.177 Lothar Walther Poly Barrels UPDATE....

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Xbowsniper

Xbowsniper

Member
Nov 19, 2017
1,238
139
New York, United States
Nation, 

I have acquired direct from Lothar Walther, a pair of polygonal barrels, one choked, one unchoked. After a good cleaning, I'll install in one of my beasts. Hopefully they'll get along with my Target Tech slugs better than my existing barrels.

IMG_20201128_152637_764.1606596102.jpg
20201128_151747.1606596103.jpg


Stay tuned...

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 
 
Matthias, 

I figured that spending under $300 for a couple of barrels, would be more productive than spending ANOTHER $600+ for swaging dies that might not work. If they don't shoot my slugs well, I'm 100% sure I'll find SOMETHING that'll shoot well out of them!!!!

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com
Click to expand...

That sure makes a lot of sense!
 
Upvote 0
Odoyle, 

I knew SOMEONE was going to comment about that. And yes, I've tried to shoot them in everything I own, yes, the Challenger included,, even the 1720T with great success. Most of my guns, or at least a good deal of them, have 12 groove Lothar Walther barrels, some choked, some not. Ok results, with my RAW TM1000 being the best of the lot. This is one of the reasons I'm trying the poly barrels.......I didn't have one until now....

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 
 
Upvote 0
Matthias, 

I figured that spending under $300 for a couple of barrels, would be more productive than spending ANOTHER $600+ for swaging dies that might not work. If they don't shoot my slugs well, I'm 100% sure I'll find SOMETHING that'll shoot well out of them!!!!

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com
Click to expand...

Poly barrel in my TM 1000 worked Exceedingly well with JSB 13.9 gr pellets at 800 fps.
 
Upvote 0
Nation,

Just returned from my range, from testing the 2 polygonal barrels. Put the unchoked one on first, and tested every slug i make, and a variety of pellets. Some of the pellets were pretty good, even of the heavier Monsters, Redesigned Monsters, and Beasts. It shot the lighter Field Target Trophy 8.64 the best, and that'll be my go to pellet for that barrel. Shot extremely well. All of my slugs were useless in both barrels, the choked barrel shot nothing well, so we'll abandon that one for the moment. 

So, I went with the unchoked barrel, and the FTT'S, so there's that. I also am getting 20-30 shots more per fill, so that's a plus as well.

So, the plot thickens......

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 


 
Upvote 0
Scott,

That's my next thing. I'm going to acquire the NSA's for testing, because I do know that they have a little bit more diameter than my slugs have. If they happen to work, then I can speculate that the NSA diameter of .1780 is probably more compatible with the barrel than my .1775 diameter slugs.

I have tried my slugs in all kinds of Lothar Walther barrels, and my TM1000 which has a LW 12 groove barrel, has done the best. I got a decent quarter size group at 55 yards, in a wicked right to left 15 mph wind. What I need to do, is a lot more testing. With all of my nose options, along with my base options, I have over 150 different designs I can make, couple that with the infinite amount of weights, I'll have options that number into the thousands. 

I have a feeling I'm gonna need more lead wire........

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 
 
Upvote 0
Yes the NSA's are indeed .178"

Now just a matter of conversation .... POLY barrels in a word are SHAPE SHIFTERS of the projectile they shoot. Unlike a conventional barrel where ALL points of contact be it LAND or GROOVE have a radius profile of a concentric circle. POLY profiles distort this in a wave of ever changing profile as land and groove ebb and tide back & forth in angle and contact profile.



Now being a SLUG is a solid body projectile, having it correctly fit is going to require a CORKS fit within a POLY or the helix of rifling may very well be a skid of rotation if too loose.

Sized larger you get a CORK !! and having a consistent break away and launch shot to shot won't be happening. Just like a powder gun when the resistance of projectile to bore gets really snug, sometimes it required some JUMP to get projectile moving before it sams into rifling where the shape shifting happens as the slug must be forced to take on the shape of the bore. Pellets are easily reshapened ... slugs not so much.

Conventional rifled barrels have far less initial resistance to this process being ONLY the LANDS are being impressed into the lead and edges are sharp and somewhat square. Lighter interference fit will still spin the slug without slippage/skid.

Blow by in gap present between slugs O.D. and GROOVE I.D. is something we are all aware of, and luckily in these small bore guns in my testing at least is not worrisome or effecting accuracy any if present to a small degree. Big bore this gap can create larger efficiency losses.





Tom ...

Just sharing thoughts ... I'm sure your well aware of whats been stated, others who read this some education.



Scott S
 
Upvote 0
Scott,

Get exactly what you said.

As you described that the slug shape is harder to conform to poly rifling, which I know. That's a reason why I want to try some lighter weights and designs, just to eliminate the larger surface area of contact of the slug. I'm also going to try the hollow base, which might conform to the poly rifling easier than the solid wall of the slug. Past testing in all other barrels that were not poly, were horrible. Choked, unchoked, 12 groove, 6 groove, didn't matter. Best group wasn't 6 inches at 30 yards. Maybe the poly will be different. We'll have to see........

And the plot thickens....

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 
 
Upvote 0
Hubertus,

I don't think it would have any advantage, as every barrel/liner has is own unique characteristics, and it wouldn't be relevant to my barrels. I originally had the particular dies made to mesh with my RAW TM1000, which has a Lothar Walther choked barrel, and my Steyr LG 110FT. I shot and recovered pellets from both, along with unshot samples of both. The diemaker measured them, and made the dies for my size barrels, so I know that they are sized right for the bores. My dilemma is that I'm trying to get something that works at slow velocities, and with slugs, that's a tall order.

I do have some Nielson slugs on their way, we'll have to see if they work any better, as the diameter of Nielson slugs are .1780, and mine are .1775.

Tomorrow Dec 8th at 8:30 Eastern, I'll be on Instagram live with Brent from airgunsofmichigan, and we'll be talking all about slugs, pellets, and anything related to them. Should be interesting. 

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 

Fieldtargettech.com 
 
Upvote 0
I've spent the last 3 days testing slugs !!



NSA .177 in 10.5 grain

NSA .20 in 15.5, 18 & 21.8 grain

NSA .25 in 35 & 40 grain



Revisiting NSA 12.5 & 15 grains in .177 while i establish data on the other weights.

LW barrels, HW ballels and some TJ liners too.

Speeds form mid 700 to over 1100 fps !!



I'm bushed and still not done trying different combos looking for accuracy worth crowing about.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu