proof.
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I believe .22 might be a better option for what you want to do. I just posted on one of my threads regarding my Short. At 670 FPS with the JSB King, I find it quite difficult to shoot at 30 meters. The gun is very sensitive to follow through. I don't know if it's because of the long lock time since the pellet is going slow or if maybe because my reg pressure is too low. In comparison, my Standard Veteran .25 tuned to 45 FPE, even though that gun has considerably more recoil, it feels like a laser beam (JSB King Heavy) compared to the low power tune Short.
 
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MushroomPsyche said:
I believe .22 might be a better option for what you want to do. I just posted on one of my threads regarding my Short. At 670 FPS with the JSB King, I find it quite difficult to shoot at 30 meters. The gun is very sensitive to follow through. I don't know if it's because of the long lock time since the pellet is going slow or if maybe because my reg pressure is too low. In comparison, my Standard Veteran .25 tuned to 45 FPE, even though that gun has considerably more recoil, it feels like a laser beam (JSB King Heavy) compared to the low power tune Short.
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Yeah a .22 Standard might be the best option. Well a .177 would probably be better, but I may be more likely to see a unicorn than a .177 Taipan.

If I am in the upstairs shooting at pigeons or starlings roosted up high, I might bring a tripod and a chair along. Get a nice steady shot at those flying manure spreaders...
 
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Dairyboy said:
I was one who had issues tuning my Taipans down low. However I think what you'd like is a Vixen. At least I really love mine in .177. I have a Taipan Vet Long .22 set at 33fpe, Taipan Mutant Short .22 set at 20fpe and AGT Vixen .177 at 13fpe. It's such a great gun and is my barn gun.
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What about the Vixen do you like? it is an interesting gun, with that gigantic shroud.
 
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puddleglum said:
What about the Vixen do you like? it is an interesting gun, with that gigantic shroud.
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sent my vixen 22 standard to Derrick wall for a tune down to 11-12 fpe I’ll post after it gets back. I’m thinking you would like that platform for your needs. I’m in the same position as you for an inside gun.
 
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puddleglum said:
What about the Vixen do you like? it is an interesting gun, with that gigantic shroud.
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Great trigger, CZ barrels, nice and compact, excellent regulators and lightweight. Cocking is forward for quick shots and balances extremely well for off hand shots and has a pic rail for adding an adapter for tripod if you'd like. I'm a big Taipan fan but the Vixen as a barn gun just works better for me. But it seems it was designed for that. It's no long range gun like my Taipans are.
 
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Dairyboy said:
Great trigger, CZ barrels, nice and compact, excellent regulators and lightweight. Cocking is forward for quick shots and balances extremely well for off hand shots and has a pic rail for adding an adapter for tripod if you'd like. I'm a big Taipan fan but the Vixen as a barn gun just works better for me. But it seems it was designed for that. It's no long range gun like my Taipans are.
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Did it come at 13fpe, or did you have to tune it? Can an average Joe adjust the reg and hammer spring on the Vixen, or does it take involved airgun surgery?

Thanks,
-pg
 
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