Texan .357 Re-Review - Revisited by Pyramid Air - Using the Correct Ammo?

[UpNorthAirGunner]

I am sure that many of you have already seen this, but I thought it was interesting as it was just released the other day.  The 24 inch barrel seems interesting to shoot an AirVenturi Bolt.  What I thought was most interesting about this video was the re-do of the bullet size and accuracy demo.



Their first review video of the Texan .357 earlier this year probably didn't do to much to help sales. I will say I got similar results as Pyramid Air's first review of the Texan .357 when I first got mine and tried to shoot JSB 81 gr. or Polymag 81 gr. or the 145 Nosler - they were all shotgun patterns with 4-5 inch groups at 100 yards.  Then I read Nick Neilson's posts about the 1:16 twist rate and the need for longer and heavier ammo. 

My gun loves the Aeromagnum Devastator 128 gr. Hollow Points (in .358) and Neilson Specialty ammo 180 gr. Spitzer have done well and the Hunters Supply 190 gr. have worked well too (like the 190 gr.  used in this Pyramid Air video).  I continue to tinker with mine and see if I can eek out more than the 423 yard golf ball shot I have gotten so far, but we will see.  I think I will have only a handful of days left this year for range time (the rain and wind is already setting in) - the rest will be in the woods trying to harvest a nice big buck with my Texan.  Wish me luck!

[Loki67]

That short barrel is cool, hope they offer it in all of the calibers.

[nielsenammo]

The gun that should be great in an SS version is the .308 Texan.  Short barrel, that gun in full length has great power and I think the shorter barrel is going to be more accurate.

[KnifeMaker]

And this is what I posted on this vid. I still can't believe they are completely ignoring External and Internal Ballistics. Un-Real!!!


I'm Just about at a total loss on this one.   The builder of custom big bore Air Force based guns, Dyotat100, Yes Doug Noble, the 2017 winner of the under .35 dia bullet shooters at Extreme Benchrest this year, Tofazfou on TAG and GTA, and myself, KnifeMaker, all contacted the company when they finally admitted that the AF platform could shoot heavier projectiles. (Bullets),,.

Each of us tried to explain twist rates for bullet weights, and were totally ignored. I tried to explain that the 9mm and .357 were two different bullets, as it doesn't matter whether being fired from an Aig Gun or a powder burner. I mean, who shoots a .357 in a 9mm handgun??

A 9mm is .355 nomaly to as much as .356. , 357  is .358. Not ev4en in the same Universe when it comes to Bullets!

We all tried to explain that a bullet has to be sized to the bore. Not just an off the shelf bullet. That a shooter needs to at least size to the bore for best performance and accuracy. This needs to be from .0000 to .0003" over bore. Again. No One at Air Force would listen.   

The results are completely predictable. Bad accuracy. Power all over the place. Even reports of Bullets stuck in barrels. GRRRRRRRR!!!

Heck, My little 190 fpe .257 will shoot 1/4" at 100 yards, and Tofazfou has many vids here on youtube shooting at long range. How about 160-170 yards under 1/4"? With records being held by Rifle 50 on the Tag well over 1000 yards.  Yes, he has Vids here as well.

Why o why would a company ignore simple internal as well as external ballistics, much less the experience of other very knowledgeable testers, rather than go it totally blind, and full of arrogance?

Wake the Heck up AirForce!

This is getting Ridiculous!

KnifeM

[aceflier]

Knife I’m happy with my .457? 1.36” CTC at 102yds with a bullet I cast is OK to me. Especially for the recoil.  They are using Hunter supply ammo same as they did for the .457 review and re-review on it claiming the Hunter supply tune makes it much better. I think it’s &^^& but if you own a Tex and find the ammo it likes you tend to read between the BS  Mine likes anything from 220gr swag to 372gr spitzer. Heck I out shoot my Friend with his .AR 223 with my Tex at 100yds. It’s not air force fault pyramid air uses the wrong ammo.

[QVTom]

Come on folks.  Another 45 yard test? 190 at ~800 fps for long range shooting?

Tom

[aceflier]

Tom it’s more of a commercial for hunter supply than the Tex. Seems pyramid is in bed with them lately.

[YEMX]

Knife- it's the same reason why all businesses have a "Gen 2...3...4..." of their products.  Companies are slow putting stuff out there or seemingly "never listening to the customers" because if they came out w/a perfect airgun the first time, their business would dry up within 5 years.  People also hate being told (or it being insinuated) that they're either wrong or stupid.  I'm not saying that's what you or Doug or Ced said or even attempted to insinuate.  But that's the way their engineers would take it, believe me.  Same with the execs.  Also, for a lot of people airgunning is ridiculously expensive to get into.  For PCP at least.  Bare minimum you've got the gun, an optic and a tank of some sort.  Plus ammo.  A way to refill said tank.  Maybe a compressor now, because it's annoying to have to potentially drive far and wide to refill a tank.  Now throw on top all of that, you have to measure your bore and find properly sized ammo?  No...  Their product is fine, for the market.  In fact, its no different from any other company.  Put a product out there that will work for everyone most of the time.  The tinkerers will do their thing, and others will be happy with the product as is.

That being said, I'm still modifying a .357 Texan how I want because it's what I want... 1st world problems!   

I regret nothing! 

[UpNorthAirGunner]

Knife- it's the same reason why all businesses have a "Gen 2...3...4..." of their products.  Companies are slow putting stuff out there or seemingly "never listening to the customers" because if they came out w/a perfect airgun the first time, their business would dry up within 5 years.  People also hate being told (or it being insinuated) that they're either wrong or stupid.  I'm not saying that's what you or Doug or Ced said or even attempted to insinuate.  But that's the way their engineers would take it, believe me.  Same with the execs.  Also, for a lot of people airgunning is ridiculously expensive to get into.  For PCP at least.  Bare minimum you've got the gun, an optic and a tank of some sort.  Plus ammo.  A way to refill said tank.  Maybe a compressor now, because it's annoying to have to potentially drive far and wide to refill a tank.  Now throw on top all of that, you have to measure your bore and find properly sized ammo?  No...  Their product is fine, for the market.  In fact, its no different from any other company.  Put a product out there that will work for everyone most of the time.  The tinkerers will do their thing, and others will be happy with the product as is.

That being said, I'm still modifying a .357 Texan how I want because it's what I want... 1st world problems!   

I regret nothing! 

"dang"!  Preach it brother!  I heard NOTHING but bad mouthing about the .357 Texan since that day I got it, but I'll tell you what...  I took all that negativity as a challenge.  Here is a strong dose of truth for everyone reading this...  I have hit golf balls at 150 - 175 - 200 -350 - 423 -and (video soon to be released) at 600 mother fricken yards with this gun.

This has put not only me at the top of the AirGunDepot.com Long Ranger Challenge Leaderboard - but also my uncle currently in third place - who had NEVER even seen a PCP rifle the day before he hit a 323 yard golf ball shot with my gun.

Did I need to learn it's nuances? Yes.  Did I have the honor of taliking with and working with some of the leading ammo casters in the big bore community to accomplish these milestones? Yes. Could I only afford to get this gun because Airforce was running a 20% sale + my Vetrans 20% discount this summer to scrounge enough $$$ to buy it? Yes.

So to everyone out there blessed enough to have the $$$$ to drop on a Slayer or FX that shoots laser beams out of the box - good for you.

To the marksman out there who want to roll up their sleeves and figure @$%^ out and become better shooters on that journey - I'm right there with you.  One last thing....  to all the end user shooters out there reading these forum posts and seeing a great deal of trolling or negativity coming from a forum poster...  Ask yourself if there is a business motive behind that venum.  I stay positive and love that I'm learning so much from each you all to include the industry insiders - but for the love of lead....   Quit sniping each other - don't copy each other's products / instead collaborate with each other! 

We the end user shooters like working with the product and service providers who are pushing this industry forward in a positive way - not a bunch of negative cry babies who pounce when someone on GTA makes a post about product X-Y-or Z is working for them when it's a competitor of theirs or they feel like it will make them look like a subject matter expert the more they tear something down.  We can see right through that &^^&!  Onward!

[crosman999]

Where were all these long rangers this year at the EBR?

[MJP]

How about at home, yours is a big country to travel. Not everyone wants to drive 1k miles to shoot in a competition.

Marko

[UpNorthAirGunner]

Where were all these long rangers this year at the EBR?

Hey there Dana - that sounds like an invite....  (wink) I would love to make it to EBR someday.  I've been talking with Ron Goodhall from High Arc Hunter and working with him a bit to really keep pushing out these extreme long range golf ball shots and he was telling me how fun EBR is.  Who knows - I might be there next year.  I am training a ton this fall in gusting and shifting 10-20 mile per hour winds here in northern Michigan shooting across a swamp and from what Ron tells me, that is what separates the men from the boys at EBR. Hope to see you next year!

[YEMX]

I'd love to make it out to EBR someday too... but flying (or driving) to Arizona, any match fees, plus accommodations is just too much for me...  Fuel alone would cost (estimate) near $600... maybe a little less.  I just don't have that kind of cash right now.  Nor the guns with which to compete.  YET!       

[wimpanzee]

No one wanted to talk about this on reddit.

[crosman999]

I'd love to make it out to EBR someday too... but flying (or driving) to Arizona, any match fees, plus accommodations is just too much for me...  Fuel alone would cost (estimate) near $600... maybe a little less.  I just don't have that kind of cash right now.  Nor the guns with which to compete.  YET!     

Yeah tell me about it, haha not cheap at all. I will say it's worth the sacrifice every year.

[YEMX]

Yeah tell me about it, haha not cheap at all. I will say it's worth the sacrifice every year.

No doubt!  The main reason I don't make it out, to be honest- is that I don't have a gun with which to compete.  Again, YET!!  I'll make it out there one of these days for sure!!