FX FX Impact MKII compact slug weight question

[cgun]

Hello All,

Just curious, for those who have an FX Impact compact running it at high power, what is the maximum weight .22 slug you've gotten to shoot well? I am running an NSA 23.0 grain .218 out of mine at 1000 fps and it shoots well. I use the gun mainly for pest control for everything from rodents to coyotes (I switch to .25 barrel at 92FPE for these) on my small farm.

I have a racoon issue right now and while I have shot a few, I would like to run a heavier slug if it will stabilize for coons as they can run 25lbs in the northeast with a thick fur coat in the fall. I can't be super picky (I know some people are gonna say "shoot 'em in the head" but thats not always an option) I am looking for a little more hitting power for chest cavity shots.

I like the air efficiency I get with the .22 and how maneuverable it is with the 500 barrel on it so it is how I leave it setup most of the time unless I know I have a particular coyote issue or I am actively hunting coyote. So thats why I am looking to make it a little more adaptable for body shots on coons.

 

[Ries]

Go for the 25/26 grains. I think you lose 15 FPS per grain you go up. So in theory a 25 grain would still shoot 970FPS.

 

[etothen]

I have seen credible hunting video of pesting with 40 grain slugs and a 500mm, but you will need use some air to do so. Seems like using extra air to get ethical kills with 40 grain slugs is a reasonable trade off.

It reminds me about something my father said about racing cars. You can be fast, cheap and safe. Pick two. In this case it would be you can use a 500mm, be ethical and be efficient with air. Pick two.

 

[6gun]

Hello All,

Just curious, for those who have an FX Impact compact running it at high power, what is the maximum weight .22 slug you've gotten to shoot well? I am running an NSA 23.0 grain .218 out of mine at 1000 fps and it shoots well. I use the gun mainly for pest control for everything from rodents to coyotes (I switch to .25 barrel at 92FPE for these) on my small farm.

I have a racoon issue right now and while I have shot a few, I would like to run a heavier slug if it will stabilize for coons as they can run 25lbs in the northeast with a thick fur coat in the fall. I can't be super picky (I know some people are gonna say "shoot 'em in the head" but thats not always an option) I am looking for a little more hitting power for chest cavity shots.

I like the air efficiency I get with the .22 and how maneuverable it is with the 500 barrel on it so it is how I leave it setup most of the time unless I know I have a particular coyote issue or I am actively hunting coyote. So thats why I am looking to make it a little more adaptable for body shots on coons.

Try an nsa sample of a few. Your valve settings and plenum pressure may play well with something heavier than you think.

 

[Vetmx]

First, body shots on raccoons. I shoot a pile of them every year. I’ve blown them off whatever they’re sitting on with a .30 slug going 925fps straight to the boiler room or front shoulder. They hit the afterburners and are gone. There is nothing you can do with your .22 or .25 that is going to slam them like a .30. So you can scratch planting them unless you smack them in the head. Your compact will shoot up to a 30gr with the right liner. Mine was on 30’s for a year or so. I’m back down to using slugs in the lower 20’s for the last year. They do everything the 30gr did at the distances I hunt and I’m not leaning on the gun hard at all.

 

[cgun]

Try an nsa sample of a few. Your valve settings and plenum pressure may play well with something heavier than you think.

I will order a pack to see what they do. Thank you!

 

[cgun]

First, body shots on raccoons. I shoot a pile of them every year. I’ve blown them off whatever they’re sitting on with a .30 slug going 925fps straight to the boiler room or front shoulder. They hit the afterburners and are gone. There is nothing you can do with your .22 or .25 that is going to slam them like a .30. So you can scratch planting them unless you smack them in the head. Your compact will shoot up to a 30gr with the right liner. Mine was on 30’s for a year or so. I’m back down to using slugs in the lower 20’s for the last year. They do everything the 30gr did at the distances I hunt and I’m not leaning on the gun hard at all.

I prefer pass throughs as I am more sure that the round will ultimately make it to, and destroy, the vital organs I was aiming at. For PB guns I shoot exclusively barnes bullets for that reason. Thats the reason I wanted to go a little heavier, esure a deadly kill shot.

The raccoons I am going after are destroying my property and costing me both money and livestock (in this case, chickens), so while I want to ethically remove them, I don't necessarily need to recover them all the time. I know... thats a catch-22 because without recovering them, you never know if it was an ethical shot.but I would feel a little more confident if I could shoot something with a little mor sectional density than the 23s. I will try the sampler pack as mention led above. Thank you for your insight!

 

[Vetmx]

The sectional density between your 23gr and a 25gr is probably not worth the air to test them. But when you get to or close to 30gr, then they start looking like bullets. Then they also have what it takes to start driving through more dense critters. But trust me, a raccoon is not surviving an armpit shot from your current setup. Especially if you’re using NSA slugs. Those suckers are not soft like slugs from other manufacturers. You’re getting both lungs no problem. If you’re thinking blood trails to recover future stink bombs, I get no blood trail from a 50gr .30 blowing through them. Sometimes a few specks on the escape route.

 

[cgun]

The sectional density between your 23gr and a 25gr is probably not worth the air to test them. But when you get to or close to 30gr, then they start looking like bullets. Then they also have what it takes to start driving through more dense critters. But trust me, a raccoon is not surviving an armpit shot from your current setup. Especially if you’re using NSA slugs. Those suckers are not soft like slugs from other manufacturers. You’re getting both lungs no problem. If you’re thinking blood trails to recover future stink bombs, I get no blood trail from a 50gr .30 blowing through them. Sometimes a few specks on the escape route.

Thanks! Ive only shot about a dozen raccoons. Only recovered one but that was the .25 setup shooting 46 grain H&N slugs at 925. It still took two body shots to achor him. I prefer body shots because it is a bigger target and less likely to mess it up... at least for me.

 

[6gun]

I prefer pass throughs as I am more sure that the round will ultimately make it to, and destroy, the vital organs I was aiming at. For PB guns I shoot exclusively barnes bullets for that reason. Thats the reason I wanted to go a little heavier, esure a deadly kill shot.

The raccoons I am going after are destroying my property and costing me both money and livestock (in this case, chickens), so while I want to ethically remove them, I don't necessarily need to recover them all the time. I know... thats a catch-22 because without recovering them, you never know if it was an ethical shot.but I would feel a little more confident if I could shoot something with a little mor sectional density than the 23s. I will try the sampler pack as mention led above. Thank you for your insight!

Good news, the nsa alloy is a little harder than others so while it does pop and deform as you'd want in a hunting projectile, it holds its shape and mass really well and they zing thru. If you're a powder guy, not unlike the old nosler partition or bonded bullets. The 28 had some really promising results on my 23 javelin tune when I was working out that iteration of my 700mm impact. Are you running a slug liner or a pellet liner?

 

[6gun]

The sectional density between your 23gr and a 25gr is probably not worth the air to test them. But when you get to or close to 30gr, then they start looking like bullets. Then they also have what it takes to start driving through more dense critters. But trust me, a raccoon is not surviving an armpit shot from your current setup. Especially if you’re using NSA slugs. Those suckers are not soft like slugs from other manufacturers. You’re getting both lungs no problem. If you’re thinking blood trails to recover future stink bombs, I get no blood trail from a 50gr .30 blowing through them. Sometimes a few specks on the escape route.

That was a fun lesson for me when I first tried nsa stuff when I was on hybrids and javelin before. I heard the obligatory pop, albeit a little lower volume and then brrrrrrrrrr of a deformed slug sailing off to Narnia in a hurry. It was a 31 grain too.

 

[Vetmx]

My .25 shoots a 34gr slug 1,020fps. I’ve never anchored one with a boiler shot but I’ve found a few within 30 yards. Some never. They are a serious animal. Glad they are not 100 pounds. I’ve watched a ton of them with their brain obliterated run like crazy while laying on their side. If I was brave enough to run up and put them on their feet, they’d be gone. Probably run 50+ yards on auto pilot.

 

[Vetmx]

That was a fun lesson for me when I first tried nsa stuff when I was on hybrids and javelin before. I heard the obligatory pop, albeit a little lower volume and then brrrrrrrrrr of a deformed slug sailing off to Narnia in a hurry. It was a 31 grain too.

Great target/volume shooting slug. But they don’t work for me with what I’m looking for. When I get a pass through with what I shoot, it sounds like an old spaghetti western.

 

[6gun]

Great target/volume shooting slug. But they don’t work for me with what I’m looking for. When I get a pass through with what I shoot, it sounds like an old spaghetti western.

That's the sound I couldn't type, but exactly THAT sound. I shoot 23 and 34 javs with it now and some monster hades on the 23 tune hold the same trajectory for shorter range stuff.

 

[Vetmx]

Structurally, a Jav is a good hunting slug. That’s what I shot in 30gr for about a year out of my M3 compact. The 23-25gr are just more devastating on what I primarily hunt with that gun. With a 500mm barrel you either have to make the most out of its limitations or live life on the edge of frustration or problems. My gun is solid out to 130 yards but will still land them where I need at 150. But it’s a 950fps .22 and it does all I need within its wheelhouse.

 

[cgun]

Good news, the nsa alloy is a little harder than others so while it does pop and deform as you'd want in a hunting projectile, it holds its shape and mass really well and they zing thru. If you're a powder guy, not unlike the old nosler partition or bonded bullets. The 28 had some really promising results on my 23 javelin tune when I was working out that iteration of my 700mm impact. Are you running a slug liner or a pellet liner?

Its a standard pellet liner, I did some testing this afternoon with the 23 grainers. 1/4" group at 40 yards running 1004 fps. I can't argue with that accuracy. I bumped the reg up to 170 bar so that I could get a shorter pop and a quieter gun while still retaining the velocity

 

[6gun]

Its a standard pellet liner, I did some testing this afternoon with the 23 grainers. 1/4" group at 40 yards running 1004 fps. I can't argue with that accuracy. I bumped the reg up to 170 bar so that I could get a shorter pop and a quieter gun while still retaining the velocity

I think you're looking at it in the right way for a short barrel from what ive learned. I don't know how far you INTEND to shoot but at 100 yards the 28 was the last acceptable weight for my particular pellet liner and the group size I wanted. Your mileage will more than likely vary since the liners seem to have gems mixed in regularly. Sending things fast isn't a problem with my chungus 700mm barrel, so everything was 930fps minimum back then as I heard some "magic speed" lore.

 

[cgun]

I think you're looking at it in the right way for a short barrel from what ive learned. I don't know how far you INTEND to shoot but at 100 yards the 28 was the last acceptable weight for my particular pellet liner and the group size I wanted. Your mileage will more than likely vary since the liners seem to have gems mixed in regularly. Sending things fast isn't a problem with my chungus 700mm barrel, so everything was 930fps minimum back then as I heard some "magic speed" lore.

My 700mm .25 is a TACK driver with those h&n heavies and a heavy slug liner. They needed to be tinkered with to find a tune though. I cancelled a woodchuck with that gun at 180 yards last year.

The .22 barrel was so I could get 2 mags on a fill. The .25 barely gets 1 running 87 ft-lbs. I keep looking at the M4 but I have had my MkII for 4 years now and it doesnt leak and hits what I aim at. I have a hard time going to a new gun for 10 ft-lbs. I am no longer sold on the speed wagon either, but I want my gun to be lethal on body shots on coyote. Hence the 87 ft-lb, 700mm .25 tune. I really just need two guns I think .

 

[6gun]

My 700mm .25 is a TACK driver with those h&n heavies and a heavy slug liner. They needed to be tinkered with to find a tune though. I cancelled a woodchuck with that gun at 180 yards last year.

The .22 barrel was so I could get 2 mags on a fill. The .25 barely gets 1 running 87 ft-lbs. I keep looking at the M4 but I have had my MkII for 4 years now and it doesnt leak and hits what I aim at. I have a hard time going to a new gun for 10 ft-lbs. I am no longer sold on the speed wagon either, but I want my gun to be lethal on body shots on coyote. Hence the 87 ft-lb, 700mm .25 tune. I really just need two guns I think .

Mines 22 so all the weights I've referenced were for 217 slugs. Sorry I didn't mention that. Now I shoot 25 cal WEIGHT slugs and pellets in 22.

 

[6gun]

I havent shot full power in a while to confirm it but my finicky ways is usually I demand 2 mags on a fill from a setup. I have my 700 in 22 at 75 fpe for max and 51 for low. I've got more barrel and bottle, so it's not a fair comparison. In reality I need half a mag for even most squirrel days and who am I kidding, there's always an scba in the truck.

I put a zulus optic on my impact that range finds and ballistic solves and does 2 shot zeros pretty well. My ammo and air use has plummeted.