Shooting 150 and 200 yds with the AEA Challenger Pro

What caliber?

Click to expand...

.22 cal H&N 25 grain slugs going about 900 fps. Apparently I suck shooting prone. I was hitting 150 yds 12 out of 12 shots from a bench but I had a real hard time shooting prone. I've only hit the 200 yds gong twice so far, partly because I can't see where my missed shots are going. I'm working on it...

Yeah, until recently I shot indoor prone adult 22 matches at our club. But my back won't bend that way any more (I'm 78 yrs old) but bench or table is easier. So I feel your pain.

22 cal? So how do you like it so far? Have you shot lighter pellets, like 18 grain?

Click to expand...

When I first got it I didn't have an adapter for a suppressor and the factory had set the regulator at 190 bar and transfer port half open. I loaded a magazine with Air Arms 18 grain pellets and let 'er rip. Damn! It was loud and every round went super sonic. And when I say loud, I mean like 50 cal loud. I had some 30 grain slugs and tried them and it sent those slugs super sonic, too. It was like driving finishing nails with a sledge hammer. So I tuned the regulator down to 150 bar and then eventually 125 bar and the transfer port at about 66% closed which gives me 56 shots with 25 grain slugs going about 900 fps +/- 5 fps. This has been working pretty good out to about 150 yds but I'm thinking now that I should move up to some heavier slugs.

So do I like it? That's a hard question to answer. The power is incredible. The trigger and side lever cocking are miles better than AEA's bolt action rifles. Accuracy is good (and I think it will improve with .218" slugs, I'm currently using .217"). But some things about it were just not thought out (like the picatinny rail and buttstock) and I personally find it less than beautiful. But if it will hit 200+ yards like it's been hitting 150 yds, I'll be happy.

Is that the stock butt stock or did it come with the CNC hair puller version?

Click to expand...

It came with the CNC hair puller version (LOL). I grabbed this buttstock off another rifle. I'm debating whether I want to modify the "hair puller" version to make it a bit more user friendly. Believe it or not, it's lighter than the plastic buttstock.

Nice range. 


mike

Click to expand...

Thanks.

How does it group at 50 with the slugs?

Click to expand...

I've shot it about a dozen times so far and it seems to get better every day. Up until yesterday, my best groups were around 1" at 50 yds with H&N 25 grain slugs (0.217 cal). Yesterday I got some NSA 24.38 grain slugs (0.2175 cal) and, although it was very windy, during the lulls the rounds were touching, so about 1/4-3/8" groups of 3 rounds. I gave it another try today (still very windy) and got the same thing, 3 rounds touching with a flier or two. Until I get a day without wind I won't know if the fliers are caused by the wind or something else.

Are there instructions or better yet a video on how to adjust the regulator?

Click to expand...

I'll try to record a video the next time I need to adjust the regulator. It's really easy to do, the hard part is recording the video.

Is that the stock butt stock or did it come with the CNC hair puller version?

Click to expand...

I must have ripped 50 hairs out of my beard (by the roots) filming my first Challenger Pro video. 

Now I do this: 

Click to expand...

I dumped that crappy aluminum stock after the first beard hair was lost to it. Hard to believe someone would pay extra to get one. 

I've posted my Challenger Pro in the classifieds if anyone is interested. I have too many .22 cal rifles that all shoot great so this one has to go.