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So I slugged a barrel...

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caliusoptimus said:
Aea challenger elite .51 came in at .514

Explains why most ammo is like throwing a hotdog down a hallway, and why some ammo zings toward the 18"x12" target 50yds away and can't stay on the paper.

What's a guy to do? Request a new barrel? Find someone that can size to .514?
Click to expand...

That's not a barrel defect, all bores will vary. Cast to your barrel.
 
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subscriber said:
Contact the manufacturer/distributor and ask what projectiles they recommend, because what you are using is performing poorly: https://foxairpower.com/pages/contact-us

Click to expand...
I'm shooting the exact same slugs as him in this video, they perform the worst. MrHollowpoint sizes to .509 which seems to be fine with everyone else's rifle. The nielsens and AEAs are a little bigger, .5095 to .5100, at least stay on paper sometimes. Even got a couple good groups with the nielsens but the flyers are brutal.

I have talked to the seller btw, waiting on a call back.
 
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caliusoptimus said:
I've been a creator since birth and I love making my own stuff but this thing shoots bullets sideways. I don't expect most people sign up to buy a bullet factory along with their air rifle. I sure didn't.
Click to expand...

I've got no argument with you but it may not the the bore. How's the crown look?

The reason I ask id because it looks as if you believe that the bore SHOULD be a certain size and because it isn't, you are disgusted. Looking at NSA slugs in .22, they offer:
.216
.2165
.217
.2175
.218
.219

Why? Because there is and was no guarantee that the bore will be identical to the next. This is very much true of PB's as well and only in premium (read, lots of money) guns will will get consistent, promised bore sizes.

BTW- you have an AEA, its not top shelf, it's a chi-com gun, if it works, you are golden! I have several AEA guns, I love them but I have no expectations about bore sizes.
 
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Firewalker said:
I've got no argument with you but it may not the the bore. How's the crown look?

The reason I ask id because it looks as if you believe that the bore SHOULD be a certain size and because it isn't, you are disgusted. Looking at NSA slugs in .22, they offer:
.216
.2165
.217
.2175
.218
.219

Why? Because there is and was no guarantee that the bore will be identical to the next. This is very much true of PB's as well and only in premium (read, lots of money) guns will will get consistent, promised bore sizes.

BTW- you have an AEA, its not top shelf, it's a chi-com gun, if it works, you are golden! I have several AEA guns, I love them but I have no expectations about bore sizes.
Click to expand...
Crown looks fine. Less of a crown, more of a 0.5mm ish chamfer. Concentric with the bore and no burr.

I'm not sure it's worth responding to the rest of that, as this isn't even a problem of technical details, it's a problem of a product not working as advertised. In this case I would have been much better off not digging into the issue at all and just returning it. Would have saved a lot of time, confusion and effort. But here I am, learning about bore size and bullets and stuff and writing a novella about it. No regertz.

I will say that, if you have no expectations on bore size, I've got a .72 cal full auto air rifle to sell you.
 
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Large groups could be anything. Vertically strung groups suggest velocity variation. Keyholing on the paper target suggest a lack of stabilization. That and undersized bullets suggests that the OP is likely on the right path.

caliusoptimus; ask for a new barrel, or a new airgun. One that shoots as well as in the video I posted. Any idea what the land diameter is? Is the barrel choked? Is it supposed to be choked? If it is accidentally choked at the breech it may shoot poorly.
 
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sonnysan said:
I have four molds that could possibly fit your criteria:

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 515-450f - 90255

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 515-450f - 90255

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 50cal-320 - 90396

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 50cal-250 - 90394

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

All that is needed is a SKU 91693 .514 Lee sizer and punch and it's off to the races that is $16. I have everything else.

DM if interested.
Click to expand...
American. Barrel.manufacturers make barrels pretty spot.on.to groove diameter. Not that hard.to make a barrel.the right diameter...... To me 4 thousands is alot.....headspace on powder.burners 3 thousands.....
 
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subscriber said:
Large groups could be anything. Vertically strung groups suggest velocity variation. Keyholing on the paper target suggest a lack of stabilization. That and undersized bullets suggests that the OP is likely on the right path.

caliusoptimus; ask for a new barrel, or a new airgun. One that shoots as well as in the video I posted. Any idea what the land diameter is? Is the barrel choked? Is it supposed to be choked? If it is accidentally choked at the breech it may shoot poorly.
Click to expand...
Not sure if it's choked. About 1/2" of the muzzle end is like a smooth bore, very little rifling, I thought that was odd. Lands are .509
 
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sonnysan said:
I have four molds that could possibly fit your criteria:

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 515-450f - 90255

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 515-450f - 90255

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 50cal-320 - 90396

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

nightgalaxy.com

Lee - Mold Dc 50cal-250 - 90394

Brand: Lee Precision
nightgalaxy.com nightgalaxy.com

All that is needed is a SKU 91693 .514 Lee sizer and punch and it's off to the races that is $16. I have everything else.

DM if interested.
Click to expand...
Nice! If I can't get it resolved any other way I will get in touch.
 
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caliusoptimus said:
About 1/2" of the muzzle end is like a smooth bore, very little rifling, I thought that was odd. Lands are .509
Click to expand...

That sounds like a source for poor grouping right there. If it were mine, I would lop off that part of the barrel and recrown. Or ask the seller to take it back.
 
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I'm wondering if the oversize part of the barrel should be at the other end, it would make loading easier.
I recently honed the breech of a .25 to take bullets (when I was young pellets were called slugs) and made the 'chamber' to take a .254 bullet.
Could be you have something similar but the barrel has been put in backwards.
 
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Land diameter of .513+ is not going to engrave projectiles that are .510 diameter. The should all be keyholing if they are not spinning from anything much further than contact range.

If you load a projectile into the breech and point the gun muzzle down, do the projectiles fall through the barrel? If not, the breech end may be tighter; suggesting more than one problem.
 
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subscriber said:
Land diameter of .513+ is not going to engrave projectiles that are .510 diameter. The should all be keyholing if they are not spinning from anything much further than contact range.

If you load a projectile into the breech and point the gun muzzle down, do the projectiles fall through the barrel? If not, the breech end may be tighter; suggesting more than one problem.
Click to expand...
No they don't fall through. I took a slug, swaged it until it was .516 then shoved it through. On the slug, lands measured .509 and grooves .514 so the breach end must be tighter.
 
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