Modified .357 Benjamin Bulldog Preparation for Deer Season

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Ezana4CE said:
@WarriorPoet Good looking group there. When I get her dialed in like that with this new scope, she’s going back into the woods. I think I need to clean my barrel as well. It could probably use a scrubbing. This one is supposed to be capable of decent groups at 100 yards. I simply haven’t put that sort of time in with her.

@Airgun-hobbyist The way this Bulldog hogs and expels air I’m thinking the boat tails might be worth testing. They were hard to come by at one point during the pandemic so I focused on shooting dish-base and flat-base hollows. I didn’t look at boat tails again until I recently read a thread they were mentioned in.
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Thanks, To be Fair I cherry picked that group! And I was shooting on an non-level bench with ear pro, glasses and a shaky chair at the range... If I was shooting prone in grass with NO glasses, or ear pro, with people bothering me... I know she can do better. Here is a pic with JSB,NSA,and the new 147grain Benjamin slug. Mine shoots the NSA @ 875, the JSB @ 965 and 147g @ 785
20221029_104125_HDR.jpg

(NSA 110g Left and Bottom target, 147g benji slugs center, right and top target are JSB 81.02 pellets) 50 yards
 
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I found the Bulldog to be an accurate gun, but I also found that I had to do everything right to be accurate with it so not a gun I wanted to go hunting ( also missed 2 Hogs on hunts and I really do not do that with my guns ),.......I could have kept the Bulldog that Crosman sent me for field testing but I didn't because it was not a gun I felt comfortable with, my thinking is that the barrel is to long and the cheap plastic stock does not help.
 
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AirArcher66 said:
I found the Bulldog to be an accurate gun, but I also found that I had to do everything right to be accurate with it …, my thinking is that the barrel is to long and the cheap plastic stock does not help.
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My thoughts on that plastic stock are that it’s to hold sensitive. It can creak like an old house. I was on a couple coyote stands at night and couldn’t move without making unnecessary noise. It was pretty silent. Squeeze the grip too hard and it makes noise. Move a few inches and the sling swivels cause the sling studs to make noise as well. Also if you have to insert the mag and cock it it’s going to make noise. Releasing the plastic safety makes noise. It would’ve been nice if they worked out some of the noise issues in the introduction of the .457 Bulldog as a hunting rifle. I’m good with the barrel length in the terrain I’m used to. All in all I like the platform, especially the potential to enhance its performance.
 
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Ezana4CE said:
My thoughts on that plastic stock are that it’s to hold sensitive. It can creak like an old house. I was on a couple coyote stands at night and couldn’t move without making unnecessary noise. It was pretty silent. Squeeze the grip too hard and it makes noise. Move a few inches and the sling swivels cause the sling studs to make noise as well. Also if you have to insert the mag and cock it it’s going to make noise. Releasing the plastic safety makes noise. It would’ve been nice if they worked out some of the noise issues in the introduction of the .457 Bulldog as a hunting rifle. I’m good with the barrel length in the terrain I’m used to. All in all I like the platform, especially the potential to enhance its performance.
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Yeah my thought, (and I did tell Crosman that), Is that the platform has huge potential and they should have expanded to all calibers and made a wood rifle version.

I'm not a fan on long barrels in airguns, to me the sweet spot is around 20"
 
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Somethings I was thinking about this morning in regards to my sight in of the second scope and chronographing. When laying prone and chronographing at the muzzle as I previously stated I used two thick rotten pieces of a tree branch placed close to together with a flat piece of thin cardboard on top amd placed my chronograph on to of the cardboard. What I didn’t notice until I had just about finished is that the air from the muzzle was lifting the cardboard and moving the chronograph. I got a couple of strange readings in the range of 500s and 600s (fps). I’m not sure if changes in lighting or the air lifting the cardboard and moving the chronograph we’re causing the reading to be thrown off.

I also stated that I didn’t have a solid base. Ideally I’d like a rock solid base that does not move, but I don’t have a concrete shooting table or a competition grade extreme bench rest styled rest. I used to use a Lead Sled but there is room for the but of the Bulldog to move within the part of the rest meant to hold a bit stock. The spring is so stiff in this Bulldog that I cannot see a way it can be cocked without moving the gun. I have to muscle it. This throws me off when sighting in causing me to have to take more shots than I’d like. A rest with padded clamping vises for foreshock and the but would be helpful. Anyone have any simple suggestions that I may be overlooking here?
 
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Ezana4CE said:
Somethings I was thinking about this morning in regards to my sight in of the second scope and chronographing. When laying prone and chronographing at the muzzle as I previously stated I used two thick rotten pieces of a tree branch placed close to together with a flat piece of thin cardboard on top amd placed my chronograph on to of the cardboard. What I didn’t notice until I had just about finished is that the air from the muzzle was lifting the cardboard and moving the chronograph. I got a couple of strange readings in the range of 500s and 600s (fps). I’m not sure if changes in lighting or the air lifting the cardboard and moving the chronograph we’re causing the reading to be thrown off.

I also stated that I didn’t have a solid base. Ideally I’d like a rock solid base that does not move, but I don’t have a concrete shooting table or a competition grade extreme bench rest styled rest. I used to use a Lead Sled but there is room for the but of the Bulldog to move within the part of the rest meant to hold a bit stock. The spring is so stiff in this Bulldog that I cannot see a way it can be cocked without moving the gun. I have to muscle it. This throws me off when sighting in causing me to have to take more shots than I’d like. A rest with padded clamping vises for foreshock and the but would be helpful. Anyone have any simple suggestions that I may be overlooking here?
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As for the chrono the cheap 55 bucks Amazon one works fantastic, so much easier then the Caldwell I have


As for the Dog, I found that gun the most sensitive to shoot then any of all the PCPs I had,...by far
 
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@AirArcher66 My ProChrono chronograph works fine for my purposes. The way it was situated on the cardboard was likely moving it unbeknownst to me until towards the end of my time out with it. There’s some serious air pressure coming behind these slugs. Have you used a ProChrono before? If so, how does it compare to the AMZ chrono you posted the link to?

It has a bit of recoil too. Keeping the gun stable in that sort of sight in situation is also tough because of the amount of strength used to cock this thing. No “quick” follow ups shots because of this. It has a steel cocking lever and it’s slightly bent. The stock lever would probably break under this sort of pressure after a short period of use. I’m looking for some sort of rear clamping shooting rest to keep the but from shifting positions. The Lead Sled has too much wiggle room in the rear.
 
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Ezana4CE said:
@AirArcher66 My ProChrono chronograph works fine for my purposes. The way it was situated on the cardboard was likely moving it unbeknownst to me until towards the end of my time out with it. There’s some serious air pressure coming behind these slugs. Have you used a ProChrono before? If so, how does it compare to the AMZ chrono you posted the link to?

It has a bit of recoil too. Keeping the gun stable in that sort of sight in situation is also tough because of the amount of strength used to cock this thing. No “quick” follow ups shots because of this. It has a steel cocking lever and it’s slightly bent. The stock lever would probably break under this sort of pressure after a short period of use. I’m looking for some sort of rear clamping shooting rest to keep the but from shifting positions. The Lead Sled has too much wiggle room in the rear.
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Don't really know what a Pro-Chrono is but I assume if one like the Caldwell that you need to place 6-8" in front of the gun and shoot over the sensors,....the one I posted you just place over the barrel or LDC and shoot away, works in all kind of light or no light ;) and can just shoot targets without worry of shooting the crono and having to line everything up
 
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Ezana4CE said:
@AirArcher66 I’ll take a look.
This is a Competition Electronics ProChrono DLX Chronograph White
https://a.co/d/6A4quNq
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Yeah I figured it was one of those types,...since getting My 55 bucks one and double checking the numbers with the Caldwell to make sure they matched I've never, ever taken the Caldwell out the box no more ;)
 
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I use a Caldwell Chronograph always with the sun screens attached... IF Indoors, then I turn off the garage fluorescent lights and install the included lighting kit... I have a ruler set at the front sensor and shoot exactly 1 foot away from the chronograph with Ronin attached to Bulldog, that equals 20" away from the actual end of the barrel muzzle. I get pretty consistent readings like that, and they match my outdoor readings.

I was just doing chrony work today, comparing the Hunter Supply 147grain slug to the Benjamin 147grain slug... Because I think they are the same bullet, But Crosman charges double. The Hunter Supply Appears to be slighty harder lead, and a .358! When shooting through wood and into duct seal they barely deform, but are really consistent across the chrony.

Here is a 5 shot string: 147g Hunter Supply Air Bullet .358 diamter 3,200psi. fill
792
794 < 205.7 fpe
791
785
767
 
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CamronN7 said:
New 147 grain benji slug? Did they come out with a new one?
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Yeah, here it is: https://www.pyramydair.com/product/benjamin-357-slugs-147-grains-flat-nose-100ct?p=1817

I bought a box from PA, and they shipped loose in their shipping box!... and at least 10 bullets had casting flaws and were discarded! They charge $50 a box of 100 which is cheaper than the Nosler bullet... but still not worth it! Plain in simple the NSA 142g is a better bullet, and he takes care in packing and shipping insuring they get to your door undamaged.

However I am pretty sure Hunters Supply Makes that Bullet for Benjamin, and they sell it on their website for $26 a box of 100... even cheaper more when you buy 500

Air .358 357 Cal, 147 FP - SC, Hunters Supply

Hunters Supply Slick Coat 357 Cal 147 grain Flat Point Diameter .358
www.hunters-supply.com www.hunters-supply.com

They shot 10fps faster than the Benjamin slug, and more consistent across the chronograph...No major casting flaws, But for sure a harder lead...
 
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