Regulating a Big Bore..

[mackeral5]

This is a great topic, I'll share a bit of what I've experienced in playing with many, many different configurations of the Bulldog and Extreme .457 platforms .....I'll assume we are talking within the confines of an un-tethered gun. If tethering, there is nothing to discuss YES, regulate if you have the ability!!!!

After regulating, if high pressure capacity isn't enough to yield more than 3 or so shots, then I'm not sure how much you are gaining by going regulated. Even with wide open, >or = to bore sized porting, one should be able to achieve 3 or so shots across a tight ES with most big bores.

it all boils down to available high pressure storage after creating your plenum. I'm sure there is a rule of thumb that could be developed. Just shooting from the hip her if you will--- If you want 5+ flat shots in the upper end of the energy spectrum on a given platform, IMO you will need 3x plenum capacity or greater ratio of high pressure storage to plenum to make regulating worthwhile..

Again, great topic. My $.02 isn't intended to discourage anyone from going down this path, just adding some anecdotal information obtained by burning through a bunch of nitrogen and lead experimenting in this area.......

Thanks for posting your experience. If I can get three to four consistent shots then I'll be happier. Right now it is way to extreme of spread for my liking, though it is cool seeing the chrony hit 980+ FPS.

There is about 550 cc's of air space available in the tube to work with, but sealing the regulator is going to be tricky. The way it is machined now, only 4 mm of space is available for sealing next to the valve body, and I don't know how it will be referencing atmosphere like that.

What little I know about the Challenger is based on reading the many threads posted over the past 6 months or so. It is an intriguing platform and if I weren't so heavily invested in my current platforms I would have already ordered one.... As tempting as it is, ordering a Challenger would mean yet another set of 3700 boxes of orings, drill rod for poppet stems, different weighted hammer springs, and so on added to my collection......

IMO, 3 tight shots is achievable in most any big ported, knock-open-valved big bore by simply optimizing hammer strike. Whether it is 3 shots across a tight bell curve or 2 identical shots then a slightly lower 3rd shot, it's just a matter of tuning hammer strike.

This leads us to the first problem. I don't recall seeing anyone implement an easy method of adjusting the Challenger's hammer strike.

Even if you go regulated, you will want a somewhat precise and repeatable method of varying hammer strike. That is what I would pursue FIRST.