The recoil sled is complete. Initial testing shows that this sled is sensitive enough to show both stages of recoil. I can run this sled fully floating, or with a light return spring. Trigger is set off remotely with an air bladder Look for test results and video clips this coming weekend.Steve
I just want to post a quick summary of my experience with this kit and add to the praises... It started with some headaches in getting the TX200 HC's from AGD/PA. I bought the rifles from AGD, but they were shipped from PA's warehouse. I bought both a walnut and beech .177 TX200 HC, because I didn't know which stock I would want. Like Steve, both bores arrived rusty. (Be aware - the current stock of TX200 rifles at PA will likely have rust in the bore. Check the breech with a magnifying glass upon receipt. Both PA and AA are aware of this and working on getting new stock.) Thankfully, they were not as bad as the bores that Steve received (sorry Steve!). The beech stocked bore only had the faintest coating of rust in it. The walnut stocked bore had a light coating of rust with some deeper pitting. A friend ended up buying the beech stocked rifle from me. Since I received a very nice walnut stock, I wanted to see if I could keep the stock and just exchange the action once PA gets the new shipment of AA rifles in stock. I never received a final response after several days and multiple emails, so I just pushed on. This is not a bash on AGD/PA, as they have always been good to work with. I'm sure they are just swamped with the holidays. I decided to try and clean the bore myself. It took multiple days of soaking and cleaning sessions (10 - 12 hours total) with nylon and brass brushes, VFG cleaning pellets, Ballistol, J-B Bore Paste, etc., cleaning this barrel. After my final cleaning session yesterday, I really expected the bore to be trashed. However, I put 3 FTT's through the exact same hole at 20 yards. Since the bore is still accurate, and I removed 90% of the rust (I can only see the faintest of traces near the breech), I'm just going to be done with this frustrating situation and keep the gun. Would I still rather have a nice clean bore - ABSOLUTELY! But I'm anxious to get the rifle set up and start shooting it to practice for this upcoming FT season. I'm thinking that as long as I keep the bore regularly cleaned out with Ballistol, the rust should not increase - at least this is what I am hoping!Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the good news. This 22mm kit is AMAZING! The quality of the parts is superb. I ordered the full kit with Tony's piston rod, 2 springs (the BEST finished springs that I've ever received!), and spare seals. I should have enough spares for beyond my lifetime. I also ordered a spare comp tube from PA so that I would have the entire original power plant unmodified. The only challenge that I had with installation was removing the TP plug from the compression tube. I didn't have a torch so I used a heat gun. I had to heat that bad boy for 7 - 10 minutes before it finally broke loose. This is really the only snag that I had. I also disassembled the trigger and honed the sear points. I adjusted it down to about 8oz (this is where I have the Regal set, and I love it), but it just felt too light for a spring gun. I bumped it back up to 16oz. It is feels light and crisp, and is definitely safe but with no creep. These TX200's really are easy to work on.In regards to the shooting experience - WOW!!! I am just amazed at how smooth this 22mm kit is. I am just blown away by it. It shoots just a hair more mellow than my 10fpe HW50S. The most accurate pellets are FTT's shooting at 770fps (11.4fpe) and AA Express shooting at 800fps (11.2fpe). This is with (1) 2mm thick preload washer installed in the kit. It is very smooth and linear in the shot cycle, like nothing I've ever experienced in a spring gun. It's definitely not recoil-less like a PCP, but it's pretty darn close. The gun also still has some hold sensitivity, but it's not too bad. Overall, I can't image a better upgrade to a TX200. Is this kit expensive - yes. Was it worth the cost to me - ABSOLUTELY!!! HUGE THANKS to Steve and Mark (CalMark) who helped me through the installation and helped me resolve a few issues! Tony was also awesome to deal with during the purchasing process, and answering all of my questions.
Zack, I see you’re getting 11.2fpe with the JSB Express. How many coils did you remove from your TX355 spring? Nice looking stock in your HC Steve
I have a kit on the way also so cant wait till gets here. Its going in my hunter field target TX 200 set up at around 785/790 with 8.44s. Tony is great to deal with and very helpful with tune and set up info.Mike
Quote from: buldawg76 on January 22, 2019, 03:37:29 PMI have a kit on the way also so cant wait till gets here. Its going in my hunter field target TX 200 set up at around 785/790 with 8.44s. Tony is great to deal with and very helpful with tune and set up info.MikeMike thats little higher for the kits, really you guys should be setting 750 to 755fps with exacts with no additional preload washers,, this is all adjusting the spring, then nudge the power into the 760s to low 770s with the preload washers shooting exacts and shoot it there.I made a post on lost volume regarding over springing the kits, is VERY easy to do, be sure to test with superdomes (just for velocity) and make sure that they are making less power than exacts...usually 30fps less or so.Its best to run these kits right on or close to 11fpe with Exacts, this gives 11.2 to 11.3 with express (7.9s)
Its best to test with new superdomes, they like high peak pressure so you can essentially over spring the gun to make them make more power, this is bad though. Rule of thumb, i designed the kits to deliver around 11fpe with exacts and express (177) tune the springs down to 750 to 755 with exacts and no additional preload washers, then nudge it up into the 760's. We all forget 20fps is less than 1/4inch drop at 55 yards with exacts...its not worth pushing the spring hard just so you feel better about the velocity. A ex world FT champ who runs one of my 22mm kits likes 755 to 760fps, i serviced his kit and he told me he was detuning it down as he is so used to 755 to 760fps now he doe snot want to start altering the zero etc.Set 760 with exacts on a normal mk3 and then shoot with a 22mm set up at the same velocity...you will be shocked
Well got my springs in earlier this week and got one coil cut and dressed to a total length of 218mm including a 1mm spacer and installed it in the gun. I got lucky and ended up at the same 217mm length as the first spring with one coil cut off. Its now back to the level it was at with one coil off the first spring so pretty consistent in energy output.It shooting the AA 7.87s at 815fps for 11.6fpe and is settling in on single digit ES numbers. It is so smooth and quick shooting that I can see the pellet on its way to the target and have little trouble getting a ragged one hole group at 25 yards rested on a sandbag just forward of the trigger guard. I am going to love this gun in the UKHFT matches this year for sure. Its now one of my favorite spring guns now.Mike
Yea its going to be a long week for sure. The first weekend of the month is our normal match weekend but our MD had obligations this weekend so its been moved to next weekend. Just as well since its going to be wet all weekend. We shoot both Sat and Sunday weekend formats so you can get two or three matches shot over the weekend. Its been lots of fun and is a different game than the AAFTA hunter class field target game.Targets are 8 to 45 yards, any scope and mag can be used but once match starts no adjusting the scope at all. 12fpe power level and you shoot prone, kneeling or standing no sitting at all. Forced lanes of kneeling/standing. Can use support of trees or posts on some lanes. Scored as miss of complete target = 0 points, hit of faceplate = 1 point, hit kill zone dropping target = 2 points, 2 shots per target. 15 to 30 lanesWe also have a "Stick" class for those of us that are not capable of getting up and down from prone positions. You can use stool and bipod same as USHFT game for all lanes except forced and can shoot kneeling from stool without bipod.So far I am enjoying the game.Mike