Impact shooting slugs

Hi Guys. Roelf here. That is correct, I got 69 shots before it fell off the reg today. Air temp was about 30°C and I'm at sea level. I'm not sure what my reg pressure is currently because my gauge is not accurate, but my guess is around 155bar to 160bar. I do have a 2mil spacer installed between the hammer and hammer spring that FX send down to me to shoot and test 28gr slugs, so my hammer spring is currently at setting 3 with the hammer tensioner maxed out when on Max. My valve limiter is on line three and a tiny bit. Now to get maximum efficiency you need to max you hammer and valve limiter, then increase your reg until you get about 10fps past your desired speed. Now turn the hammer to 5 and then 4 until you see the speed drop. You are very likely to to find max and 5 shooting at the same speed, maybe even 4 and 3. When the speed drops, go one setting back so that you get that 10fps more than your desired speed again. Now turn the valve limiter in slowly until you reach your desired speed. Your gun is now as efficient as it can be at that speed. Most people max everything and what happens is you get your speed but push more air than required, so the pellet slug leaves the barrel and air is still being pushed out of the barrel. You need to limit wasting that extra air by getting the balance just right. Pushing extra air out after the pellet or slug has left the barrel also has a negative effect on accuracy. I'm currently using a 700mm slug liner and can get a 26gr up to 750fps but found 930fps to be my accuracy node for the 26gr. I can get the 28gr up to 920fps with the 700mm but my accuracy node is at 900fps with them. The 600mm is best suited for 23gr and can get them to about 940fps, also found 930fps to be the accuracy node for them in that liner. Happy shooting and thank for the support!

Sorry for the bad English, my first language is Afrikaans and English my second. :)


Ant idea when FX will sell these parts to US customers?
 
Hi Guys. Roelf here. That is correct, I got 69 shots before it fell off the reg today. Air temp was about 30°C and I'm at sea level. I'm not sure what my reg pressure is currently because my gauge is not accurate, but my guess is around 155bar to 160bar. I do have a 2mil spacer installed between the hammer and hammer spring that FX send down to me to shoot and test 28gr slugs, so my hammer spring is currently at setting 3 with the hammer tensioner maxed out when on Max. My valve limiter is on line three and a tiny bit. Now to get maximum efficiency you need to max you hammer and valve limiter, then increase your reg until you get about 10fps past your desired speed. Now turn the hammer to 5 and then 4 until you see the speed drop. You are very likely to to find max and 5 shooting at the same speed, maybe even 4 and 3. When the speed drops, go one setting back so that you get that 10fps more than your desired speed again. Now turn the valve limiter in slowly until you reach your desired speed. Your gun is now as efficient as it can be at that speed. Most people max everything and what happens is you get your speed but push more air than required, so the pellet slug leaves the barrel and air is still being pushed out of the barrel. You need to limit wasting that extra air by getting the balance just right. Pushing extra air out after the pellet or slug has left the barrel also has a negative effect on accuracy. I'm currently using a 700mm slug liner and can get a 26gr up to 750fps but found 930fps to be my accuracy node for the 26gr. I can get the 28gr up to 920fps with the 700mm but my accuracy node is at 900fps with them. The 600mm is best suited for 23gr and can get them to about 940fps, also found 930fps to be the accuracy node for them in that liner. Happy shooting and thank for the support!

Sorry for the bad English, my first language is Afrikaans and English my second. :)


Very good description on efficiency there! I run 4 mags then over the next 5 shots the velocity drops by about 10FPS then there is a dramatic drop of over the next 5, so I must be pretty close to as efficient as I can get it. Still it's interesting how the Crown is so much more efficient!
 
Hi Guys. Roelf here. That is correct, I got 69 shots before it fell off the reg today. Air temp was about 30°C and I'm at sea level. I'm not sure what my reg pressure is currently because my gauge is not accurate, but my guess is around 155bar to 160bar. I do have a 2mil spacer installed between the hammer and hammer spring that FX send down to me to shoot and test 28gr slugs, so my hammer spring is currently at setting 3 with the hammer tensioner maxed out when on Max. My valve limiter is on line three and a tiny bit. Now to get maximum efficiency you need to max you hammer and valve limiter, then increase your reg until you get about 10fps past your desired speed. Now turn the hammer to 5 and then 4 until you see the speed drop. You are very likely to to find max and 5 shooting at the same speed, maybe even 4 and 3. When the speed drops, go one setting back so that you get that 10fps more than your desired speed again. Now turn the valve limiter in slowly until you reach your desired speed. Your gun is now as efficient as it can be at that speed. Most people max everything and what happens is you get your speed but push more air than required, so the pellet slug leaves the barrel and air is still being pushed out of the barrel. You need to limit wasting that extra air by getting the balance just right. Pushing extra air out after the pellet or slug has left the barrel also has a negative effect on accuracy. I'm currently using a 700mm slug liner and can get a 26gr up to 750fps but found 930fps to be my accuracy node for the 26gr. I can get the 28gr up to 920fps with the 700mm but my accuracy node is at 900fps with them. The 600mm is best suited for 23gr and can get them to about 940fps, also found 930fps to be the accuracy node for them in that liner. Happy shooting and thank for the support!

Sorry for the bad English, my first language is Afrikaans and English my second. :)

Hi Roelf,

That is very impressive! I hadn't even considered the 600mm, but now I'm absolutely going for one with 23gr slugs (I'm a hunter, so any savings on length / weight is a HUGE win for me).

The 2mil spacer is another interesting component. I wonder if this would be a good long term solution or if FX has/will have recommendations for the stock hammer spring (I'm relatively new to tuning PCPs but not engineering).

Thanks for taking the time to share this information. I find it extremely useful as I'm sure other will agree. Your English is just as good as mine and English is my first language :) 

Cheers 😎
 
@13brv3 and @Spray1Mark - are you guys using a first generation Impact or an X?



Hi Ghost, my .25 IMPACT only arrived this month, it is the latest version.

Thanks, I've been an engineer forever and a day. Whenever I read into discussions around the Impact and performance now, I try to identify any potential variables that can factor into the differences in results, since disambiguation isn't always there to distinguish the generations of the rifles that folks are talking about (which have some obvious and non-obvious differences from the factory).

The one I have on the way to me Tuesday is an X, but I default to expecting the worst case scenario for performance (anything else is a bonus).


 
The spacer is just for testing with the 28gr slugs and is actually for another project. It is not nessary for the 23gr and 600mm barrel and also not nessary for the 26gr and 700mm barrel. You can achieve those speeds with a stock Impact X and the older Impact.

Ahh, thanks for clarifying! I'm wondering, (supposing there were clear shots at a bird with no wind) - what distance would you say was the maximum distance that you would take a clean shot with the Impact with a pellet, and how much further distance are you comfortable with the slugs? 
 
Ghost,

Have a look at their videos....they take birds out with slugs at 150yds no problem.

Pellets? I got three cleanly back-to-back at 118yds with 18gr JSB. I'd have to say they've exceeded that range with pellets many times.

As far as taking clean shots, I don't think they're worried about that too much shooting pest birds. When you consider the size of the group the gun can shoot at 125yds, and compare that with the "clean kill" zone of a pigeon, it's just as likely to clip a bird as it is to punch through the center of it, especially in field conditions, wind, etc.









I'm sure they've done it over 120yds.
 
Ghost,

Have a look at their videos....they take birds out with slugs at 150yds no problem.

Pellets? I got three cleanly back-to-back at 118yds with 18gr JSB. I'd have to say they've exceeded that range with pellets many times.

As far as taking clean shots, I don't think they're worried about that too much shooting pest birds. When you consider the size of the group the gun can shoot at 125yds, and compare that with the "clean kill" zone of a pigeon, it's just as likely to clip a bird as it is to punch through the center of it, especially in field conditions, wind, etc.









I'm sure they've done it over 120yds.

In my years of bird hunting, I've always found a "comfort zone" distance-wise with each rifle that I've had where I wouldn't waste a shot (not just for ammo, primarily for fear of scaring off my prey if I missed). It's one of those things where you range it and say to yourself "meh, he's a little too far out". 

I'm curious about quantifying what that distance would be, roughly, between pellets vs. slugs out of the X (from a hunter's perspective). It may or may not even be perceivable, the BC / flight profile of slugs has obvious benefits, but I'd love to hear if the metaphorical bar is really set any higher with slugs out of it!
 
Ghost,

I see where you're coming from now.

I'd be interested in that as well.

For me and pellets, I've tried several shots at 130yds and have only gotten feathers. By that distance the trajectory is poor and energy very low. Factory in any wind and it's just wishful thinking. Now when I range one at that distance, I don't even bother.

With slugs, it has to be a combination of higher BC and retained energy that makes the longer shots worth attempting.

Gerhard from Air Hunters got a pigeon at 200 yds with slugs. No way that's happening with a 22 caliber pellet. 

:)
 
With slugs you can easily go at anything between 100 yards and 200 yards. Enegery left at 200 yards with the 26gr slug is still something like 30ft/lbs. Pellets start losing to much energy after 130 yards and the wind and trajectory makes them even harder to hit your target. Gerhard did take a pigeon at 200 yards with a 26gr slug but unfortunately not on camera. I took this starling at 172 yards not to long ago with a 23gr slug. Way easier at those distances with slugs.

https://youtu.be/aELWobrpIjc


 
12 Shot group with 26gr slugs at 100m (109yards) in very gusty conditions. Slugs still keep it tight. 

1548686564_3338080855c4f14e4621070.99441697_IMG_20190119_210816_890-picsay.jpg

 
@Airhunters - Incredible!!! That gives me some assurance for the range / distance that I'd need. I ranged a spot that I plan to hunt large birds out to 160-170y / ~150m, from a slightly elevated position across a dry rocky river bed.

My initial idea was to use .30 cal pellets with a 700mm, but I'm not quite sure if I would be able to stretch any shots out that far (it seems that there's always a little breeze there too). A smaller bore with slugs seems the way to go :)

Thanks again, Roelf for the useful feedback! 
 
@Airhunters - Incredible!!! That gives me some assurance for the range / distance that I'd need. I ranged a spot that I plan to hunt large birds out to 160-170y / ~150m, from a slightly elevated position across a dry rocky river bed.

My initial idea was to use .30 cal pellets with a 700mm, but I'm not quite sure if I would be able to stretch any shots out that far (it seems that there's always a little breeze there too). A smaller bore with slugs seems the way to go :)

Thanks again, Roelf for the useful feedback!

Check out this video from Hunter One. FX Crown 30 at 120+ and 149 yds on ground squirrels.

https://youtu.be/SiQjLlib0Mo?t=610