Could the Texan .45 Become the Most Powerful PCP Shotgun on the Market? YUP!

[UpNorthAirGunner]

A little sneak peak of my new .410 AirForce Texan .45 Big Bore AirShotGun.....

Before you snicker at the .410 gauge selection for this platform and ask why I didn't go with a 28 or 20 gauge barrel - there are strategic and intentional reasons why. Before I get to that - here is the backstory. 

I have been working with Bryan Ware​ at Lethal Air on this project for the last month or so right after I presented at the Big Bore Air Rifle demo day for the DNR officials here in Michigan. During that awesome event there was a lot of conversation and movement forward on the regulatory vs. legislative actions that could happen to broaden the "method of take" across all seasons and species to use airguns.

The Michigan DNR was able to make tweaks to existing language to open up quite a few new seasons for us Airgunners without any additional legislative action. The one I had been most hopeful for was TURKEY season!

In Michigan, rifles are not allowed for Turkey hunting - you have to use a shotgun with #4 shot or smaller or a crossbow or a muzzleloading shotgun. The new language that regulates (allows) airguns to be used for Turkey hunting was wrapped up in a nice little tidy section in the new 2018 Michigan Hunting Digest (although it has introduced some other issues I will cover later).

This new wording basically states that an airgun can be used as a method of take as long as it follows the same equipment and ammo requirements as firearms. So if I could figure out a way to get a .45 AirForce Texan to sling #4 shotgun shot or smaller and get any decent patterning at 20-30 yards - I just might have a decent Turkey gun on my hands.

But why .410 and not 28 or 20 gauge?

#1 - .410 is a direct drop in barrel for the Texan .45 with ZERO other modifications to the stock AirForce Texan platform. The .410 gauge is the closest to the .45 caliber thus no need to do any kind of breech modifications.

#2 - Sectional Density and Ballistic Efficiency of Lead vs. Tungsten. In a nutshell - what will make this .410 a possible Turkey gun at all is the recent innovation in Tungsten based shot. This stuff is SUPER expensive and ain't your trap and skeet shot (unless you are super rich). But if you can invest in a pocket full of shells that could last you many different seasons where you will just take a handful of shots - these little BBs of death are a game changer!

Up until recently, a .410 gauge really had no place in the conversation for ethical Turkey hunting. That was until Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) started popping up with shotgun reloaders and with Federal coming out with their .410 TSS for Turkey loads.

Imagine a #9 shot size that has the foot pounds of energy and penetration power of #4 lead shot. MASSIVE shot count with the knock down power of a much larger shot size. TSS #9 has about 367 pellets per ounce compared with lead #4 with has 136 per oz. Therein lies the magic of Tungsten #9: better pattern density in lighter loads which allows smaller gauges and opens up a whole new world for airgun shotguns.

#3 - So how will I load it? Where will I get shotgun shells? I will roll my own! The age old craft of paper cartridges baby! I have been practicing making these and it is super fun and easy (had a bit of practice rolling similar shapes in my college days - wink). 

I just wrap a trapezoid shaped piece of paper around an empty .410 shotgun shell hull and dab the end of the paper corner with Elmers glue - pre-weigh the TSS shot to around 13/16 of an ounce - fill the cartridge - and tie off the end with string or just roll the ends zig zag paper style. The last step is I lightly coat the paper cartridge with Bore Butter to help the cartridge slide into the chamber and helps make a better seal for increased velocity.

Stay tuned for pattern and velocity test results! GOBBLE! GOBBLE! Airgunner style baby...

 

[Tazhunter0]

Should be interesting.

 

[Michael]

Nice! Pretty neat if you ask me.

 

[badammo]

Oh man now I HAVE to buy a texan to go with the talon ss and condor ss I already have. I should change my user name to airgun addict. 

Great story and brilliant idea. Eagerly awaiting the next segment.

 

[agnthooziast]

cool idea! Is there going to be any choke and if so will the tungsten shrink/conform down to the smaller choked portion without any binding? I understand it with soft lead shot because it will crush together and conform and but isn't tungsten extra hard? Which would weigh more a 1/4" ball of tungsten or a 1/4" ball of lead? I remember hearing something about steel shot and chokes but can't remember exactly what it was. Bill

 

[Quad82]

Very nice Cris. I was thinking about something like this for the Badger too. Keep us updated. 

 

[UpNorthAirGunner]

VIDEO HIGHLIGHT - AIRFORCE TEXAN .45 AIRGUN SHOTGUN : Early results are in and I am calling this the AirForce Airguns Texan .45 Shotgun: Project Beehive! Could this be the most powerful airgun shotgun in the world? Watch video here: 

https://youtu.be/T48NyTXDtpo

HUGE thank you to Bryan Ware and the team over at Lethal Air in Virginia! If you have any custom work you want done or looking to get into big bore airgunning - give those guys a call. They REALLY know their stuff even when it comes to hair brained ideas like .410 Airgun Shotguns for Turkeys! Visit: https://lethalprecision.com/

 

[Kinetic45]

I think that the air blast is blowing through the shot string inside the barrel since you do not indicate you have a base wad or cup to act as a bore seal/driver and I did not see one in the video. With a base cup you should gain a bit more velocity and gain a tighter pattern vs if you are blowing air through the shot inside the bore which would lengthen the shot string and also cause it to blossom as it leaves the barrel muzzle.

Why don't you take a conventional .410 shot cup and cut it down to say 3/4 long then extend the side walls with paper? { Since the loading port of the Texan is only so long I figure you are inserting the front of the shot 'capsule' and feeding it forward with it slightly bent and into the barrel, right? So have that flexibility for the shot charge but as it finishes entering the barrel then swing the shot cup section in and push forward. }

That way the air has a piston effect against the entire shot mass and you will not get blow through the shot charge.

And as soon as it leaves the muzzle it will fall away just like a regular shotgun.

Or you could do as you said, insert the shot cup and then finish loading from the muzzle, capping the charge with a card wad or puff of dacron to hold the shot in place toward the rear of the barrel so as you move around the shot does not dribble out if you forget and turn the rifle muzzle down (just like the Holy Black shooters do, haha).

You might also check out 'Rooster Jacket' by Rooster Laboratories to use on the paper which would glue the roll and somewhat waterproof the paper but still leave it somewhat flexible. Note that I have been making a paper shot capsule with #6 shot and a cork base wad cut with a hole punch for shooting squirrel in my Texan for a couple years but not much shot due to making them short enough to load like a long slug, basically 1" long which can be fit in OK. The Rooster is what made it work OK and is what is used on paper patch cast bullets, kind of like a sabot, haha. I turned a piece of polyethylene dowel to the correct size (with a tiny taper) then using paper dampened with the Rooster I lightly roll it around the dowel overlapping two thick, leaving 1/2 inch sticking off the end. Close the end by folding down from four sides like a coin roll. Then I carefully slip the paper cup off and let it dry. When dry I measure the shot in and put the wad in on top, dampen the paper edges sticking up with more Rooster and fold them down over the wad just like when making the 'nose'. Let dry and it will hold together in a pellet pouch if treated gently but load and shoot well {from the base of the tree up into the tree so the range is not long}.



PS - got my version II 46-364B mold back from Erik Ohlen, the HP is .230 opening and is .360 deep with a straight taper and a rounded tip on the pin. It's actually a few thou shorter OAL due to the OD of the HP pin required so when he drilled the pin channel in the mold the intersect with the larger OD moved down the side of the nose a little, eliminating the existing meplat. The front (bore riding) band is .452 and the rear (sealing) band is .458 and I am sizing to .457. It fits deep enough into the stock chamber that I do not need to modify with a longer lead. And since it is a bit shorter and has the HP it is a bit lighter