Increasing my gun's range?

[murph]

Hello once again,

I have found with my A&K Masada the the range is not really adequate, so I'm planning on replacing the crappy barrel that A&K supply with a tightbore. The question is, what barrel do I go for? Out of 6.01, 6.02, 6.03 and so on, which one will most likely increase the range? Also, can someone recommend some good, range - increasing hop rubber? I'd also like to point out my ROF is pretty high so I think a 6.01 is probably out of the question.

Also, will using 0.25g BB's help increase the range more that the 0.2s I already use?

I'd really appreciate any help!

 

[RR01]

A tight-bore will tighten your grouping and will probably slightly increase your FPS over the standard inner barrel. Range does tend to be more about the hop rubber though. Different people will recommend different rubbers, but what works for one doesn't always do the same for someone else. The combination of inner barrel, hop unit, hop rubber & nub all play a part. Personally I prefer a Madbull Black Python V2 6.03 inner barrel, married to a Madbull Ultimate hop unit and a Falcon twin point hop rubber, with a standard firm hollow nub. They give me the best accuracy and range in my M16, but that might not work for you. It can be a case of try something and see, but that can cost money.

 

[sl1k]

Before you invest in barrels mate you should address your hop up and compression first as they are the most important factors in how your BB behaves. Also, a tighter bore doesn't necessarily mean tighter grouping. There are barrels out there with a bore in the 6.10-6.20 region that cost £100+, the physics is quite different to what people imagine.

First of all mate I'd recommend you make sure you have an air tight system so every shot gives you a consistent air flow. This can be done by having a ported piston head, a cylinder head with 2 O-rings and an O-ring air nozzle.

After that, you need an effective hop up bucking/packing as this is what applies the back spin that ultimately gives you the accuracy and effective range. You also want it to seal well. The 3 that I usually recommend are Prometheus purple, Lonex, or Systema. They seal very well and apply back spin very effectively, which means you don't loose as much FPS due to the fact that you don't have to apply as much hop to achieve a flat trajectory.

Give that a go before you start splashing on barrels. Just so you know, research has shown that a tightbore barrel should never be less than 0.08mm larger than the BB as it increases the possibility of the BB touching the barrel in flight, which is obviously a bad thing.

Afterwards if you do decide to still upgrade the barrel, go for the Madbull as it gives the best value for performance. If you have a little more in your budget, than get the Prometheus. Also keep in mind, 455mm-509mm are about the optimum lengths. Any longer and your compensating for something else

Finally in terms of BBs, 0.25s should be the choice for any gun shooting over 330fps with 0.2s in my experience.

 

[murph]

Thank you both very much for your replies, you have no idea how much help you've been. I'll certainly be looking into some new rubber, because clearly what I've got at the moment isn't fitting the bill. I'll also be making the swap to 0.25 BB's.

Once again, thank you both for your assistance.