Airforce Condor valve vs custom high flow valve

[haverdude]

I purchased a new Condor 25 cal late last fall. I have added a 4500 PSI bottle and a heavy hammer and spring. I just started to test this setup - with a bottle fill of 4100 psi, and the hammer dial set to 2, and tophat/orifice (stock), I was able to shoot a 49 gn slug at 998 fps. My goal is to get to a .257 setup (I have the barrel). With the stock valve /tophat, is it still necessary to invest in a custom, high flow valve to build a .257 with great performance?

Thanks for any/all info.

 

[Ratzy]

I have high flow valves in all 3 of my AF guns. Also heavy springs and heavy hammers.
My 2 .25 are both 24 inch barrels and the high flow valve is a must. I was able to drop the reg pressure from 2400psi to around 1700psi with the same FPS.

I also have plenums on them.
One has a Huben Power Max-ATH with a 50cc plenum.
The other has a homemade 125CC plenum.

The plenums supply air to accelerate the pellets the length of the barrel.

This is the 125CC setup.
Tube above the bottle holds 125CC air

 

[Berserkeley Mike]

I purchased a new Condor 25 cal late last fall. I have added a 4500 PSI bottle and a heavy hammer and spring. I just started to test this setup - with a bottle fill of 4100 psi, and the hammer dial set to 2, and tophat/orifice (stock), I was able to shoot a 49 gn slug at 998 fps. My goal is to get to a .257 setup (I have the barrel). With the stock valve /tophat, is it still necessary to invest in a custom, high flow valve to build a .257 with great performance?

Thanks for any/all info.

49 grains at 998 fps is 108 ft#. I don't hear of much more than that out of a Condor .25. As I understand it, the heavy hammer and spring is to open the valve against that 4100 psi. At that pressure, will a higher flow valve do much more? Maybe test more! How heavy are the .257 slugs/bullets that you want to shoot?

 

[haverdude]

I have high flow valves in all 3 of my AF guns. Also heavy springs and heavy hammers.
My 2 .25 are both 24 inch barrels and the high flow valve is a must. I was able to drop the reg pressure from 2400psi to around 1700psi with the same FPS.

I also have plenums on them.
One has a Huben Power Max-ATH with a 50cc plenum.
The other has a homemade 125CC plenum.

The plenums supply air to accelerate the pellets the length of the barrel.

This is the 125CC setup.
Tube above the bottle holds 125CC air

View attachment 563154

Right now, I just have the one Condor, with three different configs. Once of those configurations is a Huben reg with 50cc plenum that use with my .22 barrel. Mainly have that just for local club matches. The 25 and 257 will be for hunting. I have considered the Huben setup that you have. Who made the valve(s) you are using?

 

[haverdude]

49 grains at 998 fps is 108 ft#. I don't hear of much more than that out of a Condor .25. As I understand it, the heavy hammer and spring is to open the valve against that 4100 psi. At that pressure, will a higher flow valve do much more? Maybe test more! How heavy are the .257 slugs/bullets that you want to shoot?

Definitely doing more testing. ...today in fact. I will be testing while tethered. That should really help me out with what this setup can do, I have not selected the .257 weights as of yet. I am leaning toward starting with 70gn.

 

[MrP]

49 grains at 998 fps is 108 ft#. I don't hear of much more than that out of a Condor .25. As I understand it, the heavy hammer and spring is to open the valve against that 4100 psi. At that pressure, will a higher flow valve do much more? Maybe test more! How heavy are the .257 slugs/bullets that you want to shoot?

You can get considerably more power with a high flow valve like the one that Doug Noble makes.

 

[mercado]

By the test of yesterday I managed to push 62gr in 224 at 975 with a fill pressure of 3100 psi with a barrel length of 27 1/2 .. 70gram hammer factory spring preload in #2 .. so by that test a talon p valve with the talon tunes one pice top hat.. + 90gram hammer n the tt spring .. should be enough for 72 gr cast or sway bullet.. since anyway that is the max weight completely stabilize in the 1-14 .. it could stabilize 85gr but only sway bullets... not cast bullets.. No need to brain storm about a Doug valve, in case you don't managed to get one.. above 72gr bullets you will need one of his valves.

Side note in .224 at 33 3/4 in a barrel is simply to long for .22 bullets start to slow down will start cuting down to see what is the sweet spot I imagine 30" is the max length it should be will see. I was getting more speed with the 27.5 " at 3,100 psi than with the 33.75 at 3,400 psi that has 116gram hammer and a heavy spring.

 

[Ratzy]

Trajectron has all the parts.
Hammer, springs but no high flow tophats, just the parts to upgrade the standard tophat.
Unless you want the extreme flow kit, for slugs.

AliExpress you can find springs and tophats but no hammers.

I bought a selection of hammers from Trajectron
Tophat and upgrade kit from AliExpress
A selection of various wire diameter springs from AliExpress.
Huben Power Max-ATH regulator
That allowed me to mix and match parts and air pressure.

 

[haverdude]

Definitely doing more testing. ...today in fact. I will be testing while tethered. That should really help me out with what this setup can do, I have not selected the .257 weights as of yet. I am leaning toward starting with 70gn.

Windy day in Missouri. That said, ended up with the same 49.2 gn slug doing the best; it was at 935 fps. With all the testing, at the end of the day I only had time to shoot 5 shots at 75yd. 3" group in the wind. Will start there at the next shooting time and see if I can bring that in....hopefully less wind.

For pellets, it really liked the FX 34 gn, with the hammer dial at 4.1. Again, I have a the heavy hammer and the heavy spring. The pellets were tested at 35yd.

....in learning mode.

 

[haverdude]

I have high flow valves in all 3 of my AF guns. Also heavy springs and heavy hammers.
My 2 .25 are both 24 inch barrels and the high flow valve is a must. I was able to drop the reg pressure from 2400psi to around 1700psi with the same FPS.

I also have plenums on them.
One has a Huben Power Max-ATH with a 50cc plenum.
The other has a homemade 125CC plenum.

The plenums supply air to accelerate the pellets the length of the barrel.

This is the 125CC setup.
Tube above the bottle holds 125CC air

View attachment 563154

Just curious, what is your length of pull with that setup?

 

[Ratzy]

Just curious, what is your length of pull with that setup?

I have two set ups, straight and U.
Both LOP fit me just fine

Straight:
Tank to Max-ATH reg to gun
Trigger to shoulder plate is 17 inches.

Custom butt plate isn't required, you can shoot just fine using the bottle as cheek rest and butt plate.

Tank to U adapter to reg to 20CM Plenum
18 inches shoulder plate to trigger

 

[Ratzy]

Just curious, what is your length of pull with that setup?

Then there is my regulated Big Bore setup.
Don't have a Big Bore to test it on, have to drive a ways to a Texan .510.

1.1L bottle to U to reg (1.6L would work too)
20Cm plenum from reg to bottom of Tee
40Cm plenum to elbow to middle of Tee
Tophat at top of the Tee
The 40CM tube runs along the gun body.
Total plenum volume is over 375CC.

1.1L bottle + 400CC plenum should provide 3-4 times the normal shot count. Going to have to figure out reg setting for optimal FPS. Limited to 3000psi. Doubt we set up there.

The steel in the middle is the Tee

LOP will be 19-20 inches