Best Texan with no Mods?

[Dpowers]

Returning the Texan 357 Carbine.
After less then 3 weeks...it busted.

Looking at trading up what's your recommendation.

Texan 357ss ( is it better in terms of accuracy then the standard or carbine 357 Texan)
Texan 457CF with the TX2 valve  ?
Texan 457ss?

Thanks

[Blacktalon6]

What do you want to use it for? That will make a big deal in what cal. you get.

[Dpowers]

Deer / coyote and beaver.
100+yards. Accuracy out the box.
Shooting preferably lighter slugs 120-300 grain for flatter trajectory.

Heavy brush with some open fields.
Stalking and some blind shooting.

Venison during hunting season.
Coyote jerky/backbone steaks during the winter.
Beaver meat all year long.

[PCPhack]

If you don't mind the slugs costing a bit more, then just get the 457, either SS or full length. It will check all those boxes, but the ammo costs a little more, and it uses a lot of air.

[Dpowers]

Not worried about the cost of rounds.
Just worried about the accuracy out of that short barrel.

[anti-squirrel]

Not worried about the cost of rounds.
Just worried about the accuracy out of that short barrel.

Don't buy into the BS that longer barrels are more accurate than shorter barrels.  You say your 357 Texan broke in less than 3 weeks?  What happened?

Just for clarity, you shoot from a blind and stalk in heavy brush, but don't want a short barrel?  Heavy brush where I live in central VA means nothing over 40 to 50 yards, ever.  My Leshiy is about as long as I'd want.

[Lani52]

I would choose the full length 457 Texan in cf. you can always turn it down, but once you shoot it I doubt you will need to.  I would also pay close attention to what these Va deer hunter advise.

I think it was a type-o, but I would not eat that coyote jerky.  After skinning and stretching a few hundred of them, I would not eat a coyote.

good luck,

Roachcreek

[ShakySarge]

I am really contemplating getting the Texan LSS-CF .457. I have the SS in .357 and really like it, very accurate, just not as much energy downrange as I would like.

[Nomadic Pirate]

Not worried about the cost of rounds.
Just worried about the accuracy out of that short barrel.

Don't buy into the BS that longer barrels are more accurate than shorter barrels.  You say your 357 Texan broke in less than 3 weeks?  What happened?

Just for clarity, you shoot from a blind and stalk in heavy brush, but don't want a short barrel?  Heavy brush where I live in central VA means nothing over 40 to 50 yards, ever.  My Leshiy is about as long as I'd want.

Correct,

shorter barrels are possibly even more accurate actually, ....less time the ammo takes to leave the barrel at the slow velocities we shoot less chance to mess up follow through,


Longer barrels will give more power.

[anti-squirrel]

A follow-up- the main deer-slayer I'm aware of here in VA is pepegraves.  He uses Korean cannons (Shin Sung and Sam Yang).  Those rifles are shorter than the open-prairie one-shot wonders.  Hopefully he'll chime in.

Added thought: Manny (Nomadic Pirate) hunts feral pigs in Hawaii; game I would consider more tough and unpredictable than any eastern WhiteBumperMangler, I mean Whitetail.  He hunts in heavy brush and you can see which airguns he chooses.  Shorter/lighter and easy to maneuaver.  I'm not knocking the AirForce guns by any stretch, but a full-length Texan is a long gun and I couldn't imagine weiding one of you also hunt from a stand or even a blind.  Stalking on farmland/soy fields wouldn't be bad but IMO, the AirForce guns are better suited for bench/rested shooting and whacking p-dawgs and jacks and some long-range yotes.

[Blacktalon6]

The .457 SS is short and has plenty of punch for a brush gun. Mine now has a CF tank.

[Dpowers]

Not worried about the cost of rounds.
Just worried about the accuracy out of that short barrel.

Don't buy into the BS that longer barrels are more accurate than shorter barrels.  You say your 357 Texan broke in less than 3 weeks?  What happened?

Just for clarity, you shoot from a blind and stalk in heavy brush, but don't want a short barrel?  Heavy brush where I live in central VA means nothing over 40 to 50 yards, ever.  My Leshiy is about as long as I'd want.

Charging handle broke. Could not move it and had two little round rings came out the valve body/ barrel.
Well I have no objection to a short barrel if I can achieve accuracy out the box at 100yards.

[Dpowers]

I would choose the full length 457 Texan in cf. you can always turn it down, but once you shoot it I doubt you will need to.  I would also pay close attention to what these Va deer hunter advise.

I think it was a type-o, but I would not eat that coyote jerky.  After skinning and stretching a few hundred of them, I would not eat a coyote.

good luck,

Roachcreek

No typo bud. A healthy looking coyote critter in the dead of winter. Makes for a good grilled snack.

[Dpowers]

Not worried about the cost of rounds.
Just worried about the accuracy out of that short barrel.

Don't buy into the BS that longer barrels are more accurate than shorter barrels.  You say your 357 Texan broke in less than 3 weeks?  What happened?

Just for clarity, you shoot from a blind and stalk in heavy brush, but don't want a short barrel?  Heavy brush where I live in central VA means nothing over 40 to 50 yards, ever.  My Leshiy is about as long as I'd want.

Correct,

shorter barrels are possibly even more accurate actually, ....less time the ammo takes to leave the barrel at the slow velocities we shoot less chance to mess up follow through,


Longer barrels will give more power.

I don't want to be disappointed in a short barrel rifle again.

[Nomadic Pirate]

Not worried about the cost of rounds.
Just worried about the accuracy out of that short barrel.

Don't buy into the BS that longer barrels are more accurate than shorter barrels.  You say your 357 Texan broke in less than 3 weeks?  What happened?

Just for clarity, you shoot from a blind and stalk in heavy brush, but don't want a short barrel?  Heavy brush where I live in central VA means nothing over 40 to 50 yards, ever.  My Leshiy is about as long as I'd want.

Correct,

shorter barrels are possibly even more accurate actually, ....less time the ammo takes to leave the barrel at the slow velocities we shoot less chance to mess up follow through,


Longer barrels will give more power.

I don't want to be disappointed in a short barrel rifle again.

The short barrel isn't what's gonna disappoint you, unless you looking for big power,

Also, How short is short we are talking about ?... Isn't the short Texan barrel 24" ?

....That, is not short.

[Lani52]

Manny,

According to the specs the carbine is 25”, the SS IS 24.5 and the Texan and Texan LSS are 34 inchS.

Roachcreek

[YEMX]

With the shorter length barrels, you're definitely not missing much accuracy.  Speed?  Yes.  But there's a point of diminishing returns w/barrel length.  Too long, and you're actually losing speed.  Unless you've got a valve pushing more air, you really don't need much more than 28".  24" would probably do you just fine.  The biggest problem I've noticed over the years, is the twist rate of the AF barrels- it's like AF deliberately ignores all the work we do    If it were me, warranty that Texan you have and get an aftermarket barrel made.  There's tons of builds out there to research.  Heck, I've done just that- I've got a .30 Condor (set up for pellets) and I'll very soon be assembling a 7mm Texan, based on a .257.  Both use TJ barrels in their respective calibers.  Not a sermon, just a thought. 

[Nomadic Pirate]

Manny,

According to the specs the carbine is 25”, the SS IS 24.5 and the Texan and Texan LSS are 34 inchS.

Roachcreek

That what I though, a 24-25" barrel is by no means a short barrel

A lot of the great, accurate shooting guns have barrels around the 20" mark, right ?

[Dpowers]

With the shorter length barrels, you're definitely not missing much accuracy.  Speed?  Yes.  But there's a point of diminishing returns w/barrel length.  Too long, and you're actually losing speed.  Unless you've got a valve pushing more air, you really don't need much more than 28".  24" would probably do you just fine.  The biggest problem I've noticed over the years, is the twist rate of the AF barrels- it's like AF deliberately ignores all the work we do    If it were me, warranty that Texan you have and get an aftermarket barrel made.  There's tons of builds out there to research.  Heck, I've done just that- I've got a .30 Condor (set up for pellets) and I'll very soon be assembling a 7mm Texan, based on a .257.  Both use TJ barrels in their respective calibers.  Not a sermon, just a thought. 

With the 457 CF carbine or SS CF tank gun. Would I still loose out on velocity?
How is twist rate in the 457 AF barrels; is it conducive to light grain round or long and heavy?
How do you contact TJs and do you have an estimate on the job...for a new barrel in the 457 caliber?
What about just getting the long gun and cut and recrown?

[YEMX]

With the CF?  Eh, you may not be missing out on velocity, since you could charge the gun a bit higher.  However, I'm no expert on the big bores.  Mr. Quackenbush only uses a 25" OAL barrel on his .458 Outlaws.  Extreme air rifles uses a 28" OAL barrel on their standard .457's.  Both of those companies pretty much focus on big bores.  Airforce uses a 24" barrel on their Texan Carbines and TexanSS's.  I'm no engineer or math wiz- Bob would have to sit down and do the math for you...  But when two duty experts are using less than 30" barrels on successful hunting rifles, I tend to see that as evidence that 28" is about the longest you'd ever need.  As far as twist rate and such, I really don't know.  I can't remember his handle, but there was a shooter here who shot highly modified Texans, and I don't believe he ever used a factory barrel.  But he was also going for extreme range and target shooting.  Doug Noble is the resident expert in all things Airforce, and he may chime in at some point.  Or you could PM him.   

Here is the contact info for TJ's he does business the old fashion way .

Mike Sayers at TJ's Liners

Mr Sayer
TJ's Enterprises
3652 Neltner Rd
Alexandria, KY 41001
859-635-5560

You will have to get a barrel from TJ, and then send it to a tuner.  TJ doesn't do finish work on barrels.  He only provides the blanks.  You could absolutely cut and re-crown the factory barrel, or you could just buy a Texan Carbine.  You'd have to go aftermarket for the LDC, if you need/want one of those though.  I'm not sure how good or the availability of a factory Texan LDC.