Flatline.. inaccurate as heck?

Maybe because you didn't have good paint, a regulator or HPA, your grouping was that bad. Ya, the flatline is not going to be great accuracy, the barrel never actually tightens onto the ball like straight barrels. But, in reality, you can hit targets that can't hit you from a distance as long as they don't have flatlines.

RevoXT wrote: I finally tested out my Flatline's "TRUE" shot groupings.. to my suprise, it is horrific, shots are NEVER together and they are always about a foot to 8 inch's apart... is this the sacrifice of accuracy for range?

Tight groups are accomplished with consistent shot to shot velocity which is accomplished by consistente shot to shot pressure. You are using CO2 which, at best, is prone to pressure spikes and shoot down from chilling.

At the minimum you have to run a good CO2 regulator. Best is to switch to HPA and a secondary regulator.

You didn't give the distance at which you got your poor results. With my Flatline, (shooting inside, so no wind drift) cleaned and using HPA with a Palmer LP reg and and a LPK I get 9 shots out of 10 all on an 8 inch paper plate at 60 measured yards. (Nelson Hemorrhage paint) I have seen nothing that shoots better...the Flatline just requires a bit more care.

I am useing anti-siphoned C02 and I am going to be adding a X-Chamber soon but I don't think it's needed since my tank is anti-siphoned w\ smart parts valve. I guess I'll buy a palmer stabalizer soon enough.

With Tippmann's I shouldn't require HPA to get remotely good accuracy. Anti-Siphon c02 is GAS just like HPA, I'm going to add a Palmer Stabalizer in two weeks, Why would I ever get a LPK? That's just bad for the A-5 the friggin' Cyclone Feeder NEEDS PRESSURE to operate

RevoXT wrote: With Tippmann's I shouldn't require HPA to get remotely good accuracy. Anti-Siphon c02 is GAS just like HPA, I'm going to add a Palmer Stabalizer in two weeks, Why would I ever get a LPK? That's just bad for the A-5 the friggin' Cyclone Feeder NEEDS PRESSURE to operate

i'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're twelve...

Ok, I don't care about all this crap in the past few posts...

I never saw any mention of what fps your shots were.  The flatline is very unique in it's extreme sensitivity in flight characteristics when changing the velocity.  Whereas most barrels will notice more irratic ball movement through a slightly less accurate shot grouping while increasing the velocity well above 300fps, the Flatline will begin tossing balls in completely different directions shot to shot.

For it to operate at its best, it should be set somewhere in the vicinity of 280fps.  Assuming you know you have the flatline correctly installed, you can actually adjust (if you are a combination of good at it and lucky) the velocity by watching the acuracy of the flatline.

In your case, I would go to a chrono, set it to 280fps and try again.  My paint of choice is Marballizer, and secondary is Midnight.  But almost any high quality small bore paint will work fine, those are just a few I tried and have had nothing but success with.

From what I've been reading Bruce, you have to modify the gun quite a bit more after installing the LPK to get it to run smoothly.... it's not just buy the kit, install, and play.

I installed the A-5 LPK myself, and I am no technical genius.  Took about an hour altogether.

Took the gun to the range and started blasting away.  I had to re-tweak my RT to reset the sweetspot, but that was it.

Others may have had problems, but I don't see what the big deal is.  Whether the LPK is worth it is another question entirely, but it certainly isn't rocket science to install.

As to Flatline accuracy - I certainly agree with Bruce that the main benefit is the flat trajectory, which makes it so much easier to aim.  But in terms of ball-hitting-target accuracy, I must say that my quality straight barrels are much more accurate than the Flatline, at least with my PMI Premium paint.

RevoXT wrote: Alright, I'll take it to the chrono and adjust the velocity then post again in this topic if anything is wrong, I do know I am sacrificeing accuracy for range, but personally the extra range does wonders and the flat-trajectory is just amazing. (Still thinkin'bout gettin the Apex though)

Strictly speaking you are not sacraficing accuracy for range. At normal ranges your Flatline should be as accurate as any barrel. Mine is.

When you take those long shots the ball is slowing and more susceptible to even the slightest wind current. You are taking a shot with the Flatline that you would likely not attempt with any other barrel.  I can attest to the barrels accuracy from some extensive long range testing inside a large warehouse. The marker was sand bagged in place to assure shot to shot repeatability.

At over 200 feet I could put a majority of my shots on a paper plate (7 out of 10). I cannot do that outside. The barrel is very accurate even at that extended  range, but there is just too much happening to the ball after such a long flight.

Edited by Bruce A. Frank - 24 August 2006 at 4:42pm

I can easily say that my Dye Ultralite on my Spyder was alot more "Accurate" but I just LOVE the flat trajectory and range of the Flatline.. which is why I'm keeping it, at close range the Flatline works pretty good