2015 SHOT show: AirForce big bore air rifle .457 cal PCP
- Thread starter tootall
- Start date
Pure Energy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A river runs through it.
Using 100% compressed nitrogen should offset the temperature differences vs just compressed air.
Oh yeah, you're definitely right about that, I think there's some kind of portable pump you can get though, there's a guy at my grandpa's gun club that shoots a pcp airgun sometimes and I'm sure he doesn't use a compressor to refill his tank. I just googled it, "The hill" pump came up, it looks just like a bike pump, it's got a guage that goes up to 3500 psi though. Interesting. What did they use to refill it when you tried it at SHOT, Tootall?
blackacres
Regular
- Location
- Mount Hope, Ontario
AirForce have produced some nice PCP rifles, up until now they generally offered smaller caliber rifles. There new .45 caliber is very interesting.
To answer some of the questions posted here, although it's a different rifle, I've owned a Jack Haley .457" caliber PCP air rifle for several years now.
You can top the air tank up with an air rifle specific pump, but it's a lot of work. My JH likes to be filled up to around 3600 psi, so a carbon fibre Airhog 88 cu/ft air tank is much more convenient when at the range, etc. The tank can be filled by most dive shops, paint ball stores or places that fill the likes of Scott packs.
My JH gets approx. 5-6 max. power/lethal shoots before it falls off below 3000 psi. A top up from the large tank takes a minute or so.
When taking such a rifle hunting, most guys use a smaller air tank, which with a full fill, will top up the rifle about 3 times. I've only used compressed air in my rifle, as I only shoot it in the warmer weather, but nitrogen would be great for cold weather if you have a large tank to fill from.
These things produce incredible power and are very accurate. I've shot my 'pellet gun' out to 200 yards and can keep my shots on the target at these ranges. I've found the best 'pellet' that provides a flatter trajectory but still carries a lot of energy is a 340 gr hollow point I cast. I've shot 225 - 505 gr 'pellets' out of my JH.
Guys in the US use these big bore air guns to shoot deer, wild pigs and I've seen posts with guys taking fairly large African game with them, the likes of water buffalo, etc.
They are basically the same as using a large bore black powder rifle, without the black powder and the muzzle blast/noise that goes with it. My JH sounds like an air powered framing nail gun when standing 15 - 20 feet away.
Here is a short video of one of my sons shooting my JH. Which to other air gun folks, looks like a Crosman 160 on steroids!
[video]http://vid277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/blackacres54/Jack%20Haley%20Video/VID00004-20101104-1751.mp4[/video]
To answer some of the questions posted here, although it's a different rifle, I've owned a Jack Haley .457" caliber PCP air rifle for several years now.
You can top the air tank up with an air rifle specific pump, but it's a lot of work. My JH likes to be filled up to around 3600 psi, so a carbon fibre Airhog 88 cu/ft air tank is much more convenient when at the range, etc. The tank can be filled by most dive shops, paint ball stores or places that fill the likes of Scott packs.
My JH gets approx. 5-6 max. power/lethal shoots before it falls off below 3000 psi. A top up from the large tank takes a minute or so.
When taking such a rifle hunting, most guys use a smaller air tank, which with a full fill, will top up the rifle about 3 times. I've only used compressed air in my rifle, as I only shoot it in the warmer weather, but nitrogen would be great for cold weather if you have a large tank to fill from.
These things produce incredible power and are very accurate. I've shot my 'pellet gun' out to 200 yards and can keep my shots on the target at these ranges. I've found the best 'pellet' that provides a flatter trajectory but still carries a lot of energy is a 340 gr hollow point I cast. I've shot 225 - 505 gr 'pellets' out of my JH.
Guys in the US use these big bore air guns to shoot deer, wild pigs and I've seen posts with guys taking fairly large African game with them, the likes of water buffalo, etc.
They are basically the same as using a large bore black powder rifle, without the black powder and the muzzle blast/noise that goes with it. My JH sounds like an air powered framing nail gun when standing 15 - 20 feet away.
Here is a short video of one of my sons shooting my JH. Which to other air gun folks, looks like a Crosman 160 on steroids!
[video]http://vid277.photobucket.com/albums/kk50/blackacres54/Jack%20Haley%20Video/VID00004-20101104-1751.mp4[/video]
Mikeschurman
Regular
- Location
- Edmonton, AB
I've got an airforce rifle in .22 and it's a lot of fun. It's got a good ban for an air rifle but still quiet compared to a .22. Very accurate and gets around 50+ shots on a tank of air. The hand pump is a pain in the ass, takes forever but you can get the scuba tank adaptor to fill it up. It would be nice if you could get a bigger paintball air tank to work on them but the way the valve is made on these it would be impossible to make it work. I bet this 45 cal would be a hoot
Aviator747
Member
- Location
- Cornwall, ON
I would say the easiest method for HPA filling would be the use of a scuba tank. I used to do this all the time when I played paintball. You could use a nitrogen bottle also.
I would still like to know how stable and consistent the shots would be in bitter cold. May I ask did it have what felt like a nice crisp mechanical trigger or more like that found on air rifles where it's very long drawn out trigger pull. Cause if You can't get the trigger crisp it's useless
Hand pump vs compressor.
I got the Benjamin/crosman hand pump to fill a Maximus. I recommend that rifle as a great pcp entry point, and the hand pump does fill it - with about 100-110 slow strokes. I have got 3/8 inch groups at 10 yards, no tuning, just a great buy for an accurate rifle. For the bigger capacity rifles (aka Sam Yang offerings) a powered pump is preferred - when do you want to do 530 strokes to fill the tanks? Never, by my call.
I bought a Yong Heng high pressure compressor for approx $400 including shipping handling and import duties. That is noisy, has an external water pump, and overall is a loud pain in the butt to listen to - but about minute and a half can fill those dual tanks to 3000 psi. Sumatra in .22 , creepy peep sights, but again dead on at 10 yards, everything goes into the 10 ring or the X. A windy day, and still within an inch at 25. So here's the link for the pump, Chinese manufacture but well made overall : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/110V-220V-300BAR-30MPA-4500PSI-High-Pressure-Air-Pump-Electrical-mini-Air-Compressor-for-airgun-scuba/32723665015.html but you must specify the voltage. I suppose a small tank for carry along recharge might be a good thing but at $600 that becomes a bit pricey. Where I shoot I have electrics so no big deal. Hand pumping works fine but takes a while - this old guy needs the exercise (not).
I got the Benjamin/crosman hand pump to fill a Maximus. I recommend that rifle as a great pcp entry point, and the hand pump does fill it - with about 100-110 slow strokes. I have got 3/8 inch groups at 10 yards, no tuning, just a great buy for an accurate rifle. For the bigger capacity rifles (aka Sam Yang offerings) a powered pump is preferred - when do you want to do 530 strokes to fill the tanks? Never, by my call.
I bought a Yong Heng high pressure compressor for approx $400 including shipping handling and import duties. That is noisy, has an external water pump, and overall is a loud pain in the butt to listen to - but about minute and a half can fill those dual tanks to 3000 psi. Sumatra in .22 , creepy peep sights, but again dead on at 10 yards, everything goes into the 10 ring or the X. A windy day, and still within an inch at 25. So here's the link for the pump, Chinese manufacture but well made overall : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/110V-220V-300BAR-30MPA-4500PSI-High-Pressure-Air-Pump-Electrical-mini-Air-Compressor-for-airgun-scuba/32723665015.html but you must specify the voltage. I suppose a small tank for carry along recharge might be a good thing but at $600 that becomes a bit pricey. Where I shoot I have electrics so no big deal. Hand pumping works fine but takes a while - this old guy needs the exercise (not).
