Self-Loading A Continuing Field Review: Working With Western Rattler .45 LS

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Just before sunset I quickly shot a few Mr. Hollow point slugs .454, 325 grain.
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Those lighter 325 grain Mr. Hollowpoint slugs are shooting significantly better group/string than the 360 grain HAH. Do you always use that bipod to shoot? My Rattler's like to rest on a bag or lightly held on my palm to group tightest.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Those lighter 325 grain Mr. Hollowpoint slugs are shooting significantly better group/string than the 360 grain HAH. Do you always use that bipod to shoot? My Rattler's like to rest on a bag or lightly held on my palm to group tightest.

@Airgun-hobbyist I prefer to practice the way I would use a gun on a hunt. In this instance I used a tripod. Shooting from a bag or a table does little for me since I won’t be shooting that way afield. Rarely will I lay down prone afield. I like to see how my shots print in positions that I use. Once I get this figured shooting from a tripod, then I’ll try a bipod, kneeling, offhand, etc.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

@Airgun-hobbyist I prefer to practice the way I would use a gun on a hunt. In this instance I used a tripod. Shooting from a bag or a table does little for me since I won’t be shooting that way afield. Rarely will I lay down prone afield. I like to see how my shots print in positions that I use. Once I get this figured shooting from a tripod, then I’ll try a bipod, kneeling, offhand, etc.
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That's a good idea. It correlates the same to me as well, as how hold the rifle rested on the bench is similar to how I'd rest it hunting (either on my open palm, wrist while gripping a sapling, or rested on a branch).

 

[Ezana4CE]

That's a good idea. It correlates the same to me as well, as how hold the rifle rested on the bench is similar to how I'd rest it hunting (either on my open palm, wrist while gripping a sapling, or rested on a branch).

@Airgun-hobbyist My opinion differs in the sense that while shooting from a bench may show one what a gun may be capable of while target shooting bench rest, it doesn’t reveal how the gun will perform afield. A gun that is hold sensitive can be learned to be held properly from other positions.However, if similar results cannot be replicated in positions that will be used afield, then the results are pretty useless to me. If that is the case, then said results indicate that one has purchased a bench rest gun. I like hunting guns. I bought what was advertised as a hunting gun and it will be treated as such. Eventually I will likely lock it down best I can and shoot from a table for contrast. That style of shooting will likely be brief.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

What speeds were you getting with the lighter Mr. Hollowpoint 325 grain slugs? And, was it consistent throughout the full magazine? (I see in your notes about 2 shots being off reg. with the HAH slugs.)

 

[Ezana4CE]

What speeds were you getting with the lighter Mr. Hollowpoint 325 grain slugs? And, was it consistent throughout the full magazine? (I see in your notes about 2 shots being off reg. with the HAH slugs.)

@Airgun-hobbyist Unfortunately you saw something I did not intentionally reveal. That photo has been edited.

... I’ll fill in the details later after discussing some things with the folks at AOA per our agreement.

I’ll discuss the details further after I speak with the folks at AOA later this week. Since they don’t work weekends, I doubt I’ll do any more shooting with the Long Strike this weekend. In the mean time I can get some squirrel and deer hunting in with my other guns.

 

[Ezana4CE]

A few thoughts after stowing my Western Rattler .45 Long Strike for the day.

1) In its stock configuration with nothing added but a scope and rings their rifle feels considerably light. My chosen scope plus rings add approx 2lbs to the rifle. The Primary Arms PLx 2.5-20x48 FFP scope weighs around 30.05 oz according to specs. I also only have 2 slugs in the mag (The .45 Long Strike magazine holds 12 slugs). That was for when I checked the property for deer this morning, if I happened upon a 20-30 yard broadside shot, I was going to take it with the Mr. Hollowpoint slug I last shot. I saw one young non-shooter, and didn’t shoot. I did take the opportunity to observe it by viewing it through my scope using my bipod for a rest and then holding the rifle offhand as the deer moved through the woods. for a bit Baches of the long barrel I suppose the weight feels more evenly distributed. Once I placed it in its case, I picked up my .357 Rattler with a very heavy Nocpix ACE S60R thermal scope (45.9oz) and a full magazine. The .357 felt noticeably heavier. I don’t have any qualms having to pick this rifle up off of a rest and shoot it offhand. Maneuvering it and dealing with its length while positioning myself may prove to be more of an impediment to a quick change of shooting positions afield.

2) Once I removed my picatinny-to-Arca plate adapter, there is obvious marring of the finish on the Rattler LS’s pic rail situation beneath the reservoir. This is an accessory that I will tighten firmly in order to keep a rifle secure while on a tripod. I’m assuming that this pic rail is aluminum which makes sense to keep the rifle’s weight down.

3) Power level. This gun produced a little over a maximum of 400 FPE from what I recall in my shooting yesterday. I’ll post more shot data later. It doesn’t have a lot of recoil compared to my Bushpig. I didn’t end up gathering some reclaimed lead and freshening up the wood in my backstop. It was leaning and pretty much toppled by the end of my shooting session yesterday. For game and animals I’d consider shooting in these parts, that’s more than enough energy.

 

[AtlasAirguns]

@Airgun-hobbyist Unfortunately you saw something I did not intentionally reveal. That photo has been edited.

I’ll discuss the details further after I speak with the folks at AOA later this week. Since they don’t work weekends, I doubt I’ll do any more shooting with the Long Strike this weekend. In the mean time I can get some squirrel and deer hunting in with my other guns.

Helpful thread

 

[Ezana4CE]

I shot a couple of deer yesterday. One was with the Ratter .45 Long Strike and a 325 grain Mr. Hollowpoint slug. I did not recover this deer. I looked close to half of the day and even resorted to grid searching. I heard the impact and watched where she traveled after the shot. The impact was very audible and made a deep “thunk” sound. She turned around and walk/trotted in the opposite direction she faced when I shot her broadside.i was able to pick up a blood trail when I went to follow the path I saw her travel. I saw dom good lung blood. Then she appeared to have looped around and the blood trail stopped at a fence. This was a tough loss. I thought for sure that she didn’t travel far because of the shot placement and the blood I saw on the ground. But I did not recover this doe. The deer that I recovered was shot with a different air rifle.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

I shot a couple of deer yesterday. One was with the Ratter .45 Long Strike and a 325 grain Mr. Hollowpoint slug. I did not recover this deer. I looked close to half of the day and even resorted to grid searching. I heard the impact and watched where she traveled after the shot. The impact was very audible and made a deep “thunk” sound. She turned around and walk/trotted in the opposite direction she faced when I shot her broadside.i was able to pick up a blood trail when I went to follow the path I saw her travel. I saw dom good lung blood. Then she appeared to have looped around and the blood trail stopped at a fence. This was a tough loss. I thought for sure that she didn’t travel far because of the shot placement and the blood I saw on the ground. But I did not recover this doe. The deer that I recovered was shot with a different air rifle.

That is a bummer. It is amazing how easily deer can hide and make themselves small when shot.

 

[Ezana4CE]

That is a bummer. It is amazing how easily deer can hide and make themselves small when shot.

@Airgun-hobbyist I have no explanation. The rifle seemed to do its job. I kneeled down to brace the Rattler LS and I believe that I hit her in the chest pretty close to exactly where I aimed. Today my body is tired and sore. Here is a thread detailing a lot of what happened with photos.

Airgun Deer Hunt : 1 Recovered, 1 Unaccounted For

Killed him with a Benjamin Bulldog .357 with an SWFA 10x fixed mag scope. I have to resume my search for the doe I shot with the Western Rattler .45 Long Strike. Ironically I found a good, but short blood trail on her, looked for several hours and didn’t find her. She traveled in a loop then...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[Ezana4CE]

An update:
The issues that I had experienced with my Western Rattler .45 Long Strike were falling off the regulator when I thought I should not have. This was indicated by a drop in velocity a subsequent bullet drop printed on my targets. I also recall velocity swings mid-shot string. Additionally, I suspect that my reservoir manometer’s readings are inaccurate. According to the manometer readings I should have still been on the regulator, but some of my shots said otherwise. I started noticing this around 205 bar on the reservoir manometer. Shane at AOA advised me to lower the reservoir pressure to see if the regulator and reservoir manometers will equalize at a lower pressure of 150 bar if I remember correctly. I have to reference my notes. Due to confusion with the max fill pressure on my .357 Rattler I was only filling my Long Strike to 250 bar. This would yield about 8 good shots shooting heavy 360 grain slugs. The Long Strike magazine holds 12 slugs. Shane assured me that I could safely fill the Rattler Long Strike to 300 bar. Regarding the velocity swings mid-shot string, I speculated that since I’m not using a micrometer to measure all of the cast High Arc Hunter slugs I’m shooting, that it is possible that I’m getting diameters that are larger or smaller than average that may be affecting velocity. Sorting slugs may help me determine if this is the issue or eliminate this idea and look at other factors. I have to test this theory. I have photos that I’ll upload another time. I’m tired and have other things to do.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Anyway update:
The issues that I had experienced with my Western Rattler .45 Long Strike were falling off the regulator when I thought I should not have. This was indicated by a drop in velocity a subsequent bullet drop printed on my targets. I also recall velocity swings mid-shot string. Additionally, I suspect that my reservoir manometer’s readings are inaccurate. According to the manometer readings I should have still been on the regulator, but some of my shots said otherwise. I started noticing this around 205 bar on the reservoir manometer. Shane at AOA advised me to lower the reservoir pressure to see if the regulator and reservoir manometers will equalize at a lower pressure of 150 bar if I remember correctly. I have to reference my notes. Due to confusion with the max fill pressure on my .357 Rattler I was only filling my Long Strike to 250 bar. This would yield about 8 good shot shooting heavy slugs. The Long Strike magazine holds 12 slugs. Shane assured me that I could safely fill the Rattler Long Strike to 300 bars. Regarding the velocity swings mid-shot string, I speculated that since I’m not using a micrometer to measure all of the cast High Arc Hunter slugs I’m shooting, that it is possible that I’m getting diameters that are larger or smaller than average that may be affecting velocity. Sorting slugs may help me determine if this is the issue or elongate this idea and look at other factors. I have to test this theory. I have photos that I’ll upload another time. I’m tired and have other things to do.

@Ezana4CE your trials and tribulations sound all too familiar. Those are the same things I had found when getting to know the nuances of the 45. It would fall off the regulator and have erratic shot strings too. After several test sessions, hundreds of shots, chronograph numbers, moving the regulator up and airing off to plenum to move it back down, wanting close to full advertised power with 335 grain slugs and only 7 shots for hunting with just 250 bar cylinder pressure, I finally found my sweet spot with the regulator set at 175. It was a balancing of shot count versus power and also shot to shot spread consistency, and no regulator creep.

When target shooting, I only shoot 6 shots and refill. I will refill the gun to 300 bar or whatever is left in the 9L storage tanks and pay attention to the regulator gauge compared to my fill pressure gauge as the max cylinder and tank pressures drop. When my tanks are getting really low on pressure (around 200 bar) I can only get three shots per refill. About that time, I call it a day.

It may seem like a lot of extra steps, but, accuracy and first shot consistency is my goal and I achieved that by diameter sizing everything through a Lee sizing die press, sort and/or swage everything by grain weight, and also lube everything by rolling it around in a silicon oil soaked pellet tin before loading. Everything becomes more consistent and predictable, extreme spread is a lot tighter, as well as the group size, far less "fliers" and no barrel leading.