With the price of slugs coming down and the allure of less drop and wind drift, it's time to find out if slugs will work out of the guns that I already own. I'm starting with a .22 gen 2 Marauder and a 1st gen .25 Wildcat. While both guns are factory stock, I have uninstalled Humas for both. I also have a JSAR TSS, hammer, and different spring for the Mrod. I'm leaning more to the .22 Mdod to start. Any suggestions on where to start. Any Marauders out there shooting slugs well?
Marauder and slugs?
- Thread starter rjoe
- Start date
Going with a slug you really have to up the power and you will have to open the valve. You will most likely have to open this with a drill or purchase new one and due to the small air cylinder you will probably get just a few shots. The beauty of the Marauder is the ability to modify it but not sure the Marauder would be my choice of rifle for this project. The air cylinder is really your limiting factor. If you can add a bottle (which you can) I would be more apt to do this. That said, due to the low cost of the Marauder you actually have only a small investment to lose. You might want to look at AJshoots old threads where he added a bottle air supply and converted to a 30 cal rifle. It would be a great resource.
Best of luck with your project
Best of luck with your project
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What is your purpose for slugs? Hunting or Target
I have been testing various slugs in my Mrod. However, mine is a newer version with lothar-walther barrel. I have found that it prefers the .217 Dia. sized slugs from NSA over their .218 Dia. offerings.
I would look at what head size your barrel seams to like best and go with a slug that is closer to that size.
.217 = 5.5118
.218= 5.5372
Currently NSA offers both diameters in the 21gr, but you only get 100 slugs at they are done by hand and more labor intensive. He does have the 23gr in .217 coming off the high speed machine now, so you do get 350 instead of only 100.
So far I have found my barrel and twist rate like to shoot slugs at around 840 FPS, but your mileage may vary.
I have some of the 23gr slugs coming today, that I will tune and test in my basement as its raining pretty hard and supposed to be all weekend, so no outside shooting.
I have never shot anything over 21gr in my Mrod, I hope that I will be able to tune it in stock configuration.
If you take a look at some of my previous posted threads, you can see the slight testing I've done so far. I would say that the critters definitely don't like my Mrod now.
As A side note: I took a shot at a squirrel at 144 yards the other day and the slug landed perfectly aligned with my vertical crosshair, but my holdover was off. I sent the slug directly over it's head and into the tree behind it at 158 yards. I will probably have to borrow or buy a second chrono, as the BC appears to be off for my gun.
I have been testing various slugs in my Mrod. However, mine is a newer version with lothar-walther barrel. I have found that it prefers the .217 Dia. sized slugs from NSA over their .218 Dia. offerings.
I would look at what head size your barrel seams to like best and go with a slug that is closer to that size.
.217 = 5.5118
.218= 5.5372
Currently NSA offers both diameters in the 21gr, but you only get 100 slugs at they are done by hand and more labor intensive. He does have the 23gr in .217 coming off the high speed machine now, so you do get 350 instead of only 100.
So far I have found my barrel and twist rate like to shoot slugs at around 840 FPS, but your mileage may vary.
I have some of the 23gr slugs coming today, that I will tune and test in my basement as its raining pretty hard and supposed to be all weekend, so no outside shooting.
I have never shot anything over 21gr in my Mrod, I hope that I will be able to tune it in stock configuration.
If you take a look at some of my previous posted threads, you can see the slight testing I've done so far. I would say that the critters definitely don't like my Mrod now.
As A side note: I took a shot at a squirrel at 144 yards the other day and the slug landed perfectly aligned with my vertical crosshair, but my holdover was off. I sent the slug directly over it's head and into the tree behind it at 158 yards. I will probably have to borrow or buy a second chrono, as the BC appears to be off for my gun.
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To find this, go into my profile and look under bench marked posts towards the bottom of the page. He is probably one of the most knowledgeable person regarding the Marauder.
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Thanks for the help, guys. I'm not very mechanically inclined, so was hoping for a slug that would work with a Marauder close to stock trim. If I can't find a slug that will work fairly well stock, I might try that "40 @ 40" tune for Marauders. Or, I might sell all the after market parts and the Marauder and buy something that doesn't require a lot of work.
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My gen 2 Mrod .25 didn't shoot any of the NSA slugs I tried. I had p/u the 29gr just to see if it took to them, but they did not shoot good at all. Or the 33.5, 36.2, 34 & 36 domed either
It's tuned at 54fpe, regulated, and lasers the 33.95's.
But I am planning on dropping back down to a 40/40 tune, if the .25 hades work as well as the .22's do.
It's tuned at 54fpe, regulated, and lasers the 33.95's.
But I am planning on dropping back down to a 40/40 tune, if the .25 hades work as well as the .22's do.
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If you want a slug shooter, I would recommend an Airforce gun and not try to make an mrod in to something it was not designed to do. Airforce guns have the power and a great barrel but it's a single shot which could be good or bad for you.
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I agree 100% my TalonP bullpup is my slug shooter, and I am planning a .257 Condor as soon as I gather parts.
Still I love shooting the Mrod though, and wasn't expecting it to do well with slugs, just curious to see if the .249's would work, and when they didn't, what the heck, for poops and giggles tried the .250.
Every time I think of changing the barrel in the Mrod, I shoot it and end up leaving it alone
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Here's some info from my Mrod/slug experience: My valve and transfer ports were stock and I didn't try the slugs again after I enlarged the air passage into the barrel.
https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/nsa-21g-slugs-in-lw-barreled-22-synrod/
https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/a-quick-pigeon-shoot-with-my-mrod-nsa-slugs/
https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/nsa-21g-slugs-in-lw-barreled-22-synrod/
https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/a-quick-pigeon-shoot-with-my-mrod-nsa-slugs/
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