Seems like most of the high power & big-bore airguns utilize a tube instead of a bottle. Why?
Do "tube" guns produce more power than "bottle" guns?
- Thread starter Michael
- Start date
Part of that might be because the bottles weren't available around the time some of them started producing their airguns (like Beaumont and Sinner from the Netherlands).
Other thing is that it is easier to use a tube as part of the plenum to gain more power compared to bottles which have a narrow channel for the air to pass through. If you want a big plenum with a bottle you'll need a huge breechblock or something huge attached to the breechblock.
Also tube guns look more like traditional rifles compared to bottle guns which might make sense for most use cases (like hunting).
Those are the things that came up in my mind
Other thing is that it is easier to use a tube as part of the plenum to gain more power compared to bottles which have a narrow channel for the air to pass through. If you want a big plenum with a bottle you'll need a huge breechblock or something huge attached to the breechblock.
Also tube guns look more like traditional rifles compared to bottle guns which might make sense for most use cases (like hunting).
Those are the things that came up in my mind
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After owning a couple of bottle guns (Daystates), I've decided I will only own tube guns from now on. The daystates (and others I'm sure) are terrific but I just don't like the bulk of the bottles. It is purely a handling and aesthetic.
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Michael,
It's probably more a matter of proportion. Most big bores have long barrels. Match that long barrel with a short "fat" bottle and the gun loses it's beautiful proportions. Pair that long barrel with a long cylinder, it looks proportional. Personally, I like carbon fiber bottle guns for the shot count, and also because a bottle enables the center of gravity (CofG) to be closer to the shooter. I'm over 60 now and have long since lost my "proportions". Since my (CofG) center of gravity is now much further forward than it used to be, what appeals to me most in an airgun is one that does not move my CofG any further forward than it already is
Were I to buy a big bore, it would have to be a bullpup with a carbon fiber bottle. Like an Impact.I notice from some of your videos that you have not yet experienced the "end-of-life CofG shift". Here's hoping that you never do.
BeemanR7
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Very funny! Everyone tells me that I'll gain weight once my metabolism slows down. Well you'd think by the age of 40 that would've happened by now! Truth be told it's unlikely I'll ever gain much weight because of a hereditary condition. Oh well, I guess it has its Pro's & Con's.
And yes I agree with you, I like carrying airguns that have an evenly distributed CofG.
Cheers
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In the state I live in big game hunting is not currently permitted with an air rifle. In the past when I’ve hunted for deer and black bear I used my .306 powder burner. Over 20 years of hunting I never fired more than 2 shots in a day. Because of that experience I would say except for target practice having a lighter rifle with air capacity for just a few shots is fine. If I ever need an air rifle for big game hunting having a lighter one with just enough air for 3 shots would be what I would like.
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+1 for passage size. Another reason is plenum size required to make power. Between 1/2 CC and 1 CC of plenum per FPE is generally recommended. There are no (currently) bottle guns with integrated plenums. Would be pretty sweet to have some crazy bottle design with an adjustable plenum built in.
You want your 'plenum passage' to be greater than the rest of your porting, and when it comes to power the closer to bore sized porting you are the more power you make.
You can alternatively run a hybrid build that retains a tube that holds the valve/hammer ect which includes the plenum and a 'bottle block' that you can then attach the bottle to facing either forward or rearward (to save in OAL of rifle). This would allow you to run upwards of 200~ cc's of plenum and 500cc's of HPA. This configuration would have no issue making upwards of 300 FPE for a good 8-10 shots depending on the fill pressure of the build.
I was limited to around 55 FPE on my marauder with 25 cc's of plenum on .19" ports. I then went to 45 cc's of plenum on the same porting and made roughly 58 FPE. I then went to 53 CC's of plenum and .225" porting and made 62 FPE @ 2000 psi. The much larger porting allows for shorter dwell because it flows at a higher rate at its max lift along with the larger plenum which reduces the pressure drop across the valve and increases the average pressure it sees during the shot cycle.
-Matt
You want your 'plenum passage' to be greater than the rest of your porting, and when it comes to power the closer to bore sized porting you are the more power you make.
You can alternatively run a hybrid build that retains a tube that holds the valve/hammer ect which includes the plenum and a 'bottle block' that you can then attach the bottle to facing either forward or rearward (to save in OAL of rifle). This would allow you to run upwards of 200~ cc's of plenum and 500cc's of HPA. This configuration would have no issue making upwards of 300 FPE for a good 8-10 shots depending on the fill pressure of the build.
I was limited to around 55 FPE on my marauder with 25 cc's of plenum on .19" ports. I then went to 45 cc's of plenum on the same porting and made roughly 58 FPE. I then went to 53 CC's of plenum and .225" porting and made 62 FPE @ 2000 psi. The much larger porting allows for shorter dwell because it flows at a higher rate at its max lift along with the larger plenum which reduces the pressure drop across the valve and increases the average pressure it sees during the shot cycle.
-Matt
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