testing NSA slugs out of RAW HM1000x .22cal

I had visions of competing in extreme FT events in the future with this rifle. Hoping to find a slug that would be superior to a pellet at longer distances. Not sure how much money I want to invest to find one at this point. Seeing as many of you have invested more money and time that I have up to this point I'm a little discouraged but your experiences can't be refuted. I'll keep playing and experimenting but will have to keep an eye on keeping the cost reasonable and expectations in check.
I wonder if going to a larger caliber, 25 or 30cal and sticking to pellets would be a more predictable outcome?

Jerry
 
I must have got very lucky because I'm shooting FX Hybrid's out of my .22 Taipan Veteran(@925 fps=42 fpe) with laser like accuracy at 50 meters and they are the second slug I've tried. The first slug I tried were NSA 24.8's and they consistently gave me 1/2"-3/4" groups at 50 meters. The Hybrid's consistently give me sub 1/2" groups at 50 meters...often >3/8" groups.

I've never tried MRD's however so maybe they could do 1/4" groups??
 
I think we're at the point in slug/barrel development that the "pellets are more accurate out to 70 yards" is no longer true. When I test slugs, if they don't group at 50 yards as well as the pellets, I don't continue testing at further distances. I think that at ALL distances, slugs can be as accurate as pellets, and at distances further out than 75 or 80 yards, can exceed the pellet performance. Is it easy to get to that point? Nope, but it can be true...
I have to disagree with you.

We shoot a monthly Unlimited competition. 2 cards at 100m, 2 at 50m and 2 at 25m.

Depending on conditions on the day, slugs rule at 100m. At 50 and 25 pellets easily outshoot the slug shooters by quite a large margin. This repeats itself in every competition we had so far.

If the conditions are good (no to little wind) pellets will outshoot slugs even at 100m. The current standing highest score at 100m was shot with 25.39 MRD pelelts.
 
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So continuing with inside testing since it's snowing. I bumped the velocities to see what would happen and 2/3rd the way thru testing decided to clean the barrel since I wasn't impressed with the groups. Boy did that make a difference.
There is one 3 shot group that caught my eye. 27.5gr .2175. It matched my JSB 25.39 pellet 1 hole group. The .217 group wasn't far behind. I also noticed the gun is quieter and a little less jumpy with the 27.5gr slugs. The .218 sz 27.5gr slugs are super tight loading. I can't seat them flush into the breech with my thumb. Just am observation.

Jerry
Slug test.jpg
 
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I think we're at the point in slug/barrel development that the "pellets are more accurate out to 70 yards" is no longer true. When I test slugs, if they don't group at 50 yards as well as the pellets, I don't continue testing at further distances. I think that at ALL distances, slugs can be as accurate as pellets, and at distances further out than 75 or 80 yards, can exceed the pellet performance. Is it easy to get to that point? Nope, but it can be true...
At 25 yards in my .25 caliber hm1000x nsa slugs .250 caliber 33.6 grain far out perform any pellets
 
That concept is oft-repeated in the slug discussion. With just about every .22 barrel that comes through I'll go to the slug shelf and try everything I've got. Always the same story, no dice. So I'm either the most unlucky airgunner, have a higher standard of accuracy than most, or am one of the few that is willing to say the emperor is butt-ass naked!
It's an expensive hobby but shooting a bunch of whatever you can afford accurately is the only thing that keeps me going. Don't give up and learn from idiots on here. Made in America bruh!
 
I had visions of competing in extreme FT events in the future with this rifle. Hoping to find a slug that would be superior to a pellet at longer distances. Not sure how much money I want to invest to find one at this point. Seeing as many of you have invested more money and time that I have up to this point I'm a little discouraged but your experiences can't be refuted. I'll keep playing and experimenting but will have to keep an eye on keeping the cost reasonable and expectations in check.
I wonder if going to a larger caliber, 25 or 30cal and sticking to pellets would be a more predictable outcome?

Jerry
Dude u can still split some evil rapist or child molesters wig! Maybe a 2nd or 3rd but if I have good concealment and subsonic suppression. Bad guy or raccoon won't be yelling I have been shot by a pellet!? Nope just silence and lead coming from nowhere. My worst fear would be a ambush from concealed and silent shooters. Sorry guys but poop is getting ****ed up and I might want to consider extra mags and 3 hill or 3 ish fx pumps for when our grid goes out.
 
I have to disagree with you.

We shoot a monthly Unlimited competition. 2 cards at 100m, 2 at 50m and 2 at 25m.

Depending on conditions on the day, slugs rule at 100m. At 50 and 25 pellets easily outshoot the slug shooters by quite a large margin. This repeats itself in every competition we had so far.

If the conditions are good (no to little wind) pellets will outshoot slugs even at 100m. The current standing highest score at 100m was shot with 25.39 MRD pelelts.
Thats one way to look at it. When I shot in the 100Y EBR Pellet and 100Y EBR Slug at the Oregon Event a couple weeks ago, that was certainly not the case. We had 33 shooters, so it was a representative sample of fairly good shooters.

In the Pellet finals, the average top 4 score was about 215. Under the same but slightly windier conditions, the average top 4 Slug finals score was 233. Not even close...

As far as at 50 yards (or meters) my prediction is that pellets will never again win the World Championship 50M competition. Yes, pellets won last year, but slugs were a close 3rd (or 4th, can't remember). But only a very few were shooting slugs. Next year the slugs will come in force and a shooter will be lucky to medal shooting pellets.
 
Thats one way to look at it. When I shot in the 100Y EBR Pellet and 100Y EBR Slug at the Oregon Event a couple weeks ago, that was certainly not the case. We had 33 shooters, so it was a representative sample of fairly good shooters.

In the Pellet finals, the average top 4 score was about 215. Under the same but slightly windier conditions, the average top 4 Slug finals score was 233. Not even close...

As far as at 50 yards (or meters) my prediction is that pellets will never again win the World Championship 50M competition. Yes, pellets won last year, but slugs were a close 3rd (or 4th, can't remember). But only a very few were shooting slugs. Next year the slugs will come in force and a shooter will be lucky to medal shooting pellets.
One competition does not make a representative sample.

Time will definitely tell. My money is still on pellets though.
At our last competition a couple of weeks ago, a new highest score at 100m (230) was shot using pellets.

Pellets still hold the highest scores in all the other distances we shoot at as well, 25, 50, and 75m.
 
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I have a fairly new RAW HM1000x in .22cal that I wanted to see if it would shoot slugs with any accuracy. It's set up by Martin to shoot JSB 25.39gr pellets at 950fps.
I bought a bunch of NSA slugs and started testing. The card I have pictured is at 15 yards. If anything shot halfway decent at this range I'll bring it all outside when the weather warms up. The RAW has a polygon LW barrel with little to no choke detected after pushing a few pellets thru by hand.
I didn't change any settings from the pellet tune. The 23gr NSA are averaging 965fps, the 24.8gr at 920fps, the 27.5gr at about 865fps. I had some FX hybrid22 gr on hand and it pushes them at 985fps.
Results as you can see: None were as accurate as the JSB pellets. It looks like the barrel slightly favors the .2175 and .218 24.8gr and 27.5gr slugs. Not sure if its worth going outside with any of them if they can't print a 1 hole group like the pellets. What do you think??

Jerry

View attachment 337892
You can fit .218 slugs 8n yours? My barrel is so tight that I'm shooting the .217 24.8 grain NSA slugs at 980 on Martin's mrd tune. I must have gotten a tight Barrel
 
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I have a fairly new RAW HM1000x in .22cal that I wanted to see if it would shoot slugs with any accuracy. It's set up by Martin to shoot JSB 25.39gr pellets at 950fps.
I bought a bunch of NSA slugs and started testing. The card I have pictured is at 15 yards. If anything shot halfway decent at this range I'll bring it all outside when the weather warms up. The RAW has a polygon LW barrel with little to no choke detected after pushing a few pellets thru by hand.
I didn't change any settings from the pellet tune. The 23gr NSA are averaging 965fps, the 24.8gr at 920fps, the 27.5gr at about 865fps. I had some FX hybrid22 gr on hand and it pushes them at 985fps.
Results as you can see: None were as accurate as the JSB pellets. It looks like the barrel slightly favors the .2175 and .218 24.8gr and 27.5gr slugs. Not sure if its worth going outside with any of them if they can't print a 1 hole group like the pellets. What do you think??

Jerry

View attachment 337892
NSA uses a harder alloy in their slugs, so pick a smaller diameter.