AirForce Texan Big Bore brings happiness for all the people eagerly waiting for something that is entirely made in the USA.
Here is your favorite air gun that does make shooting great again.
Air Force Texan is a name you cannot deny when it comes to accuracy or energy.
They offer you dead-on accurate shots which will mix with your skill and do wonders.
It has always been difficult to choose the best air gun for shooting or gifting your close one who is fascinated by air rifles.
However, the Air Force Texan will do your job smoothly.
Here, I will discuss in detail the features of this terrific air rifle, its pros and cons so you can decide your move easily.
AirForce Texan Big Bore is all about power and accuracy.
If you are a regular hunter, you will know how these two can change your shooting experience altogether.
PCP rifles are gaining popularity these days and for all the right reasons.
Here we will first talk about the gun-type then review every single part for better insight,
And see why AirForce Texan Big Bore is one the best PCP air rifles in 2024.
AirForce Texan Big Bore – Gun Type
This is a pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) rifle that creates air pressure mechanically rather than having any chemical reaction inside the tank which is the powerhouse of the entire system.
If you are new to PCP guns, I recommend you read this post to see if PCP air rifle is the best choice for shooting enthusiasts
The air compresses and creates havoc pressure, which is later used to throw projectiles.
Air Force Texan big bore allows air pressure as high as 3000 psi to give its best performance.
Being an air rifle, AirForce Texan comes with an exotic air tank.
I can leave all the power and accuracy aside.
The outlook of this particular rifle is enough to steal the show.
If you take a seat among air rifle enthusiasts frequently this is going to earn you some high level of jealousy.
AirForce Texan Big Bore air tank is filled in various ways.
You can use a hand pump or a compressor.
Conventional hunters are still huge fans of using hand pumps but let me warn you that is going to be very tiring.
If you are not very confident of the physical work, I suggest you leave it up to a compressor.
There are numerous compressors available in the market.
I will be sharing the details in the latter part of this Air Force Texan big bore air rifle review.
Now that you have filled the tank, the valves inside the reservoir create a blockage, and due to this the pressure increases.
When you pull the trigger, the pressure releases through a comparatively narrow path turning all the potential energy into velocity.
Thus your projectile lands in the desired location.
The pressure and performance of the air rifle are not proportional though it may look so from the principle.
Way too high air pressure which is out of the range of the gun may cause permanent blockage making it completely nonfunctional.
AirForce Texan Big Bore is a single-shot gun.
This means you have to load the gun for every shot.
Though there are multi-shot guns available in the market, the accuracy of single-shot guns is still unbeatable.
From another point of view, it makes you a better hunter.
You know you have to go through all the work and hassle before you could take another shot.
Therefore, you try your very best to make that one shot count.
Regular use of single-shot guns improves your focus, target, and ultimately performance.
The barrel of AirForce Texan Big Bore is not shrouded making it pretty loud.
It is not okay if you plan to shoot in silence in the backyard or want to take a couple of squirrels down.
However, there’s more to Air Force Texan big bore and do not lose heart as I got the solution for loudness.
Continue with the Air Force Texan big bore review and discover the wonders it can do.
Moving on to the next part of the rifle, this particular model of Air Force Texan offers you two-stage non-adjustable triggers.
Though their position can be adjusted according to your need.
The trigger section contains a detailed review of the trigger and makes the sir clear for the beginners.
AirForce Texan Big Bore is available in four different calibers.
They offer you 0.257, 0.30, 0.357, and 0.45.
The power, velocity, accuracy varies from caliber to caliber.
It also provides you with commendable safety.
The textured grip deserved to be mentioned as well.
So far, I gave you an overall idea of the rifle and what are the main features you will be dealing with in case you get an Air Force Texan big bore.
Now let us do some detailed research work on every single part to make a smart buy.
AirForce Texan Big Bore is available in four different calibers: 0.257, 0.30, 0.357 and 0.45
Stock
AirForce Texan Big Bore comes with a synthetic stock.
Now I know a lot of you will stick up your nose hearing synthetic stock, but they are much more realistic than wood stock.
Nothing can outshine the class of a wood stock but they are heavier than synthetic ones.
When it comes to air guns, your first priority is performance and convenience not the look
And to be truthful Air Force Texan big bore is absolute beauty even with its synthetic stock.
They are lighter than the wooden ones which you can handle easily and carry from one place to another as well.
The textured grip adds more uniqueness to it.
The butt plate can be rotated from left to right for some cast-on or cast-off adjustment.
Sight
Sight is one of the most important features of any shooting equipment.
Airforce Texan comes with no open sight though it offers you an 11 mm dovetail rail on the upper part of the body.
It is very important to put your illumination parts, surveying equipment, and range in sync for a successful shoot.
AirForce Texan Big Bore gives you full freedom to choose your own scope.
Do not rush into something popular just because people are saying it works well.
Air Force Texan lets you use a very wide range of accessories where the price range also satisfies all kinds of pockets.
You would not need some high-rated scope that is used in air guns usually as the Air Force Texan big bore has very little reverse recoil.
Go with something that serves your purpose and is affordable at the same time.
You can also think about Picatinny or weaver rail but in that case, you will need an adapter for Air Force Texan to accommodate those scopes.
There are numerous dovetails to pica tinny or dovetail to the weaver adapter available in the market,
And it would cost you around $40-50 to get a generous one.
Velocity, accuracy and power
Hands down we are talking about the most powerful air rifle in the world.
Whoever talks like “just an air gun” has definitely no clue about the power of Air Force Texan big bore.
To start with, you take a lead bullet of .45 caliber and Air Force Texan will deliver it with 500 ft-lbs energy at a speed of 100 fps.
Now, who talking about power! I will give you a detailed chart of velocity and energy airforce Texan produces in the case of different pellets.
Here are some of the test results that will give you a better idea of the power and accuracy in relation to certain ammo.
Accuracy
| Calibers | Pellets | Distances | Groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| .308 | JSB EXACT DIABOLO, 50.15 Gr | 50 yards | 1/2" |
| .308 | JSB Exacts....50.15 gr | 25 yards | nickel size |
| .457 | 340 grain | 100 yards | 0.75" |
| .457 | 143 grain round ball | 50 yards | one hole |
| .457 | 150 gr ball | 75 yards | 3/4" |
| .457 | Air Venturi FP 350 gr | 50 yards | 0.73" |
| .357 | Aero Magnum | 50 yards | 0.66" |
| .357 | Predator Polymag | 50 yards | 1.42" |
| .357 | Aero Magnum | 100 yards | 1.31" |
Chrony tests
| Calibers | Pellets | FPS | FPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| .357 | JSB Diabolo Exact 81.02 gr | 1100 | 217.74 |
| .30 | Slug 85 grains | 1040 | 204.19 |
| .457 | Air Venturi Round Ball 143 Grains | 1016 | 327.85 |
| .357 | Air Venturi Round Ball 66 grain | 1066 | 166.58 |
| .357 | Air Venturi Flat Point 127 grain | 847 | 202.36 |
| .30 | Nielson 122 gr. hollow point | 692 | 129.76 |
| .30 | Hunter Supply 134 gr. s.p. | 721 | 154.71 |
| .457 | Semi-wadcutters 215 Grains | 835 | 332.94 |
| .457 | Air Venturi Round Ball 143 Grains, | 1044 | 346.17 |
| .457 | Slugs Nielsen 350 gr | 809 | 508.77 |
| .457 | Slugs 405 gr | 765 | 526.42 |
| .457 | Air Venturi FP 350 gr | 710 | 391.87 |
| .257 | Nielsen 85gr | 1048 | 207.35 |
| .257 | Areo Magnum 70gr | 1139 | 201.7 |
| .457 | Air Venturi PHP 250gr | 813 | 367.01 |
| .457 | Air Venturi SWC 265gr | 820 | 395.76 |
| .457 | Air Venturi FP 350 gr | 746 | 432.62 |
| .457 | Air Venturi FP 405 gr | 704 | 445.82 |
| .357 | Aero Magnum 128gr | 915 | 238.02 |
| .357 | Predator Polymag 81gr | 989 | 175.97 |
| .457 | Roundball 143 gr | 907 | 261.28 |
| .457 | Hollow point 200 gr | 848 | 319.43 |
| .457 | Round Nose 350 gr | 791 | 486.38 |
| .457 | Round Nose 405 gr | 750 | 505.98 |
| .457 | Hunters Specialty 310gr | 806 | 447.29 |
| .457 | Hunters Specialty 350gr | 769 | 459.7 |
Air Force Texan is good to take down small to medium range games anytime.
In fact, it’s one of the best air rifles for hunting on the market.
Trigger
Air Force Texan big bore offers you a two-stage trigger, though they are not purely adjustable.
You can only adjust the position of the trigger.
In simple words, the trigger is crisp and clean.
In the Air Force Texan big bore trigger breaks at 32 ounces.
Being on the heavier side, you can always tell when the trigger is going to break.
This predictability increases the rate of success.
The valve of Air Force Texan big bore can be tuned to either maximum power or maximum consistency.
You can analyze your needs and make the right tuning.
Cocking and loading
Cocking and loading in an Air Force Texan big bore is very easy.
To start with, the butt plate on the Air Force Texan is adjustable, which gives you the highest flexibility against the length of this air gun.
While cocking, you pull the lever out that will cock the gun. Yes, it is that simple.
Then load the magazine and pull it back.
You are all set to fire your first shot.
You can see a side lever along the body of the Air Force Texan, which when closed automatically enables safety.
This is one striking feature of the Air Force Texan big bore.
It offers you incredible security that is enabled automatically.
Loudness
In this case, let me tell you the scenario in a very short and simple way. Air Force Texan big bore is LOUD!
Yes, if you are thinking about squirrel shooting without letting your neighbors know, then this should not belong in your drawing-room.
The barrel is not baffled nor shrouded so there is no silence mechanism.
However, I have the solution here.
There are numerous silencers available in the market which would do magic on your Air Force Texan.
One of the available products is Donny FL Emperor Suppressor which is claimed as quiet as raindrops.
You can choose from the wide variety available in the market and make your Texan quiet and perfect for lawn shooting.
Shooting Ability
As I mentioned above, an Air Force Texan is a single-shot air gun.
It has an in-built manometer to keep track of the pressure inside the barrel.
As with a decrease in pressure, you will find the performance deteriorating.
Maintenance
The Air Force Texan big bore is not a very high-maintenance air gun.
It was designed to provide you with endless shooting moments with minimum care.
There would be nothing for ages and then if you see slugs because of lead pellets,
Leave a note for your second generation to wipe it clean with a cloth.
If that does not suffice, but one or two drops of oil and your Air Force Texan big bore is new again, ready to serve your grandchildren.
Accessories
The Air Force Texan is a PCP gun with a 490 cc tank which offers a maximum pressure of 3000 psi.
If these numbers make any sense to you, then you already know what I am going to say next, if not let me clarify the fact that you need an external source to fill the tank.
You can use a hand pump but practically that would be very tiring so go for an air compressor and choose one available in the market.
If you don’t know how to choose the right air source for your PCP rifle, I suggest you use only compressed air or dry nitrogen for your Air Force Texan big bore tank.
Apart from the air pump, you will need a sight as it comes with no open sight.
Same as the tank there is a wide variety available in the market for sight and scope
So you can choose the perfect one according to your need and mood.
The Texan comes with a dovetail rail though with cheap adapters you can use pica tinny or weaver ring.
To eliminate the loudness you can use a silencer on the barrel and spending a little would not hurt as these accessories are here to last long.
Specifications
I have discussed in detail all the features but while picking the air gun, I know you could be in a hurry, so I am here to sum it all up. Here I am giving you the product specifications at one go.
- Completely made in the USA.
- This is a pre-charged pneumatic rifle, which works on compressed air pressure.
- The body offers a side lever for better and easy access and loading.
- Air Force Texan is a single-shot rifle.
- It comes with a 11 mm dovetail ring for attaching your favorite scope.
- The barrel of an Air Force Texan big bore is 34” long.
- Two-stage trigger and the position can be adjusted.
- Automatic safety, which can be controlled manually as well.
- The grip is textured.
- Air tank is 490 cc with a maximum pressure of 3000 psi.
- Air Force Texan offers pressure relief devices.
- In-built manometer to keep track of the pressure inside the tank.
- Optic rail is extended for better mounting.
- The power of the rifle could be adjusted according to your need,
- Pull length is between 13.825” and 15”.
- Butt plate can be adjusted depending upon your body weight and size.
- There is no silencer, which makes the Air Force Texan big bore a loud air gun.
Air Force Texan is good enough to take down small to medium games anytime
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Price
Air Force Texan will cost you around $1000 to $1200 depending upon your caliber choice.
If you add the accessories like air tank, sight, and silencer, it would cost you another $300-$400
But considering the power and accuracy of the rifle, it should not be an issue.
This durable air gun is a one-time purchase and with proper accessories, you can have the best shooting experience.
Not only that, an Air Force Texan is a legacy you can leave behind.
Customer review
Air Force Texan is the name you can trust and so does the world of hunters.
The positivity and high spirit that surround Air Force Texan are always confidence boosters for new buyers.
They have done everything right with the air gun, and all that you would spend on this air gun will be totally worth the quality according to all the customers.
How does the AirForce Texan compare to other air rifles?
Airforce Texan vs Benjamin Bulldog
| Specifications | Airforce Texan | Benjamin BullDog |
| Caliber | .30, .45 | .357 |
| Max Velocity | 1270 fps, 1000 fps | 910 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 238 ft/lbs | 200 ft/lbs |
| Loudness | 5-High | 4-Medium-High |
| Barrel Length | 34.0” | 28.0” |
| Overall Length | 48.0” | 36.0” |
| Shot Capacity | 1 | 5 |
| Barrel | Rifled | Rifled |
| Front sight | None | None |
| Rear Sight | None | None |
| Scopeable | 11 mm dovetail | Weaver/picatinny |
| Trigger | Two-stage non-adjustable | Two-stage non-adjustable |
| Buttplate | Adjustable | Rubber |
| Best for | Hunting | Hunting |
| Trigger pull | 2.06 lbs | 3.0 lbs |
| Action | Sidelever | Sidelever |
| Safety | Automatic | Manual |
| Powerplant | Precharged pneumatic | Pre-charged pneumatic |
| Function | Single-shot | repeater |
| Max shots per fill | 12 | 10 |
| Weight | 7.65 lbs | 7.7 lbs |
| Cylinder size | 490 cc | 340 cc |
| Stock | Synthetic | Synthetic |
| Grip | Ambidextrous | Ambidextrous |
| Color | Black | Black |
Starting with power, Airforce Texan still leads with an incredible muzzle energy of 238 ft/lbs for the .30 caliber.
The Benjamin Bulldog is a bit less powerful, with muzzle energy of 200 ft/lbs for the .357 caliber.
However, this is still enough to eliminate most of the large game you have long wished to hunt.
Coming to the length, the Benjamin Bulldog is 12 inches shorter than the Airforce Texan.
Similarly, the barrel lengths differ by 6 inches.
It is good to understand that the length of the gun is simply an aesthetic feature rather than a functional one.
Airgun Academy confirmed that there is no correlation between the barrel length of the air rifle and accuracy.
It is a misconception that longer barrels are more accurate than shorter ones.
Air rifles with longer barrels can at times be even less accurate than those with shorter barrels, and vice versa.
Likewise, the muzzle velocity of the air rifle is not entirely dependent on the length of the barrel.
As such, it all boils down to your taste.
Get the Benjamin Bulldog if you fancy a shorter air rifle.
Another significant difference is that the Airforce Texan is a single-shot air rifle
Whereas the Benjamin Bulldog is a multi-shot air rifle with a capacity of 5 shots.
Both single-shot rifles and repeaters have their pros and cons.
Personally, I prefer the single-shot rifle for my hunting expeditions.
You see, by having a single shot, I really have to make it count.
Even so, others prefer the repeater air rifles because they have backup shots if they miss the first or second one.
Airforce Texan vs Umarex hammer
| Specifications | Airforce Texan | Umarex Hammer |
| Caliber | .30, .45 | .50 |
| Max Velocity | 1270 fps, 1000 fps | 1000 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 238 ft/lbs | 700 ft/lbs |
| Loudness | 5-High | 5-High |
| Barrel Length | 34.0” | 29.5” |
| Overall Length | 48.0” | 43.75” |
| Shot Capacity | 1 | 2 |
| Barrel | Rifled | Rifled |
| Front sight | None | None |
| Rear Sight | None | None |
| Scopeable | 11 mm dovetail | Weaver/Picatinny |
| Best for | Hunting | Hunting |
| Trigger pull | 2.06 lbs | 3.0 lbs |
| Action | Sidelever | Bolt Action |
| Safety | Automatic | Manual |
| Powerplant | Precharged pneumatic | Pre-charged pneumatic |
| Function | Single-shot | Repeater |
| Max shots per fill | 12 | 4 |
| Weight | 7.65 lbs | 8.5 lbs |
| Cylinder size | 490 cc | 393 cc |
| Stock | Synthetic | Synthetic |
| Grip | Ambidextrous | Ambidextrous |
| Color | Black | Black |
What amazes me about the Umarex Hammer is the unheard-of muzzle energy of 700 FPE.
That is nearly three times the muzzle energy of an Airforce Texan.
You can imagine what that means given that the Airforce Texan is already powerful enough to down large game.
In fact, people question whether the Umarex Hammer is really an air rifle.
It is far above the typical air rifle in terms of power.
Call it a beast if you wish – you will have defined it well.
If you fancy such power in your hands, go for the Umarex Hammer. In this case, at a reduced cost!
The average price for the Airforce Texan is about $1,200 while the Umarex Hammer goes for about $900.
Might the price difference be simply attributed to the brand?
Remember Umarex is a German company while Airforce is an American company.
With the Airforce Texan, you will have about 12 shots per every fill of the 490 cc cylinder.
On the other hand, the Umarex Hammer has a 393 cc cylinder that supports only 4 shots when full.
As earlier mentioned, psychologically, the fewer shots you have per fill, the more focused you will be with shooting since you want to make every shot count.
Airforce Texan vs Condor
| Specifications | Airforce Texan | Airforce Condor |
| Caliber | .30, .45 | .22 |
| Max Velocity | 1270 fps, 1000 fps | 1250 fps |
| Loudness | 5-High | 5-high |
| Barrel Length | 34.0” | 24.0” |
| Overall Length | 48.0” | 38.75” |
| Shot Capacity | 1 | 1 |
| Barrel | Rifled | Rifled |
| Front sight | None | None |
| Rear Sight | None | None |
| Scopeable | 11 mm dovetail | 11mm dovetail |
| Trigger | Two-stage non-adjustable | Two-stage, non-adjustable |
| Buttplate | Adjustable | Rubber |
| Best for | Hunting | Hunting |
| Trigger pull | 2.06 lbs | 3.0 lbs |
| Action | Sidelever | Bolt-Action |
| Safety | Automatic | Automatic |
| Powerplant | Precharged pneumatic | Pre-charged pneumatic |
| Function | Single-shot | Single-shot |
| Max shots per fill | 12 | 50 |
| Weight | 7.65 lbs | 6.1 lbs |
| Cylinder size | 490 cc | 490 cc |
| Stock | Synthetic | Synthetic |
| Grip | Ambidextrous | Ambidextrous |
| Color | Black | Black |
With 50 shots per fill, the Airforce Condor outdoes the Airforce Texan.
Having 50 shots helps you concentrate more on the shooting bit rather than on the technical bit of refilling the cylinders.
That is especially true if you dislike air rifles for the fact that you have to refill them over and over again.
Both the Airforce Texan and the Airforce Condor are single-shot air rifles, in contrast to the repeaters.
Single-shot air rifles in a way make you more conscious of your shooting, in that you will not want to waste a shot.
You will also notice that the Airforce Condor is significantly shorter than the Airforce Texan.
This however does not affect its performance.
Whether a gun has a short or long barrel does not really matter.
The Airforce Condor comes in 4 models – the .177, the .20, the .22, and the .25 caliber.
The .177 caliber gives a rip-snorting muzzle velocity of 1450 fps.
This is way above what the .30 caliber of the Airforce Texan can achieve (1270 fps).
At only 6.1 lbs, the Airforce Condor feels much lighter than the 7.65 lbs Airforce Texan.
I can advise you to go for the Airforce Condor if ease of carrying is a vital consideration for you when choosing air rifles.
Airforce Texan 357 vs 45
The major difference between these two guns is their caliber.
Your choice of bigger or smaller caliber depends on what you intend to do with the air rifle.
Bigger caliber air rifles tend to have lower muzzle velocities.
With a decreased muzzle velocity, you expect the pellet to start deviating from the straight path at some distance from the shooter
Which is less than that recorded with an air rifle that has a high muzzle velocity.
Is your intention to kill rats within the house?
Then you certainly don’t need a very high muzzle velocity.
A hunter in the wild will however need an air rifle with high muzzle velocity given that prey may not always be very near the shooter.
In other dimensions, the higher the caliber the higher the penetration power.
A .45 pellet will deliver more energy to the prey.
The Airforce Texan .45 produces muzzle energy of up to 400 FPE while the Airforce Texan .357 produces about 340 FPE.
The difference here is not that large. Bigger pellets can also be shot without being swayed by the wind.
Bonus: Airforce Texan vs Concrete block
Believe it or not, pellets shot from the Airforce Texan Big Bore are able to destroy concrete.
Twang n Bang, Inc tested the Airforce Texan on a 150 mm thick concrete block and the block cracked into two with just two shots.
This just confirms that the Airforce Texan is one of the most powerful air rifles in the world.
Conclusion
To sum up, Air Force Texan is the American dream in the world of air rifles, which offers you durability, power, and accuracy in a single box.
