Slug diameter mystery.

[Chukar60]

I have had my M3 22 tuned to shoot Zan 23 gr .218 slugs and it really likes them. Other light for caliber slugs in .217 did not shoot so well.
I was working on light slugs to increase expansion and maintain a decent shot count.

Yesterday I find around 300 NSA .218 27.5’s in the projectile graveyard. They were left over from my Maverick Sniper. I assumed the liner just did not lIke .217 slugs. Took them to the ranch, quick tune and they are doing 970-972 consistently. Shot a couple groups at 35 due to wind and they shot every bot as good as the .217 Zan 23 gr. Then took the gun down to the 100 and 150 berm and they shot very well.

Why would the gun not like .217 in light slugs but shoot a heavier slug well in .217? Did I miss something in YouTube slug school?

 

[bigHUN]

What liner calibre and length, choked or not, what twist rate ??
and we go from there

 

[Chukar60]

What liner calibre and length, choked or not, what twist rate ??
and we go from there

Impact, 22, 600mm, superior heavy liner 1:16, to my knowledge all FX barrels have some choke in them.
My apology. I re-read my post. I accidentally typed the 27.5’s were .218. They are .217’s hence the mystery.
Post has been corrected

 

[bigHUN]

Yes, every liner have some sort of choke but each have different tight choke, and you can feel it when you clean the liners you can feel a difference.
That is why if you push the .218 with a bit of more power still squeeze through the muzzle, the .217 may need lower power or shorter dwell = for a hair.
You need to eliminate or at least minimize the air blast at the barrel exit = edge... no matter what size projectile.

 

[Jayson]

That is actually the most common result for me through the years, I believe it has to do with more and less surface area, as the slugs get bigger, you usually get better results going a little smaller if you can, so in 22, .218 in the sub 24-25 grn and .217 or .2165 through 35 grn? Basic starting mentality for me, but I can’t remember a 20-24 grn .217 ever out shooting a .218? And .219 have also been poor,
like everything else, that is only my experience, with more FX liners than I could count, for what it’s worth.

 

[bigHUN]

I think best for the money buy the cheapest slugs and resize to a specific liner you plan to use.

 

[DesertSilver]

What is the groove diameter of your barrel before the choke. If you don't know you're just wasting your time and money.

 

[qball]

My assumption is Zan’s 217 is a little different compared to NSA 217, at the end of the day the important part is they are consistent through out their production.

 

[DesertSilver]

How to gauge that bit ? I plan on getting a sizing die set but don’t have a clue how to go about it.

You push a slug that is a tight fit in the barrel from the breach to just before the choke if it has 1. I use a wood dowel to push the slug in and back out the breach. Use a micrometer to measure the diameter in at least 2 places as in take a measurement then rotate the slug 90 degrees and measure again making sure it's on the area that was in the groove. Size to.001 to.0005 larger than groove diameter.

 

[Chukar60]

Thanks for the input!! I think I have a better understanding of what I am seeing.
Now to test for the tipping point. What will be the lowest weight that the .217’s perform at.

 

[IRBent]

Thanks for the input!! I think I have a better understanding of what I am seeing.
Now to test for the tipping point. What will be the lowest weight that the .217’s perform at.

I recently watched a video where Ted from YouTube channel Ted's Holdover said in his opinion (to the best of my memory), the heavy liner was only good for slugs maybe 26gr and up. The Superior liner is best for all slugs lighter than that. In another video I watched he rates each liner old and current on their ability to shoot various pellets and slugs. I believe in that video he reiterates that most people should stick the the Superior liner and only use the heavy slug liner for heavy slugs. Here's a link to the latter video mentioned.

 

[Chukar60]

I recently watched a video where Ted from YouTube channel Ted's Holdover said in his opinion (to the best of my memory), the heavy liner was only good for slugs maybe 26gr and up. The Superior liner is best for all slugs lighter than that. In another video I watched he rates each liner old and current on their ability to shoot various pellets and slugs. I believe in that video he reiterates that most people should stick the the Superior liner and only use the heavy slug liner for heavy slugs. Here's a link to the latter video mentioned.

I have been the told the same as Ted’s advice by FX USA, Utah Air guns etc. When I got my M3 I was intending to shoot 30 - 34 gr slugs then tried the light for weight to increase my shot count and determined that I was not shooting distances that required the heavy slugs.
Long story short, My M3 shoots the 27.5, .217 NSA slugs so well out of the heavy slug liner that I would never consider changing now.
It is the old axiom with slugs, never say never.
My Panthera definitely holds to the heavy slugs in the slug liner. Has a definite preference for slugs in the over 35 gr weight.

 

[IRBent]

I have been the told the same as Ted’s advice by FX USA, Utah Air guns etc. When I got my M3 I was intending to shoot 30 - 34 gr slugs then tried the light for weight to increase my shot count and determined that I was not shooting distances that required the heavy slugs.
Long story short, My M3 shoots the 27.5, .217 NSA slugs so well out of the heavy slug liner that I would never consider changing now.
It is the old axiom with slugs, never say never.
My Panthera definitely holds to the heavy slugs in the slug liner. Has a definite preference for slugs in the over 35 gr weight.

So your M3 agrees with their input, heavy slug liners like slugs over 26gr. Does your Panthera have the heavy liner as well?
Sorta going with what you said, I don't think my lady and I need heavy slugs for plinking and the distances we currently shoot. To test the waters, I did order some NSA .217 in 17.5, 20.2 and 23 grain. I'd imagine we'll be running those through her Wildcat this weekend.

 

[Chukar60]

So your M3 agrees with their input, heavy slug liners like slugs over 26gr. Does your Panthera have the heavy liner as well?
Sorta going with what you said, I don't think my lady and I need heavy slugs for plinking and the distances we currently shoot. To test the waters, I did order some NSA .217 in 17.5, 20.2 and 23 grain. I'd imagine we'll be running those through her Wildcat this weekend.

The Panthera 600 & 700 come with slug liners. The 500 I believe is equiped with the STX liner.