FX Panther no-hype review and tests
- Thread starter RusBear
- Start date
I beat unlimited Rimfire guns in BR matches routinely with 60fpe. I can shoot 1050 if I want …but I stay around 830 fps because NOTHING better happens when I shoot faster. The idea that you will need to shoot 1050 with a 40gr slug to keep up with prs style Rimfire (not unlimited) is ridiculous.
Mike
Mike
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Slugs aren't my thing. I personally think they're a hyped up joke. But I've only shot mass produced slugs, and at <60fpe. So I don't know what I'm talking about with 100fpe slugs. The "industry" sure seems to think they're the answer to competing with the rimfires at PRS/NRL.
You're tethered Mike. And shooting custom slugs from a sled on ball-bearings, pushing a remote button for a trigger, from a gun that doesn't even have a stock. Your results are impressive and I respect all of the gains that you've made in precision airgunning, but the definition of apples and oranges.
(edited in a few things)
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The wind drift amounts at 830 fps are on par with Rimfire at 1040. It doesn’t matter what the rifle configuration is.
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This is with your custom slugs and barrels. I think I remember seeing you make a comment that you chased commercial slugs into the ground, and could never get them to shoot to your standards. That would also match my experience with mass-produced slugs.
So maybe the PRS/NRL sluggers (commercial slugs, with mass-produced barrels) keep chasing that rimfire fps, when the real answer is that mass-produced airgun slugs simply can't compete?
As glem stated, time will tell. 1st, whether or not the Panthera can shoot 12 shots at rimfire power levels so that a PRS/NRL stage can be completed. And 2nd, if those Panthera shooters start beating the best rimfire shooters.
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It's all kind of a moot point anyway. The guys that actually have been shooting the Panther in competition (there are more than one or two) are shooting 34 grain slugs at about 1030 FPS, or about 80 FPE. The point Cole and I have apparently failed miserably in making is whether or not the gun lives up to its stated claims. Keith Gibson has been slightly different than most of the others shooting .22 in that he prefers the .25 caliber 41 grain ZAN slugs at 960 fps, or about 84 FPE. Cole, our point fell on deaf ears, time to let it go... Bottom line is that it's a great new NRL-22 (or maybe benchrest) gun and I have a .25 caliber 600mm on order...
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Ok tell you what tomorrow morning Ill crank mine up to whatever it takes to get 40gr to - or close to - 22lr standard velocity levels then post shot count at 250b and 300b. I had planned to do that today but something came up.
I picked up the gun yesterday afternoon from Tom at HPP. I spent about 30min with the gun this morning - the only thing I did was adjust the micro to 3.5 (pw was set at 22 and reg set to 155+-). Shot a .193 6 shot group at 65yds then a .559 at 75yds (36g HN .218 960fps). So ya this Panthera shoots ok. 40g HN tomorrow.
I picked up the gun yesterday afternoon from Tom at HPP. I spent about 30min with the gun this morning - the only thing I did was adjust the micro to 3.5 (pw was set at 22 and reg set to 155+-). Shot a .193 6 shot group at 65yds then a .559 at 75yds (36g HN .218 960fps). So ya this Panthera shoots ok. 40g HN tomorrow.
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Cole….yes, I have found all the factory made slugs ,so far, insufficient to keep up with unlimited Rimfire. Prs Rimfire guns are way below unlimited Rimfire guns as far as accuracy goes…so the factory slugs may do just fine. Either way…shooting them at 1040 isn’t going to help anyone in the wind drift or accuracy department so even attempting to shoot them there is unwise.
Mike
Mike
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Of all people, you'd be the one to know.
And I mean that (no sarcasm or facetiousness intended).
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I'm not FX employee and never was. My profession is a lawyer and I work as a head of legal department in Russia. Airguns is my hobby and I have high passion to it.
In sports shooting I represent Utah Airguns team, they are my Airgun family.
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I payed for my trip from Russia to get my Panthera, that is about 5000 USD. Is that enough?
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I'd say so... more than enough.
Too bad with the war and everything it couldn't be shipped. I'm sure we'd all like to hear about coming to Sweden to get your new gun, I know I'm interested in your story... Last edited:
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Nicolay, carry on. Many of us want to know about the gun and we are interesting in what it is capable of.
Many of us realize your passion or at least I do. To travel and do what you have done to get your visa in order to travel the U.S., to shoot in frigid and unbearable (my opinion) conditions, to practice so much and to achieve what you’ve accomplished shows your passion.
I personally think the Panthera is too dang long! I like bullpups and I don’t want a 6 foot long gun. Regardless, let’s see what this thing has got. I know it’s purpose built for barricade shooting and PRS comps where you only need 10 shots or so. This is another undesirable feature for me; being so purpose built that it’s not versatile enough to fill some of my other needs.
Regardless, I am interested and will stay tuned. Happy slugging
Many of us realize your passion or at least I do. To travel and do what you have done to get your visa in order to travel the U.S., to shoot in frigid and unbearable (my opinion) conditions, to practice so much and to achieve what you’ve accomplished shows your passion.
I personally think the Panthera is too dang long! I like bullpups and I don’t want a 6 foot long gun. Regardless, let’s see what this thing has got. I know it’s purpose built for barricade shooting and PRS comps where you only need 10 shots or so. This is another undesirable feature for me; being so purpose built that it’s not versatile enough to fill some of my other needs.
Regardless, I am interested and will stay tuned. Happy slugging
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It’s interesting that Hein Fromman, FX engineer and multiple times Bench-rest Wold Champion has implied on video that he’ll be shooting the Panther in 100Y BR this year in place of his M3 Impact. That’s saying something right there.
Plus with Nicolay, a top 100Y pellet BR shooter looking at Panther as a Benchrest gun, that also says something. So it’s not just a PRS/NRL-22 specific rifle.
I’m sure that block will be used or adapted to the Mk3 Crown in the not too distant future.
Plus with Nicolay, a top 100Y pellet BR shooter looking at Panther as a Benchrest gun, that also says something. So it’s not just a PRS/NRL-22 specific rifle.
I’m sure that block will be used or adapted to the Mk3 Crown in the not too distant future.
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If I'm not mistaken 2nd place in the main event, 1st place in 50y benchrest and 1st place in one gun challenge. So yeah top 5 is a bit of an understatement. (Although true)
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True. I was looking past two years 100Y. A 2nd EBR Pro and overall 2022, 2nd EBR Pro and 4th overall 2021, and didn’t make finals RMAC 2021 (not in top 20). So yeah, I should have just said “a top 100Y BR pellet shooter” and not put a number on it. Silly me….
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That is simply not true. .30 slugs have BC equal to 0.134 (e.g. Zans 68 grainers). I do not understand the hype of .22. It must have some roots in RPA.
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A 68 grain .22 has a higher BC. Apples to apples lad!
The "World Record" air rifle shot was done with a .22 rifle. Slug was 61g with a BC of 0.266
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