YANT (Yet Another Notos Thread)

[Xraycer]

The Notos is mainly my pesting gun of choice for small quarries. I want to increase power to reach out a bit farther. Shot count is not too important to me.
I'm not much of a tinkerer,  but rather a fixer when I need to be.
My question is:
If I adjust the regulator(to increase power), what does adjusting the hammer do?

In it's simplest terms, the harder the hammer hits the valve, the more air gets passed, pellet goes faster.
Increasing reg pressure does pretty much the same thing, except...

There is a balance to be had between the energy in the hammer vs. the pressure from the regulator. 
For a given reg pressure:
If the hammer hits too weakly, just a tiny sip of air gets out, pellet goes slowly.  If the hammer hits just right, you get max velocity for that reg setting, and don't waste air.  If the hammer hits too hard, more air is released, air is wasted because it still only pushes the pellet to that same max velocity.

If you increase reg pressure, you increase the maximum possible velocity/energy. The spring/hammer needed to get to the balanced "just right" also point increases.  The plenum, valve, and transfer port also limit how far you can go.

Bottom line -- set reg pressure for the max power level you want, use hammer/spring to fine tune it near the balance point.

RSterne has a bunch of posts on tuning a regulated gun.  If your skull is half as thick as mine, it'll still take a few readthroughs for it start sinking in, but well worth the effort to understand the relationship between reg setting, spring/hammer adjustment, and velocity (including velocity trends, and velocity consistency.)

 

Thanks, Bob, that makes perfect sense!

[2A Georgia]

After my Sunday shoot and lackluster 35M groups I cleaned a very nasty barrel.  Today I was able to do some 10M groups with the new Apollo 18HP and ole reliable CPHP 14.3.  I was going to do the 3 for 4 and get JSB 14.3, 15.9, H&N 15 and H&N FTT.  I think I have enough CPHPs to finish out the hunting season and will order the pack on the holiday sales.  I had the H&N FTT before and they grouped pretty good in other AG.  Pics below.  Steve, looks like your Notos likes the Apollos, but mine does not...

Proof in the pudding posted in Squirrel Hunting Thread

[2A Georgia]

After my Sunday shoot and lackluster 35M groups I cleaned a very nasty barrel.  Today I was able to do some 10M groups with the new Apollo 18HP and ole reliable CPHP 14.3.  I was going to do the 3 for 4 and get JSB 14.3, 15.9, H&N 15 and H&N FTT.  I think I have enough CPHPs to finish out the hunting season and will order the pack on the holiday sales.  I had the H&N FTT before and they grouped pretty good in other AG.  Pics below.  Steve, looks like your Notos likes the Apollos, but mine does not...

So I skipped the woods walk to give the Apollos another chance.  The 18gr. Hollow Point nothing better than 1" at 10M....I got the 18gr Pointed under a dime at 10M acceptable in my book for hunting.  Just to see I pulled out the CPHP and put 3 pellets in one ragged 9mm hole....go figure she likes cheap pellets.  I will probably adjust my order to FTT and some JSBs but It'll be hard to pay more than the $0.025/rnd.  Loaded  24 CPHPs in my two CARMs topped off the air with my GX and put her in the Flambeau for this weekend.

[smythsg]

I may have to revisit the Apolo 18 gn pointed pellets for the Notos, but the 18 gn Airboss Domes have been my goto for a while now and they are still "head of pushpin" accurate at the  20 yrd sight in that I use. My Notos also liked the CPUM, but I prefer the downrange energy delivered by the 18 gn pellets. Let me know what your thinking for the weekend and I might be able to join you in the woods. The last outing I did was with the .30 cal, but there were numerous chippers about and plenty of greys as well, so anxious to get back out with the Notos.