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American Air Arms Anyone hunt with slugs in an Evoll .22 with 15” barrel?

Have the .30 and very well built and accurate
I have the Paradigm .30 I pest with but want to pest with the Evol too.

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Depends on the barrel. How old is the rifle? There were a few different barrels that were used
I bought it in December from AoA.
Yeah, I meant to mention in OP that I know every barrel id different. I have some polymags with the brass penetrator, hope they might be good but also have some H&N assortment packs that are slugs in various diameters and weight.
 
So I trief a variety of brands and weights of slugs and pellets today. I used 30 yards as my initial group testing distance. I also chrono’d them as well.
The most accurate, and if I’m not mistaken, AAA tunes for the same pellet that was most accurate, the JSB Exact Jumbo Monster Redesigned 25.39 grain.
I was getting an average speed of 801.4fps for 36.22 ft lbs.
Fortunately I have about 20 tins of them on the shelf.

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Just to share some thoughts from my EVOL 15" .22 experiences.
- This barrel really likes to be cleaned - frequently (every 200-300 rounds work for me). I've learned recently to clean before a range session to get best accuracy.
- It takes one full mag to settle in when I switch ammo. Even going from one pellets to another pellet I find it takes 5-6 shots before the new pellet settles into its POI.
- You need to slug your barrel to find the right diameter. My barrel slugged out to .218 so I'm using .2175 NSA 20gr slugs. I get really good accuracy for a few mags but it begins to diminish very quickly.

I took the EVOL out to the range a week and a half ago to test pellets. Full cleaning on the barrel before leaving and left it to the range to lead it back up. This was a shooting session to try out a few different pellets:
  • JSB 28gr
  • JSB 25gr Redesign Shallow
  • JSB 25gr Redesign Deep
  • JTS 22gr
  • JTS 25gr
As a reference, my tune is pushing the JSB 25gr right around 895-900.

The JSB 28gr didn't not shoot well. I could see them spiraling out to 50 yards. The JSB Shallow was just okay as well. The JTS 22gr was pretty bad, but I think they were shooting too hot around 960-970 fps.

The JSB 25gr Redesign Deep and the JTS 25gr both did an excellent job pulling pretty tight ~1/2" groupd @ 50 yards. I also had no problem with either breaking apart pieces of shot clays on the 100 yard burm - but no groups out that far.

I think you'll tighten that group up with a little more fps and a good barrel cleaning.
 
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Just to share some thoughts from my EVOL 15" .22 experiences.
- This barrel really likes to be cleaned - frequently (every 200-300 rounds work for me). I've learned recently to clean before a range session to get best accuracy.
- It takes one full mag to settle in when I switch ammo. Even going from one pellets to another pellet I find it takes 5-6 shots before the new pellet settles into its POI.
- You need to slug your barrel to find the right diameter. My barrel slugged out to .218 so I'm using .2175 NSA 20gr slugs. I get really good accuracy for a few mags but it begins to diminish very quickly.

I took the EVOL out to the range a week and a half ago to test pellets. Full cleaning on the barrel before leaving and left it to the range to lead it back up. This was a shooting session to try out a few different pellets:
  • JSB 28gr
  • JSB 25gr Redesign Shallow
  • JSB 25gr Redesign Deep
  • JTS 22gr
  • JTS 25gr
As a reference, my tune is pushing the JSB 25gr right around 895-900.

The JSB 28gr didn't not shoot well. I could see them spiraling out to 50 yards. The JSB Shallow was just okay as well. The JTS 22gr was pretty bad, but I think they were shooting too hot around 960-970 fps.

The JSB 25gr Redesign Deep and the JTS 25gr both did an excellent job pulling pretty tight ~1/2" groupd @ 50 yards. I also had no problem with either breaking apart pieces of shot clays on the 100 yard burm - but no groups out that far.

I think you'll tighten that group up with a little more fps and a good barrel cleaning.
Ahh, good info. Thank you.
 
I feel like my Mini barrel is polished like a mirror.....figured Tom polishes them before shipping? But maybe not. Then again I can't say mine has any leading quick issues.
I guess the frequent cleaning is only when shooting slugs through it. IIRC, didn't you have a 15" version before?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dairyboy
Just to share some thoughts from my EVOL 15" .22 experiences.
- This barrel really likes to be cleaned - frequently (every 200-300 rounds work for me). I've learned recently to clean before a range session to get best accuracy.
- It takes one full mag to settle in when I switch ammo. Even going from one pellets to another pellet I find it takes 5-6 shots before the new pellet settles into its POI.
- You need to slug your barrel to find the right diameter. My barrel slugged out to .218 so I'm using .2175 NSA 20gr slugs. I get really good accuracy for a few mags but it begins to diminish very quickly.

I took the EVOL out to the range a week and a half ago to test pellets. Full cleaning on the barrel before leaving and left it to the range to lead it back up. This was a shooting session to try out a few different pellets:
  • JSB 28gr
  • JSB 25gr Redesign Shallow
  • JSB 25gr Redesign Deep
  • JTS 22gr
  • JTS 25gr
As a reference, my tune is pushing the JSB 25gr right around 895-900.

The JSB 28gr didn't not shoot well. I could see them spiraling out to 50 yards. The JSB Shallow was just okay as well. The JTS 22gr was pretty bad, but I think they were shooting too hot around 960-970 fps.

The JSB 25gr Redesign Deep and the JTS 25gr both did an excellent job pulling pretty tight ~1/2" groupd @ 50 yards. I also had no problem with either breaking apart pieces of shot clays on the 100 yard burm - but no groups out that far.

I think you'll tighten that group up with a little more fps and a good barrel cleaning.

When you clean are you using solvent and a brush or just pulling patches?
 
When you clean are you using solvent and a brush or just pulling patches?
For cleaning I use patches with a pull through. Usually Ballistol or CLR on the patch. When I clean it usually takes about 10-12 patches and the first 3-5 are really dirty with lead flakes. Most of my other airguns only take 5-6 patches to clean.

@Dairyboy - I think it may be the slugs which cause it to lead up faster. I've only been shooting pellets since the last cleaning so I'll see how long that goes before it needs a cleaning.

I've borescoped the barrel before and it's very clean, mine just seems to lead up fast.
 
@Dairyboy - I think it may be the slugs which cause it to lead up faster. I've only been shooting pellets since the last cleaning so I'll see how long that goes before it needs a cleaning.

I've borescoped the barrel before and it's very clean, mine just seems to lead up fast.
That makes sense. I thought you were talking in general with pellets I wasn't aware you were shooting slugs more frequently through it. They definitely lead up more with them. I'd say NSAs more with the harder alloy also.