Big Bore Air guns...Which one?

Dultimatpredator

Well-known member
I have been leaning towards a Sam Yang Big bore 45 cal air rifle and remember from older posts that the older style "light" version was a better rifle for consistancy? I like the looks of the newer version and 50 Cal Dragon Slayer as well. I will mainly us the rifle for coyote and fox hunting where quieting sounds are a must. I see the barrel is threaded so a supressor could be added. Anyone quiet down one of these and to what success? Being an air rifle I am going to check into if their are any laws of supressing it. I am courious of how loud these rifles are with and without a supressor. I am told they are compairable to a 22 caliber rifle?
 
I've got a Sam Yang Big bore 45 cal.
I'd say the noise is comperable to a .410 shotgun. Yeah, the barrel is threaded. (I built a thread protector for mine).

I got the dual-tube model, it holds twice the air volume as the single tube does. I get right at 200 FPE out of it with round ball and 165 gr. cast lead bullets. It gets about 5 or 6 shots at the same velocity before the pressure drops off.

I've got it camo taped for hunting, but you can get the idea.

DSCN0349.jpg


If you're looking to buy one, PM me and we might work something out. My rifle is pristine under the tape and low-round count.

Quote:I remember reading about power tuning them to gain velocity as well. Who dose it, and for what price and what type of gain can I expect?

This guy did my friend's Sam Yang. It gets around 250 fpe with his tune.

BGMF Air Guns
 
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Damm, I thought an air rifle was around .25 cal at the largest. I thought I was at the top of the pile when I bought a beeman R1. That was back in about 1987, I paid 325.00 and it has been one of my most used rifles. Many of rock chucks have fallen to this air rifle. Looks like Sam Yang has taken air gunning to the next level.
 
Originally Posted By: who meDamm, I thought an air rifle was around .25 cal at the largest. I thought I was at the top of the pile when I bought a beeman R1. That was back in about 1987, I paid 325.00 and it has been one of my most used rifles. Many of rock chucks have fallen to this air rifle. Looks like Sam Yang has taken air gunning to the next level.

I have an R1 as well, in 20 cal. I love it! Had it since about 1993. I have been wanting one of the big bores as well.

kevlars
 
Kevlars, I bought the 177 and if I was to do it again I would buy the 20 cal. It would have extended my range and less wind drift. I guess I'll have to do a search and see what a Sam Yang is, and what they cost.
 
Yeah, my dealer talked me into the 20 cal. I am glad he did! It shoots great, and hits hard. Less drop than a 22 or 25, and still great velocity. I used to shoot the he!! out of pigeons and rats with it! Now, it just gets to take out the occasional squirrel or rabbit, or to teach a stray cat a lesson! I am glad I spent the money on the best way back then, I don't regret it now. Now they are over $500, closer to $600, I believe!

kevlars
 

Quote:I guess I'll have to do a search and see what a Sam Yang is, and what they cost.


Sam Yang 909

That's the model they market now. Mine is the older 2-tube that has more air capacity and a larger transfer port. I get more energy than they show in their data, and with a custom tune, it can deliver even more. The 2-tube doesn't show that shot-to-shot velocity drop you see with the single tube, until the pressure falls off (about 5 shots). You don't see vertical stringing as much.

Mine's 100% stock, other than the fill port I added, and I built a Picatinny rail for it.

Here's how mine shot 248 gr. cast bullets across the chrony, for comparison:

FPS 606.4 612.7 619.4 616.3 616.4 605.5 594.9
FPE 202.4 206.6 211.2 209.1 209.1 201.8 194.8
Start: 3000 psi End: 2200 psi

It shoots 142 gr. round ball at 750 FPS and 180 FPE.
 
I just got mine last fall, but my hunting partner has killed an exotic goat, a decent sized pig and one coyote with his (same rifle). When we hunt together, I take the AR in case they hang up outside range of the air rifle, so I don't have much "trigger time" with mine. It's very accurate, though, no reason you couldn't drop a lot of fur with it, if you can get them inside about 60 yards.

Here's a link to a slideshow with some examples, taken with different big-bore airguns. I don't think I'm going bear hunting with mine, but somebody did.
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Airgun slideshow

(Click on "Pre-Charged Pneumatics)
 
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I have a Career 707 in .20. Had a .22 also. Different sound for each. The Sumatra Sam Yang is a close copy of the Shin Sung Career. These are deadly accurate rifles. Extremely fun.
They come in .177 .20 .22 .25 9mm .50 and a shotgun that I know of. There are a few reputable shops that work on these. there are others with different caliber list. The Koreans have made some impressive airguns.
Quackenbush has done a lot for big bores.
http://www.shinsungrifle.com/html/eng/main.htm
http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/career_707_shinsung_air_rifle_pcp_s/99.htm


Air guns and large ones have been around longer than most think like 1580, Lewis and Clark carried one. I think they impressed the Indians with it.

Explorers Lewis and Clark carried a butt reservoir air rifle, apparently of .31" caliber. This is an especially fine specimen of that type, made by a famed London gunmaker, T.J. Mortimer in the 1800's. It has two interchangeable barrels, a rifled one of .40 caliber for big game and a 36 gauge smoothbore for wildfowl. Attaching the butt reservoir to a separate hand pump and pumping in about two hundred strokes of air charges the gun. Such a charge may be good for about 20 shots. From the Beeman Airgun Museum.

http://www.beeman.com/history.htm
 
This thing buries a 250 grain bullet out of sight in a tree stump and shot a round ball clear through my buddie's coyote.
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I'm not too sure I'd want it to diesel, since there's already 3000 psi in the barrel. You've got to be careful not to use any petroleum products at that kind of pressure.
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I'll see if I can post a couple of target pics tomorrow, it shoots nice groups at 50 yards with the EOTech.
 
When I first got my beeman R1 I Couldn't wait to get out in the field with it. Meet an older man with a hay field with a drain ditch running along one side. City limits on the other. He had rock chucks running all over the place. Between there, the old feedlot island, a spot along the river, and some fire wood piles I had a blast. I keep track of my kills on a calander. I took around 150+ for three summers in a row. I've had that rifle for 20 some years and its done in more rock chucks than my centerfire rifle. I could only imagine if I had a Sam Yang, I would have went after a lot larger game
 
Originally Posted By: DultimatpredatorFound some interesting videos on them:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GcU9RDiqXY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-hJYrR_-gw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uypyib2q_E4&feature=related

That last video is my buddy Bone....his 2tube 909 is tuned to 300+fpe. Check out his coconut video!

http://www.youtube.com/user/BonesCustomParts#p/a/u/1/7VYjW-577ls

Here is my favorite hunt yet with the 909. Almost got a big bobcat Feb 28th (last stand, last day of the season) but he got the drop on me with my gun in my lap (never again!), and will have have to go on the wall come December hehe.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...964#Post1275964

I highly suggest the 2tube 909 with a power-tune, especially for hunting multiple animals away from the truck.
Yes, I know...... the 2tube is uglier than the single-tube 909S (think of it as a "work truck", rather than an Escalade), but it is IMO the better over-all rifle due to the versatility the increased shot count brings. Shoots groups at POA with no need for hold-over, with plenty of power to shoot thru deer at 50 yards using 200+grain boolits (I think a stock one shooting 250grainers would fully penetrate deer as well).

If you were hunting one large animal like deer/wild boar, the 909S with a power tune (320-340+fpe) would be the better choice. Velocity drops substantially after the first or second shot with a tuned 909S, so you would need to practice with multiple aimpoints to be proficient with it past shot#1.
 
Evil, I always like to see data from owners as opposed to advertising from the manufacturer.

Those numbers aren't TOO far behind a standard pressure .45 ACP and no one I've known would want to be hit by one of them. Definitely serious guns. Don
 
There are plenty of big bore airguns out there. Most of them are Korean made due to a fact this is only legal mean (along with shotguns) to hunt game in S. Korea. Korean guns are underpowered for what they are, that is why there is such a huge desire to tune them up among bigbore airgunners.

Still, the best bigbore airguns are all custom. These are made by Dennis Quackenbush, Jack Haley, and Gargoyle.
In .458 configuration they reach up to 600 FPE at the muzzle and that is some serious deer/hog medicine.

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/

http://www.americanairgunhunter.com/airgun_hunter.html
 
As far as predator hunting goes, the main reason I recommend a power-tune for the Korean guns is to get a flatter trajectory. Even in stock form, I would be amazed if a 200grain slug shot from a SamYang failed to completely penetrate the vitals of a coyote at 50 yards.

I myself haven't shot a critter with a stock SamYang (about 180-200fpe), as my rifle came to me already tuned. I recently got the exhaust valve fixed, and it is now putting out 275-285fpe which is a tad more than what the .50 DAQ (Quackenbush's lower-powered bigbore) is advertised to produce.

Not all "custom" airguns are worthy of the title (some are what I would call "polished turds"), so do a bunch of research on them before buying (particularly accuracy-wise). Make sure the builder is a real machinist.

Keep in mind, that the SamYang 909 is a carbine rifle with a 21.6 inch barrel that weighs 7.5lbs, compared to the majority of custom bigbore airguns that typically have barrels anywhere from 28 to 35 inches long, and are much heavier than the 909.
I'll be getting a Gargoyle (28 inch barrel) in the future, but the 909 will always be my go-to calling rifle for calling coyotes/bobcats in these Oregon rain forests. It's the right tool for the job.

IMO, in the world of custom bigbore airguns the Gargoyle is the King of the Mountain. 600+fpe out of the box with the extra power valve, with three other valves available for varying power levels/boolit weights that are easily interchanged.

https://gargoyleairgun.com/Home_Page.html

Here are the results of the latest round of chrony testing with my tuned 909. If you want multiple shots per fill using the same POA in a handy package, a tuned 909 is hard to beat, and as accurate as any custom .45 bigbore I've seen.


Hornady .457RoundBall
3000psi
886.3=249fpe
874.3=242fpe
859.3=239fpe

Hornady .457RoundBall
3100psi
873.2=242fpe
865.3=237fpe
843.9=226fpe

Hornady .457RoundBall
3200psi
870.4=240fpe
876.6=244fpe
858.1=233fpe

BigLube ROA's 210grains approx BHN9 alloy
3000
767.4=274fpe
773.1=278fpe
764.7=272fpe
744.9=258fpe

BigLube ROA's 210grains approx BHN9 alloy
3100psi
743.3=257fpe
771.2=277fpe
769.5=276fpe
758.7=268fpe

BigLube ROA's 210grains approx BHN9 alloy
3150psi
748.6=261fpe
773.6=279fpe
775.3=280fpe
767.8=274fpe

BigLube ROA's 210grains approx BHN9 alloy
3200psi
750.6=262fpe
780.9=284fpe***
780.8=284fpe***
758.4=268fpe

Sure Fire Raptors (?217? grains?)
3000psi
735
742.6
743.1

Lee ROA's 220grain (from BHD)
3000psi
744.6=270fpe
764.8=285fpe
751.6=276fpe
730

Big Lube PRS 255grain pure lead (edit:actually 259-260grains) .452 (to small)
3000psi
669.8
686.4=271
699.7=283fpe
689.8=274

245grain REAL's from BHD, labeled ".457 un-sized"
3000psi
706.1=270
712.8=276
715.7=278
695.9=263 (this REAL was from a different batch/caster)

Lyman Maxi Hunters 255grains (only had two)
3200psi
673.3=256fpe
696.7=274fpe
693.4=272fpe (this third shot was a .452 PRS 255grain)

 
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