Ghost BRK Ghost Review

[Solo1]

Good to know, why try something different if what you have is the bomb! I'll have to research those. I've been looking at the MTC 16x and the Helix 16x as well. Might make a thread on that some time....thanks.

Check the reticle in the argos or helos too before you buy for my eyes the dot in the midas is just a bit too small

 

[tec]

Good to know, why try something different if what you have is the bomb! I'll have to research those. I've been looking at the MTC 16x and the Helix 16x as well. Might make a thread on that some time....

I find my Element Helix to have too tight of an eyebox…my Athlon Talos to be much more forgiving..having buyer remorse on the Helix

 

[Franklink]

Thread 'Projectile containers' Projectile containers

 

[Franklink]

For the last couple months I've shot the Ghost occasionally but my shooting time has mostly been devoted to a couple .22 barrel projects with other guns. Primarily benchrest @ 100yards. I've really gained a loathing for the .22 Monster RD pellet from all that testing!

So 8 days from now we've got a long range/high power field target match here in AZ. There is a slug class at this venue and after not gaining any ground with the .22 Monster RD projects, decided I better get in some practice and dope verification with the Ghost and the .20 slugs.

Spent a few hours shooting from stool and sticks, from 20-100 yards. Had a quartering in headwind that was troublesome so dope verification didn't go great. Wind would switch in 11 o clock and 1 oclock, highest wind speeds were gusts up to 20mph but most of the day was 6-9mph. Might be dealing with slugs here, but they weigh less than 20 grains and I'm only pushing them to 32fpe so I'm not shooting an air powered rimfire by any means. But I did get some good practice in and remembered why I like the Ghost so much.

At the end of the shooting session decided to try some 100yard groups from my plastic table (bench). Still had that 6-9mph headwind quartering in from 11 and 1 o clock, switching back and forth.

I was clicking around chasing the most recent wind affected impact points too.
On the left column I had a pretty good looking 4 shot group, less than 1/2", and the fifth one took a ride in the wind.

The other 5 shot group on the left had a lot of vertical, which is what was happening when that head wind would come up and then die, off and on, on me.

3, ten shot groups on the right column. Bottom two are meh, but that top one! Nice stuff right there. 9/10 under an MOA coin with one straggler shot. And even the straggler shot isn't far from the rest of them.
Very nearly had a ten shot, moa group.

It's fun stuff to watch a nice tight group like this take shape through the scope.

 

[Solo1]

Just keep practicing your wind reading by the looks of it you have a real good chance to do well with that pea shooter! Just keep thinking of David. Lol

 

[Franklink]

Just keep practicing your wind reading by the looks of it you have a real good chance to do well with that pea shooter! Just keep thinking of David. Lol

Low fpe joy.....shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot, without burning through a bunch of air or needing to stop and refill all the time.

Not to mention the reduced recoil and reduced report and increased safety. It's fun to be able to watch the pellet fly right into the impact point.

I much prefer peashooters over air powered rimfires.

 

[Franklink]

Been playing with the home-made 38grain hammer weight and the speed of the .20/18.9s. Wasn't doing it with the intent to share, but rather just looking for that last bit of "better" for the slugs. BUT with the recent discussion about the spring kit and power output, thought it might be of interest to fellow Ghost owners.

In short, the next thing BRK needs to start making and selling is hammer weights. That's you, @BRKairgunsUK With the spring kit and a couple different hammer weights, a semi savvy Ghost owner can really change the energy output, and more importantly, the shot cycle of the Ghost.

Here's an example....
Reg of 128 bar + hammer tension at "MIN" + 0.047" wire hammer spring + light skeletonized hammer = 580fps with .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. Or just over 14fpe.

Reg of 128 bar + hammer tension at "MIN" + 0.047" wire hammer spring + light skeletonized hammer + 38 grain hammer weight = 912fps with .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. Or just under 35fpe.

That's some pretty serious fpe gain.

Yes, the only difference was adding 38grains of weight to the hammer. This is the light hammer, that weighs 455.2grains. Less fpe gain would probably be seen with the heavier/standard hammer weight.

The added hammer weight also preloads the hammer spring, about 1/8 of an inch.

I don't have a photo of the hammer weight @ 38 grains, but here it is at 57.3grains, as I was reducing it during experimentation. The only difference between the 38 and what is seen in this photo is the shaft is shorter, exactly 19grains shorter. Essentially just a flanged weight that sits in the hammer at the front of the spring. The shaft of the weight slides into the hammer spring, keeping it in place without permanently fixing it there. Best part? It can be added or removed without much fuss, simply through the spring hole at the back of the gun.

 

[tec]

so a weighted shim...that has a "shaft" that protrudes-fits into the inside coils of the spring?

 

[Franklink]

so a weighted shim...that has a "shaft" that protrudes-fits into the inside coils of the spring?

Exactly.

But if the shaft is too long, the gun won't cock all the way to MAX on the wheel. Basically, the hammer weight can't be longer than the thickness of the flange + all of the coils, assuming full compression.

 

[tec]

yep, got it. Thinking about the physics of it...

 

[Franklink]

yep, got it. Thinking about the physics of it...

Heavier hammer weight (+plus more energy from the slight preload) = more force applied with the hammer hits = valve stays open longer = more fpe.

Same theory as increasing the hammer tension via the wheel, but done with more hammer weight instead of more preload. Or actually a combination of both (again, since the thickness of the flange on the weight increases preload a slight bit).

 

[Franklink]

A balancing act, matched to the caliber and desired projectile and barrel length, and reg pressure and hammer spring and etc. Too much hammer weight in any given scenario would surely ruin efficiency.

 

[tec]

ignoring the weighted shim adding extra compression...a spring compressed "X" amount delivers "E(x)" amount of energy...so changing the weight of the hammer......unless it allows for more efficient transfer of energy from the expanding spring to the heavier hammer...should deliver the same amount of energy to the valve (E =1/2mV^2)....
I need to think about this...something isn't adding up...

 

[Franklink]

ignoring the weighted shim adding extra compression...a spring compressed "X" amount delivers "E(x)" amount of energy...so changing the weight of the hammer......unless it allows for more efficient transfer of energy from the expanding spring to the heavier hammer...should deliver the same amount of energy to the valve (E =1/2mV^2)....
I need to think about this...something isn't adding up...

Had the same thing with the .22 HP barrel when I was playing with it. That barrel required this little hammer weight to get more fpe output.

I have a hard time accepting that all the extra energy is coming from the almost neglible preload from the flange of the hammer weight. The travel of the wheel from MIN to MAX compresses the spring (more preload) far more than the thickness of the flange.

 

[Solo1]

Had the same thing with the .22 HP barrel when I was playing with it. That barrel required this little hammer weight to get more fpe output.

But were you using the light hammer right?

 

[Franklink]

But were you using the light hammer right?

Yes, light hammer WITH the weight for the .22 HP barrel and the 930-940 with .22 MRDs that I was using at the time.
Reg of 140bar for the .22 HP barrel, if memory serves.

 

[Solo1]

Yes, light hammer WITH the weight for the .22 HP barrel and the 930-940 with .22 MRDs that I was using at the time.
Reg of 140bar for the .22 HP barrel, if memory serves.

Have you had an opportunity to check out the newer hp hammer and valve to see how much different they are and if they might serve you better? Perhaps a new valve and hammer would allow you to switch from ft to slugs better. And maybe give even more slug power.

 

[Franklink]

Yes, light hammer WITH the weight for the .22 HP barrel and the 930-940 with .22 MRDs that I was using at the time.
Reg of 140bar for the .22 HP barrel, if memory serves.

I went digging....that 38grain hammer weight was worth about 100fps with the .22 MRDs in the .22 HP barrel.

 

[Franklink]

Have you had an opportunity to check out the newer hp hammer and valve to see how much different they are and if they might serve you better? Perhaps a new valve and hammer would allow you to switch from ft to slugs better. And maybe give even more slug power.

I have the current valve.

Eventually AOA got me the current heavier hammer too.

I didn't like the shot cycle for .177, .20 and .22 with the heavier hammer.

 

[Franklink]

ignoring the weighted shim adding extra compression...a spring compressed "X" amount delivers "E(x)" amount of energy...so changing the weight of the hammer......unless it allows for more efficient transfer of energy from the expanding spring to the heavier hammer...should deliver the same amount of energy to the valve (E =1/2mV^2)....
I need to think about this...something isn't adding up...

I'm thinking about it too....perhaps it isn't hitting with more energy, but rather keeping the valve open slightly longer....."dwell."

The extra mass of the hammer +weight making it harder for the valve to snap itself shut, or at least as quickly as with less mass hitting it.


That would allow more air to escape, thereby increasing energy.