This is the first time I've shot using night scope and I wanted to shoot at night before heading to the farm tomorrow night

It's a compact impact mk2 .177

I think my focus might have been a little off but I shot these just now in dark

35 yards

Two 5 shot groups shooting jsb .177 13.43 at 905 fps

The rats are going to hell tomorrow night

First off I want to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to FX Airguns for supporting this deep dive testing into a topic of big bore airgun terminal performance and choosing the right ammo based on the game animal you are targeting.

As big game hunting grows and more states across the United States legalize big bore airgun hunting for Deer and other large game animals, I have been wanting to make this video for the last few years as we see more manufacturers start getting into big bore calibers .357 and higher.

I am going to make a bold statement and FPE is NOT everything you need to consider when targeting larger game animals. You 100% need to understand the terminal performance of your slugs and ammo. In layman's terms, what is that slug doing at the point of impact and into and hopefully THROUGH the game animal.

I've been testing the FX Impact .35 cal liners since they were released a few years ago and slinging pellets it has been wicked accurate. As a big bore airgun hunter though I have been waiting for the Superior Heavy slug liner to see how it performs on medium and with the right ammo selection, larger game animals.

FX Airguns has really perfected the art of barrel liner R&D and they absolutely NAILED the precision with this new slug liner. I have also had the FX Hybrid slugs in .35 for over a year now and testing them in a lot of my other .35 cal airguns seeing the insane amount of energy dumping they provide. But when I was able to finally test them in this new liner I was shocked about the pin point precision they provide.

A lot of airgunners are coming to the .357 caliber from smaller calibers of airguns. As you get up into these "big bore" sizes, that pin point slug on slug precision you expect in your .22 and .25 pellet puffers or slug slingers starts to get exponentially more difficult with heavier and higher caliber projectiles. But again, FX has figured out the secret sauce.

One of the innovative things they did in releasing these very LIGHT for caliber (low sectional density) hybrids slugs is not only does it allow you to sling them very fast around 1000 FPS and with the new PowerBlock and Tungsten Hammer around 1070 FPS, you are dumping a TON of energy in a VERY short amount of penetration.

The Hybrids are a perfect choice of ammo if you don't care about anything being left to salvage if you are hunting for meat with small game animals. It is the PERFECT pesting ammo for larger small game like Prairie Dogs and predator hunting. It dumps over 150 FPE turning into little flying discs of death.

But what got me into big bore airguns .357 and higher was the ability to take larger game like Deer. So I set out to test the effects of hollow points vs. solids in this energy level of big bore airgun. In the last 5 years I have harvested over 2 dozen deer with big bore airguns and have learned A TON about terminal performance of airgun slugs.

My #1 thing to pass on is penetration is KING and expansion is a extra feature if you have enough FPE to get through the important parts and out the back door. Two holes in your game animal will yield a higher probability of recovering that animal and you AT LEAST need to have enough penetration to get through both lungs from all shot angles that you might be taking.

This video is basically the visualization of these concepts and anyone wanting to use the FX Impact M3 .357 on larger game animals needs to watch this video and absorb the information fully for the most ethical hunt possible. Again, HUGE shout out to FX Airguns to work with me to bring you this important information.

Have you ever asked yourself:​

How did I fall down the rabbit hole SO QUICKLY ​

(1) For years I was content to use a handpump to get my PCPs ready for killing.

(2) I had meant to buy a cheap backup pump, but then all corona-hell broke loose, and for two years(!) I couldn't get any airgunning gear to Peru (that'2 where I'm working right now).
Moral A: Buy AG stuff now, Zdon't procrastinate on spending money.


(3) Murphy (with his law) is a US citizen. So, I thought I'm safe living in Peru.
But — he has a cousin in Peru, his name is Fernando, and Fernando's Law is plucked from the same family tree as Murphy's Law.
So, yes, you guessed it. My hand pump broke.
Moral B: No matter where in the world you live, make sure Murphy doesn't have any relatives living there. Otherwise, you're screwed.


(4) I then MacGyvered my AG shooting — to pospone the inevitable to the last possible moment:
I literally shoot my PP700 until the pressure in the air cylinder was so low that it couldn't hold the valve shut anymore, and the pitiful rest of air escaped in one long pfffffft!
But not before propelling one last JSB into the body of a feral pigeon.

How I managed to keep my scope adjusted to the ever changing MV? ➔ Tactacam in slomo showed me the exact pellet drop in mil, and I adjusted for it before taking my next shot.

Moral C: If the forces of nature and the powers to be gang up against your airgunning hobby: Improvise!



(5) The pfffffft announced the inevitable:
I had to buy an airtank (since handpumps sold in Peru are a bad investment, $100 for made in China junk).
It cost me dearly. Ouch!
My dear wife was nice about it.
Moral D: It's nice to have a nice wife when you're an airgunner.


(6) That wallet-devastating trip down airtank alley was just a few months ago.
I certainly did not expect to find myself looking for a compressor NOW!!
That was slated for the end of this decade....

But here we are — looking down the precipice of compressor alley.
Just months after splurging on my first air tank.

Moral E: When it rains, it pours. (That's even true in the desert where I live, go figure.)



(7) How did I get myself into that conundrum?
When I was going to get my first refill of my shiny new tank — I almost dropped it on the tile floor....
The local dive shops have jacked up their prices as if the Corona China Virus made air a scarce resource.
Or as if Russia's tanks shut down the air pipeline to Europe....

Moral F: Don't trust the communists, no matter if they come with Russian of Chinese flavor.

---

So, now you know how I slid down the rabbit hole much much quicker than anticipated.
You know there's a moral in that as well....


Your turn:
What shoved you into the AG rabbit hole?
What lubricated your rapid descend down into it?

Matthias



PS: If you think that you are not going down the rabbit hole — well, my psychologist has a term for that. He calls it "denial."

My newest toys

I wasn’t originally going to post this, as the slug game is a long and drawn out process in finding a slug that works with the gun and speed you want. However, lately it seems like there’s been more offerings in the slug market, and those offerings seem to be less “fussy” with speed and twist rate.
For the majority of my airgun journey, I’ve never needed to use slugs, but they’ve always intrigued me, and I’ve always wanted to be able to shoot them. Last week I had the opportunity to get some range time in with a good friend, and while I overwhelmed myself by taking too many of my guns, I did try a variety of slugs out of 2 of them, and while they grouped great at 25yds (im sure they all do), at 50 and up, they were all over the place. Now I didn’t adjust speed, or play with anything on the guns. I literally loaded up a few, and shot them. I was disappointed (obviously) with the results, but at the same time, got to thinking. Am I expecting too much from slugs? Without having a “dedicated” slug shooter, and shooting primarily pellets from my guns, am I expecting too much out of a slug, or out of the gun I’m shouting?

There’s a lot of talk lately about slugs replacing pellets, but in my book, pellets will always be my primary ammo, unless I can buy a slug for a similar price, and shoot them at the same speeds I am with pellets and getting similar accuracy.

Am I asking too much?

Airgun Revisions HFT Challenger is in Rick R hands now.

Just something that I came across on another site

Any recommendation for some type of wearable net against mosquitos? I am thinking some gaun like thing would be great. Or pants and shirt. I have seen many on chinazon but you cannot believe the reviews there anymore. I don't mind using spray on my hands, neck and face. I was just sitting outside and my back was eaten by them. My Sitka hunting pants seams to work for my legs, but it is a bit hot outside here in South FL. Thank you!

My newest air rifle has arrived!
It's my first Daystate. Love it already

Just sharing with you all. Thanks for looking and reading!

I've received 3 damaged packages of pellets over the last 2 weeks. Different vendors, but the same courier. I know who not to use, if possible.

I have no choice but to order online (I'm in northern Maine....no air gunners up here, so no shops).

Where are you ordering your pellets from....and receiving undamaged product? What courier?

Thanks for any input.

Curious what your preference is for stock style

I’m not a gambler. I’ve got a pair of HW95’s a .177 and a .22 cal. Also this 3 of a kind R9’s .177, .20 and .22 cal. For your Full House or in reality 5 of a kind.
First up I grabbed the 95 .177. Aimed at a steel 6x6 plate. Miss, again shot and miss. I aim at a 15x15 plate, miss. Bought in Jan. first time shooting, had to center scope. After 5-6 shots, centered it. Stacked 5 rounds at 35 yds. out of first dozen shot from gun, No pics too muddy. R9 .177 same, stacked 5 at 30 yd. To save time all 5 rifles I stacked 5 shots at either 30 or 35 yds. Another Weihrauch wonder gun. An absolute pleasing rifle.
Mine are all current models and stock.
My first custom stock will probably fit this model.
How long has the 95 - R9 been around?
Let’s see your R9 and 95’s. Love to see some custom..Crow

I love working with cement, it’s so CONCRETE.

In a funk the last week or so when shooting offhand, so took a break from it today to get dope on my new .25 Cricket carbine. Shot some groups with the .22 as well, just to see how they compare under the same environmental conditions.
Hot & humid, but shade, a small fan, and a pitcher of iced tea helped keep it fun. Weather app was telling me 6-10mph wind, but it must've missed my ridge. Leaves were barely moving, maybe 1-3mph tops from my left to right. Dandy conditions for shooting.
Both of these were purchased from & tuned by Charlie Frear at Georgia Airguns (highly recommended, btw). Czech sisters with southern accents, if you will.



This design is, relatively speaking, older (middle aged?) in the PCP airgun world. Released 2015-ish, I think. Based on the 1st gen Cricket action- will be interesting to see if they get a refresh, linger on as is, or are dropped from the lineup altogether. No idea how popular they are, but suspect they're a small piece of the pie compared to Kalibrgun's bullpup platforms.
So how did I end up with two of them, both bought 7+ years after intro? Well...somehow managed to not notice they were a thing until recently. Why did I end up with them? They marry two things I've come to strongly favor in airguns: they're of eastern EU heritage, and are not bullpups. Now hold on, not badmouthing bullpups. They're popular for good reasons. Just don't shoot them as well, & have proven it to myself more times than I care to admit with a variety of makes & models.
So on with the show. Got the dope, but wasn't ready to stop shooting. Shot for groups at 50 yards, 5 shots to a group alternating between the two rifles on the first six, then two more with the .25 to finish the tin. JSB 15.89 in the .22 (black targets), JSB 33.95 in the .25 (orange targets). No cherrypickin' here, lest I be cursed with leaky o-rings & spilled tins.










Did chronograph work last week, both starting with 250 bar fill. 70 regulated shots with the .22 at ~30fpe, 43 regulated shots with the .25 @ ~60fpe. Pretty darn good with 250cc & 280cc cylinders, respectively.
Just tickled with how well mannered they are for their energy outputs. Very quiet, with "dead" shot cycles.

Just got my second PCP, a 22 caliber Benjamin Cayden. My first was a Origin in 25 caliber, which I've been very happy with. Just spent my first day shooting the new Cayden and it took me by surprise. I ordered a bunch of different pellets and a couple slugs to try. This gun is WAY more picky than my Origin. I haven't played around with the power settings yet, only shooting at max power as the gun came out of the box. I really like the build quality etc, and the trigger is very nice. But I'm surprised by the results of shooting different pellets so far. The gun HATES Crossman Premier HP's, JSB Knockout slugs, FX Hybrid slugs, and H&N barracuda extreme hunters. The only pellets it's grouping well at 30yds is Air Arms heavy 18gr and JSB Hades. I also tried Polymags but they don't cycle in the magazine, I'll have to pick up some shorts when they are back in stock. Also the point of impact varies greatly between the different pellets, much more than different pellets in my Origin. The point of impact variance took me by surprise. I only have experience with my Origin, which keeps everything within 8-10" or so from what it's zero'd with. The Cayden is proving to be much more difficult to test different pellets with. From everything I've read, I was expecting more from it in comparison.

Right now I'm still limited by my hand pump, my compressor is supposed to arrive in a couple of days. Once it arrives it will be much easier to test, but right now I'm frustrated. On a positive note the Buck Rail moderator works really well. I sent one round down range without it and was surprised how loud it was! It is much needed for my backyard shooting. This was all so surprising to me I was wondering if I got a lemon?? Maybe I just got lucky with my Origin? Anyways, just needed to vent!

Not sure where else to put this. Last year I sold edit... it appears I traded it.... end edit a Cricket .30 caliber. I advertised it as with one magazine, but did tell the seller that I thought I had another and would send it if/when I found it. Well... I found it. However, I cannot find the PM conversation and I'm not sure who bought it. I typically dont delete such and saw several PM's with folks asking about it, but not the buyer.
If this is you, please tag me.

Today is Fx day. Fx royal 400 .177 laminated stock. Fx Crown mkll .30 and Fx Tarantula. 22. Have at it boys.

Hi, I'm new to this site and recently just got back into airguns. Sold all my airguns (Maccari tuned R9, R7, Diana 34, QB 78s and Career 707 carbine) in early 2000s.

I have a .22 AEA HP carbine on the way for small game hunting. Looking forward setting it up and sending lead down range.

Tom

.457 beauty

A good springer or a PCP? Someone butts in and asks,"what will it be used for"? Another,how much money you want to spend, another,at what distance will you be shooting it and on and on......don't forget the PCP needs other equipment to get it to work...
The answer comes, "I just what to plink at under 30 yards and I have $800 to spend". Oh you can get a good cheap PCP and hand pump for under that and there is Always the guy that comes up with get a FX or Daystate, you won't regret it...hey dude he said he had a budget of $800, how is that going to help him?
On and on it goes,a lot of good choices and some great help.......Springer guys and PCP guys ,all air gun people that love the sport.
All of which got me thinking about dogs and women,in a perfect world a man would have them all and all would be loved.

I seen this on instagram today the LCS-SE SPECIAL EDITION. no info yet!

I had the urge to buy a stock. Finally, who ha. I went on Custom Stock in the U.K. Ordered a CS700 Thumbhole Skeleton with all the trimmings and upgraded lumber for the 98, 95, 85 or R9. I hesitated almost bought 2. Put the order in only find out they don’t ship to Canada. Knocked the wind out of my sail. Man that would have been a beautiful stock.
Doe’s anyone know where I can order a stock, who will ship to Canada? Crow

This question has been asked in another thread and it’s a question worth discussion. “Why is every retailer selling Weihrauch products low or out of inventory?” Is it that they (Weihrauch) simply cannot keep up with demand or is the reason something else?
Could it be Weihrauch is experiencing the same problem most manufacturers are? Getting and keeping help and obtaining the supplies they need because their suppliers have the same problems? Also in this atmosphere of rising labor costs, how long can they hold down their prices? How much can they raise them? What will the springer market bear? How long can these companies survive running on empty is the question. Owning my own business for over 42 years, a manufacturer like Weihrauch is a money eating machine. When things get tough, it’s just a matter of time. It seems the remaining momentum in the springer industry is going cheaper. China cheaper. For some reason the PCP market is drawing the deeper pockets.
I sure hope that Weihrauch is going gangbusters and just can’t keep up with orders.