Prop for Ranger 619FS with Verado 225

[Sam I am]

Originally Posted by MissouriAngler

Sam,

Thanks! This is a ton of info to look at. Let me get a little clarification.

Yes, I am focusing on the FS. I asked Scott about the LT and he said he did not recommend it for my boat. Says the LT has more lift for longer/heavier boats.

Can you estimate your time-to-plan? I would figure anything under 6 seconds as being acceptable.

On a Verado, all of the vents should be closed since it is a 4 stroke, correct?

As far as using a hydraulic jp, what is the sequence for getting up on plane? Trim down, jp lowest setting? Then what? I'm used to playing around with the trim to get best speed but not sure how to use the jp at the same time.

I don't know a lot about the LT. But my understanding is that they had hulls like the 621 FS in mind when the designed this prop. When the 621 FS first came out, folks were not impressed with the loss of top end. The reason the top end faded a little was due to the center of gravity shifting forward too much when they moved the consoles ahead from the VS model AND moved the batteries forward and under the floor. As a result the the hull couldn't be break free and "air out" with trim. Thus the LT...lifts the entire hull, and the flare on the end of the tube provides more force to carry the nose. Now a 619, which is also a big heavy hull, may benefit from the LT, but not as much as a 621. That's just my opinion and I have nothing to base that on other than intuition. To be honest, I'd love to play with one myself on my boat and see what happens. (65?)

My time-to-plane is right around that 6 second mark, perhaps more...I need to gradually bring throttle on until I pass 2500 rpm and then I can hammer it. I could improve this by opening all four vent holes wide open. I currently run two holes completely unplugged and I drilled holes into my solid plugs because I didn't have any others around. I also need to raise my jackplate about 3/4 of the way up on my hole shot. If I don't baby the first 1/3 of the hole shot I bog. (interestingly I have a 2015 G2 250HO on a speed/ski boat and it will rip out of the hole with the exact same prop buried as deep as it will go on the jackplate. BUT, that hull weighs half of what a Ranger Multi Species hull weighs)

Verado or Opti has nothing to do with vent holes closed or open. Vent holes are for tuning your hole shot. It will be motor, boat, and setup (J/P positioning) dependant. The vent holes allow exhaust gas to escape the prop and create cavitation (air around the blades) which allows your motor to spin the prop easier, rev up the RPMs, and power out of the hole easier. The trick is to balance the venting just right. Too much venting and your prop will spin out...not enough venting and the motor will bog. Like I said above, I found a work around for this by raising the motor on the jackplate...I should just pull the other two vent plugs completely. EDIT: Verados are really torquey at the bottom of the RPM band...more so than 2 strokes. So you shouldn't have much of a problem with your hole shot.

Regarding your jackplate, here's how I do it: I have an Atlas jackplate that has a ruler on the side, but more importantly displays a number to a trim gauge on my dash. I've figured out that my boat likes my jackplate set anywhere from the 12-14 range on a scale 16. So, I set my plate at 12, come out of the hole, plane out and then adjust trim on the throttle. If I'm not hitting what I think should be top RPM at WOT (wide open throttle) I back out of the throttle a bit to take the train off the plate, and then raise my Jackplate. My boat likes different heights depending fuel load, gear, guys and temperature. Your jackplate may not be able to raise your motor at WOT. It will most likely always be able to lower it as gravity will assist it, but depending on how hard your running and what plate you get, it might get tired and not raise the engine at WOT. Like I said, just back out of the throttle a bit, reduce the load on the motor/jackplate, raise the jackplate and get back on the gas. Once you're satisfied you're with the jackplate height, play with the trim...mine likes 3/4 trim. If I trim too high, I'll actually gain RPM, but lose speed. Your GPS and Tach will tell the tale regarding trim position at speed. In general, the higher the jackplate and the higher the motor is trimmed, the more RPM's you'll turn, the faster you'll go. BUT, you will hit the point of diminishing returns at some point...meaning you'll have high RPM, but lower speed because you're either too high on the jackplate, over trimmed the motor, or both.

IMPORTANT: pay attention to your water pressure if you have that gauge, or your engine temp. Depending on your setup (Which hole your motor is mounted in or whether you have low water pick ups on the bottom/front of your lower unit) you can raise the motor too high and inadvertently starve your motor of water which could cause an overheat condition. I will also add this is pretty unlikely given the fact you're running a Verado with a 25" shaft...it shouldn't have any problem finding water. The only time I've ever encountered a low water pressure issue or high temp issue was on 20" mid engines found on Bass boats and performance hulls.

(If you're wondering why air temp matters, air temp affects performance greatly as the density of air is greater at low temps and less at high temps...the more dense the air, the more oxygen in the combustion chamber, the more power your engine makes)

Not trying to pick an argument here but what a 2050 with a Opti does or how it performs is pretty irrelevant to your setup. They have a distinctly different hull, setback and deadrise, plus the weight of the livewell is different. Not to mention the difference in motors.

The 21p Bravo FS performs very well on that setup. You may be able to use a 22p but I doubt you will be happy with the upper RPMs. Maybe a touch faster but won't perform as well in the rough stuff.

[Sam I am]

Originally Posted by Eyecan

Not trying to pick an argument here but what a 2050 with a Opti does or how it performs is pretty irrelevant to your setup. They have a distinctly different hull, setback and deadrise, plus the weight of the livewell is different. Not to mention the difference in motors.

The 21p Bravo FS performs very well on that setup. You may be able to use a 22p but I doubt you will be happy with the upper RPMs. Maybe a touch faster but won't perform as well in the rough stuff.

It's a fair question. There are parallels to setting up any boat and while I'm not an expert, I've set up 7 boats and gotten the most out of all of them. Each one is unique, but ultimately the technique and procedures are simple variations on a theme.

[MissouriAngler]

I really appreciate all of the advice I am getting and each bit helps. It's tough getting a true apples-to-apples comparison.

My dilemma is that I won't have access to any props other than the one that comes on the boat. If I want to try different props then I will have to buy them. My dealer seems to think I can get Ranger to put the prop of my choice on there. I am hoping Ranger has tested the 619 with one of the Bravo series and can advise me on which will give the best all around performance.
I do have a few leads on people with similar rigs who are in the process of trying out these props so hopefully I will have something soon.

[Sam I am]

Where are you located? Thre's a prop shop in Brainerd, MN that will work with folks on testing out prop...I believe you rent them from him and heard if you buy a prop from him he'll make it worth your while.

Worth a shot.

[MissouriAngler]

Originally Posted by Sam I am

Where are you located? Thre's a prop shop in Brainerd, MN that will work with folks on testing out prop...I believe you rent them from him and heard if you buy a prop from him he'll make it worth your while.

Worth a shot.

Thanks, but I'm not called MissouriAngler for nothing. Live in the St. Louis area. Fish the lakes here in Missouri and Arkansas. This is bass boat boat country. Place I ordered the 619 from has never sold any FS's before. I'm sure he thinks I'm crazy.

[gravelcarp]

Ok, so ran with the tempest 21 today, this is with 5th battery and kicker. Most of my tackle in the boat. 5.5 in manual jack plate.

6280-6320 rpms 55-58mph depending on up current or down. If I wasn't breaking it in I might have got 59 and change. Takes awhile for the boat to wind out and I couldn't run it long WOT.

So that is my baseline. As others have stated I think a 22-23 Bravo will work. Will be testing more and will keep updating. Tempest runs ok, but midrange is a lot to be desired. Have to bury the trim to keep it hooked up, but stays hooked at WOT. Holeshot average. Not what I'm looking for. Good top speed prop, but bow carries high.

[MissouriAngler]

Originally Posted by gravelcarp

Ok, so ran with the tempest 21 today, this is with 5th battery and kicker. Most of my tackle in the boat. 5.5 in manual jack plate.

6280-6320 rpms 55-58mph depending on up current or down. If I wasn't breaking it in I might have got 59 and change. Takes awhile for the boat to wind out and I couldn't run it long WOT.

So that is my baseline. As others have stated I think a 22-23 Bravo will work. Will be testing more and will keep updating. Tempest runs ok, but midrange is a lot to be desired. Have to bury the trim to keep it hooked up, but stays hooked at WOT. Holeshot average. Not what I'm looking for. Good top speed prop, but bow carries high.

Surprised the with the rpms you're getting that your holeshot and mid-range weren't better. Please keep posting as you get more results. Thanks!

[gravelcarp]

Holeshot wasn't bad by any means, it was more that I couldn't stay on plane at slower speeds. I'm looking to stay up at slower speeds and stay more level. I'm also getting used to the boat, but I saw the same exact problems with my last rig, and going 4 blade made all the difference.

[MissouriAngler]

So my dealer says Ranger has agreed to put the prop of my choice at no extra charge. I am going with the Bravo 1 FS but not set on the pitch. Scott recommended a 22 or 23p depending on whether there is a kicker or not.
Does anyone know what Ranger puts on this boat as the standard. Is it the Tempest Plus 19 or 21?