DAR .177 owners thread

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BackStop

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Oct 10, 2020
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Since they stopped making the .177 DAR after the 2nd generation, the 3rd generation is only offered in .22 and .25...

I thought and hoped that I might get some response(s) from anyone who owns a .177 DAR, any generation.

I *think* they stopped making the .177 DAR because of the problems with the barrel(s) in the .177 editions that made/make it hard to get good groups with ANY pellet.
This is based solely on my own experience with a DAR .177 Gen2 which has been hard to match to a pellet with any consistency.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I will ONLY know (and maybe not even then) that, if DAR .177 owners speak up with their experience(s). And even then, I may not know... (smile)

Please DO NOT POST about .22 or .25 DAR versions as this will be of NO help.

Thanks for your cooperation!

Kerry
 
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My Dar .177 like jsb 13.4 @ 800 fps. Will stack them @ 45 yds. Very close to them is jsb 10.3 @ 885. Very nice mag system. Trigger need some attention. Nice side lever and hard to beat for a sub $300 regulated gun.
20210518_091640.jpg
 
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Well I own one second generation, mine is a tack driver with NSA slugs and with this rifle i was capable to take down a coyote, i can make shoots at 100 mts with no issues at cottontails and quails. it´s a shame that not is available in this caliber in the 3rd gen.

DAR .177 plus NSA Slugs and Coyote

Well finally take this coyote that its been chase and eating hens and chickens in the ranch for a few months ago , so i decide to waiting that he show up early in the morning, Grab my DAR in 177 cal & Bushnell custom gold telescope, loaded the magazine with 12.5 gr HP 178 cal NSA slugs and hide...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com
 
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shambozzie said:
My Dar .177 like jsb 13.4 @ 800 fps. Will stack them @ 45 yds. Very close to them is jsb 10.3 @ 885. Very nice mag system. Trigger need some attention. Nice side lever and hard to beat for a sub $300 regulated gun.View attachment 283811
Click to expand...
Thank you! I have been thinking that I might have to go to the heavier pellets than just the 10+ grains.

Of course, that means more $$$ and getting used to a very different ballistic arc. Oh well, if I can consistently get at least MOA out to 50 yards, I will be happy.

Actually, that is somewhat of a lie. I would LIKE to get sub MOA from 8 to 60 yards... yeah... dreaming... (chuckle)

My last test (today) was with 10.3 FX domes and I had 10 shots under MOA at ~35 yards. However, previous to this, the DAR was shooting the same pellets wildly at only 11 yards, indoors.

P.S.

Actually, I really LIKE the trigger compared to the Fortitude. It has some creep, but is reliable and consistent. I can get used to just about ANY trigger with enough time and practice.

Once again, thanks for the the reply!
 
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BackStop said:
I *think* they stopped making the .177 DAR because of the problems with the barrel(s) in the .177 editions that made/make it hard to get good groups with ANY pellet.
Click to expand...
I heard the same from a credible source so I took it to be true.

I've seen two of the .177 barrels and can't comment much about general accuracy with various pellets but I'll share with you the details I recorded about each barrel.

Barrel #1 was from an AGN member. He had indicated that it grouped well with JSB 10.3gr pellets if memory serves. I found a few deficiencies that needed to be addressed:
- Crown looked pretty good for OEM but not quite to my standards. Faced off muzzle, applied crown.
- Burr present at breech opening. Potential cause for intermittent pellet damage when chambering. Reamed and polished.
- Deburred barrel port.
- Leade was rough. Smoothed it with wet/dry and Cratex point.
- Polished bore with J-B (ball-bearing rod, jag, cotton patches, Kroil and J-B)
I don't recall hearing back if it showed improvement or to what extent. [edit] But there is a chance exceeding 0% that he commented as I was drafting my answer :) [/edit]

Barrel #2 was from a GTA member. He was unhappy with it and had already tried deburring and smoothing the breech end to no avail. My observations:
- Obvious loose spot at muzzle; begins at turned down section (last 1"). Accepts 0.177- gauge pin. Breech end accepts 0.176-.
- Removed the stub, turned a new one, and recrowned.
His subsequent testing showed promise. At least part of it though was related to shimming the baffles and barrel support for a slip fit to the shroud.
 
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El_Teacher said:
Well I own one second generation, mine is a tack driver with NSA slugs and with this rifle i was capable to take down a coyote, i can make shoots at 100 mts with no issues at cottontails and quails. it´s a shame that not is available in this caliber in the 3rd gen.

DAR .177 plus NSA Slugs and Coyote

Well finally take this coyote that its been chase and eating hens and chickens in the ranch for a few months ago , so i decide to waiting that he show up early in the morning, Grab my DAR in 177 cal & Bushnell custom gold telescope, loaded the magazine with 12.5 gr HP 178 cal NSA slugs and hide...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com
Click to expand...

Thank you! I may have to look into slugs, but for my purposes (Urban area with lots of houses on 1/4 acres lots) I will have to stick with the lighter slugs for safety and actually prefer pellets for the same safety factor.

Thanks again for the reply!
 
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nervoustrig said:
I heard the same from a credible source so I took it to be true.

I've seen two of the .177 barrels and can't comment much about general accuracy with various pellets but I'll share with you the details I recorded about each barrel.

Barrel #1 was from an AGN member. He had indicated that it grouped well with JSB 10.3gr pellets if memory serves. I found a few deficiencies that needed to be addressed:
- Crown looked pretty good for OEM but not quite to my standards. Faced off muzzle, applied crown.
- Burr present at breech opening. Potential cause for intermittent pellet damage when chambering. Reamed and polished.
- Deburred barrel port.
- Leade was rough. Smoothed it with wet/dry and Cratex point.
- Polished bore with J-B (ball-bearing rod, jag, cotton patches, Kroil and J-B)
I don't recall hearing back if it showed improvement or to what extent. [edit] But there is a chance exceeding 0% that he commented as I was drafting my answer :) [/edit]

Barrel #2 was from a GTA member. He was unhappy with it and had already tried deburring and smoothing the breech end to no avail. My observations:
- Obvious loose spot at muzzle; begins at turned down section (last 1"). Accepts 0.177- gauge pin. Breech end accepts 0.176-.
- Removed the stub, turned a new one, and recrowned.
His subsequent testing showed promise. At least part of it though was related to shimming the baffles and barrel support for a slip fit to the shroud.
Click to expand...

Many thanks nervoustrig! You may have just verified what I have been thinking. I am looking into polishing the barrel and *maybe* trying to adjust/re-crown the barrel muzzel. However, I have no experience nor tools to do this. So, I may end up worse than I started if I actually try it.

So far, the JSB/FX 10.3 pellets have been the best, but until a test today I was getting many flyers and nowhere near MOA. This last test was only 10 shots, but WAS sub MOA @ ~35 yards using the FX 10.3. The JSB 10.3 are only slightly worse, but the FX pellets are visually better than the JSB as soon as you open the tin.

Thanks again! I respect your opinion and experience.
 
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No problem. Best wishes on a successful effort.

If it seems daunting, just start by pushing a few pellets through and feeling for snags and areas where it's loose or tight. Although it is helpful to have the experience from a variety of barrels (e.g. what a good barrel should feel like), you can very likely identify suspect areas and at least be in a better position to decide how to proceed.

Barrel troubleshooting and accurizing how-to - Airguns & Guns Forum

Barrel troubleshooting and accurizing how-to, Air guns, Airgun Forum
www.gatewaytoairguns.org
 
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nervoustrig said:
No problem. Best wishes on a successful effort.

If it seems daunting, just start by pushing a few pellets through and feeling for snags and areas where it's loose or tight. Although it is helpful to have the experience from a variety of barrels (e.g. what a good barrel should feel like), you can very likely identify suspect areas and at least be in a better position to decide how to proceed.

Barrel troubleshooting and accurizing how-to - Airguns & Guns Forum

Barrel troubleshooting and accurizing how-to, Air guns, Airgun Forum
www.gatewaytoairguns.org
Click to expand...

Yeah, but as I have said, I don't like tinkering... although it looks like I *may* have to since I keep buying low cost airguns in .177. (chuckle)

Thanks again for your advice! You have never steered me, or anyone else that I have read, wrong.

Greatly appreciate your willingness to freely share your experience! (smile)
 
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Peskådot671 said:
How do the .22 and .25 versions perform? Anyone care to chime in?
Click to expand...

I already asked that the .22 and .25 version NOT be talked about in this thread in MY original post!

This thread is ONLY about the .177 version(s) of the DAR.

If you want to talk about the .22 or .25 versions, please start a new thread of your own.

Thanks!
 
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BackStop said:
I already asked that the .22 and .25 version NOT be talked about in this thread in MY original post!

This thread is ONLY about the .177 version(s) of the DAR.

If you want to talk about the .22 or .25 versions, please start a new thread of your own.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
:ROFLMAO: Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I guess the inner troll came out and I just wanted to be "That guy". Moving on.
 
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Something I did to alleviate the *clipping* issue was to wrap all of the baffles with duct tape. If you don't do this, you will experience clipping.

Clipping: pellets making contact with the baffles or end cap of the shroud causing extreme issues with accuracy.

That is my definition, but there is probably a better definition.

The baffles in the DAR are not like those of the Marauder or Fortitude in that they are too loose (smaller diameter than the inside of the shroud to the point of being loose), in a nut shell, which allows them to move into the path of the pellet and cause clipping.

In the Marauder(s) the baffles fit much more precisely (diameter of baffle vs diameter of inside of the shroud) and are held in place by a spring, so they are capable of moving with the expansion of air and do a better job (IMHO) of reducing noise.

The DAR *requires* that the baffles are FIRMLY held in place, so there is no movement with the expansion of air. And since their diameter is so loose in comparison to the inside diameter of the shroud, it is very easy for them to cause clipping if not tightly held in place and in my experience, they need to be wrapped. Wrapping the baffles in thin duct tape seems to take care of the alignment issues as far as clipping (for the most part), but since the baffles are not allowed to move like those in the Marauder/Fortitude, it is not as quiet, although it is reasonably quiet and some will not be able to tell the difference.

Without wrapping the baffles in tape, clipping is always a problem that can come up, at any time because the DAR baffles are so much smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the shroud that alignment IS an issue.

This is my personal opinion based on owning a .177 DAR Gen2 for about a year at the time of this post. Yeah, I wish I could say what I mean faster and better as well. (smile)
 
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I have a Gen2 177 and its very accurate. It does really well with 10 and 13gr JSB pellets. The only thing I did was mod my spring a bit. Mine was shooting very hot out the box and with the hammer adjuster all in or backed as far out as I could get it there wasn't a lot of fps change. I shortened the spring a bit so I could tune it down a bit but will still go hot if I need it to!
 
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