airgunnerd
HAM Plinker
I wanted to give you guys some tips and tricks for setting up your 270z rifles as well as a couple of other things you might want to be aware of along the way. For those who don't know, I work for Barra, and am heavily involved in the development of Barra products. As part of my job, I've set up and tested a number of these rifles at this point and would like to share a few things that you might find useful. It should be understood that everything below assumes an unpressurized, unloaded airgun unless otherwise stated. At all times, standard rules for firearm handling should be observed when handling an airgun.
When you get your rifle, the action and stock are shipped disassembled in the box. Let's begin with something you'll want to be aware of right off the bat. The bolt can be switched from right hand to left hand operation. There is an elastomer limit plug in the side of the action, if you lift the bolt too high with the action out of the stock, it will pop that plug out and you could end up losing it. Keep track of that plug and make sure it is installed before you insert the action into the stock! The user manual goes into further detail on how to swap the bolt from right to left. This is the time to do that swap if you want to.
While we are on the topic of the bolt, if you ever need to do anything that requires you to remove the bolt itself from the action, it is important that you remove the spring and ball detent mechanism first. Do so by removing the rear picatinny rail, remove the set screw, then carefully dump the spring and ball out. You do not want to lose these, or worse, have them fall into the action unnoticed. Once you've got everything reassembled, you can adjust the pressure on the bolt by adjusting the tension on that screw.
I would recommend that you adjust the trigger to your liking before you install the rifle into the stock. Out of the box, it is set up to be as drop safe as you can make a functional trigger. On the right side of the action, the trigger mechanism cover plate has a window that show sear engagement. For a two stage trigger, screw the second stage screw out until it barely protrudes. Next, screw in the first stage screw until you've taken up at least half of the engagement, I personally like a little bit more than that. Now, pull the trigger up to the point right before it breaks. Screw the second stage screw in until it touches the sear. This will create the wall that indicates the first stage is taken up. Applying pressure beyond that will release the hammer.
For a single stage trigger, you will adjust either the first or second stage screw to take up most of the sear engagement. You will want to experiment to see which one gives you the results closest to your liking. A single stage set up will give you the lightest possible trigger.
Regardless of how you set up the trigger, confirm that the safety functions as it is supposed to after adjustment. As with most airguns, adjusting the trigger can make the airgun more prone to firing if dropped. Confirm that the gun isn't overly bump sensitive before moving on. The foremost goal in adjusting the trigger should be achieving a consistent break, less emphasis should be placed on pounds and/or ounces. Do not install the action into the stock until you are happy with your trigger set up.
I would highly recommend that you get a gunsmithing screwdriver that you can set the torque with if you don't already have one. Follow the instruction manual for the proper orientation of the screws, washers, and lock washers along with the proper torque specs. If you do not have a proper screwdriver, take care not to overtighten the stock screws. Doing so will compress the wood, reducing the useful lifespan of the stock. While you have your screw driver out, install a flat tip that fits the hammer adjustment screw. I unscrew until it touches the ramped surface.
Now that the airgun is set up, we need to talk about air. This is the stage where I install a bipod to make life easier. Prior to filling, I will close my regulator. Turn the screw in until you feel it touch, do not go past that. I will barely wet the o-rings on the fill probe with 100% silicone oil, then insert the probe. Following the directions of you fill equipment, fill the rifle to its operating pressure. Let's move on to adjusting the regulator.
In .22, set the regulator output to around 1250 psi. This is ideal for pellets around 18 grains. Highly recommend the JSB 18.13 grain pellets for best results, the factory does their barrel testing with JSB pellets, so they are generally the best starting point. For slugs, 1500 psi is a good starting point, but you may need to go higher if you are driving heavier slugs. Be prepared to test a variety of sizes. Those of you who have tuned airguns for slugs know that you can be in for a ride. Those of you who haven't, please understand the videos you see of various air rifles stacking slugs at impressive ranges often have hours of fine tuning that didn't make it to the final cut. The shooters are usually highly skilled as well, as many of you are, but I do see a lot of our products being peoples' first PCP rifle, so I want to point this out.
In .25, set the regulator output to around 1500 psi. This is ideal for the JSB 25.39 grain pellets. Again, these are what I recommend since the factory uses them for barrel testing. To get started in dialing in slugs, 1800 psi has been the best starting point in my experience. Same advice applies for sizing. For either caliber, you'll find that the factory hammer setup is good up to about 2500 psi. For liability reasons, I'm unable to make any recommendations outside of using factory condition airguns utilizing the built in range of adjustments.
Of course, setting the regulator will drop the air tube pressure a bit. Before you take your 270z out for shooting, top it off.
If you have any questions on setting up your rifle, please reply in this post, I'll try to provide assistance here when I can. Hope you find this information useful.
When you get your rifle, the action and stock are shipped disassembled in the box. Let's begin with something you'll want to be aware of right off the bat. The bolt can be switched from right hand to left hand operation. There is an elastomer limit plug in the side of the action, if you lift the bolt too high with the action out of the stock, it will pop that plug out and you could end up losing it. Keep track of that plug and make sure it is installed before you insert the action into the stock! The user manual goes into further detail on how to swap the bolt from right to left. This is the time to do that swap if you want to.
While we are on the topic of the bolt, if you ever need to do anything that requires you to remove the bolt itself from the action, it is important that you remove the spring and ball detent mechanism first. Do so by removing the rear picatinny rail, remove the set screw, then carefully dump the spring and ball out. You do not want to lose these, or worse, have them fall into the action unnoticed. Once you've got everything reassembled, you can adjust the pressure on the bolt by adjusting the tension on that screw.
I would recommend that you adjust the trigger to your liking before you install the rifle into the stock. Out of the box, it is set up to be as drop safe as you can make a functional trigger. On the right side of the action, the trigger mechanism cover plate has a window that show sear engagement. For a two stage trigger, screw the second stage screw out until it barely protrudes. Next, screw in the first stage screw until you've taken up at least half of the engagement, I personally like a little bit more than that. Now, pull the trigger up to the point right before it breaks. Screw the second stage screw in until it touches the sear. This will create the wall that indicates the first stage is taken up. Applying pressure beyond that will release the hammer.
For a single stage trigger, you will adjust either the first or second stage screw to take up most of the sear engagement. You will want to experiment to see which one gives you the results closest to your liking. A single stage set up will give you the lightest possible trigger.
Regardless of how you set up the trigger, confirm that the safety functions as it is supposed to after adjustment. As with most airguns, adjusting the trigger can make the airgun more prone to firing if dropped. Confirm that the gun isn't overly bump sensitive before moving on. The foremost goal in adjusting the trigger should be achieving a consistent break, less emphasis should be placed on pounds and/or ounces. Do not install the action into the stock until you are happy with your trigger set up.
I would highly recommend that you get a gunsmithing screwdriver that you can set the torque with if you don't already have one. Follow the instruction manual for the proper orientation of the screws, washers, and lock washers along with the proper torque specs. If you do not have a proper screwdriver, take care not to overtighten the stock screws. Doing so will compress the wood, reducing the useful lifespan of the stock. While you have your screw driver out, install a flat tip that fits the hammer adjustment screw. I unscrew until it touches the ramped surface.
Now that the airgun is set up, we need to talk about air. This is the stage where I install a bipod to make life easier. Prior to filling, I will close my regulator. Turn the screw in until you feel it touch, do not go past that. I will barely wet the o-rings on the fill probe with 100% silicone oil, then insert the probe. Following the directions of you fill equipment, fill the rifle to its operating pressure. Let's move on to adjusting the regulator.
In .22, set the regulator output to around 1250 psi. This is ideal for pellets around 18 grains. Highly recommend the JSB 18.13 grain pellets for best results, the factory does their barrel testing with JSB pellets, so they are generally the best starting point. For slugs, 1500 psi is a good starting point, but you may need to go higher if you are driving heavier slugs. Be prepared to test a variety of sizes. Those of you who have tuned airguns for slugs know that you can be in for a ride. Those of you who haven't, please understand the videos you see of various air rifles stacking slugs at impressive ranges often have hours of fine tuning that didn't make it to the final cut. The shooters are usually highly skilled as well, as many of you are, but I do see a lot of our products being peoples' first PCP rifle, so I want to point this out.
In .25, set the regulator output to around 1500 psi. This is ideal for the JSB 25.39 grain pellets. Again, these are what I recommend since the factory uses them for barrel testing. To get started in dialing in slugs, 1800 psi has been the best starting point in my experience. Same advice applies for sizing. For either caliber, you'll find that the factory hammer setup is good up to about 2500 psi. For liability reasons, I'm unable to make any recommendations outside of using factory condition airguns utilizing the built in range of adjustments.
Of course, setting the regulator will drop the air tube pressure a bit. Before you take your 270z out for shooting, top it off.
If you have any questions on setting up your rifle, please reply in this post, I'll try to provide assistance here when I can. Hope you find this information useful.
