FX Maverick - can it be tuned very low for quiet, close-range/backyard use?

[DHart]

Complete guide to tuning the Maverick - awesome video!

Apparently it is safe to run the regs quite low. But not good to run them as high as 180.

Steve had great results with the 2nd reg as low as 70 and the 1st reg about 25 bar higher than that (95) - easy on the gun's internals, less vibration.

 

[HogKiller]

One word to 'back yard quiet', YES. Let's just say that I'm in a less than gun friendly state, people are nervous about popping bubble wrap. I'm behind a 6' fence with shrubbery and a road just on the other side with people walking on it, kids through adults. I'm shooting Mavericks, a .22 compact with a Donny Koi, and a .25 VP 600mm with a Donny Shogun, both running almost flat out, mouse fart quiet, nope but in over a year, NEVER EVER has one person said "what's that?". No shooting early in the morning. Your experience may vary.

 

[MikeVV]

Yeah, similar to my setup. 100bar at the second regulator, and 800+/-fps pellet speed.
Don't need 150 yard power when only shooting 25ish yards. Plus, yeah, much quieter, and more shots per fill. Still very accurate.

Mike

 

[qball]

I'm considering a Maverick .177 or .22 for low-power, close-range, low-noise backyard use. Although the Maverick is a somewhat higher-powered rifle, can it be tuned-down to a very low level, while retaining excellent accuracy? (Of course I would use it with a moderator, like a Huggett Snipe.)

My other rifle is a .22 BRK Ghost, which I have tuned-down to 800 fps / 26 fpe with 18.13 gr. Jumbos. So, with the Maverick, I'd like to go even lower in power, perhaps a bit below 20 fpe.

Would choosing the Maverick in .177 be better (than choosing .22) for this purpose of achieving the low-power, low-noise objective? Or would just using a fairly light pellet, like 15 gr, in .22 be just as suitable?

Any idea how low (in velocity or fpe, .177 or .22) could the Maverick go and still have excellent accuracy at close range, such as 20-25 yards?

Yes but opposite of how some people would normally suggest on how. Granted if you want low power in the neighborhood of 6-12 FPE a dreamline compact might be a better choice but a maverick gives you more power if you choose. If you insist on a maverick then get the shortest barrel version, it’s not an easy platform to tune really down low but shot count will be amazing even in the compact form.

 

[tnbndr]

I had a Maverick VP in .25 and a Donny FL Sumo on it. First reg at 130, second at 110 shooting 25.39gr pellets and the guy next to me couldn't tell I was shooting until he heard the pellet hit the target. I had the zeroed at 85 yards. Quite accurate, powerful but beautifully quiet.
You won't have to tune it way down to get quiet.

 

[DHart]

One word to 'back yard quiet', YES. Let's just say that I'm in a less than gun friendly state, people are nervous about popping bubble wrap. I'm behind a 6' fence with shrubbery and a road just on the other side with people walking on it, kids through adults. I'm shooting Mavericks, a .22 compact with a Donny Koi, and a .25 VP 600mm with a Donny Shogun, both running almost flat out, mouse fart quiet, nope but in over a year, NEVER EVER has one person said "what's that?". No shooting early in the morning. Your experience may vary.

"Running flat out" - meaning at full power?

 

[HogKiller]

"Running flat out" - meaning at full power?

With the .25 I've got it tuned for 33.95 a touch over 900fpm. With a twist of a dial I can drop down to 25..39 or 26gr hybrids (disclaimer), I'm still putzing with the hybrids, need to clean up the barrel some. The .22 is pushing 18.13's at a touch over 900fpm.

 

[DHart]

The .22 is pushing 18.13's at a touch over 900fpm.

Interesting - somewhat similar performance to the, quite similar, BRK Ghost at factory settings.

My Ghost 17", straight out of the box, flew 18.13 grainers at 982 fps. That definitely hits with some potent authority. Happened to be fair bit more potency than I need for my "daily" backyard purposes, so I tuned it down (with 90 bar regulator setting) to push those 18s at 800 fps - saves some air, reduces wear on the gun, and drops the sound level a bit.

While many folks are pushing for ever more power and longer ranges, most of the time I'm quite enjoying just moderate-to-lower power levels at closer ranges.

Yeah, similar to my setup. 100bar at the second regulator, and 800+/-fps pellet speed.
Don't need 150 yard power when only shooting 25ish yards. Plus, yeah, much quieter, and more shots per fill. Still very accurate.

Mike

Mike... your Maverick (with 100 bar reg and 800 fps) is shooting right about as my Ghost is shooting now (90 bar reg and 800 fps).

Seems perhaps the Ghost might have a small bit more power than the Maverick - but generally quite close. Almost like BRK had the Maverick well in mind when they designed the Ghost. Both are very nice rifles.

 

[L.Leon]

Interesting - somewhat similar performance to the, quite similar, BRK Ghost.

My Ghost 17", straight out of the box, flew 18.13 grainers at 982 fps. That definitely hits with some potent authority. Happened to be fair bit more potency than I need for my "daily" backyard purposes, so I tuned it down (with 90 bar regulator setting) to push those 18s at 800 fps - saves some air, reduces wear on the gun, and drops the sound level a bit.

While many folks are pushing for ever more power and longer ranges, most of the time I'm quite enjoying just moderate-to-lower power levels at closer ranges.

Both of my sub 20 FPE PCPs, do everything I task them to do out to 64 yards, consistently. Deadly on small pests and sweet to shoot. I had found through hundreds of kills. That my 30 FPE PCPs even with the TPs on the lowest setting, were “too potent” for shooting in buildings or sub 50 yards. I have not regretted the decision to down size one bit. I got into this game for the “close range” opportunities on pests. With my current rig I’ve made kills on woodchucks (25 yards), chipmunks (40-55 yards), starlings and English sparrows from 20 to 60 yards, rats and mice (25 yards and in). The Brits make out quite nicely on small pests will 12 FPE, that put it into sharp perspective for me. My Atomic XR was/is a game changer for me. Fourteen months in and I’m still in the honeymoon phase. Was plinking just this evening with in my yard from 25 yards out to 64 yards. I have plinked small objects out to 102 yards for the fun of it… Did I mention I love my super sweet Atomic

 

[Headshots]

Interesting - somewhat similar performance to the, quite similar, BRK Ghost at factory settings.

My Ghost 17", straight out of the box, flew 18.13 grainers at 982 fps. That definitely hits with some potent authority. Happened to be fair bit more potency than I need for my "daily" backyard purposes, so I tuned it down (with 90 bar regulator setting) to push those 18s at 800 fps - saves some air, reduces wear on the gun, and drops the sound level a bit.

While many folks are pushing for ever more power and longer ranges, most of the time I'm quite enjoying just moderate-to-lower power levels at closer ranges.



Mike... your Maverick (with 100 bar reg and 800 fps) is shooting right about as my Ghost is shooting now (90 bar reg and 800 fps).

Seems perhaps the Ghost might have a small bit more power than the Maverick - but generally quite close. Almost like BRK had the Maverick well in mind when they designed the Ghost. Both are very nice rifles.

At 90 bar my Maverick is pushing a 18g pellet at 900 fps. With the lightest 7g hammer. I've moved up to the 11g hammer.

Notes
Pellet:apolo
Weight: 18.0 gr

Shot count: 9
Low: 898
Hi: 912
Avg: 904
STD Dev: 4.2
Spread: 14.0

1/25/23 2:35:18 PM,907
1/25/23 2:35:48 PM,905
1/25/23 2:36:38 PM,905
1/25/23 2:37:11 PM,898
1/25/23 2:37:39 PM,907
1/25/23 2:38:34 PM,902
1/25/23 2:39:41 PM,905
1/25/23 2:40:14 PM,912
1/25/23 2:41:08 PM,898

 

[Clifton]

I have a 60 fpe .25 FX and wanted a quite gun to plink with low air/noise and bought a .177 Air Venturi. Put a lighter hammer spring in and turned the reg all the way down. Not as quite as an FX given the fpe ( loud hammer) but a JSB 8.4 at 850-920 fps is pretty flat out to 30 yards. 750 fps and it barely makes 30 yds but it's even quieter. No hold over/under with a low mount scope. 15-30yds. If it's just paper/small birds under 30 yards .177 is quite and enough.

Play with this and you'll find what works pretty quick. https://www.airguns.net/trajectory.php

 

[orangeokie]

I'm considering a Maverick .177 or .22 for low-power, close-range, low-noise backyard use. Although the Maverick is a somewhat higher-powered rifle, can it be tuned-down to a very low level, while retaining excellent accuracy? (Of course I would use it with a moderator, like a Huggett Snipe.)

My other rifle is a .22 BRK Ghost, which I have tuned-down to 800 fps / 26 fpe with 18.13 gr. Jumbos. So, with the Maverick, I'd like to go even lower in power, perhaps a bit below 20 fpe.

Would choosing the Maverick in .177 be better (than choosing .22) for this purpose of achieving the low-power, low-noise objective? Or would just using a fairly light pellet, like 15 gr, in .22 be just as suitable?

Any idea how low (in velocity or fpe, .177 or .22) could the Maverick go and still have excellent accuracy at close range, such as 20-25 yards?

I have a Benjamin Akela in .177. It has a transfer port dial on the outside of the gun that is very easy to go from full power to decreased power probably about 150 fps difference. This gun is very accurate and very backyard friendly. It looks more like a Wildcat of course than the Mav, but is a really nice bull pup in walnut.

 

[Headshots]

My latest tune at 110 bar , I'm shooting

21g Baracudas at 900 fps with the power wheel on 7 .
18g domed 905 fps on pw on 5
14.3 chps 880 w PW on 3
14.3 chps 700 fps w PW on 0
14.3 chps 1020 fps w PW on 7

Anyway for low power backyard shooting you might want something made for lower power. BSA , Wiehrauch come to mind. The Maverick was made to be a magnum or HP PCP . It is consistent even at lower power though but to close to what you already own.

 

[DHart]

My latest tune at 110 bar , I'm shooting

21g Baracudas at 900 fps with the power wheel on 7 .
18g domed 905 fps on pw on 5
14.3 chps 880 w PW on 3
14.3 chps 700 fps w PW on 0
14.3 chps 1020 fps w PW on 7

Anyway for low power backyard shooting you might want something made for lower power. BSA , Wiehrauch come to mind. The Maverick was made to be a magnum or HP PCP . It is consistent even at lower power though but to close to what you already own.

Yes.. I agree. I'd like a complimentary PCP which is a bit lower in potential power than my BRK Ghost.

My latest thinking is to go with the either of these two:

-FX Dream Tac Compact
-BRK Pathfinder

to join with my BRK Ghost. (Current tuning of the Ghost is: Reg at 90 bar, HS #5, 18.13gr. pellets flying at avg. 805 fps. ES 11, SD 3.)

With AoA just a short drive away from me, going with the BRK Pathfinder probably makes the most sense (for very convenient service or repair).

But I've never had an FX, so the Dream Tac Compact has some appeal to me. I need to brew on those two possibilities for a while.