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Ghost BRK Ghost Review
- Thread starter Franklink
- Start date
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AtlasAirguns
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That's what I typically shoot with. I hope some other manufacturers like Zan and NSA start producing .22 cal
- Original poster
- #43
There are some heavier .22s pellets coming from JTS that might be promising.
- Original poster
- #44
.20 cal from the bench
I've admitted before that I'm not a benchrest shooter. In fact, I prefer to shoot from a more active position, usually from a bumbag or from "bucket and sticks." BUT, after some discussion with an airgun friend, I decided to spend some time at the bench with (mostly) the Ghost this evening.
Here is how it went at 35 yards. The two centered groups are with a .20 Veteran. The bigger one was 10 shots, the smaller, a 5 shot group. All the other groups (mostly left side of page) were from the Ghost, and the majority of them are 5 shot groups. Everything at 35 yards (both guns) was with the 13.73grainers at just under 20fpe. There was some turret adjustments going on with the Ghost, as I was trying to figure out wind versus scope zero. The printed circles on this target are 3/8 inch if I remember correctly.
And the next one was all at 50 yards. The left column is 4x10shot groups from the .20 Veteran, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The next (2nd from left) column is 4x10 shot groups from the Ghost, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The wind during those #40, 20fpe shots from the Ghost were the worst of the session-mostly left to right, and you can see that in the groups stretched rightwards. The third column is from the Ghost, but using the .20/15.89 at 915fps for just about 29fpe. The top group in that third column was sighters, the three below it in the same column are 10 shot groups. Check out that first 10 shot group from the 15.89s! That one is probably the best of the session. The 15.89s require hold UNDER at 50 yards with how I have the scope zeroed @ 35 yards with the 13.73s for field target. The final column (far right) was with the .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. The slugs also require hold UNDER at 50 yards. I was struggling to remember the hold under on every shot. For the slugs I shot a variety of group sizes, some are ten, some are 5 shot groups. There are also two, 5 shot slug groups in the margins on the right paper/target trap (one on each side).
As is often the case, the pellets seem to generally be outshooting the slugs at 50 yards. And I'm okay with that and still VERY excited about these .20 slugs. Where I'm seeing the slugs shine is 100+ yards ( and maybe could be argued 75+). And the biggest reason for that is how much more predictable these slugs are when the wind is blowing, which is often. When Tony and I went pdog shooting two or so weeks ago, I was using the 15.89grain pellets for most shots under I dunno, 125 yards or so. And when the rangefinder would come back with what my brain thought of as WAAAAYYY out there, I'd spin the power wheel and grab a slug. I had a tin of 15.89s and a container of the lubed 18.9 slugs open right next to me, and would go back and forth as the current target warranted. It worked WELL!
In this evenings session there were some shots where the wind got me, some pulled shots, and some brain farts about the hold unders for the 15.89 and 18.9 projectiles. But overall it was a fun little exercise. I had the chronograph set up and it was good to shoot a bunch of shots over it, at various tank pressures. By "good" I mean confidence building that the guns are producing tight extreme spreads, and that the three different power wheel settings I use for the Ghost for the three different projectiles I shoot from that .20 barrel are all reliably producing the fps that I'm counting on it to do. And it is.
Three Asides (rather than make additional posts)
First.....I pulled the .20 barrel from the Ghost yesterday and gave it a good cleaning with a one piece rod and tight fitting patches on a jag. I just finished the second 300count box of NSA slugs and thought it prudent to give it a good look see again, based on previous leading up experiences with slugs in other barrels/guns. Here's what I had.....
Left to right, it was clean by the fourth patch. And no lead speckles, which is GREAT news, cuz I'm using Gunzilla as the cleaning agent (and lube) and the Gunzilla will pull the lead if it's there. So this barrel is proof that LW can make an actual barrel that can shoot slugs as well as pellets, and also does not lead up.
Second aside....
I finished up another tin of the .20/13.73s through the Ghost with the above shooting. When I added it to the stack I noted it's getting high, so counted and it's up to 8 tins. I'm less than 50 pellets shy of adding the fifth tin of .20/15.89s to the Ghost stack. And I'm about 75 slugs into the 3rd box.
So, we're talking
Third aside...
I haven't had any issues or complaints with the grip supplied by BRK, and at one point even remember thinking to myself that the factory grip is fine, I wonder why everybody is replacing it.....Well I ordered an AK compatible grip. Do I need it? Nope. But I found one that caught my eye and I think will really compliment the gun. Not cheap, but I'm justifying it with how much time I spend shooting the Ghost. Complete splurge. I'll share some photos when it arrives.
I've admitted before that I'm not a benchrest shooter. In fact, I prefer to shoot from a more active position, usually from a bumbag or from "bucket and sticks." BUT, after some discussion with an airgun friend, I decided to spend some time at the bench with (mostly) the Ghost this evening.
Here is how it went at 35 yards. The two centered groups are with a .20 Veteran. The bigger one was 10 shots, the smaller, a 5 shot group. All the other groups (mostly left side of page) were from the Ghost, and the majority of them are 5 shot groups. Everything at 35 yards (both guns) was with the 13.73grainers at just under 20fpe. There was some turret adjustments going on with the Ghost, as I was trying to figure out wind versus scope zero. The printed circles on this target are 3/8 inch if I remember correctly.
And the next one was all at 50 yards. The left column is 4x10shot groups from the .20 Veteran, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The next (2nd from left) column is 4x10 shot groups from the Ghost, again using the .20/13.73 @ just shy of 20fpe. The wind during those #40, 20fpe shots from the Ghost were the worst of the session-mostly left to right, and you can see that in the groups stretched rightwards. The third column is from the Ghost, but using the .20/15.89 at 915fps for just about 29fpe. The top group in that third column was sighters, the three below it in the same column are 10 shot groups. Check out that first 10 shot group from the 15.89s! That one is probably the best of the session. The 15.89s require hold UNDER at 50 yards with how I have the scope zeroed @ 35 yards with the 13.73s for field target. The final column (far right) was with the .20/18.9grain NSA slugs. The slugs also require hold UNDER at 50 yards. I was struggling to remember the hold under on every shot. For the slugs I shot a variety of group sizes, some are ten, some are 5 shot groups. There are also two, 5 shot slug groups in the margins on the right paper/target trap (one on each side).
As is often the case, the pellets seem to generally be outshooting the slugs at 50 yards. And I'm okay with that and still VERY excited about these .20 slugs. Where I'm seeing the slugs shine is 100+ yards ( and maybe could be argued 75+). And the biggest reason for that is how much more predictable these slugs are when the wind is blowing, which is often. When Tony and I went pdog shooting two or so weeks ago, I was using the 15.89grain pellets for most shots under I dunno, 125 yards or so. And when the rangefinder would come back with what my brain thought of as WAAAAYYY out there, I'd spin the power wheel and grab a slug. I had a tin of 15.89s and a container of the lubed 18.9 slugs open right next to me, and would go back and forth as the current target warranted. It worked WELL!
In this evenings session there were some shots where the wind got me, some pulled shots, and some brain farts about the hold unders for the 15.89 and 18.9 projectiles. But overall it was a fun little exercise. I had the chronograph set up and it was good to shoot a bunch of shots over it, at various tank pressures. By "good" I mean confidence building that the guns are producing tight extreme spreads, and that the three different power wheel settings I use for the Ghost for the three different projectiles I shoot from that .20 barrel are all reliably producing the fps that I'm counting on it to do. And it is.
Three Asides (rather than make additional posts)
First.....I pulled the .20 barrel from the Ghost yesterday and gave it a good cleaning with a one piece rod and tight fitting patches on a jag. I just finished the second 300count box of NSA slugs and thought it prudent to give it a good look see again, based on previous leading up experiences with slugs in other barrels/guns. Here's what I had.....
Left to right, it was clean by the fourth patch. And no lead speckles, which is GREAT news, cuz I'm using Gunzilla as the cleaning agent (and lube) and the Gunzilla will pull the lead if it's there. So this barrel is proof that LW can make an actual barrel that can shoot slugs as well as pellets, and also does not lead up.
Second aside....
I finished up another tin of the .20/13.73s through the Ghost with the above shooting. When I added it to the stack I noted it's getting high, so counted and it's up to 8 tins. I'm less than 50 pellets shy of adding the fifth tin of .20/15.89s to the Ghost stack. And I'm about 75 slugs into the 3rd box.
So, we're talking
- .20/13.73 (8x500) = 4000
- .20/15.89 (5x500) = 2500
- .20/18.0 (2x300) = 600
- .22/25.4 MRDs - 7 tins x200 = 1400
- .177/10.34 - 3.75 tins x500 = 1875
- .177/13.43 - 0.5 tins x 500 = 250
- And probably 300+ shots from random pellets, for testing purposes.
Third aside...
I haven't had any issues or complaints with the grip supplied by BRK, and at one point even remember thinking to myself that the factory grip is fine, I wonder why everybody is replacing it.....Well I ordered an AK compatible grip. Do I need it? Nope. But I found one that caught my eye and I think will really compliment the gun. Not cheap, but I'm justifying it with how much time I spend shooting the Ghost. Complete splurge. I'll share some photos when it arrives.
- Original poster
- #47
I suspected as much. You DID get my hopes up though. Illness amongst us airgunners, always searching for "better" even when what we have already is awesome.
It would be very nice to find 1 though
- Original poster
- #49
Bad news/Good news
I've said it before....I share everything....
Bad news first...
So a few days ago I commented about how the review Ghost has just shy of 11,000 shots through it, and going strong. Well, the afternoon after I made that post (yesterday afternoon) I had a pest bird that needed some lead. Grabbed the Ghost, took the shot, and went to cock the gun again and noticed it was leaking. Same symptoms as the valve leak back at the end of 2022. Louder when the cocking lever is open. Basically a poppet/valve stem leak, up through the transfer port and out the barrel. I broke the gun down, pulled the valve and couldn't find anything amiss. Put it back together, still leaking. Reinspected, reinstalled, still leaking. Bummer, I guess that's what I get for crowing about it going strong for so long...Murphy's Law man.
I called Shane at AOA and explained the problem. He said there were a couple leaking valves back.....at the end of 2022. Well, that's when the original valve leaked, and also the time frame that this second leaking valve came from. I asked him if they would ship me a valve stem and he said he'd just do the whole valve assembly. I got a shipping notice a few hours later, and crossed my fingers that it would get here today so I could use it to shoot some prairie dogs this Sat with a friend.
I only live a few hrs from AOA and the valve was at my house when I got home from work tonight. So, did a quick look-see at the new valve and there are a few ever so slight differences in the valve stem, and there was a pretty high duro oring acting as a buffer in the valve stem pocket, opposite the end that the hammer taps when firing. The valve stem return spring is also a bit shorter but with an additional coil when compared to the one from December, so stronger valve stem return spring in the new valve. Some slight differences. I configured the new valve the way I had the old one, with hopes the fps from each of the three projectiles I've been shooting will all be the same at their respective hammer tension wheel settings....
And to the chronograph...
The obvious is that the new valve is not leaking. But I'm also really happy that all three settings are producing (mostly) the same fps they were with the prior valve. The slugs seem to have gained 10-15fps, but both pellets are right where they were with the previous valve. And for disclosure, I did not pay for the new valve, With BRKs warranty I assume a leaker valve would have been covered anyway, had I bought and paid for the review Ghost.
And it was also kinda nice when one of the AOA representatives thanked me for all the testing. At this point I guess they're sort of considering all the shots that have been taken through the review Ghost as the what would be analogous to phase IV testing of a medication. In my professional field, phase IV testing of a medication is essentially after the drug has finally made it to market and the goal is to find rare stuff that didn't come up in the prior steps of the R&D and clinical studies to determine safety and efficacy.
I want to point out that the Ghost's design enables full access to the valve without losing any scope settings. In fact, the rear sub-assembly comes off as an entire assembled piece. Lots of other PCPs that I've been in require a nearly complete teardown to get to the valve, losing scope zero and barrel clocking and etc. From previous tinkerings with the Ghost, I'm confident that all my trajectory data will be spot-on tomorrow. I might just need to add those 10-15fps for the slug profile in Strelok.
Unfortunately, that's two leaker valves now, although both were from within the first few months of the Ghost's release. As much as I've grown to love the Ghost, I really hope that the leaking valve situation has been resolved. Especially since I'm not demanding huge fpe from the platform, but rather being satisfied with tamer power output than it is capable of.
And props to AOA for taking care of that so quickly. I didn't use any personal phone numbers or special ways to contact them, just called the direct line that anybody else would use. Listened to the phone tree and selected the service option. It rang a few times and then gave me the option to have a call back, so I told it yes please. They called me back within 20 minutes and had the new valve in my hands within 24hrs of that (again, I live close so they can't get parts to the whole country that fast, but it is in their power to get it in the mail quickly, and that they did).
Now, I'm excited to shoot pdogs with Ben all day tomorrow. I'll be on the Ghost, and he told me he's bringing a Red Wolf. Chances of monsoon rain, but hoping we can get some shooting in between the rain showers.
I've said it before....I share everything....
Bad news first...
So a few days ago I commented about how the review Ghost has just shy of 11,000 shots through it, and going strong. Well, the afternoon after I made that post (yesterday afternoon) I had a pest bird that needed some lead. Grabbed the Ghost, took the shot, and went to cock the gun again and noticed it was leaking. Same symptoms as the valve leak back at the end of 2022. Louder when the cocking lever is open. Basically a poppet/valve stem leak, up through the transfer port and out the barrel. I broke the gun down, pulled the valve and couldn't find anything amiss. Put it back together, still leaking. Reinspected, reinstalled, still leaking. Bummer, I guess that's what I get for crowing about it going strong for so long...Murphy's Law man.
I called Shane at AOA and explained the problem. He said there were a couple leaking valves back.....at the end of 2022. Well, that's when the original valve leaked, and also the time frame that this second leaking valve came from. I asked him if they would ship me a valve stem and he said he'd just do the whole valve assembly. I got a shipping notice a few hours later, and crossed my fingers that it would get here today so I could use it to shoot some prairie dogs this Sat with a friend.
I only live a few hrs from AOA and the valve was at my house when I got home from work tonight. So, did a quick look-see at the new valve and there are a few ever so slight differences in the valve stem, and there was a pretty high duro oring acting as a buffer in the valve stem pocket, opposite the end that the hammer taps when firing. The valve stem return spring is also a bit shorter but with an additional coil when compared to the one from December, so stronger valve stem return spring in the new valve. Some slight differences. I configured the new valve the way I had the old one, with hopes the fps from each of the three projectiles I've been shooting will all be the same at their respective hammer tension wheel settings....
And to the chronograph...
- First six over the chrono with the .20/13.73 and MIN were: 805.4, 808.4, 808.5, 817.2, 813.9, 809.2
- Then dialed to "11" on the wheel and got the following with .20/15.89: 908.5, 915, 911.1, 925.2
- Then dialed to MAX" on the wheel and got the following with .20/18.9: 893.1, 886.8, 889.6, 890.7, 892.8
The obvious is that the new valve is not leaking. But I'm also really happy that all three settings are producing (mostly) the same fps they were with the prior valve. The slugs seem to have gained 10-15fps, but both pellets are right where they were with the previous valve. And for disclosure, I did not pay for the new valve, With BRKs warranty I assume a leaker valve would have been covered anyway, had I bought and paid for the review Ghost.
And it was also kinda nice when one of the AOA representatives thanked me for all the testing. At this point I guess they're sort of considering all the shots that have been taken through the review Ghost as the what would be analogous to phase IV testing of a medication. In my professional field, phase IV testing of a medication is essentially after the drug has finally made it to market and the goal is to find rare stuff that didn't come up in the prior steps of the R&D and clinical studies to determine safety and efficacy.
I want to point out that the Ghost's design enables full access to the valve without losing any scope settings. In fact, the rear sub-assembly comes off as an entire assembled piece. Lots of other PCPs that I've been in require a nearly complete teardown to get to the valve, losing scope zero and barrel clocking and etc. From previous tinkerings with the Ghost, I'm confident that all my trajectory data will be spot-on tomorrow. I might just need to add those 10-15fps for the slug profile in Strelok.
Unfortunately, that's two leaker valves now, although both were from within the first few months of the Ghost's release. As much as I've grown to love the Ghost, I really hope that the leaking valve situation has been resolved. Especially since I'm not demanding huge fpe from the platform, but rather being satisfied with tamer power output than it is capable of.
And props to AOA for taking care of that so quickly. I didn't use any personal phone numbers or special ways to contact them, just called the direct line that anybody else would use. Listened to the phone tree and selected the service option. It rang a few times and then gave me the option to have a call back, so I told it yes please. They called me back within 20 minutes and had the new valve in my hands within 24hrs of that (again, I live close so they can't get parts to the whole country that fast, but it is in their power to get it in the mail quickly, and that they did).
Now, I'm excited to shoot pdogs with Ben all day tomorrow. I'll be on the Ghost, and he told me he's bringing a Red Wolf. Chances of monsoon rain, but hoping we can get some shooting in between the rain showers.
- Original poster
- #51
Last edited:
Prairie dogs with Ben
(graphic warning, there will be some photos of dead pdogs in this report, if that doesn't interest you, please skip this installment)
My friend Ben drove up from PHX metro area for a day of pdog blasting today. We started around 8am and went til 415, with a brief lunch break around 1pm.
He brought and used his .25 Red Wolf, in the brown and gray heritage laminate stock. That rifle is really quite the looker and I wish I would have gotten a close-up photo to share here. He's done some pretty sweet work on that gun to make it behave very uniquely (shot cycle). And it performs at a VERY high level. Ben has been testing some JTS pellets lately and that's what he used today, to very good effect.
I of course used the .20 Ghost. I shot about 5 of the .20/15.89 JSB pellets throughout the day, and all the rest of the shots I took were with the .20/18.9grain NSA slugs.
This is a portion of pasture on one of the properties we spent a few hours in.
As seen above, those monsoon thunderheads kept building all around us, but never materialized into any moisture, despite the weather forecasts 70% chance of rain.
For whatever reason, the pdogs were a bit less active and generally more skittish today than they were two weeks ago with Tony. Perhaps the survivors from the nearly 200 that Tony and I got in that last swing through the permissions learned a few lessons from that day. Two weeks ago Tony and I probably had an average distance of all shots taken at around 75 yards. Today Ben and I didn't have it so easy. While we did have some close ones, and some VERY far ones, the majority of what we were shooting today were in the 80-120 yard ranges. We talked about how prey animals learn what distance is safe and we seemed to be experiencing the dogs trying to establish a new safe distance today. Unfortunately for about 100 of them, they weren't far enough away from the Red Wolf and Ghost to be safe. I suspect they'll be even tougher to get next time because we each got around 40-50 today, despite their attempts at distancing themselves a bit further from danger than they did two weeks ago. So the pdogs that lived through today are now a bit wiser about the safe zone.
Ben brought standing tripods and we worked through the field above, up and back. We modified our tactics as we went, and as we pinpointed hot spots of pdog activity. This was the general shooting position we took. Sometimes we'd stand in one spot and get multiple shots before we needed to move. Other times we'd have to move 75 or more yards before we saw a target. We had to cross a few fences and jump a couple ditches. We compared thoughts on carrying the two guns throughout that extended length of time and seemed to agree that the Ghost fit the situation better than the long Red Wolf. This photo is a bit misleading as we weren't shooting towards the house, as can be seen in the next few photos, although the proximity of houses DOES illustrate how airguns are the perfect tool for pest control in these areas.
We had to earn them in this tall grass.
As we were walking, the occasional shallow-end-of-the-gene-pool individual would give us a brief chance at a close shot. Here is a sequence taken over Ben's shoulder.... This one was so close Ben wanted to get off a quick shot so didn't bother with the tripod. ie he shot it offhand.
And the outcome of Ben's offhand shot above....
(Notice that gray tail, that's the easy identifier to verify that these are Gunnison variety prairie dogs. These hibernate for about 6 months every winter, another indicator that they're Gunnison's and not Blacktailed Prairie dogs.)
Here's one that I took at about 60 yards. Slug entrance was on the far side and actually went through the opposite shoulder before exiting on this side. While the .20 slugs are an over-penetration, under-expansion situation, this one just quickly flopped over, quite dead.
And this one's day was also ruined by a .20 NSA slug, fired from the Ghost. He was at 80 yards, and another boiler room shot, albeit just a bit lower, towards the bottom of the chest, than the previous photo. There is a surprising amount of color variation in these guys. Some are darker brown, and I've often wondered if it's maybe because that individuals primary burrow is in a darker vein of soil than the lighter ones. And there also seem to be some age related effects to their coloring. The older ones take on a grayish, grizzled look, almost like an aging canine. This one has more gray in his coat than the one above. They can live 5-8 years (when me and my airgun buddies aren't around) and I'd guess this one was on the last half of his lifespan, while the one in the previous photo was a bit younger.
And this poor fellow was the main reason for the graphic warning at the beginning of the post. Ben put one of those .25 JTS pellets through his noggin, and head shots are usually bleeders. I don't remember the distance on this one.
As for notable shots from the day....
With my crazy work schedule, and a young family, these types of days spent with airgun buddies shooting through the dog towns are usually few and far between. In the past, I've only been able to squeeze one day in in each of the past few summers. But the day with Tony a few weeks ago, and then today with Ben, man, it's just really fun to spend time with friends who enjoy this airgunning madness.
I feel like I strayed a bit from keeping this Ghost-centric. So to conclude the report...the Ghost performed admirably. The leak problem was fixed with the new valve. As I expected, all the dope data was still good, despite the need to replace the valve. It was great as an all day carry hunting gun. I didn't feel burdened or annoyed by toting it around. I was really pleased with the shot counts from the 480cc bottle today. We shot a BUNCH, and not always at critters. I started with 4400psi in my 45min scba and ended with just shy of 4300 (there was a temp gradient there, from AM to PM and I haven't looked at the gauge on the tank now that it's not so hot, but I'd expect it to be lower than 4300 now that it's not 95 degrees). I've always hated the burden of the acquisition of high pressure air for this hobby, so to be able to shoot all day and not use much air is just icing on the cake of an already thoroughly enjoyable experience with the Ghost. And the .20/18.9 grain NSA slugs!!!! They're giving me the ability to hit what I want at borderline unbelievable distances, without burning through a bunch of air or expensive big bore projectiles, what more can a guy ask for?!?!
(graphic warning, there will be some photos of dead pdogs in this report, if that doesn't interest you, please skip this installment)
My friend Ben drove up from PHX metro area for a day of pdog blasting today. We started around 8am and went til 415, with a brief lunch break around 1pm.
He brought and used his .25 Red Wolf, in the brown and gray heritage laminate stock. That rifle is really quite the looker and I wish I would have gotten a close-up photo to share here. He's done some pretty sweet work on that gun to make it behave very uniquely (shot cycle). And it performs at a VERY high level. Ben has been testing some JTS pellets lately and that's what he used today, to very good effect.
I of course used the .20 Ghost. I shot about 5 of the .20/15.89 JSB pellets throughout the day, and all the rest of the shots I took were with the .20/18.9grain NSA slugs.
This is a portion of pasture on one of the properties we spent a few hours in.
As seen above, those monsoon thunderheads kept building all around us, but never materialized into any moisture, despite the weather forecasts 70% chance of rain.
For whatever reason, the pdogs were a bit less active and generally more skittish today than they were two weeks ago with Tony. Perhaps the survivors from the nearly 200 that Tony and I got in that last swing through the permissions learned a few lessons from that day. Two weeks ago Tony and I probably had an average distance of all shots taken at around 75 yards. Today Ben and I didn't have it so easy. While we did have some close ones, and some VERY far ones, the majority of what we were shooting today were in the 80-120 yard ranges. We talked about how prey animals learn what distance is safe and we seemed to be experiencing the dogs trying to establish a new safe distance today. Unfortunately for about 100 of them, they weren't far enough away from the Red Wolf and Ghost to be safe. I suspect they'll be even tougher to get next time because we each got around 40-50 today, despite their attempts at distancing themselves a bit further from danger than they did two weeks ago. So the pdogs that lived through today are now a bit wiser about the safe zone.
Ben brought standing tripods and we worked through the field above, up and back. We modified our tactics as we went, and as we pinpointed hot spots of pdog activity. This was the general shooting position we took. Sometimes we'd stand in one spot and get multiple shots before we needed to move. Other times we'd have to move 75 or more yards before we saw a target. We had to cross a few fences and jump a couple ditches. We compared thoughts on carrying the two guns throughout that extended length of time and seemed to agree that the Ghost fit the situation better than the long Red Wolf. This photo is a bit misleading as we weren't shooting towards the house, as can be seen in the next few photos, although the proximity of houses DOES illustrate how airguns are the perfect tool for pest control in these areas.
We had to earn them in this tall grass.
As we were walking, the occasional shallow-end-of-the-gene-pool individual would give us a brief chance at a close shot. Here is a sequence taken over Ben's shoulder.... This one was so close Ben wanted to get off a quick shot so didn't bother with the tripod. ie he shot it offhand.
And the outcome of Ben's offhand shot above....
(Notice that gray tail, that's the easy identifier to verify that these are Gunnison variety prairie dogs. These hibernate for about 6 months every winter, another indicator that they're Gunnison's and not Blacktailed Prairie dogs.)
Here's one that I took at about 60 yards. Slug entrance was on the far side and actually went through the opposite shoulder before exiting on this side. While the .20 slugs are an over-penetration, under-expansion situation, this one just quickly flopped over, quite dead.
And this one's day was also ruined by a .20 NSA slug, fired from the Ghost. He was at 80 yards, and another boiler room shot, albeit just a bit lower, towards the bottom of the chest, than the previous photo. There is a surprising amount of color variation in these guys. Some are darker brown, and I've often wondered if it's maybe because that individuals primary burrow is in a darker vein of soil than the lighter ones. And there also seem to be some age related effects to their coloring. The older ones take on a grayish, grizzled look, almost like an aging canine. This one has more gray in his coat than the one above. They can live 5-8 years (when me and my airgun buddies aren't around) and I'd guess this one was on the last half of his lifespan, while the one in the previous photo was a bit younger.
And this poor fellow was the main reason for the graphic warning at the beginning of the post. Ben put one of those .25 JTS pellets through his noggin, and head shots are usually bleeders. I don't remember the distance on this one.
As for notable shots from the day....
- Ben went back to back with two at 140 yards from the standing tripod. We saw the two at about the same distance, I gave him the yardage from the laser and he popped them both, quick as can be. Quite tidy. My mouth might have been hanging open a bit after I witnessed that.
- He also exploded the dirt underneath one at 240 yards, SOOOOO dang close to being able to say he got a pdog at 240 yards, with a pellet!!! It was an impressive shot.
- In one of the down times Ben walked some shots into the 4-6 inch hollow end of an old fence post that was laying on the ground, pointing at us.....at a lasered 248 yards! Once he figured out the windage and elevation he could put em within a 12 inch circle of the center of the post, and some of the shots weren't kicking up dust, suggesting that he was in fact hitting the intended 4-6 inch end of the fence post.
- I connected on a dog at a lasered 216 yards.
- I also dropped one at a lasered 226 yards. This one was a head shot as he dropped right in his tracks, twitched a bit, and then rolled over, all four legs up in the air. We went out to lay eyes on this barely believable shot and when we found the corpse, lasered back to where we thought we'd been when I took the shot. It came back at 210. Laser rangefinders are tough to pinpoint on a pdog at 200+ yards, and it was tough to figure out exactly where to aim the laser when we were measuring backwards from the dead pdog. Either way, it was a confirmed head shot somewhere in the vicinity of 210-225 yards.
- I had a couple chances to walk some shots into two dogs on a mound at 330 yards. After a couple shots I was blowing up the ground right in front of them and they skedaddled before I could claim a 330 yard kill. After we saw that the .20 slugs were tracking true to 330 yards I picked a flat rock, near the same mound, probably about 8-10 inches across, and was able to place them right there at the rock.
With my crazy work schedule, and a young family, these types of days spent with airgun buddies shooting through the dog towns are usually few and far between. In the past, I've only been able to squeeze one day in in each of the past few summers. But the day with Tony a few weeks ago, and then today with Ben, man, it's just really fun to spend time with friends who enjoy this airgunning madness.
I feel like I strayed a bit from keeping this Ghost-centric. So to conclude the report...the Ghost performed admirably. The leak problem was fixed with the new valve. As I expected, all the dope data was still good, despite the need to replace the valve. It was great as an all day carry hunting gun. I didn't feel burdened or annoyed by toting it around. I was really pleased with the shot counts from the 480cc bottle today. We shot a BUNCH, and not always at critters. I started with 4400psi in my 45min scba and ended with just shy of 4300 (there was a temp gradient there, from AM to PM and I haven't looked at the gauge on the tank now that it's not so hot, but I'd expect it to be lower than 4300 now that it's not 95 degrees). I've always hated the burden of the acquisition of high pressure air for this hobby, so to be able to shoot all day and not use much air is just icing on the cake of an already thoroughly enjoyable experience with the Ghost. And the .20/18.9 grain NSA slugs!!!! They're giving me the ability to hit what I want at borderline unbelievable distances, without burning through a bunch of air or expensive big bore projectiles, what more can a guy ask for?!?!
Soren Drost
HAM Expert
Amazing scenery and great shooting 
- Original poster
- #53
Kid Tested, Dad Approved.
Took my youngest on a pass through the dogtowns this afternoon. Of course we grabbed the Ghost.
Made me think of the old Kix Cereal slogan.
He got these three from 54-62 yards. .20/18.9gr NSA slugs. There were a couple more, out to 76 yards, but these were close to each other and easily retrievable for a photo.
Length of pull is a bit long for him but he made it work. Hardest part when they're this young is target acquisition. But I'd laser em, spin the turrets for him and then he'd get himself lined up and shoot....dead prairie dog.
We both had a ball.
Took my youngest on a pass through the dogtowns this afternoon. Of course we grabbed the Ghost.
Made me think of the old Kix Cereal slogan.
He got these three from 54-62 yards. .20/18.9gr NSA slugs. There were a couple more, out to 76 yards, but these were close to each other and easily retrievable for a photo.
Length of pull is a bit long for him but he made it work. Hardest part when they're this young is target acquisition. But I'd laser em, spin the turrets for him and then he'd get himself lined up and shoot....dead prairie dog.
We both had a ball.
Luis Leon
Master HAMster
Wow! What a dad, super sweet story of your outing… even kids like the Ghost.
- Original poster
- #55
The Grip
As I commented a few days ago, haven't really had any complaints with the OEM grip but splurged on a replacement. I really like laminate, and almost ordered one of the Form grips a couple different times. The hang up was that I couldn't ever get past putting laminate on a "black" chassis gun. It's completely a personal preference, but to me and my opinion, just doesn't seem to match the overall aesthetics of the Ghost. So I got to digging around on the internet for AK compatible grips and found a company that makes billet skeletonized grips out of hard anodized 7075-T6 alum. So I ordered one in black. They also offer tan and green (and a matching foregrip if that suits ones fancy). If they'd have had a brass or gold one I would have done that, to match the custom shroud endcaps Bobby machined for me. But black seemed like it'd be the best match otherwise. I was hoping the cutouts of the grip would compliment/match the cutouts in the mono block, as well as the somewhat skeletonized appearance of the rear portion of the Ghost. And it does! At least to my eye.
New grip was delivered this afternoon. Took a bunch of glamour shots and I'm including them to give readers a good look at it.
I spent about 45 minutes shooting this evening, getting a feel for the billet grip. My out of the mailbox impressions were that it's not as comfortable as the OEM plastic grip, but I decided to give it a decent try at least. After shooting with it, I like it more than I did at first. I'll delineate the differences I've thus far noticed.....Of course it gives the impression of higher quality (billet versus plastic). It's a slimmer grip than OEM plastic, and that was one of the reasons I first didn't think I'd like it, BUT that slimmer grip allows my wrist to be in a more ergonomic position during shooting. In that regard, it reminds me a little of the grip on my USFT and how the thinness allows me to get to the trigger better. Hard to describe how something "feels" but it generally seems to be allowing me to keep my wrist in a more comfortable position while "on" the trigger. And I think it's doing that by allowing more of a thumbs up position. Ie the thumb is still wrapped around the grip, but at a higher point than the thicker plastic grip allows.
So, no final verdict yet, but so far I like it enough to leave it on there for now.
And no, it wasn't cheap, but not much is in this hobby.
www.jmac-customs.com
As I commented a few days ago, haven't really had any complaints with the OEM grip but splurged on a replacement. I really like laminate, and almost ordered one of the Form grips a couple different times. The hang up was that I couldn't ever get past putting laminate on a "black" chassis gun. It's completely a personal preference, but to me and my opinion, just doesn't seem to match the overall aesthetics of the Ghost. So I got to digging around on the internet for AK compatible grips and found a company that makes billet skeletonized grips out of hard anodized 7075-T6 alum. So I ordered one in black. They also offer tan and green (and a matching foregrip if that suits ones fancy). If they'd have had a brass or gold one I would have done that, to match the custom shroud endcaps Bobby machined for me. But black seemed like it'd be the best match otherwise. I was hoping the cutouts of the grip would compliment/match the cutouts in the mono block, as well as the somewhat skeletonized appearance of the rear portion of the Ghost. And it does! At least to my eye.
New grip was delivered this afternoon. Took a bunch of glamour shots and I'm including them to give readers a good look at it.
I spent about 45 minutes shooting this evening, getting a feel for the billet grip. My out of the mailbox impressions were that it's not as comfortable as the OEM plastic grip, but I decided to give it a decent try at least. After shooting with it, I like it more than I did at first. I'll delineate the differences I've thus far noticed.....Of course it gives the impression of higher quality (billet versus plastic). It's a slimmer grip than OEM plastic, and that was one of the reasons I first didn't think I'd like it, BUT that slimmer grip allows my wrist to be in a more ergonomic position during shooting. In that regard, it reminds me a little of the grip on my USFT and how the thinness allows me to get to the trigger better. Hard to describe how something "feels" but it generally seems to be allowing me to keep my wrist in a more comfortable position while "on" the trigger. And I think it's doing that by allowing more of a thumbs up position. Ie the thumb is still wrapped around the grip, but at a higher point than the thicker plastic grip allows.
So, no final verdict yet, but so far I like it enough to leave it on there for now.
And no, it wasn't cheap, but not much is in this hobby.
SPG AK Skeleton Pistol Grip
www.jmac-customs.com
Soren Drost
HAM Expert
- Original poster
- #58
The Valve
To preface this one, I want to reiterate that the Ghost experience I've had is unique. The serial on this one ends in 0013, which I take to mean the 13th off the line. It was in my hands for testing 4 weeks prior to product launch. It came with components that were a surprise to AOA staff, and supposedly were not ever meant to have made it to the US market. In short, the Ghost that I was sent to review was not quite a prototype, but also not quite the production version.
With that preface....the third valve started leaking recently. And I think I finally know why I've had trouble with them.
To recap....
The valve that was installed by the factory started leaking in early December, if memory serves. AOA sent me a replacement valve and it held air until about a month ago, at which time AOA sent me a third valve. The third only held air for 2 weeks. AOA just recently sent me a 4th valve and it is in the gun now, holding air.
Valve 1 and 2 were identical in every way that I could measure.
Valve 3 and 4 are identical in every way, but different than 1 and 2.
My assumptions, based on valve inspections and experience with them is that 1 and 2 were not the more recently released "Ultra Valve," while 3 and 4 ARE the Ultra Valve.
Daystate Ultra Valve: Airguns of Arizona
And yes, the BRK Ghost, the Alpha Wolf, and the Delta Wolf all use the same valve (the most recent iteration being the "Ultra").
The three leaker valves all exhibited the same leak, air coming out of the barrel, a strong indicator that the poppet/valve stem is the culprit. I replaced orings, and even tried lapping the poppet to the face of the valve that it seals on and could not make any of the leaker valves hold air again. Valve 1 and 2 did not come with a buffer oring in the bottom of the valve stem pocket, on the opposite end of the valve stem from where the hammer strikes it.
What I'm calling the buffer oring is the little white loose oring in this photo. As near as I can tell, it is not a sealing oring, but a buffer to prevent the valve stem from impacting the steel blind hole/pocket. And yes, inclusion/omission has an effect on shot cycle/power output.
And the pocket it sits in.....
Valve 3 and 4 DID come with that buffer oring, but I removed it, with the thought process being that I wanted to match my known fps for each of the 3 power wheel settings that I've been using for each of the 3 .20 projectiles that I've been shooting. (I also shimmed the valve return spring b/c it improves the shot cycle but I don't think that was the cause of my problems). And configuring it like the previous valve DID mostly replicate what I was seeing from the previous valve. But valve #3 started leaking within 2 weeks, so something was wrong.
Upon receipt of the 4th valve I remembered that saying about repetition and expecting different results.....So I decided to install the valve as-received. I left that buffer oring in place and I did not shim the valve return spring. I figured a long chrony session to find new wheel settings was the lesser of the two evils over a 4th leaky valve. So into the gun it went, straight OEM. And the 4th valve is holding air after quite a few shots. Yes, shot cycle is different, and yes I needed to find new wheel settings to get to the desired 805-810fps with .20/13.73, 910-915fps with .20/15.89, and 875fps with .20/18.9 NSA slugs.
So what was the reason for the leaky valves? I'm not 100% positive but I'm thinking that buffer oring is the answer. AOA told me they had leaker valves back around the end of the 2022, but weren't seeing anymore in the the more recent guns. My first two leaker valves were from that time frame. Neither of those had that buffer oring. I think Daystate/BRK realized it was necessary b/c the 3rd valve had it. Of course I'm a dummy and removed the buffer oring from the 3rd valve prior to install and had the exact same issue as valve 1 and 2. I think that valves without that buffer oring allow the valve stem to be damaged. And I can't determine if the damage is from an imperceptibly bent valve stem, or from the composite poppet partially separating from the metal valve stem. Part of the reason that I've come to this conclusion is that the valves have a metallic ping when used at higher hammer spring settings and without the buffer oring. I think that ping was the valve stem slamming into that steel pocket, and eventually being damaged from it, over the course of thousands of shots. With the 4th valve installed (WITH buffer oring) and "max" on the hammer spring tension, the ping is absent.
I think (and I'm hoping) that the buffer oring prevents valve stem damage.
I'm really excited to have the Ghost back up and running!
To preface this one, I want to reiterate that the Ghost experience I've had is unique. The serial on this one ends in 0013, which I take to mean the 13th off the line. It was in my hands for testing 4 weeks prior to product launch. It came with components that were a surprise to AOA staff, and supposedly were not ever meant to have made it to the US market. In short, the Ghost that I was sent to review was not quite a prototype, but also not quite the production version.
With that preface....the third valve started leaking recently. And I think I finally know why I've had trouble with them.
To recap....
The valve that was installed by the factory started leaking in early December, if memory serves. AOA sent me a replacement valve and it held air until about a month ago, at which time AOA sent me a third valve. The third only held air for 2 weeks. AOA just recently sent me a 4th valve and it is in the gun now, holding air.
Valve 1 and 2 were identical in every way that I could measure.
Valve 3 and 4 are identical in every way, but different than 1 and 2.
My assumptions, based on valve inspections and experience with them is that 1 and 2 were not the more recently released "Ultra Valve," while 3 and 4 ARE the Ultra Valve.
Daystate Ultra Valve: Airguns of Arizona
And yes, the BRK Ghost, the Alpha Wolf, and the Delta Wolf all use the same valve (the most recent iteration being the "Ultra").
The three leaker valves all exhibited the same leak, air coming out of the barrel, a strong indicator that the poppet/valve stem is the culprit. I replaced orings, and even tried lapping the poppet to the face of the valve that it seals on and could not make any of the leaker valves hold air again. Valve 1 and 2 did not come with a buffer oring in the bottom of the valve stem pocket, on the opposite end of the valve stem from where the hammer strikes it.
What I'm calling the buffer oring is the little white loose oring in this photo. As near as I can tell, it is not a sealing oring, but a buffer to prevent the valve stem from impacting the steel blind hole/pocket. And yes, inclusion/omission has an effect on shot cycle/power output.
And the pocket it sits in.....
Valve 3 and 4 DID come with that buffer oring, but I removed it, with the thought process being that I wanted to match my known fps for each of the 3 power wheel settings that I've been using for each of the 3 .20 projectiles that I've been shooting. (I also shimmed the valve return spring b/c it improves the shot cycle but I don't think that was the cause of my problems). And configuring it like the previous valve DID mostly replicate what I was seeing from the previous valve. But valve #3 started leaking within 2 weeks, so something was wrong.
Upon receipt of the 4th valve I remembered that saying about repetition and expecting different results.....So I decided to install the valve as-received. I left that buffer oring in place and I did not shim the valve return spring. I figured a long chrony session to find new wheel settings was the lesser of the two evils over a 4th leaky valve. So into the gun it went, straight OEM. And the 4th valve is holding air after quite a few shots. Yes, shot cycle is different, and yes I needed to find new wheel settings to get to the desired 805-810fps with .20/13.73, 910-915fps with .20/15.89, and 875fps with .20/18.9 NSA slugs.
So what was the reason for the leaky valves? I'm not 100% positive but I'm thinking that buffer oring is the answer. AOA told me they had leaker valves back around the end of the 2022, but weren't seeing anymore in the the more recent guns. My first two leaker valves were from that time frame. Neither of those had that buffer oring. I think Daystate/BRK realized it was necessary b/c the 3rd valve had it. Of course I'm a dummy and removed the buffer oring from the 3rd valve prior to install and had the exact same issue as valve 1 and 2. I think that valves without that buffer oring allow the valve stem to be damaged. And I can't determine if the damage is from an imperceptibly bent valve stem, or from the composite poppet partially separating from the metal valve stem. Part of the reason that I've come to this conclusion is that the valves have a metallic ping when used at higher hammer spring settings and without the buffer oring. I think that ping was the valve stem slamming into that steel pocket, and eventually being damaged from it, over the course of thousands of shots. With the 4th valve installed (WITH buffer oring) and "max" on the hammer spring tension, the ping is absent.
I think (and I'm hoping) that the buffer oring prevents valve stem damage.
I'm really excited to have the Ghost back up and running!
Soren Drost
HAM Expert
Great write up on the updates on the valve in the BRK Ghost
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