This is a post I’ve wanted to write for a while. I’m very interested in ballistic performance and I figured that there are many of you who share the same interest. I’m just scratching the surface so far with my new FX Impact and NSA slugs and I’m no expert. I just want to share some of my results. I also know some will gripe about my 3 shot groups. It works for me and the info I have learned so far has lead to many 100 plus yard squirrels. My rifle and ammo:
FX Impact MK2 .22
700mm slug liner
Transfer port and probe mod
C3 bumper replaced with delrin
Regulator @ 140
NSA .22 caliber .218” 24.8gr slugs
After getting to know the rifle and some harmonic tuning this is where I am currently. My rifle definitely likes the .218 24.8 better than the .217 version. I learned that a very small change in the tune can show up on the target. These targets show that an 8 fps change can tighten up the groups. The 965 fps groups at 30 yards are good but just dropping to 957 fps via the valve adjuster made even better groups. I intend to keep experimenting with lowering the velocity to see what kind of groups I can get and see if shot count improves. After shooting at 30 yards I moved to 84 yards. It was starting to get windy so I decided that 84 yards was good enough for now. The 965fps groups impressed me at 84 yards but by the time I got to the 957fps tune the wind really picked up. You can see the results here. Still not too bad for 84 yards in variable winds.
A very quick check of velocities at the muzzle and at 50 yards gave me a slug BC of 0.078. That was only 5 shots each at the two ranges. I’ll work more on that later although that BC number is working great with my Chairgun drop chart. I have made many kill shots on ground squirrels out to 140 yards. As you will see in the following photos the Nielsen Specialty Ammo slugs are performing great out to at least 150 yards.
Ok, call me odd but it’s all in the name of science right??? I wanted to test slug expansion and penetration. Rather than water bottles or ballistic gel I went straight to the source. I “acquired” a few squirrels and then used them to test ballistic performance. I used a rolled up t-shirt placed behind the squirrels to capture the slugs. I then shot into the shoulder/heart/lung area. Every distance I tested, the NSA 24.8gr slug penetrated the squirrel completely and expanded very well. The target ranges in yards were: 50, 80, 91, 106 and 150. The photos below show the results. At each range the captured slugs were caked with tissue and hair. The photos below show the same slugs before and after I cleaned the hair and meat off. One of them at 50 yards even has a chunk of bone lodged in the hollow point. I decided to leave it in there while cleaning the slugs.
I have decided that I no longer have to take head shots to quickly anchor a ground squirrel. The heart/lung shot with the NSA slugs is an immediate kill shot. My farthest one shot kill so far with the NSA slugs is 140 yards. There have been many 100 plus yard shots and the little rodents just drop on the spot with a well placed shoulder shot. There is no flopping and tail wagging like with a headshot, they just drop and don’t move.
I hope that you find this information as useful and interesting as I do.
Kenny
FX Impact MK2 .22
700mm slug liner
Transfer port and probe mod
C3 bumper replaced with delrin
Regulator @ 140
NSA .22 caliber .218” 24.8gr slugs
After getting to know the rifle and some harmonic tuning this is where I am currently. My rifle definitely likes the .218 24.8 better than the .217 version. I learned that a very small change in the tune can show up on the target. These targets show that an 8 fps change can tighten up the groups. The 965 fps groups at 30 yards are good but just dropping to 957 fps via the valve adjuster made even better groups. I intend to keep experimenting with lowering the velocity to see what kind of groups I can get and see if shot count improves. After shooting at 30 yards I moved to 84 yards. It was starting to get windy so I decided that 84 yards was good enough for now. The 965fps groups impressed me at 84 yards but by the time I got to the 957fps tune the wind really picked up. You can see the results here. Still not too bad for 84 yards in variable winds.
A very quick check of velocities at the muzzle and at 50 yards gave me a slug BC of 0.078. That was only 5 shots each at the two ranges. I’ll work more on that later although that BC number is working great with my Chairgun drop chart. I have made many kill shots on ground squirrels out to 140 yards. As you will see in the following photos the Nielsen Specialty Ammo slugs are performing great out to at least 150 yards.
Ok, call me odd but it’s all in the name of science right??? I wanted to test slug expansion and penetration. Rather than water bottles or ballistic gel I went straight to the source. I “acquired” a few squirrels and then used them to test ballistic performance. I used a rolled up t-shirt placed behind the squirrels to capture the slugs. I then shot into the shoulder/heart/lung area. Every distance I tested, the NSA 24.8gr slug penetrated the squirrel completely and expanded very well. The target ranges in yards were: 50, 80, 91, 106 and 150. The photos below show the results. At each range the captured slugs were caked with tissue and hair. The photos below show the same slugs before and after I cleaned the hair and meat off. One of them at 50 yards even has a chunk of bone lodged in the hollow point. I decided to leave it in there while cleaning the slugs.
I have decided that I no longer have to take head shots to quickly anchor a ground squirrel. The heart/lung shot with the NSA slugs is an immediate kill shot. My farthest one shot kill so far with the NSA slugs is 140 yards. There have been many 100 plus yard shots and the little rodents just drop on the spot with a well placed shoulder shot. There is no flopping and tail wagging like with a headshot, they just drop and don’t move.
I hope that you find this information as useful and interesting as I do.
Kenny
