AirForce Texan .338 AirPua

Where do I start with this build?  Its an Airforce air gun?!? Maybe not!  Ok, how about, "this gun started life as a Texan 457 cal"?  Ok, that works! 

This build is actually an OLD idea I've had for many years now.  Considered even before my supremely accurate Badger .375 cal.  I've just been waiting on the right time and right platform to work with.  Well, one day, I was air gun swapping with a good buddy SOUTHGUNNER, and a Texan 457 cal came up.  For trade that is.  That's when it hit me, the time was right and this was the perfect opportunity.  TRADE it was.  So in comes a used but OEM Texan 457 that makes 515 FPE.

With it being an Air Force air rifle, having a long frame and power to spare, the Texan proved to be the perfect platform for a custom 338 build.  That's two hard ideas crossed off the list.  The rest of them could be decided at later points.  Like, what scope?  What barrel?  What bottle?  A Custom valve or OEM valve?  What Bi-pod?  What scope rings?  So forth and so on!  Over time, the pieces just fell into place.  Lets take a quick look at some of them.  These are what's currently on the air rifle:

Witt Machine threaded muzzle break to tame 400+ fpe from a mid-bore

LRA bipod with left to right cant and 8 position carbon fiber legs that also extend/retract

MadDog, RJ-6A Recon Stock.  My favorite part of the rifle btw.  Aint she purdy?!

Bartlein Barrel in .338 caliber and 34" long.  My other favorite part of the rifle....lol

4500 psi Carbon Fiber Bottle and high pressure valve

Last on the list is an Athlon Argos BTR, 8-34x56mm scope and FX adjustable scope rings (no pic)

I built this air rifle 1st and foremost to be accurate and to also do it at long ranges (for airguns).  I also plan to push the ammo as fast as it can go while still being very accurate.  And that is something that is going to take time to figure all out.  She is currently pushing 181.5 gr FP's at 960 FPS and 164.5 grs at 990 fps and 174.5 gr HP's at 976 fps.  All on 3400 psi of pressure and power level 2 out of 5!  Needless to even say, there will be PLENTY on this air rifle.  The journey so far has been wonderful with this project.

Stay Tuned!

JSB HADES 22 caliber pellets

Okay, new for 2019 is the JSB .22 cal HADES pellet.  These are basically the same 18.1 gr dome pellet we are so used to, that has been uniquely HP'd.  "Unique", you say?  How is that?  A HP is a HP. You can HEX it, you can STAR it, you can DIMPLE them, HECK, you can even PHILLIP HEADS a HP tip so why is it "UNIQUE"?  Well, JSB has special tooling that basically makes the HP tip look much like a "RADIOACTIVE" emblem.  That's right, "RadioActive".  These pellets are being taunted as "FRANGIBLE" in nature.

Since the 2019 Las Vegas shot show, Joe Iturralde (MonkeyDad1969) and Dick Dickson at Predator Int'l were gracious enough to bless me with a tin of the Hades for my very own testing.  Initial ballistics pellet testing proved itself extremely well.  I usually always start my testing of any HP with soap testing as well as chrony testing.  In my 22 Target Air Rifle which is regulated at 1900 psi currently, these 15.89 Hades pellet travel 960 fps consistently.  My air rifle is set up for heavier pellets and slugs.  But never mind that, for testing, we will stick with 960 fps from the Hades.  In the initial soap testing. the Hades pellets traveled in roughly 5" and fully expanded.  Also leaving behind small shards of lead. It must also be noted, the Hades pellets expanded exceptionally well and also, the expansion was very consistent.  That's very important.

Now, lets not forget about accuracy because at those speeds of 960 fps, they can't be very accurate.  Especially being a 15.89 gr HP.  Right!? WRONG!  At 960 FPS, I'm currently getting groups from just over .500"-.625" at 60 yards.  In the pic below this text, there are two groups side by side.  The larger group was shot with a LOOSE hold on my rifle and the other is a FIRM hold.  Hold is very important and many an air gun will suffer bad accuracy because the owner doesn't know to try different holds.  I also just shot 2 more groups of .565" ctc and 615" ctc at 60 yrds at 960 FPS.  I haven't even TUNED the gun to shoot these the best it can......lol.  I'm 100% impressed.

The 22 TARGET Air Rifle that I built.  Shooting JSB Hades at 960 FPS!

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS/THOUGHTS:
Well, that's easy.  JSB continues it lineage again by sticking to what they do.  And that is, make quality products.  The world shoots JSB pellets and there is no real wonder why.  They simply work.  More-so, they are industry leaders in accuracy.  And with the Hades, they went a step further and got innovative.  I mean, a frangible, "Radio Active" shaped HP?  That's bold and smart of them.  They hit this one out of the ball park.  The pellets are very clean and perfect right out of the tin.  What more can I say?  Except that these will always be in my stable.  Its rare that you can have 1 pellet that is very effective at target shooting and hunting all rolled into one. Can't wait until they release new calibers.


A BIG THANKS TO:
PAVEL (JSB), DICK DICKSON (Pred. Int'l) and Joe Iturralde (MonkeyDad1969)