Sonoran First Attempt With slugs - BRK Sonoran .30

[Billm]

I don't think you made a mistake at all. The old mindset, shooting pellets, was to lead up your barrel to a certain point and it would shoot better, well that was with pellets. Slugs, seem to me, to be about ten times more sensitive and you are not going to have the intervals between cleaning or the need to lead up your barrel barrel much, if at all to get accuracy. I think that you might want to just choose to shoot one or the other though. jmo

I’m going to stick with pellets for what I do. I just wanted to try them.

 

[Billm]

I am a little confused by what is happening here. Your speeds don't seem to be high enough to create a subsequent instability. You can have that happen going into the transonic zone, but you weren't near that, it looks like you need to clean the barrel to me. jmo

The vertical stringing disappeared, I have no idea what that was all about. My point about the higher reg pressure was that once my reg pressure goes above approx. 178 bar, it’s just wasted air. The groups opened up a little after the cleaning, but they’ve started to close back up. My rifle tops out at about 910fps with the 45gr pellets. I’m def the limiting factor right now.

 

[Pumacarl]

I’m going to stick with pellets for what I do. I just wanted to try them.

Well, I have been reading all of your posts, and there is a definite theme; WIND! Slugs are really good for mitigating that. Someone (if not you) will figure out what slug works the best in the Sonoran and you might want to revisit it then. The more I use slugs the harder it is to go back to pellets. I will admit that they are a royal pain in the a$$ to get working right, but they are totally worth it.

 

[Joey 69]

Thanks for the info! Just ordered a 30 cal sub moa 1-16 slug barrel from aoa for $550. They didn’t have any 22 at present time.

Can you use the same probe and shroud

 

[Danman]

The vertical stringing disappeared, I have no idea what that was all about. My point about the higher reg pressure was that once my reg pressure goes above approx. 178 bar, it’s just wasted air. The groups opened up a little after the cleaning, but they’ve started to close back up. My rifle tops out at about 910fps with the 45gr pellets. I’m def the limiting factor right now.

Lol I was out all afternoon picking up another cheap civic to fix up and drive (the reason I can afford expensive air rifles?!) and I miss this!! Vertical stringing and making 2 groups...my .177 TX200 does this often, drives me absolutely crazy lol, and I also don't know what it is either?! Do you know the twist rate of you SubMoa barrel btw @Billm...probably the pellet barrel? As far as your slug groups, yes that is still waaayyy better than the factory Brk slow twist. My can almost 1-hole slugs @ 10Y and will be all over at 70/80Y, I was hitting different 5.5inch AV paper targets that I wasn't aiming for both left and right, up and down. Speeds were fine and Mrds tightened right up, 100% the barrel.

 

[Dogowski]

I made the mistake of running four dry patches through the barrel and the groups opened up a little. That was after 400+ pellets/ slugs over two days.

Run 20 or so patches of Balistol as needed through the barrel to clean it thoroughly before anything dry. Do that before any polishing of any kind. See if that helps!

 

[Billm]

Lol I was out all afternoon picking up another cheap civic to fix up and drive (the reason I can afford expensive air rifles?!) and I miss this!! Vertical stringing and making 2 groups...my .177 TX200 does this often, drives me absolutely crazy lol, and I also don't know what it is either?! Do you know the twist rate of you SubMoa barrel btw @Billm...probably the pellet barrel? As far as your slug groups, yes that is still waaayyy better than the factory Brk slow twist. My can almost 1-hole slugs @ 10Y and will be all over at 70/80Y, I was hitting different 5.5inch AV paper targets that I wasn't aiming for both left and right, up and down. Speeds were fine and Mrds tightened right up, 100% the barrel.

You’re killing me lol. I almost bought a .30 1:16 Sub-MOA for the Ghost today. No, I don’t know what the twist is on the Sonoran, I suspect that you’re right.

 

[Billm]

Run 20 or so patches of Balistol as needed through the barrel to clean it thoroughly before anything dry. Do that before any polishing of any kind. See if that helps!

I can try that,

 

[Solo1]

Can you use the same probe and shroud

The shroud can’t be used on the sub moa. The mag and pellet probe can as long as you’re buying the barrel in the same caliber you have. You also have to buy a $50 adapter for the sub moa if you want to use a moderator.

 

[Pesty3782]

The twist in the Sonoran is 1:26. That is why it shoots pellets great and slugs pretty good…SubMoa has a 1:16 slug barrel for the ghost…

Tony P.

 

[Billm]

I hate unnecessary scratches on a brand new gun . I was looking the Sonoran over this morning contemplating swapping the scope and lightning the trigger and found this. The pivot screw for the side lever had completely backed out and was scraping the top pic rail. The side lever didn’t feel rough, I’m assuming because the rail was stopping the screw from falling out. I had to move the rail forward to remove the screw and check it.

 

[Solo1]

Well id take the way its shootin and live with the scratch!! Lol. Id also clean and lock tite that little sucker!

 

[Billm]

Well id take the way its shootin and live with the scratch!! Lol. Id also clean and lock tite that little sucker!

I have it apart right now. I just adjusted the trigger and getting ready to put it back together. I’m going to loctite before reassembly.

 

[Pesty3782]

So when I pull the barrel to clean it, I leave the scope attached to that rail and loosen the 5 bolts holding it onto the dovetail....Slides right off and no fuss about the scope shift.....I will need to look at my screw, Thanks for pointing that out

Tony P.

 

[Danman]

I hate unnecessary scratches on a brand new gun . I was looking the Sonoran over this morning contemplating swapping the scope and lightning the trigger and found this. The pivot screw for the side lever had completely backed out and was scraping the top pic rail. The side lever didn’t feel rough, I’m assuming because the rail was stopping the screw from falling out. I had to move the rail forward to remove the screw and check it.

Hmmm...just like your Ghosts cocking bolt!? Is the white powder the old loctite they used perhaps? Just realized you have no pic of your gun/scope combo on this thread, Ahem. So with the rail on I guess the scratches can't be seen? My Ghosts barrel came to me all scratched up on the outside but it's hard to notice when installed in the gun.

 

[Pumacarl]

I hate unnecessary scratches on a brand new gun . I was looking the Sonoran over this morning contemplating swapping the scope and lightning the trigger and found this. The pivot screw for the side lever had completely backed out and was scraping the top pic rail. The side lever didn’t feel rough, I’m assuming because the rail was stopping the screw from falling out. I had to move the rail forward to remove the screw and check it.

I'll give you half what you paid for it, it's ruined now! LOL Too funny.

Seriously, my condolences, sh!t like that really ticks me off too. I once scratched a beautiful wood stock going through a barbed wire fence, every living thing for miles around heard me that day!

 

[duchunter007]

I bought my Ghost two months ago LOL. I’m starting to think It’s a coin toss of which one I like better between the two of them. I have a .25 Ghost HP and so I can’t really fairly compare them power wise, but I suspect the Ghost is more powerful. But, I’ve been told that the Ghost .30 is underpowered. And so I’m not really sure. My Sonoran .30 is hands down more accurate at 100 yds than the Ghost .25 with pellets or slugs. I have not been able to hit the advertised 90 ft-lbs YET I’ve maxed out at 85.8 ft-lbs.

I have an XR Sniper Magnum .25, and I sent it to AoA for a power tune. Hands down, it outshoots my Ghost .25. I have spent more time behind the Sniper, using 33.95-grain JSBs with the power tune, 187 bar, and power dial set to high, achieving an average of 949.7 FPS and 67.9 FT-LB. I am also running a 700cc tank and getting approximately 40+ shots.

I just got a .22 28-inch slug barrel for the Ghost, and I am so far liking the .40gr slugs in that. 165 bar and power wheel ranging from 10 to 20,
However, even with this setup, I did shoot some 36gr and 33gr, and they performed just fine, but the 40gr were even better.

40gr Average FPS 861.9 66 FT-LB power wheel on 20
35gr Average FPS 851.8 56.4 FT-LB
33gr Average FPS 876.1 56.2 FT-LB, and I think I was on power wheel 10. Next week I will take better notes lol

The Next thing to order is a complete spring kit, and right now I have the high spring in the gun.

 

[Billm]

I have an XR Sniper Magnum .25, and I sent it to AoA for a power tune. Hands down, it outshoots my Ghost .25. I have spent more time behind the Sniper, using 33.95-grain JSBs with the power tune, 187 bar, and power dial set to high, achieving an average of 949.7 FPS and 67.9 FT-LB. I am also running a 700cc tank and getting approximately 40+ shots.

I just got a .22 28-inch slug barrel for the Ghost, and I am so far liking the .40gr slugs in that. 165 bar and power wheel ranging from 10 to 20,
However, even with this setup, I did shoot some 36gr and 33gr, and they performed just fine, but the 40gr were even better.

40gr Average FPS 861.9 66 FT-LB power wheel on 20
35gr Average FPS 851.8 56.4 FT-LB
33gr Average FPS 876.1 56.2 FT-LB, and I think I was on power wheel 10. Next week I will take better notes lol

The Next thing to order is a complete spring kit, and right now I have the high spring in the gun.

That’s awesome. Other than the power wheel, I think I like the Sonoran better than the Ghost. Is your new slug barrel the Sub-MOA barrel?

 

[Danman]

That’s awesome. Other than the power wheel, I think I like the Sonoran better than the Ghost. Is your new slug barrel the Sub-MOA barrel?

He's rocking the Brk L.W. slug barrel I do believe! Could you share with the class; pros v cons of each? Would be interested....or you mean the Sonoran is just more accurate?

 

[duchunter007]

That’s awesome. Other than the power wheel, I think I like the Sonoran better than the Ghost. Is your new slug barrel the Sub-MOA barrel?

NO, the slug barrel on the Ghost is a BRK Barrel. Hoping to get a SubMOA for the Sniper in the future