I recently purchased a used .257 Talon 24" TJ barrel 1:14 twist, RL extreme valve.
I have been pondering a .257 for along time and this one happened to pop up at a very good price. I bought some 70gr bullets to start with and quickly learned a few things. The .257 is everything I expected. With the right size bullet, this is an amazing beast. Accuracy is wonderful and so is the power!!
Of course the short 24" barrel won't make the power of the longer 700mm or 32" R&L offers, but 930fps with a 70gr bullet is very respectable in my opinion. Though I am still not much of an Airforce fan because of the trigger and ergonomics of their guns, this thing is still impressive and is slowly growing on me.
As crazy as this may sound after my above statements, I don't plan to shoot bullets out of this gun anymore. Actually, I just tuned (luckily cranking the power wheel all the way down gives me 8 shots with a bell curve. Highest setting sent them over 1100fps) the gun for 976fps with 43gr eunjin pellets. Why you ask?? These things are very dangerous shooting bullets.
I do live in the country and have little worry about hitting anything other than intended targets at home, but many of my hunting spots aren't like my house. I have been hunting with airguns for not only the challenge, but also the fact that pellets have a much larger safety net than any powder burner. I had a few ricochets with the .257 that though there was no danger of hitting persons or property, it really made me think. If I lived and hunted on vast tracts of desert or open country, I would be all about slinging bullets. However, I live in farm land Ohio that unfortunately has grow from woods and fields to rural subdivisions and alot of country homes.
While I do practice and preach safety, I could use the .257 on some of my hunting property, but not alot of it without having to be ultra careful with shot selection. I don't want to take anything away from how accurate and powerful this thing is. You just better have lots of wide open spaces!!
Another issue that was the deciding factor of bullets or not, was price. I really have no desire to cast bullets. So, it is buy em or shoot pellets. After spending $40 for 100 bullets shipped to my door that ended up being of poor quality, I was a bit ticked. Knowing I could get some high quality bullets made but the price would still be expensive led me to my decision. I thought about buying my own casting equipment, but the danger of shooting this thing came back into my head and that was it.
I have yet to find time to test the 43gr eunjins for accuracy out of the .257 yet. Once I get time, if they shoot decent, I will keep it. If it shoots them less than desirable, it will be in the classifieds!!
Just to clarify for those that may not know. A standard. 25 caliber is .243" lands and .250" grooves. The .257 is .250" lands and .257" grooves. This let's an oversized .25 pellet like the eunjins still be able to seal in a .257. By the accounts of others, many pellets will actually shoot good out of a .257 barrel. Guess I am about to find out.
I have been pondering a .257 for along time and this one happened to pop up at a very good price. I bought some 70gr bullets to start with and quickly learned a few things. The .257 is everything I expected. With the right size bullet, this is an amazing beast. Accuracy is wonderful and so is the power!!
Of course the short 24" barrel won't make the power of the longer 700mm or 32" R&L offers, but 930fps with a 70gr bullet is very respectable in my opinion. Though I am still not much of an Airforce fan because of the trigger and ergonomics of their guns, this thing is still impressive and is slowly growing on me.
As crazy as this may sound after my above statements, I don't plan to shoot bullets out of this gun anymore. Actually, I just tuned (luckily cranking the power wheel all the way down gives me 8 shots with a bell curve. Highest setting sent them over 1100fps) the gun for 976fps with 43gr eunjin pellets. Why you ask?? These things are very dangerous shooting bullets.
I do live in the country and have little worry about hitting anything other than intended targets at home, but many of my hunting spots aren't like my house. I have been hunting with airguns for not only the challenge, but also the fact that pellets have a much larger safety net than any powder burner. I had a few ricochets with the .257 that though there was no danger of hitting persons or property, it really made me think. If I lived and hunted on vast tracts of desert or open country, I would be all about slinging bullets. However, I live in farm land Ohio that unfortunately has grow from woods and fields to rural subdivisions and alot of country homes.
While I do practice and preach safety, I could use the .257 on some of my hunting property, but not alot of it without having to be ultra careful with shot selection. I don't want to take anything away from how accurate and powerful this thing is. You just better have lots of wide open spaces!!
Another issue that was the deciding factor of bullets or not, was price. I really have no desire to cast bullets. So, it is buy em or shoot pellets. After spending $40 for 100 bullets shipped to my door that ended up being of poor quality, I was a bit ticked. Knowing I could get some high quality bullets made but the price would still be expensive led me to my decision. I thought about buying my own casting equipment, but the danger of shooting this thing came back into my head and that was it.
I have yet to find time to test the 43gr eunjins for accuracy out of the .257 yet. Once I get time, if they shoot decent, I will keep it. If it shoots them less than desirable, it will be in the classifieds!!
Just to clarify for those that may not know. A standard. 25 caliber is .243" lands and .250" grooves. The .257 is .250" lands and .257" grooves. This let's an oversized .25 pellet like the eunjins still be able to seal in a .257. By the accounts of others, many pellets will actually shoot good out of a .257 barrel. Guess I am about to find out.
