Best Slug Diameter, .22 FX Wildcat BT Sniper

I’ve only shot Javelin Slugs out of my Wildcat in .217 diameter but have been wanting to try some other options as well. I’ve shot 30gn/950fps and done well (30 groundhogs last season), and this year I switched to 26gn/997fps to flatten my trajectory a bit. I do have the slug power kit installed, and the stock Superior barrel.

More curious about different diameters than anything else. I bought .217 because that’s what the shop said generally shoots well. Will I notice a huge difference going down to a .2165 or up to a .218?

Hoping someone else has already done the testing and can save me the money in slugs lol.

Thanks
 
There is no set diameter even for barrels from the same factory. Just been my experience. We have two M3’s in 22 at our house and with slugs under 26-26 gr they prefer .218’s I moved up the wieight a bit to 27.5’s and my gun prefers those in .217. Go figure.
I know a guy who shoots 17.5 local made slugs out of his Wildcat compact and he found the .2175 diameter to be the most accurate there.
 
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I slugged a 600mm superior smooth twist on a .22 cal Wildcat the other day. A few inches in and back out, the slug measured .216. Then I decided to push it all the way through and what I felt concerned me. Every 2-3" it would get tight or loose, up until it got to the choke then it got a bit tighter than any other time. The choke measured .213. But I'd imagine it measured .216 to maybe even .218 in places throughout the barrel between breech and choke. How do you pick a slug size with such variation?
 
I slugged a 600mm superior smooth twist on a .22 cal Wildcat the other day. A few inches in and back out, the slug measured .216. Then I decided to push it all the way through and what I felt concerned me. Every 2-3" it would get tight or loose, up until it got to the choke then it got a bit tighter than any other time. The choke measured .213. But I'd imagine it measured .216 to maybe even .218 in places throughout the barrel between breech and choke. How do you pick a slug size with such variation?
$$$ and testing. It’s not what guys want to hear so I guess maybe they just choose to ignore it but Chukar60 speaks the truth. I’ve also tried to get identical M3‘s to shoot the same bullet with the same results. It did not happen. You have entered the realm of no shortcuts. It’s all a learning process about YOUR gun and tuning abilities.
 
$$$ and testing. It’s not what guys want to hear so I guess maybe they just choose to ignore it but Chukar60 speaks the truth. I’ve also tried to get identical M3‘s to shoot the same bullet with the same results. It did not happen. You have entered the realm of no shortcuts. It’s all a learning process about YOUR gun and tuning abilities.
My wife and I both shoot 600mm M3’s with heavy slug liners. Hers is very fond of NSA 24.8’s in .217 out of the heavy liner. Mine would shoot 23 gr .217’s pretty well but l tried some .217 27.5 NSA’s just because I had them left over from a Maverick sniper. BINGO!!!! My M3 loves them. No rhyme, no reason it is just what the gun shoots the best.
 
My wife and I both shoot 600mm M3’s with heavy slug liners. Hers is very fond of NSA 24.8’s in .217 out of the heavy liner. Mine would shoot 23 gr .217’s pretty well but l tried some .217 27.5 NSA’s just because I had them left over from a Maverick sniper. BINGO!!!! My M3 loves them. No rhyme, no reason it is just what the gun shoots the best.
What kind of velocities are you finding those NSAs to be most accurate at? I ordered 5 boxes (17.5, 20.2 & 23 grain) last night in hope of finding a fit for my lady's Wildcat.
 
The 24.8 slugs in my wife’s gun re shooting in the mid 960’s, I was shooting the 23’s from my gun @ 980.
Sounds promising. I hope her Wildcat can push those lighter weight slugs at similar speeds accurately. I indexed the barrel yesterday and that seemed to help accuracy, if I can trust what I got out of those cheap Crosman Premier pellets at @ 55 yards. 🤣

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