Lets talk Helium

Good day everyone...I would like to hear of your experience with helium...good, bad, ugly...woulda, coulda, shoulda...lets hear some stories...Snowman.

About all I've heard is that if you can afford to use it in air guns, the molecules are smaller that air, therefor more efficient moving through valves and passages. Faster boolits.

ORairgunner wrote:About all I've heard is that if you can afford to use it in air guns, the molecules are smaller that air, therefor more efficient moving through valves and passages. Faster boolits.

Tom

Thanks for the reply Tom...6000 psi. tank of helium costs about 200.00 and will last about a year for the average airgunner. As far as velocity compared to compressed air, given example of 3600 psi fill with compressed air shooting a 230gr.hp lead 880 fps./helium will be over 1100 fps. with same fill psi.

Is there some conversion kit one could apply to something off the shelf in an air rifle? Lilke replace the seals or whatever? I've heard that leaks are something to do with the make up of the gas and is to be expected using helium.

Yes, smaller molecules can sneak past o-rings easier. I would think most guns would need the seals upgraded. Air tube seals in particular, so you don't lose your charge.

charging the gun would be problematical. you couldn't store it in a scuba or scba tank for the same reason, it would leak out. so, you either lug a 6000 psi. helium tank everywhere you go or fill a small pony tank to take along and hope that it doesn't leak out before you're done shooting. also, there's a question of what, if any , damage would be caused to the seals in the gun or tanks. these thing i have no answer for. maybe someine with some experience in this area will chime in.

i wonder how one would go about by using the small helium tanks sold at walmart for filling ballons i believe like 30 bucks

Deep sea divers, not scuba, use a gas mixture including helium! The type of orings they use, should be OK for airguns.

Sam

Sorry but I have to tell you guys that Snowman's account isn't active here. He can reactivate via email that sends me an alert. He's still a member under his original name. Snowman was his mod name and he is no longer a mod for reasons undisclosed. This action was taken by admin more than a week ago.

His original member name remains active as long as he wishes to post here.

Just thought I'd share so you don't think he's ignoring you. He knows about the post but can't reply as snowman.

Snowman lives! Welcome back Snowman!

Hello everyone...sorry it took so long to reply, I had malware incident on my computer and had to get it fixed, I did not want to infect anyone...re: o-rings leaking, we have not had any issues with leakage...Did a little testing the other day with the .40 cal. We adjusted the valveing to completely expel all gas from charge tube with one shot to see what the velocity would be and here is our data.... .408 cal. 200 gr. huntersupply solid bullet, gun charged to 4000psi helium, 1380 fps., 845.7 ft. lbs. energy and punched a hole thru 1/4" plate steel at 55 yds. Holy cow this thing is an animal!

Glad to see you made it back, Allen. Thought you'd dropped off the end of the earth.

Glad too that you got ur puter probs fixed. That can be a bummer.

But gotta say that I think that is reinventing the firearm! You know that's a hell of a wham on a piece of metal there, Brother!

I'd be interested in how a regular Joe like me would be able to put it to use. I know it's all in the testing stages, but lets say that you got it all worked out, right? Then someone like me comes along, and like Tim Taylor the Tool Man on Home Improvement, I want something bigger, better, faster . . . all that.

Would I need specialized tools and materials to make it work? I'm not being facetious: Just curious.

Right now, I like being self dependent---air is free as long as I pay for the juice to pump up my PCPs and not even then if I use my single shot break barrel. Didn't some one say what a tank of helium would cost some place in this thread? (lazy about reading today )

Being that we found out how far this gun is capable of shooting helium it can be tuned down to get more of a shot count. The gun can be set to get two shots in the 1100 to 1200 fps. range. If you are going to experiment with this gas then charge your gun to a lower fill...2000psi. instead of your guns max charge psi. of say 3000psi.. Chart your findings while using a chromograph and work up to max. fill psi. No special tools required. Regulator fron nitrogen tank will fit a helium tank, same threads. Hope this helps...Allen.

Thanks!

allen wrote:Hello everyone...sorry it took so long to reply, I had malware incident on my computer and had to get it fixed, I did not want to infect anyone...re: o-rings leaking, we have not had any issues with leakage...Did a little testing the other day with the .40 cal. We adjusted the valveing to completely expel all gas from charge tube with one shot to see what the velocity would be and here is our data.... .408 cal. 200 gr. huntersupply solid bullet, gun charged to 4000psi helium, 1380 fps., 845.7 ft. lbs. energy and punched a hole thru 1/4" plate steel at 55 yds. Holy cow this thing is an animal!

Got pics?

Oh, and a doctor's note for the time missed?

Did a little work in the shop today

That's absolutely beautiful. Do it all or a redo?

Did it all...this is the gunstock for our air rifle, many different types of laminate and solid woods...cherry, maple, walnut...Allen.

allen wrote:Did it all...this is the gunstock for our air rifle, many different types of laminate and solid woods...cherry, maple, walnut...Allen.

I'll say it again, Al, you missed your calling!

Seem to stay full about the same amount of time between air & helium. And they are not very leak proof. So to me it seems like leaking helium would be about the same in an airgun.

I haven't tried it, nor do I think at this point I well, but just making an observation.

noreasta wrote:Seem to stay full about the same amount of time between air & helium. And they are not very leak proof. So to me it seems like leaking helium would be about the same in an airgun.

I haven't tried it, nor do I think at this point I well, but just making an observation.

Since the molecules are so much smaller I'm thinking it would take some high dollar sealing to solve that problem. I mean, yea, it CAN be done but does the ends justify the means?

I just landed a .22 Infinity. Whoa Boy! Am I happy camper! Air works just great in this old relic. But I love that style and gun.

Had one converted to a .25. Still a work in progress.

But let me get off this thread before I'm guilty of thread steering . . . Ugh!

did some more looking into helium. from what i've read, you can expect a 25% increase in velocity over the same psi. of air. looks like a lot of people are working with it with no problems at all. on that note, it all boils down to are the gains worth the extra cost? if you can say yes, then, go for it.