GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => PCP/CO2/HPA Air Gun Gates "The Darkside" => Topic started by: Jman2311 on January 11, 2017, 02:00:42 PM
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http://imgur.com/a/TH4f4 (http://imgur.com/a/TH4f4)
The link above is for an album of my day 1 findings on the Priest. Since I am a newbie on this forum take out the unnecessary spaces to get to the album
So some of the pictures I post here are going to be redundant to the album but this way you guys won't have to go to other sites just to see the picture although the quality of the image is going to be much higher in the album.
(http://i.imgur.com/WP5H6Zn.jpg)
LOOK AND FEEL:
Well I wanted to show it next to an AR because that is a system many of us are very familiar with. Length of pull is basically the same, shouldering is the same, cheek weld at least for me is basically the same, weight distribution is similar although I didn't weigh either gun. I think it is sufficient to say that if you like the AR platform the Priest will feel at home in your hands. It isn't heavy but it does have quite a bit of heft on it. Not too bad off hand shooting but great using a tree as a stabilizer.
Here is another picture with the setup I had to sight in, basically just a gripod I had added but don't intend to use all the time.
(http://i.imgur.com/7estSwy.jpg)
MECHANICS:
(http://i.imgur.com/HcHE4yn.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Us67bXp.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zlbBimk.jpg)
So the top 2 images show behind the left side cover. Here you will see the Bolt/Pellet Probe (from here on I will refer to this as the bolt) and I think it should quell a lot of concern about blowback. Needless to say they have that part covered. The one thing that the shooter needs to know is that the charging handle is spring loaded forward but not enough to cam the bolt down and lock it in. This has to be done manually so be sure that you push to charging handle all the way to the front and you will feel and hear the click of the bolt camming into its locked position.
The charging handle is a ()&(^)(&() bear. If you have ever fired a M2 .50cal, I joked around about the charging handle on the Priest being harder to work. Right now it isn't smooth and it take a very strong, deliberate, and swift rearward motion and then easy to the front with that last click to cam the bolt down. In plain words, NO, I don't like it. But it works...
The trigger isn't bad but it isn't great. The trigger linkage is like a long ramp acting on the sear. As for the "adjustment" on the second stage. I am going to through out a SAFETY WARNING that is also clearly and plainly put into the manual which I really hope every one who buys this reads. The set screw for the second stage adjustment works purely off reducing the sear engagement to the hammer. IF YOU SCREW IT IN TOO FAR IT WILL FIRE!! IF YOU DON'T LEAVE ENOUGH SEAR ENGAGEMENT, THE HAMMER MAY FALL WITHOUT THE TRIGGER BEING PULLED. I am not a safety addict but I backed that set screw out basically til it is like it isn't even there. There are a few problems with this though that I'll try to cover.
1.)If you interrupt your trigger pull you must keep in mind that the sear is LESS engaged that it was to start out with and this could mean unintentional firing. I have seen many other guns that have this issue and it is simply a physics thing that you have to know.
2.)If you interrupt your trigger pull you can not pull the bolt back again to bring the hammer back enough to fully reset the sear back onto the hammer face less you remove the mag as you will load another pellet into the barrel. Then once that shot is fired obviously you will have to reload the mag. Not the end of the world but it is annoying.
3.)With the "trigger adjustment" set screw backed off as far as I have it, the trigger breaks clean but will have a lot of creep. It isn't stagey or heavy but you can feel as the linkage ramps up on the sear for quite a ways to a clean break.
Now. I am a trigger snob. Always have been. I can work with any trigger but I like them light, short, and effective. Now I may be asking too much here out of this gun because in it's favor the trigger is very simple and I don't see any issues with the way that it is made of failing. But I am going to come right out and say that I don't like it but it is usable and I will have to get used to it. The issue that I have is because of it's simplicity and its sear I don't know that I can devise a way to make it better.
Now, for the tuners, the mechanics on this gun are so crude and simple that I dont see how coming up with parts to make the hammer spring tunable will be hard. However, and this is big, I don't think it can be done without machining a new back plate. When the charging handle is all the way to the rear the hammer is basically touching the rear plate. Not exactly tuner friendly. Replacement springs will likely have to be made but I will put more on that later when I get more time.
PERFORMANCE:
(http://i.imgur.com/zKjY6CY.jpg)
Here is where the good bits come in. This gun is ACCURATE. At least it was at the 35 yards I shot it at. Now I didn't post any pictures of the targets I shot but I will after this weekend but after I sighted the gun it the pellets drilled where my crosshairs were every single freaking time. I fired about 75 rounds and even took my first dove. He was a bit farther than 35 yards but not too much... 40 or 45 so I aimed at the top of his head anticipating a bit of drop and it practically took the bird's head off. I couldn't be more pleased with that considering I don't really know this gun yet. My chrony was being a royal pain in the @@@ because I think it had too much sunlight but when I did get readings they were all between 885 and 890 fps. I was a bit upset with that considering the card I got from RL showing 910ish. Maybe it has to do with Pueblo's 4500' altitude vs my 750' in Charlotte, NC but never the less either there is a chrony discrepancy or something but I need a better day with more consistent testing to be sure. More on that to come. I am happy with it's performance so far.
MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
I don't dislike the gun but I am not in love yet. I really love it's downrange performance. I didn't talk about noise too much because I have a Fatboy on mine and the report is quiet enough. The regulator squealch is right by your head and although that sound isn't loud, it is loud enough and long enough that I can really focus in on the report. I took the shround off and I didn't find the vent hole Gregor refered to and I have my doubts about how it would quiet the report on this gun even if it was there. Truthfully the closest comparison I have for report is my son's Crosman 760 pumpmaster. They sound about the same with the Fatboy on it but with just the gun it is louder, on the verge on not backyard friendly but I would use it anyway. That's just me though. I really wish I could compare this to a Cricket .25 and if anyone is close to Charlotte, NC I would really like to meet up for a shooting and compare the guns. Cricket initially caught my attention but the look, flexibility, and price of the Priest got me. I could go on but I am going to stop and if anyone has questions I'll do my best to answer them.
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They look really sweet ...
Reading early postings by new owners over on the TAG & YELLOW forums, reads like most over there are lukewarm to the gun as well. Seems universally felt there WAY TOO noisy ... Regulator noise VERY annoying ... Cocking is crude & rough not appearing to get better with use.
We all sorta figured the first guys owning them would be the Real World Beta Testers !
Just hope things break in, settle down and become awesome with some more cycles & pellets down range.
Wishing you all the best in luck with your new gun ;D
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Reviews not great but still for the price one can work out the bugs and make it a nice shooter Im sure. First thing id do is ditch that bottle for a carbon bottle.
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Oldpro I think you're right about it being a good shooter. I am playing with the idea of going to a CF bottle. The only turn off for that is the regulator. I am not very well educated on the subject and I would have to know that the replacement is suitable. I know one guy did that right away with a ninja reg set at 2200psi. The squelch of the reg really isn't that bad or loud but I don't think anyone anticipated that our guns would make this sound at all. So it is a minor annoyance.
Report is up there but nothing even close to one that has no shroud at all. Much better with Donny's part. The big plus to the gun is, at least what I have tested so far, is that it hits where you aim. I am just not as steady as I would like to be but when I call it high or right the impact is exactly where I thought it would be. This is a good sign. The price is what is attractive. Although there are some operational things to have to get accustomed to I don't think they will be any worse than say, a Cricket for example. All I see from those guns is good reports save some annoyances. The on thing I would change about the gun is the charging of it. I would really like a side lever and personally I feel that should just be the standards. I mean physics is the one thing we gotta live with so let's make it work to our advantage.
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You can get m18 X1.5 regulators and put in ninja guts and buy a carbon bottle and put it on. This will look far better/shave weight/allow for higher fill rates. The only downside is the added expense takes the inexpensive gun and pushes it up to high end gun prices.
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Thank you so much for posting this. There a LOT of people that have been curious about this rifle. That string looked great and at 35 yards, great group. I hope once it breaks in, you'll post some longer range groups.
Congrats and thanks !
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(http://i.imgur.com/nqqvNeu.jpg)
Shot a couple mags today. The targets in the orange circle were me attempting to rezero the scope after I took the gun apart last night. After that I wanted to see if I could hit 10 dots... Needless to say I am not the best shooter with this gun yet. I shot prone with the gripod at 35 yards again in the backyard but even the ones I missed I knew I pulled it. Even with my "trigger adjustment" set screw all the way out the trigger isn't heavy. I'm sure I'll improve with time but everyone is asking for targets. I'll have some to post this weekend for sure but for now this is the best I can do.
I should add that once I went in and cleaned all the excess grease out left a very light coat of silicone grease plus the working of the charging handle the cocking effort is either going down or I am refining the technique. It still requires a very deliberate straight back motion and riding it home but I am happy that it's trending to get better.
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I'm sure RTI will get the bugs worked out of these as they progress and other machinists will start tinkering with them soon to improve any flaws. Hopefully RTI gets the flaws worked out and it doesn't raise the price any. I'll be watching to see the results of any longer range accuracy!
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The only real bugs to work out in the guns current form is the reg squelch and that is just really an annoyance. I had my son take a few shots while I stood on the front end of the gun about 10 feet out. From there I couldn't really distinguish the reg squelch but the shooter certainly will hear it. Mind you that was with a Donny part. So I care less about it now. I am anxious about taking her out to 100 yards but don't expect my targets to show off the guns accuracy. When I sight in my guns I shoot with a bipod while prone. No bags. Every other time I am walking so I shoot off hand or support with what I can make an opportunity out of. Very occasionally I'll bring a monopod stick but it tends to be cumbersome so I don't bring it much. I'll see about getting bags or a sled and lock in the gun so it can show its stuff. Honestly I anticipate great results that myself as a shooter won't be able to redo without the shooting aids and that isn't how I employ the gun so it just isn't in my normal testing. I'll do it though for the sake of review.
If RTI wants to tweak this one or use it as a template for future guns I would want a side lever. I can live without the easy adjustment but I would like to see a buffet line of springs, hammer weights, or whatever to give a set speed with the 125 bar(LP) or 150 bar(HP) and a given pellet, likely JSB. I don't adjust much so I don't really care for easy adjustability. Plus an hst that is easily adjustable always has the chance it may change without your intent. So it's a compromise. Take what's good and don't worry about what it isn't. I'd like to see a more sophisticated trigger system but looks at the mutants trigger system does some funny things to me in some funny places. Of course the reg squelch and I think I can live with the rest. I like the former factor. It is simple and so far effective. Now if I can just find a way to effectively sling it for my liking.
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I hear ya. No gun is perfect that's for sure. From what I've read the two biggest complaints are the regulator squelch and it's hard cocking. Both of which I would guess would be an easy fix for someone who knows what they're doing. Hopefully you have luck with it shooting out to 100 yards plus.
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Obligatory proud Dad picture
(http://i.imgur.com/XlUndO3.jpg)
This was where I was standing when I decided that the report was managible and the squelch was just something to tolerate for now.
Got a bit more time to play today. The cocking is getting easier. I am testing some inserts inside the hammer to see what if I can get a bit more velocity. I want to see 920fps and right now I am about 30 shy so more on that to come. I wish I was able to fully comprehend earlier just how much these .25's hit with authority. Even from about 30 yards the sound on the impact of the bird below was like taking a wooden dowel and smacking it against a sheet of paper. Very high pitched cracking sound similar to supersonic rounds. Just wow.
Entry(http://i.imgur.com/PP0gVH2m.jpg)
Exit(http://i.imgur.com/Hi4q6mzm.jpg)
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Can't tell ? ... Crow or Grackle
good shot either way
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Grackle. I should add that was an offhand shot. I am finding this gun to be very manageable this way. YMMV but I like it.
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as much as I cheer your successful efforts in ridding the world of one of these flying vermin, you might not want to post a pic of that grackle. I believe
they are classified as "migratory" and are federally protected.
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Thanks for the info Gkid.
Umm... for the record, wasn't me.
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as much as I cheer your successful efforts in ridding the world of one of these flying vermin, you might not want to post a pic of that grackle. I believe
they are classified as "migratory" and are federally protected.
This is from North Carolina's website.
BLACKBIRDS
Black Birds are federally protected migratory species.
Non-lethal Methods (required before attempting lethal methods):
o Direct capture & removal from structure with release on property. o Exclusion
o Harassment
o Landscape modification
Lethal Methods:
o State Depredation Permit always required o Federal Permit Required:
The USDA-Wildlife Services office must facilitate the procurement of a depredation permit through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Atlanta.
Exceptions:
Federal law states that blackbirds (yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty, Brewer’s, cowbirds, and all grackles) causing or about to cause damage to personal property, crops, trees, livestock, or wildlife may be shot without having to obtain a federal permit.
Blackbirds (yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty, Brewer’s, cowbirds, and all grackles) concentrated in such numbers as to constitute a health hazard may also be shot without a federal permit (if discharge of firearms is allowed by city and/or local ordinances).
It is illegal to destroy eggs or nests or to possess these birds in captivity without federal and state permits.
Refer to NCWRC District Wildlife Biologist or USDA-Wildlife Services.
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.
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In spite of the shortcomings, this pellet-delivery platform is very appealing. Cleaning and polishing will likely ease up the cocking, and once a few more sets of eyes start digging in and some mills and lathes start spitting out tuner parts, I think the Priest is going to be a real performer. I'd call it a diamond in the rough. If RTI starts adding SSGs and all kinds of other improvements from the get-go, it will raise the price. Dang it, now I really want this airgun.
I love the verbiage on Grackles in NC; VA has the exact same thing: ~ concentrated in such numbers as to constitute a health hazard may also be shot ~ Health hazard to me means deposition of fecal matter in a clustered area. That's the same type of guideline we used when I was doing avian pest control in the SF Bay Area.
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Got home from work and ran a couple mags through to get sighted in at 50 yards. Top right is a 10 shot group after I used the others as sighters. Prone with gripod. Not as stable as I would like to be due to the bipod essentially being right under the trigger but I was quite pleased with that one group. Taking her out tomorrow for some longer range business. Hope it stays as hot as it did at 50. Til tomorrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/BwU79M7m.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WfVCzaRm.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gMhrFBpm.jpg)
I'll add this one last thing. My heaviest complaint on day 1 was the extremely rough cocking... It is getting much much better. A non issue to me at this point after a bit of lube and working it in.
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If you can ... take ALL the cocking mechanics apart, clean up real well, polish any of the bare steel parts reassembling with a HIGH Moly content grease .... should slick it up real well too
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Thanks for the advise Motorhead. Actually I can take all of those parts out very easily.
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Just use the moly sparingly ... don't want to foul the hammer bore with it. ( Slow hammer way down )
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Thanks for the ongoing review, this is definately on the short list of guns that I want soon. Will keep reading this thread, thanks again.
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quote:
"The USDA-Wildlife Services office must facilitate the procurement of a depredation permit through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Atlanta.
Exceptions:
Federal law states that blackbirds (yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty, Brewer’s, cowbirds, and all grackles) causing or about to cause damage to personal property, crops, trees, livestock, or wildlife may be shot without having to obtain a federal permit.
Blackbirds (yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty, Brewer’s, cowbirds, and all grackles) concentrated in such numbers as to constitute a health hazard may also be shot without a federal permit (if discharge of firearms is allowed by city and/or local ordinances)."
hey AllAmerican,
So the way I read this, we can take grackles when they're in large numbers and crapping all over the place (including on my car) and stealing food right off of our paper plates?
AWESOME! Honey, I'm quitting my job and gonna shoot grackles full time!
thanks for the correction. I have never been so happy to be wrong.
Gary
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Just use the moly sparingly ... don't want to foul the hammer bore with it. ( Slow hammer way down )
Did you mean molybden grease ? Is it OK ( suitable - do not infract/impact ) also for rubber or silicon rings ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-87022-Molybdenum-Grease-Craft-Tools-SDA-/191457407452?hash=item2c93c031dc:g:XScAAOSw2XFUk7dO (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-87022-Molybdenum-Grease-Craft-Tools-SDA-/191457407452?hash=item2c93c031dc:g:XScAAOSw2XFUk7dO)
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No idea what % that grease is ???
many of us use HONDA Moly 70 or the Bel-Ray assembly lube .... Air Rifle headquarters "Macarri" also sells moly grease of a high %
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As promised I made it out to 100 yards today. I don't know if the problem is me or if the results are typical at that distance but I feel like the results were just acceptable and not really great. I was shooting JSB kings at about 890fps straight from the tin.
Here is a link to the album where you can get the images with greater detail.
http://imgur.com/a/i2nIx (http://imgur.com/a/i2nIx)
I had nearly perfect conditions as you can see here
(http://i.imgur.com/uPvXfDUh.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/hX8iDLCh.jpg)
This was my first group holding off at the chairgun recommended 3.6mils. The shot on the extreme lower right was the first shot and should be disregarded because my dumbass loaded 2 pellets into the barrel. I later corrected my POA to 4 mils exactly.
(http://i.imgur.com/FaKJ0L5h.jpg)
Shot group 2. Very light hold. My shoulder wasn't even really on the buttstock. I assume the little bit of recoil is the reason for this group being so open.
(http://i.imgur.com/g9PQ528h.jpg)
This was the last 10 I shot on the targets. This time with a more firm hold and the gun properly shouldered. This I can live with but I had hoped for better. It could be me, It could be the gun. Time will tell.
After shooting this gun everyday since I got it I can say that I am now quite happy with the cocking of the gun. It has smoothed up alot. Since it has worked in it has gotten smoother but as I had thought earlier it isn't really any lighter but it feels that way. A deliberate stoke to the rear to set the sear followed by letting it slingshot forward loads the pellets well. A slight push forward to cam the bolt down and quick follow up shots are possible. I am considering the idead of replacing the piston in the regulator as I have been told that may solve the squelch issue. Plus that kit is only about $15 so the price is good. If/When I do this I will let everone know if it is a suitable upgrade.
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3 Inches at 100 yards for a .25 cal shooting KINGS @890 fps ..... In light winds no less.
IMO it needs to do a whole lot better than that to be a serious contender in the compact Carbine / Bullpup wars of late.
+/- 1 MOA accuracy is very common place these days ( That's +/- 1" at @ 100 yards ) out of like guns.
Not wanting to sound like an A Hoe here saying this ... just is what it is and stating the obvious.
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You aren't hurting my feelings. Actually your saying what I am thinking. I think there is more work and time to put in to get a solid verdict from me. As it is now, I'm not happy but I can live with that for a first try. I am very happy with what I can do with it at 50. I figured out today that I like how it carries in the field. However I really expected it to do better at 100 and I am wondering what I can do differently next time to see if the problem is me. And that is very possible. More to come I guess.
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Have you done any barrel prep yet ?
Transfer tube deburring ... Leade polish and making sure rifling land are not sharp shaving lead when a pellets chambered ... Crown free of burrs and evenly "Crowned" ... Bore well cleaned and burnished or lapped in with JB paste or more aggressive cleaners ?
Barrel prep many times can make or break an otherwise good barrel being a $)((# or Gold.
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Nothing other than swabbing the barrel with some cleaning patches. Looking down the barrel everything looks bright but I wanted to show the "out of the box" first. I have an AT44 that has had lathe treatment and a good polish and it made a world of difference. Look like this Priest may get that some of that soon.
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I am sure it will come around, you have Motorhead helping you so you should be good.
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Don't forget that Jman isn't using a benchrest.
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Jman2311,
Did you use " JSB Match Diabolo Exact King MKII Heavy .25 Cal, 33.95 Grains" ?
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no offense, but I think most of the problem is the shooter, compounded by the manner in which the gun is being rested. that little bipod thingy, right in front of the trigger, isn't a very stable platform. it's too far back, allowing too much wobble of the barrel. also,those things were designed as a vertical foregrip / field expedient rest, appealing mostly to the armchair commando. they fall short on both counts, in my book.
if you really want to see what your gun is capable of, ( the rest of us would like to see, as well ), get it on some solid footing, like front and rear bags, or better yet, lock it down in a gun vice. and, try some different pellets. the jsb's may not be the hot ticket, for that gun.
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no offense, but I think most of the problem is the shooter, compounded by the manner in which the gun is being rested. that little bipod thingy, right in front of the trigger, isn't a very stable platform. it's too far back, allowing too much wobble of the barrel. also,those things were designed as a vertical foregrip / field expedient rest, appealing mostly to the armchair commando. they fall short on both counts, in my book.
if you really want to see what your gun is capable of, ( the rest of us would like to see, as well ), get it on some solid footing, like front and rear bags, or better yet, lock it down in a gun vice. and, try some different pellets. the jsb's may not be the hot ticket, for that gun.
You didn't look at the album did you? I mean I know it is my sons in the picture, but I used the same setup. Bagged up front and in the rear. I completely understand the mechanics of that bipod and where it must mount on this gun. I think it is a little fast to say that it is appealing mostly to the armchair commando. I got that grip pod before I went to Iraq, issued to me, and I later used it during my time in Afghanistan. It is a fine piece of equipment for its intended purpose. Maybe I should also add that while I was in the Marine Corps I had the secondary MOS of 0933 Marksmanship Coach. I qualified as a rifle and pistol expert every time I shot for qualifications at our ranges, totaling 7 times over my 7 years in. Not wanting to be boastful but maybe I should let you guys know where my experience comes from and that by that standard I would hope you would trust that I am a capable marksman. I really felt that I was giving the gun a fair shake here and instead of trying to inflate its performance I just shared what I got, for better or for worse. This case wasn't great. I definitely need to try some other pellets. That is a given at this point.
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How many types of pellets have you tried shooting through it? I had to shoot 10-12 different pellets through my prod before I found 1 that would group well.
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So far only kings. I have some polymags but I know they aren't extreme long range rounds and I didn't buy them for that. At this point I plan to get the Straight Shooter variety pack and see what I can get out of all of those. Probably will take a couple weeks to get that and test them.
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Like I said, no offense. I was going by the info given. No, I didn't check out the album. My bad. I still don't like the grip pods. I used one, myself. It's footprint is too small, in my opinion.
The polymags are good long range pellets. I used to use them in my .25 condor. Might also want to try some h&n barracudas. They usually perform well, at longer ranges.
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So far only kings. I have some polymags but I know they aren't extreme long range rounds and I didn't buy them for that. At this point I plan to get the Straight Shooter variety pack and see what I can get out of all of those. Probably will take a couple weeks to get that and test them.
That should tell you better how the rifle shoots. I wouldn't base it off one pellet since they all shoot different. I thought my prod was a piece of $h!t until I found the right pellet and now I love it! Might not hurt to swab the barrel inbetween each set of pellets so they're all starting with a fresh slate.
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no offense, but I think most of the problem is the shooter, compounded by the manner in which the gun is being rested. that little bipod thingy, right in front of the trigger, isn't a very stable platform. it's too far back, allowing too much wobble of the barrel. also,those things were designed as a vertical foregrip / field expedient rest, appealing mostly to the armchair commando. they fall short on both counts, in my book.
if you really want to see what your gun is capable of, ( the rest of us would like to see, as well ), get it on some solid footing, like front and rear bags, or better yet, lock it down in a gun vice. and, try some different pellets. the jsb's may not be the hot ticket, for that gun.
You didn't look at the album did you? I mean I know it is my sons in the picture, but I used the same setup. Bagged up front and in the rear. I completely understand the mechanics of that bipod and where it must mount on this gun. I think it is a little fast to say that it is appealing mostly to the armchair commando. I got that grip pod before I went to Iraq, issued to me, and I later used it during my time in Afghanistan. It is a fine piece of equipment for its intended purpose. Maybe I should also add that while I was in the Marine Corps I had the secondary MOS of 0933 Marksmanship Coach. I qualified as a rifle and pistol expert every time I shot for qualifications at our ranges, totaling 7 times over my 7 years in. Not wanting to be boastful but maybe I should let you guys know where my experience comes from and that by that standard I would hope you would trust that I am a capable marksman. I really felt that I was giving the gun a fair shake here and instead of trying to inflate its performance I just shared what I got, for better or for worse. This case wasn't great. I definitely need to try some other pellets. That is a given at this point.
Impressive quals, brotherman.
For those who may not be aware, Expert is the highest level of general qualification with small arms.
I'm still of the opinion this is a tuner's platform. I'm not sure it is worth the asking price for that size grouping, but I'm still interested in the platform. Knock $200 off, maybe. Knock $300 off certainly. But for ~ $1100 I'd expect 1.5" groups tops. It might be worth slowing things down to 850 FPS with your lightest .25 pellet and then seeing what happens. At 890 with the Kings you might be destabilizing. If you get time, scoot forward then back 5 more yards, shoot ten at each and see where they cluster.
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This is only one review Id wait till we see many more before passing any kind of judgment.
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This is only one review Id wait till we see many more before passing any kind of judgment.
I agree. There are too many variables to base an opinion on one rifle and one shooter. If every review comes out this way then a general opinion can be made.
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3 Inches at 100 yards for a .25 cal shooting KINGS @890 fps ..... In light winds no less.
IMO it needs to do a whole lot better than that to be a serious contender in the compact Carbine / Bullpup wars of late.
+/- 1 MOA accuracy is very common place these days ( That's +/- 1" at @ 100 yards ) out of like guns.
Not wanting to sound like an A Hoe here saying this ... just is what it is and stating the obvious.
I would say it's the wind. If the gun can print sub 1/2" groups at 50 yards it has potential for 1" groups at 100 yards. Reading the wind is a PITA at long range and pellets are affected in a bad way by even slightest wind at that distance.
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3 Inches at 100 yards for a .25 cal shooting KINGS @890 fps ..... In light winds no less.
IMO it needs to do a whole lot better than that to be a serious contender in the compact Carbine / Bullpup wars of late.
+/- 1 MOA accuracy is very common place these days ( That's +/- 1" at @ 100 yards ) out of like guns.
Not wanting to sound like an A Hoe here saying this ... just is what it is and stating the obvious.
I would say it's the wind. If the gun can print sub 1/2" groups at 50 yards it has potential for 1" groups at 100 yards. Reading the wind is a PITA at long range and pellets are affected in a bad way by even slightest wind at that distance.
Couldnt agree more and to be honest FEW air rifles can print 1 inch groups at 100 yards even in dead wind conditions.
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So far only kings.
Which type of kings ?
Heavy ?
Heavy King MKII should be better for CZ barrels at 300m/s.
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3 Inches at 100 yards for a .25 cal shooting KINGS @890 fps ..... In light winds no less.
IMO it needs to do a whole lot better than that to be a serious contender in the compact Carbine / Bullpup wars of late.
+/- 1 MOA accuracy is very common place these days ( That's +/- 1" at @ 100 yards ) out of like guns.
Not wanting to sound like an A Hoe here saying this ... just is what it is and stating the obvious.
I would say it's the wind. If the gun can print sub 1/2" groups at 50 yards it has potential for 1" groups at 100 yards. Reading the wind is a PITA at long range and pellets are affected in a bad way by even slightest wind at that distance.
Couldnt agree more and to be honest FEW air rifles can print 1 inch groups at 100 yards even in dead wind conditions.
There's also a big difference from 5 shot groups to 10 shot groups. Over 10 shots the wind is bound to change a bit and 1 m/s (2.2 mph) 90 degree wind speed increase or decrease will cause 3.6" POI shift at 100M with regular JSB Kings.
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So far only kings.
Which type of kings ?
Heavy ?
Heavy King MKII should be better for CZ barrels at 300m/s.
Plain kings. 25.39 grains. I don't have any other pellets besides polymags at the moment.
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1/2 " at 50 yards, 3" at 100, by somebody with clear and obvious skill, using a pellet renowned for ballistic coefficient in a caliber that bucks wind relatively well with almost no wind present. Maybe it's the wind, but yeah, seeing more results from other shooters would be nice.
Maybe I'm being ridiculous to expect ~ 1 1/2 " groups, but factoring in the aforementioned, I think it needs to be slowed down a bit. I'd jump to 105 and back to 95 and pop off 2 more 10-shot groups and see how things handle.
And at the same time, I think the Priest is a good platform to start with. I am fond of the ergonomics.
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Other than using a different pellet I intend to pull the barrel again and see if the pellets are getting shaved going into the chamber. There is that resistance that I talked about in the last bit of the forward motion of the cocking. That could be an explanation. A guy on tag said my 100 yard groups shocked him and that tells me he did better but I have yet to see targets from his gun. He too has a .25. I am also thinking that if the issue is me it is that I have the scope setup to give proper eye relief while shooting off hand. It was awkward to get behind the gun trying all the while to keep it shouldered properly and have correct eye relief. The little bit of recoil was noticeable through the scope. Whatever is going on on my next outing I will be doing things differently. Those 50 yard shots weren't even bagged. I hadn't yet bought them so the gun was basically just resting on the ground and I made it work digging in a bit.
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Well, Jeremy, in that case I'll keep my mouth shut and let you keep on testing. :D Sounds like you got a good plan in place.
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Well, Jeremy, in that case I'll keep my mouth shut and let you keep on testing. :D Sounds like you got a good plan in place.
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*(&^ no. Keep it coming. You may mention the obvious that I missed. The only reason I felt the need to provide some credentials earlier wasn't because I felt offended by someone saying I was the issue. It was to let everyone here have an idea of what I am doing and the process that I am trying to address the problem. It is very strange to me to see how tight things are at 50 and not so at 100. If I move to 35 though my poa isn't different for me than it is at 50 but they tend to hit to the right about .25inches l. So I'm thinking pellet wobble from shaving on loading. I guess I have 2 options. Scope cam (which I don't have) or staging my distances at the recommended 5 yard interval. *(&^ it could just be more practice to get the trigger and recoil under full control. I'll post up more as it come but I have a feeling this will be a lengthy process. For now the ninja piston is en route so I am hoping to work out the squelch first. I rarely shoot past 50 because I am a field hunter and I don't target shoot often. At least I am having a lot of fun with the gun. In the end I'll just be better with it all around.
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Never had the need to do this but you could try shooting when it is dark out, place a bright light facing towards the target, the light will reflect off the back of the pellet so you can see the flight of the pellet. you might be able to spot the wobble if there is some.
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Well, Jeremy, in that case I'll keep my mouth shut and let you keep on testing. :D Sounds like you got a good plan in place.
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*(&^ no. Keep it coming. You may mention the obvious that I missed. The only reason I felt the need to provide some credentials earlier wasn't because I felt offended by someone saying I was the issue. It was to let everyone here have an idea of what I am doing and the process that I am trying to address the problem. It is very stage to me to see how tight things are at 50 and not so at 100. If I move to 35 though my poa isn't different for me than it is at 50 but they tend to hit to the right about .25inches l. So I'm thinking pellet wobble from shaving on loading. I guess I have 2 options. Scope cam (which I don't have) or staging my distances at the recommended 5 yard interval. *(&^ it could just be more practice to get the trigger and recoil under full control. I'll post up more as it come but I have a feeling this will be a lengthy process. For now the ninja piston is en route so I am hoping to work out the squelch first. I rarely shoot past 50 because I am a field hunter and I don't target shoot often. At least I am having a lot of fun with the gun. In the end I'll just be better with it all around.
I appreciate that :D
If the pellets aren't shaving, they could be destabilizing and starting a slight wobble/spiral. Hence why I said try at 95 and 105 yards using the same POA. Maybe shots will track around your 100 yard group. Given that the Priest has a CZ barrel and it's choked, slow them pellets down if you can to the lower 800s (830 to 850 tops) and see how they fly.
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Not sure if it's just me but some days I just can not shoot for the life of me.
Last time out I shot 3/4 at 50 yards. I get under 1/2 with the gun I was using most all the time.
And being honest that day 3/4 was my best. I didn't even try 100 yards that day.
Time before that I was doing really good for me, getting under 1/2 every time and when I ran out of room on targets I shot the numbers out, ran out of targets so I used cardboard and repair dots that came with targets and grouped in that dot until I shot the dot off the cardboard. I did well at 100 yards also that day.
But some days I just can't do it, I'm not a great shooter and I have to practice a lot. Going from 30 yards to 50 is not so bad. Going 50 to 100 yards is more of a change.
I wouldn't worry about 1 day, go out and try a few more times.
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I have followed this thread from the beginning and this is an interesting carbine but for a .25 there are several that are less expensive and a few that are not that much more with better looks and performance also better fit and finish
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I have followed this thread from the beginning and this is an interesting carbine but for a .25 there are several that are less expensive and a few that are not that much more with better looks and performance also better fit and finish
I think you're right. Part of me keeps saying I should have got the cricket. The other part loves the ergos of this gun. Maybe once I get it to come around I'll be in love but not yet.
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I have followed this thread from the beginning and this is an interesting carbine but for a .25 there are several that are less expensive and a few that are not that much more with better looks and performance also better fit and finish
I think you're right. Part of me keeps saying I should have got the cricket. The other part loves the ergos of this gun. Maybe once I get it to come around I'll be in love but not yet.
There's a part of my that knows I can do the rank-and-file thing and get the same gun with the same mods and same tune and be happy.
But I have always preferred blazing my own trail. Much like in archery, where instead of buying a Hummingbird or other longbow I bought a horsebow that that is tough to shoot well. It's sensitive to release and follow through, but darn if it isn't about the most fun bow I've ever owned.
Stick with your Priest and keep on plugging away. Sure there are great guns that are known to be superb performers. But you're learning the nuances of your own gun, and when all is done and said, you're gaining experience as well.
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Definitely blazing my own trail here. I don't mind it one bit but that bug what you "could" have gotten will get into your head. I should have mentioned where the 0033 came from much earlier in the review. That is the serial number on the rifle. Needless to say I will be at least a small part of the refining process. Following a few threads on TAG the other guys that got their's in .25 really are singing it's praises.
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I am not saying that the rifle doesn't have potential just that for the price it seems just a touch unrefined for ~$1,000.00 I expect things like the trigger to need no more than a minor adjustment. Not a complete tear down and tune
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I am not saying that the rifle doesn't have potential just that for the price it seems just a touch unrefined for ~$1,000.00 I expect things like the trigger to need no more than a minor adjustment. Not a complete tear down and tune
Again. Not hurting my feelings. The gun is definitely not highly refined. Obvious speculation here but I think that was the intent to keep things simple. As a start up they would need to keep things simple to keep the costs down as much as possible. However there are some pluses about this. I am sure I will be proven wrong on this eventually but I don't see anything that pops out to me as a likely failure point. I can say with absolute certainty that you won't have any pellet probes come flying out into you for example. I only tore into the gun to learn how it works. RTI hasn't supplied a parts list and exploded diagram yet which I am not happy about. Overall the gun does seem to be built like a tank with one exception and that is the scope rail. It is not sufficiently strong for me. It will flex on the thinner end although it is holding zero pretty close considering I have removed the scope several times now. I do feel the need to be extra careful with bumping the scope but that goes for any optic on any platform.
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I am not saying that the rifle doesn't have potential just that for the price it seems just a touch unrefined for ~$1,000.00 I expect things like the trigger to need no more than a minor adjustment. Not a complete tear down and tune
Again. Not hurting my feelings. The gun is definitely not highly refined. Obvious speculation here but I think that was the intent to keep things simple. As a start up they would need to keep things simple to keep the costs down as much as possible. However there are some pluses about this. I am sure I will be proven wrong on this eventually but ************** "I don't see anything that pops out to me as a likely failure point" *************. I can say with absolute certainty that you won't have any pellet probes come flying out into you for example. I only tore into the gun to learn how it works. RTI hasn't supplied a parts list and exploded diagram yet which I am not happy about. Overall the gun does seem to be built like a tank with one exception and that is the scope rail. It is not sufficiently strong for me. It will flex on the thinner end although it is holding zero pretty close considering I have removed the scope several times now. ********* "I do feel the need to be extra careful with bumping the scope but that goes for any optic on any platform." *********
Addressing those 2 statements.
A highly technical engineer from Holland is reviewing the gun and did a complete teardown, He's not very confident with the "Built like a tank" factor and even the overall safety.
http://www.airgunforum.co.uk/forums/sho (http://www.airgunforum.co.uk/forums/sho) ... rgun/page6
On the every platform has to be babied when comes to the Rail strength thingy,..I don't think so, I have and have many, many guns that I have no problem picking up or leaning on the scope,...
Tom at AmericanAirArms I'm sure will disagree with that statement also :) :)
Check this video towards the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYX91u4GugY&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYX91u4GugY&feature=youtu.be)
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I read completely through the dutch guy's review as translated from the UK forum. The guy seems like a quack to me. He may be highly technical but the man doesn't seem to have an ounce of tact or professionalism about himself and I can say first hand he is overexaggerating most of what he says. If you watch the RTI pressure test video, That alone put to bed every concern that could be had with the build quality in terms of safety. The burst disc is tested first with the reg guts removed and it blew promptly at 3K. Then with the reg guts still removed they put a full 800Bars into the tank, trigger block, and tube that goes to the valve and into the rear block. Everything held. Now that is an actual test done with actual parts that the gun is made from and not a reference to engineering stress test charts when the type of material was unknown to that guy. I will stick to the claim that the gun is built well and I actually have one to hold with real world tests to back up my claim.
To the part about the rail. I think it is weaker than they should have let pass. Any rail of this type isn't going to be as solid as one machined directly into the block like the EVOL but even if I had an EVOL (which I likely will when it becomes available in .25 and paritally because of you NP) I would still be ever cautious of the scope. That may just be me. I can and do lean the scope against the wall on my Priest but I am more cautious of everything dealing with the scope because I don't trust the rail yet.
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Than again, Holland is up there in the forefront of Airgunning, they take it very seriously there.
if an importer sends him a gun to review, this guy might really know what he's talking about, also he came to the same conclusion Wingman came to, and Wingman definitely knows what he's talking about.
I don't know the guy but from an outsider's point of view,.....at that price range this gun wouldn't even come close to my radar, Just My Opinion
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I read completely through the dutch guy's review as translated from the UK forum. The guy seems like a quack to me. He may be highly technical but the man doesn't seem to have an ounce of tact or professionalism about himself and I can say first hand he is overexaggerating most of what he says. If you watch the RTI pressure test video, That alone put to bed every concern that could be had with the build quality in terms of safety. The burst disc is tested first with the reg guts removed and it blew promptly at 3K. Then with the reg guts still removed they put a full 800Bars into the tank, trigger block, and tube that goes to the valve and into the rear block. Everything held. Now that is an actual test done with actual parts that the gun is made from and not a reference to engineering stress test charts when the type of material was unknown to that guy. I will stick to the claim that the gun is built well and I actually have one to hold with real world tests to back up my claim.
To the part about the rail. I think it is weaker than they should have let pass. Any rail of this type isn't going to be as solid as one machined directly into the block like the EVOL but even if I had an EVOL (which I likely will when it becomes available in .25 and paritally because of you NP) I would still be ever cautious of the scope. That may just be me. I can and do lean the scope against the wall on my Priest but I am more cautious of everything dealing with the scope because I don't trust the rail yet.
I would love to see that guy doing a review of FX Impact :)
I don't know what's going on with that gun he reviewed, it certainly wasn't up to standards I would expect. My biggest concerns were that poppet and the "transfer" tube attachment, they looked like something we could expect from the monday morning gun put together from left over test parts at Snow peak factory. Perhaps you could see if you can confirm his findings? I still like the KISS approach of that gun though.
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The little bit of recoil was noticeable through the scope. .
Gregor had two times better accuracy then you but He use .22 caliber at 125bar version and I had not noticed any recoils in his video.
May be you are using 150 bar version whit stronger spring and higher hammer which can make recoil ???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN-_Ss42RLs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN-_Ss42RLs)
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I have still yet to test the regulated air pressure but I intend to be doing that here soon. I may or may not change the output pressure. I get the impression that 150 is too high. I want to test out 125 and 140 and see what the results look like. I know that my gun has the extra weight in the hammer so I assume I have the heavier hammer spring but I don't know how heavy the heavy spring is supposed to be and I don't have the low power spring to compare it to. Tough to test without the necessary knowledge of what it is supposed to be.
Concerns about the transfer tube. I don't know. I didn't go that far with the removal but to only thing I know I agree with is that there is a set screw that very likely locks into the threads on the tube. Not exactly a piece I want to remove unless it is absolutely needed. Perhaps they properly timed the threads and milled a flat spot where it needed to be for the set screw so that a valve replacement wouldn't destroy where the tube and block mate up. If they didn't, that is a real shame and I will have to end up doing it. I am interested in the poppet valve seal material now based on that review so who knows I may dig in that far eventually.
All in all like I said in a previous post, after seeing the pressure tests at 800 bars I have no concerns. The side panels do help with the rigidity. If there were a concern it would be if the tube were to unscrew from the block. Between the set screw on the tube and the panels which are recessed into the block on both ends coupled with the screws that hold the panel on it would be impossible to unscrew that tube. I am no expert but as an electrical engineer I have had more than a few physics classes and put it into practice daily in my work on an array of manufacturing equipment. I simply don't share the safety concerns that the dutch dude does. Especially considering that the gun itself will never see more than 3Kpsi less a user modifies the gun tremendously. Even then I doubt he can get higher than 800 bars which we know the parts will handle. The concerns about the lack of safety in the design are a wash to me. The weakest point on the gun is the rail. Followed by where the reg bonnet screws into the gun but even then I don't forsee that being an issue in the long run. People don't abuse their guns with the necessary force to break that piece I say all this knowing its my face that is "so close" to all of these parts. The puff of air he got on his cheeck was very likely because he didn't push the charging handle forward enough to cam the bolt down and lock it into place. That is user error plain and simple. I doubt his claim about the magazine hitting him. Based on its design I don't see how this is possible. I can go on but when a reviewer, a highly technical reviewer, misses a published detail like the bottle capacity (he claimed 350cc when the website clearly states it is 320cc) I instantly question the credibility and attention to detail of the individual.
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I know that my gun has the extra weight
What about to check/compare 100 yard accuracy also whitout extra hammer weight or oposit idea to add extra weight at the end of gun ( buttplate from plumbumb/lead ??? ) .
Notice.
150 bar should be ideal fo King Heavy.
You definitely have to find the way how to improve accuracy because I want to buy RTI Priest too.
Important question.
Are we sure that all RTI Priest .25 calliber guns have CZ barrels ?
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“rwsmike”The cz barrel is the key to the cricket and Vulcan being so accurate at long distances . The grooves in these barrels are very very deep vs a standard barrel.
That’s funny, the Cricket .25 has got a LW barrel, not a CZ:
http://www.kalibrgun.eu/catalogue?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=8&category_id=1&manufacturer_id=1 (http://www.kalibrgun.eu/catalogue?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=8&category_id=1&manufacturer_id=1)
The .177 is the only model with a CZ barrel, the .22 and .25 have LW barrels.
Or the information on their website is incorrect.
The info is right. Kalibrgun sources the 22 and 25 barrels from LW. The earlier 22 had a CZ barrel. Later changed to LW. The 25 always had a LW barrel.
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subscribed...
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I ran some shot strings across the chrony with some M4 washers as shims inside the hammer beneath the weight. I found one washer gave me about 15fps more. 2 washers wasn't really a change of any kind. 3 washers I started to see a drop in fps and you could hear air being wasted on the shots. I think a drop in reg pressure coupled with the washers will be better but I'm still a bit out on that one. I have to make a reg pressure tester first and rearrange the stack of washers to get there.
Rti website shows CZ barrels for all calibers. I can say that the lands are deep and the barrel looks great on both ends. I will be testing things without the weight just to try it. I left a pretty lengthy rebuttal to the Dutch guy Leo's review which was a bash fest of the priest on AGN. If anyone is interested I'll copy paste it here. Most of the points I talked about a few posts back.
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I ran some shot strings across the chrony with some M4 washers as shims inside the hammer beneath the weight. I found one washer gave me about 15fps more. 2 washers wasn't really a change of any kind. 3 washers I started to see a drop in fps and you could hear air being wasted on the shots. I think a drop in reg pressure coupled with the washers will be better but I'm still a bit out on that one. I have to make a reg pressure tester first and rearrange the stack of washers to get there.
Rti website shows CZ barrels for all calibers. I can say that the lands are deep and the barrel looks great on both ends. I will be testing things without the weight just to try it. I left a pretty lengthy rebuttal to the Dutch guy Leo's review which was a bash fest of the priest on AGN. If anyone is interested I'll copy paste it here. Most of the points I talked about a few posts back.
Do paste it, to me that Dutch guys review sounded non professional but it could have been the translation.
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Direct copy and paste so there may seem like some things are all over the place. It here it is.
So, as promised a rebuttal to the most overexaggerated and farcical review I think I have ever read of any product.
hey! 1.0
First off the guy opens with a photo claiming the edges are like buck knives and even circles his own bipod (i guess to claim the rail underneath), 5 points along the same rail, 5 points along the buttplate to include the base of the buttplate where a sling attachment is. I have ran my fingers fast across these points and my finger isn’t cut. Was a proper job done at chamfering all of the edges? That is up to you. I have felt guns more butter smooth like a czcustom.com protek 75 varient but the Priest isn’t going to cut your finger nor is it even painful to press up against these edges.
hey! 2.01
I got FX no limit mount for a picatinny rail with 30mm tube. It mounted snugly to the gun and my Athelon Talos FFP 4-14x scope. There are, for some reason, varients of picatinny rails. I have seen 20mm, 22mm, and 25mm rail mounts. I thought the 1913 Picatinny was a standard but apparently I was wrong. Maybe he had wider mounts… Hard for me to draw a conclusion with what information I have.
hey! 2.01 (or maybe 2.02 but really, who is counting?)
You rest your head where it wants to fall naturally. It may fall on the block or the shroud based on how long your neck is. Guess what, this is any bullpup, They aren’t following the typical trend of a traditional rifle. If you want a short gun comprimises must be made by the individual shooter. The magazine is not in the way for me. Maybe it will be for you, I don’t know. Worst case scenario the mag may move in its slot due to facial pressure while cocking but that is something to live with and I haven’t had this problem a single time in the 7 times shooting this gun (in one week) now and a whole tin of jsb kings and then some shot through it.
WTF2.03
Yes. The self indexing magazine itn’t friendly to decocking. I have mentioned this earlier in my review elsewhere but it is what it is when a manufacturer chooses to go this route with a magazine. This magazine is pretty unique in the fact that it can load from the left or the right. The user chooses that. The thickness of the mag does make loading tough because the o-ring placement but I just load and knock it while in my hands to get the oring in between the head and skirt of the pellet. For me, No biggie.
hey! 2.04
The trigger is crude. I explained how it works elsewhere but it is very similar to an AK trigger. It isn’t as precise as say an AR trigger or a timney drop in but it works and you can adjust how long the creep is at the expense of sear/hammer contact. That is up to the user and outlined in the manual.
hey! 2.05 or 2.50
The bolt/pellet probe cam locks into place by pushing the charging handle forward. All the way forward. There is some resistance and that seems to me to be in the mechanism and pushing the pellet into the lands. At 35 yards mine stacked pellets from RL and at 50 I put 9/10 in a dime with pictures to prove it. Mind you that wasn’t in a vise.
hey! 3.5
Even I joked about the cocking effort being something like racking an M2 .50cal but has lightened up tremendously in the week I have been shooting it. In fact, now I don’t mind it one bit.
hey! 4.0
This is where things get interesting because dude claims the bottle is 350cc when it is 320cc as published by RTI. Missing a detail like that may be an oversight, and I could totally understand if it was, but seriously if you are so highly respected how do you miss such an important detail?!? I will submit that o-rings can get eaten up but after a trip to wal-mart and $4 later I had 10 more just in case. I should add I have removed the bottle several times now under pressure and I only replaced that o-ring once and to me it is a small thing. I only replaced it because I saw a minor gouge and I wanted to play it safe. The 3/4 of a turn he refers to is negligible when you consider the surface area of the threads already in contact.
Coming to a point I finally agree upon. I think the lands start rather abrubt. I don’t know if this is having an effect on long range accuracy yet but I got 1/2″ groups at 50yds but 3″ at 100yds. Could be me, could be something else but as of now, I don’t know yet but I suspect some inconsistent shaving and I think this area may be the problem.
This gun is loud without the my LDC from Donny. No doubt. He is right about the trigger. It isn’t really a 2 stage like a Mutant or other fine rifles, If there are 2 stages (depending on how the set screw on the sear is tightened) it is really only take up and sear release. The more you back out the screw the more sear contact on the hammer. The exact opposite is also true. I, for one, have the screw all the way loose. It gives a single stage with lots of “creep” but it is light, smooth and, for me, predictable. I am a trigger snob but it is what it is, and it does work. How well it works is up to you. As for the vent hole to the hammer passage? I am not well schooled enough on this but I don’t have complaints about inconsistancy in my chrony strings. At most I have seen 11fps ES for each 10 shot string. I don’t have a sexy new choro, in fact I borrowed one from a friend a few months back, but from my recordings I stay pretty well within a 10fps window.
The 3rd part of the review which seems to have forgotten the WTFs.
The M3 screws holding the side panels do help keep the 2 aluminum block from unscrewing. The are recessed into the block and have an inate amount of strenghth in them to keep the parts from coming unscrewed. There are also set screws there on the tube as mentioned. I can say that the tube will attract a magnet where as the blocks will not. I have no way of properly identifing the material. I can say though that I watched the entirity of the RTI pressure test video and the tube, trigger block, bottle, and reg were subjected to 800bars of pressure. Nothing broke. Plus the design of the gun won’t allow more than 200 bar into the tube that he thinks can only handle 275 bar. I don’t share his concerns about any of this and it is my face that will be next to one of these guns. Take that for what it is worth.
Anyways he goes one complaing about the valve and its construction as if it is a safety hazard and more. However, there is the posted pressure test… I don’t understand this guy. The one place we agree is the set screw in the rear block on the threads of the connecting tube. That was dumb and if done that way a flat spot should be milled into the threads to make this a non-issue but I haven’t yet confirmed this on my gun.
This has gotten rather lenghthy but I will say that I will continue to use my gun with confidence AND I will be tinkering with it a bit to try to see if I can optimize it better than RTI did. I may not succeed but this is just fun for me. As of now I have a NINJA piston inbound to see if I can rid the reg squelch. After than play with different reg pressures because I think 135 or 140 bar will be better than 150 bar in comprimising shot count and energy (or efficiency if you would like it in one word). I will post more on my 0033 review.
Last thing, You will have the first .22 that I know of. I really hope you give us your thoughts and experiences becuase it seems that the gun was mostly tested and optimised for .22.
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All the "hey!" Are referring to Leo's whiskey tango foxtrots
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Looks like RTI has something in response to all these safety concerns.
http://www.rtiarms.eu/priest/safety (http://www.rtiarms.eu/priest/safety)
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Not much to report but I did snag my first quarry with it today. A rabbit at about 30 yards. I am liking this Priest more and more as time goes on. I have learned one thing but it isn't necessarily about the Priest in particular. If there is anyone out there who is thinking of getting a .25 but on the fence cause they feel like their .22 is good enough. Get a .25. You'll like it. I promise. It hits and hits hard. I am honestly shocked at its effectiveness.
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I have shot mine at 100yds indoors, but not in the machine rest with hydraulic trigger actuator like I did with the K1, JSB 25.39 visually inspected, but not roll,weight or gauge sorted, 32x magnification with fine reticle mine shoots sub MOA. No I’m not going to post pix, it would be meaningless…I don’t have a dog in this fight. Just sharing my experience with the “Priest” I have.
I posted this on TAG 1/5/17
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but not in the machine rest with hydraulic trigger actuator like I did with the K1,
Did you mean another "Huben K1" PCP gun ?
Which accuracy did you reach whit them ?
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but not in the machine rest with hydraulic trigger actuator like I did with the K1,
Did you mean another "Huben K1" PCP gun ?
Which accuracy did you reach whit them ?
Best the Huben shot was 1.13 IIRC, the Priest shot a best of .93
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but not in the machine rest with hydraulic trigger actuator like I did with the K1,
Did you mean another "Huben K1" PCP gun ?
Which accuracy did you reach whit them ?
Best the Huben shot was 1.13 IIRC, the Priest shot a best of .93
SUPER , just to increase the pressure for using JSB King Heavy
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Lots of questions about the report of this gun. This video should help.
https://youtu.be/wBxxXrX4ClE
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Lots of questions about the report of this gun. This video should help.
https://youtu.be/wBxxXrX4ClE
O M G ... is that a Russet Potato on the end ? ... or a Fram oil filter ;D
Lol ... that works what ever it be ;)
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Lol. That my friend is the donnyfl.Com fatboy. A fine piece of equipment.
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How's it sound in stock form? I'd do the video before and after fat boy LDC
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I've been very busy lately and haven't had the time to experiment with the gun much. I'll get back to these questions as soon I can. As I understand it, RL is going to offer moderation through baffles in the existing shroud plus some more extened. Donny is the only direct add on that I know of because he has the M14x1 tap. If all you need is the rear cap he will make that for you too. I'll get back with dB comparison but it will have to be from my cell phone app.
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Absolutely no discussing the "how to" on open forum!!!!
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Roger that
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Any news on the performance of your gun? Would you recommend it? I have my eye on one of these. Thanks for posting your ongoing review, really helps in the decision making process to add another .25 cal to the stable ;)
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Not really any news to report. Baseball season has started and coaching 2 teams is limiting the shooting time I get by quite a lot. I have ran about 4 large tins of JSB kings through the gun and I am very happy with it. In .25 you have to firm up your hold to keep the groups tight. I have still only gotten out to 100 yards the one time. At 50 where I shoot most groups average between .4 and .8 inches. If you buy it I would highly recommend a short eye relief scope. I love the ergos. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and nearly all of the complaints from Leo's have shown to be total BS in my experience. Save maybe one at the valve but I still haven't had the time to check if that set screw locks on threads. Only thing that stands out is the sound the region makes and without some additions it is quite loud but I have no issues with either at this point. If you have any specific questions about it I will try to answer them.
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Not really any news to report. Baseball season has started and coaching 2 teams is limiting the shooting time I get by quite a lot. I have ran about 4 large tins of JSB kings through the gun and I am very happy with it. In .25 you have to firm up your hold to keep the groups tight. I have still only gotten out to 100 yards the one time. At 50 where I shoot most groups average between .4 and .8 inches. If you buy it I would highly recommend a short eye relief scope. I love the ergos. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and nearly all of the complaints from Leo's have shown to be total BS in my experience. Save maybe one at the valve but I still haven't had the time to check if that set screw locks on threads. Only thing that stands out is the sound the region makes and without some additions it is quite loud but I have no issues with either at this point. If you have any specific questions about it I will try to answer them.
Thanks for the reply and info brotherman...I really appreciate it. Definitely still on my list of guns to buy.
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I love my priest. It came a little ruff but polishing trigger linkages and cocking linkage made it to my liking. It shoots all pellets very well but it's amazing with jsb Kings. Although I prefer barracudas for the extra weight. Will post more later got to get kids ready for school.
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I love my priest. It came a little ruff but polishing trigger linkages and cocking linkage made it to my liking. It shoots all pellets very well but it's amazing with jsb Kings. Although I prefer barracudas for the extra weight. Will post more later got to get kids ready for school.
Looking forward to it. Many people keep asking where are these guns out in the wild. I really enjoy mine and it performs well enough to my liking. I'd be interested to know your full take on yours.
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Just wanted to add a little more. My priest is 035 sn .25 cal. Came shooting kings at 920-930 fps I felt that it had a lot of hammer bounce and was way to loud and I live on 12 acres I thought my marauder was loud at 80 fpe. So I took hammer out and polished it and noticed that there was only a small hole to exit air in front of hammer to the trigger linkage area so I drilled a couple of small holes in hammer face to relieve pressure build up. Gotta go post later today
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I actually milled 2 .125" slots to a depth of .080" in mine and noticed no real change in shot count or FPS. I was trying to see if Leo's complaint. and your concern, held any merit but what I found is that it didn't. I turned down a second hammer to match the OEM specs in case I messed up the original but I have had no need to chage it back. *(&^ I have even turned several other weights to try and make the gun more efficient at a lower reg pressure but the original works the great. I get 6 full mags on a 300bar fill to 150bar with ES between 6-12 over the 60 shots. I've ran several chrony strings trying to test the different setups and found the way they shipped the gun is very good.
I do not recommend adding washers or anything else to try and increase hammer tension or you will get valve bounce and your shot count will go down to about 45. Even using just one standard 4mm washer at a gain of only 10 or so FPS. The lack of adjustment on the gun bothered me at first which is why I did all of the tinkering only to find out that my attempts were in vain. I wasn't able to gain efficiency over the factory set up.
Accuracy wise I recommend the JSB heavy mkii. Factory tune has them shooting at 840 ish fps and they shoot very well out to 100. I've tested regular Kings from 890FPS at 125 bar reg to 940 at 150bar reg. Right now I have my reg set to 130 bar for kings at 900fps with the factory hammer, spring, and weight and I find this to be very accurate.
Donny should have the proper tap for M14*1 for the rear cap. I can say that the fatboy is a great and possibly necessary addition depending on where you do your shooting. Make sure you push the chargin handle forward all the way or you will get what I got one time, a nasty high pressure air burst right to the ear with no mag in the gun. Taking a quick shot from the car is not recommended, just sayin.
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I did get a fat boy and that tamed it. I checked reg pressure and it was near 160 bar so I sanded the washer/springs with 600 grit sand paper to take off ruff edges brought reg to 140 bar. Didn't change poi at fifty but haven't chronyed it yet. It did bring annoying reg noises down. I ran out of kings bengi domes barracudas so now I'm on to the king heavies they shoot great sized to .251 but even the rat sniper slugs I have shoot pretty good. I haven't been using the issued hammer spring changed it out to a shorter stiffer spring that allows a little free play before contacting valve stem.
I have had a issue with leaks one on rear foster that just needed on Teflon tape the other was valve popit so a little reluctant to take it apart because of Leo's review but I just couldn't take it any more so opened it up their is no flat for set screw it does tighten down on threads of hydrolic tube. Resurfaced popit leak is gone thinned popit a little at same time and cratexed valve seat. Popit material seemed a little softer than a marauders. More latter
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I just wanted to say I love my rti so much ;D that all my other guns would go before this one ever leaves me. I have a 1701,1720t,disco,mrod g2,b51,daisy 953,880's ,daystate mk3 and a couple 392 acp's
My only real complaint about priest is reg noise and trigger blade doesn't fit finger real well but I've been spoiled by mk3
The accuracy for me and my ability to shoot I get just about same size groups with priest as I do with mk3. The mk3 prints a little smaller groups but it's .177 and I've shot it so much more it's second nature.
I love the forward cocking so easy to fly through pellets. Like the magazine design wish it was a little cheaper more on par with mutant.
I also love the simplicity and ease of tear down I think just about anybody could work on it with no prior experience.
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Not sure why I am soo happy to hear someone else loving their gun as much as I like mine, but I do. The gun is great, simple, and rugged. My buddies at work make fun of my "bb gun" but this thing really is awesome.
I'll tell you that the reg noise won't be associated with The Priest forever. RTI is on it. I'll just say that my gun doesn't make that noise anymore after a reg swap. Other than the squelch being gone a new reg won't gain any performance that I could test, maybe possibly a faster refresh time. The sound appears to be coming from the pin valve seat although I wasnt' able to confirm that. I did confirm that a new ninja piston in the original reg did not get rid of the noise. I am right there with you about the cost of the mags and the replacement barrels, why so much? Regardless, very nice gun and RL sells secondary tanks for like 120 or 150, I can't remember, but that can mean an awful lot of shots in the field.
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Trying to post picture. Old pic from January 11 There was a big learning curve for me form rifle to bullpup
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I have got to go out and take some more pictures of some outings. Another round at 100 yards may happen tomorrow. I am out of heavies at the moment, I think I have like 19 left, so I'll have to stick to kings. When I do I'll post. I have a good bit of notes and things to share but I haven't had time to compile everything and baseball season is consuming my life right now.
Keep sharing mada, I enjoy seeing what others are getting. I wish I could find someone posting about their .22. RTI focused hard on their .22 and from what I understand they are very efficient, and accuate. I bet a .22 with the high power setup would rock with the job monster 25 grain.
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I have got to go out and take some more pictures of some outings. Another round at 100 yards may happen tomorrow. I am out of heavies at the moment, I think I have like 19 left, so I'll have to stick to kings. When I do I'll post. I have a good bit of notes and things to share but I haven't had time to compile everything and baseball season is consuming my life right now.
Keep sharing mada, I enjoy seeing what others are getting. I wish I could find someone posting about their .22. RTI focused hard on their .22 and from what I understand they are very efficient, and accuate. I bet a .22 with the high power setup would rock with the job monster 25 grain.
Hey Jeremy-
I've got #0034 in .22 along with the .177 kit. Pretty much settled on .22 as it is my "carry hunter" and has more than enough power. With JSB Jumbo Heavies (18.1gr) I'm getting 935fps and ragged 1-hole groups at 45 yards. A better shooter would definitely improve upon this.
Issues? Other than a nagging very slow leak from the bottle, this Priest has been rock solid and a great performer. Will upgrade to a CF bottle as soon as the new regs with M18 threads become available from RTI. I agree that RTI must step up with a parts schematic AND spares for when they may be needed.
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Not sure how to improve on ragged one holers at 45 yds. I'm sorry to hear about the leak. There aren't many places where this gun can leak. I hope you find it. I posted in the long range section at the bottom of the forum list. This gun is good. Pretty under rated in my opinion. Have you ever filled it to a full 300bar and tested the 110+shot count claim?
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Not sure how to improve on ragged one holers at 45 yds. I'm sorry to hear about the leak. There aren't many places where this gun can leak. I hope you find it. I posted in the long range section at the bottom of the forum list. This gun is good. Pretty under rated in my opinion. Have you ever filled it to a full 300bar and tested the 110+shot count claim?
No...not to 300bar, but 250bar gives 75~80 regulated shots with an ES of 10fps. Pretty satisfied with it's performance! 8)
Removed the reg from the bottle, lightly lubed the reg O-rings with Dow55, and changed the bottle O-ring to a 90 duro. Hopefully it won't leak anymore. So easy to work on these Priests!
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The leak appears to be history! The bottle O-ring had a crease which allowed a slow bleed down. Back to stellar performance again! 8)
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Excellent news. Glad to hear you got her squared away.
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Happy to report I am a proud owner of a Priest .25 with serial number 0025. Bought it off the Yellow Forum from a member that only shot 50 pellets thru it, it's basically new! Mine appears to be shooting hot, ran a crony string with JSB 25.4gr and average over 10 shots was 958fps with ES of 12...then I tried the MKII's those averaged 870fps! I really hope it likes the MKII's. I'll be out in the field testing accuracy and hopefully do a bit of ground squirrel hunting this weekend! Stay tunned. This thread alone is what made me pull the trigger on the Priest! So thank you Jeremey!
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870 with the mkii is pretty hot. I bet it'll shoot those really well at that speed. I use mk i heavies at 845 and those are very accurate but i have to use a bubble level at longer distances (>75 yards).
Fall ball season is in so I have not been shooting it for the last month. Playoffs end the last week of October so November and December should be a hoot on my days off. Total confidence with this platform.
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one more thing. at least with my gun. I don't use kings past 50 yards. at 50 they are fantastic. at 100 they not so good for me. I will likely only run king heavies once i burn through the last couple tins of kings i have.
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one more thing. at least with my gun. I don't use kings past 50 yards. at 50 they are fantastic. at 100 they not so good for me. I will likely only run king heavies once i burn through the last couple tins of kings i have.
Thanks for that information, since I don't really want to mess with anything on the gun currently, I figured I'd try the Havies first, even have some H&N Grizlys and Eujin 43gr...I'll report back after the weekend.
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Another one bites the dust...
After watching WiseGuy shoot his Priest last week, I too was lucky enough to buy serial number 0022 off the Yellow from the same guy that WiseGuy got his from. So far, I really like the gun, scoped it up and shot a few magazines out to about 40 yards and I’m pleased with the accuracy. Yes, it’s a little hard to charge, but I’m sure a little cleaning, polishing, and use will make a big difference. I remember my Vulcan was a little stiff and rough when it was new, but after a few thousand rounds, it is as smooth as silk now. WiseGuy and I are about to have the battle of the Preists in a little game of 5-Shot. Should be fun and profitable. LOL!!! ;)
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Another one bites the dust...
After watching WiseGuy shoot his Priest last week, I too was lucky enough to buy serial number 0022 off the Yellow from the same guy that WiseGuy got his from. So far, I really like the gun, scoped it up and shot a few magazines out to about 40 yards and I’m pleased with the accuracy. Yes, it’s a little hard to charge, but I’m sure a little cleaning, polishing, and use will make a big difference. I remember my Vulcan was a little stiff and rough when it was new, but after a few thousand rounds, it is as smooth as silk now. WiseGuy and I are about to have the battle of the Preists in a little game of 5-Shot. Should be fun and profitable. LOL!!! ;)
Glad you picked that gun up Craig. I think you'll be happy with its performance once you shoot it more and more at longer ranges. Surprisingly, mine is really not pellet picky at all, but what performed the best, especially at longer ranges up to 100 yards was the 34.95gr MKII's. After shooting it this weekend on the bench in a little friendly competition, I was really happy with the Priests performance. Hitting a target a bit smaller than a dime 3 out of 3 times twice at 50 yards, I was very happy with it. :D
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Sorry I am not able to read so much English text of this tread.
Just I want ask you if someone of you tasted .177 JSB Exact Heavy and/or .177 JSB Exact Monsters at 70+ yd and which was the accuracy at which speeds . Thanks before for answer.
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I know that my gun has the extra weight
What about to check/compare 100 yard accuracy also whitout extra hammer weight or oposit idea to add extra weight at the end of gun ( buttplate from plumbumb/lead ??? ) .
Notice.
150 bar should be ideal fo King Heavy.
You definitely have to find the way how to improve accuracy because I want to buy RTI Priest too.
Important question.
Are we sure that all RTI Priest .25 calliber guns have CZ barrels ?
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“rwsmike”The cz barrel is the key to the cricket and Vulcan being so accurate at long distances . The grooves in these barrels are very very deep vs a standard barrel.
That’s funny, the Cricket .25 has got a LW barrel, not a CZ:
http://www.kalibrgun.eu/catalogue?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=8&category_id=1&manufacturer_id=1 (http://www.kalibrgun.eu/catalogue?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=8&category_id=1&manufacturer_id=1)
The .177 is the only model with a CZ barrel, the .22 and .25 have LW barrels.
Or the information on their website is incorrect.
The info is right. Kalibrgun sources the 22 and 25 barrels from LW. The earlier 22 had a CZ barrel. Later changed to LW. The 25 always had a LW barrel.
I was reading through this and would like to clear this up with no malicious intent....the cricket .25 in the USA markets all come with a cz barrel only if the foreign market it does I believe come with a lw barrel or a choice of cz barrel I own a .25 cricket with a cz barrel and had this info confirmed by rl airguns where purchased and an email to kalibrgun with seriel number of my gun provided etc...as far as the priest goes I have read all reviews and posts also...while taking into account the Dutch review I am searching for one to purchase... Until I can hold one and see for myself the quality and or concerns that were expressed I hold my final judgement until than I am sure like any gun certain materials can be upgraded but the chosen one seem to be holding up just fine as I haven't heard of any explosions ruptures or missing body parts (not saying I want that) but this reminds me of the Yong Heng Chinese compressor debates about being unsafe and exploding while I own and use one daily I am sure that will not explode if common sense and caution is taken...I am sure a 1000+ dollar gun is made of better material and has documented testing to back up the parts
Just my 2 cents
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I have followed the thread about the priest and I bought my self the .22 with the .177 kit.
Well last night me and a friend was invited to do some pest control, doves, at a shopping mall and we ended up
shooting 56 doves in an hour.
The security guards just stand with their jaws on the ground and could not believe how quickly the doves drop.
This was a good nite out. My son missed out because he was told to finish his science project, and it was not finished!
He was not very happy this moring.... But next time!
To swop the the calibers is not difficult, I use jsb Diabolo Exact Monster, the reason is that I want to keep the grains for .177 and .22 (JSB 5.5mm Exact Jumbo 15.89gr)
close to each other. Keep the scope adjustments to the minimum.
My person opinion is that the speed is still to high and would like to drop the speed.
Hope there is somebody out there with the same setup as me and can share their thoughts.
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Has anyone used the arrow barrel yet. I haven't been able to find much information on it.
Rob
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This gun in general seems to of fallen off the face of the web ???
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New version of this gun comming out soon according to RTI's FB page!
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any news about new Rti Prist?
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I haven't seen any info about a new priest. I'm not on Facebook, but the only 'coming soon' I saw was 2016. I've just bought a .25 priest and the only difference is a factory carbon bottle at extra cost.
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that rti priest .25 cal is it able to make 1inc group on 100y ?
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Unfortunately mine is 12 ft/lbs so I can't really comment on that kind if range. When i was reading up before buying I found a number of articles describing 1-1 1/2" groups...
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any news about new Rti prist group on 100y?
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any chance i could look at the trigger mechanism from this gun guys??? i think the mechanism is unique but i cannot imagine it...i would love to see it fully diassembled...