FX Maverick - can it be tuned very low for quiet, close-range/backyard use?

[DHart]

I'm considering a Maverick .177 or .22 for low-power, close-range, low-noise backyard use. Although the Maverick is a somewhat higher-powered rifle, can it be tuned-down to a very low level, while retaining excellent accuracy? (Of course I would use it with a moderator, like a Huggett Snipe.)

My other rifle is a .22 BRK Ghost, which I have tuned-down to 800 fps / 26 fpe with 18.13 gr. Jumbos. So, with the Maverick, I'd like to go even lower in power, perhaps a bit below 20 fpe.

Would choosing the Maverick in .177 be better (than choosing .22) for this purpose of achieving the low-power, low-noise objective? Or would just using a fairly light pellet, like 15 gr, in .22 be just as suitable?

Any idea how low (in velocity or fpe, .177 or .22) could the Maverick go and still have excellent accuracy at close range, such as 20-25 yards?

 

[Chukar60]

I just changed my Maverick Compact from a 25 to a 22. While I was tuning it to shoot JSB 18.13's I was working my way up in fps and found a tune it liked at about 720 fps which was very quiet and it shot the JSB's very well. Too slow for what I want it to do but would have made a great backyard set up.
If you were to use a 600mm instead of the 500mm barrel it would probably even quieter.

 

[Jlowe]

I have a .177cal 500mm barrel on one of my Mavericks right now and it's very quiet. I had it shooting JSB 8.4's at 900fps and you could barely hear it with a DonnyFL Sumo on it. I turned it op to 910fps with JSB 10.3's and it's still really quiet. I would assume the Ghost with only one reg would be easier to tune down in 22cal. The Maverick I have was originally a 22cal 500mm compact version and it was very quiet at 27-foot pounds with JSB Hades with the DonnyFL FX that came with it.

 

[Airgunmann]

I had a impact 22 500 mm shooting 18 gr at about 920 a it was quiet with a koi on it I'd stick with 22 more versatile in my opinion

 

[maxtrouble]

Looking for a low power, accurate and quiet rifle? Consider a Weihrauch HW30 springer. Very accurate and a joy to shoot. The trigger is excellent out of the box. The rifle comes with adjustable and configurable iron sights. Weighs maybe five pounds and did I mention accurate? At close range this is a tack driver. Use H&N Terminator pellets and anything under 30 yards is DRT.

Weihrauch HW30 S

Weihrauch air rifles are engineered and manufactured in Germany in accordance with the latest sporting arms technology. With decades of experience and a strive for perfection and innovationn, Weihrauch is able to deliver top quality, for maximum performance and a long service life.The Weihrauch...

www.krale.shop

 

[DHart]

Looking for a low power, accurate and quiet rifle? Consider a Weihrauch HW30 springer. Very accurate and a joy to shoot. The trigger is excellent out of the box. The rifle comes with adjustable and configurable iron sights. Weighs maybe five pounds and did I mention accurate? At close range this is a tack driver. Use H&N Terminator pellets and anything under 30 yards is DRT.

Weihrauch HW30 S

Weihrauch air rifles are engineered and manufactured in Germany in accordance with the latest sporting arms technology. With decades of experience and a strive for perfection and innovationn, Weihrauch is able to deliver top quality, for maximum performance and a long service life.The Weihrauch...

www.krale.shop

max... Thank you. I know the Weihrauch is a very good rifle! But, it's not at all the style of rifle that I really want to go with. I want a bull-pup, magazine fed PCP. The Maverick looks like just the ticket. And ability to tune down a good bit (when desired) is just the ticket.

 

[DHart]

I just changed my Maverick Compact from a 25 to a 22. While I was tuning it to shoot JSB 18.13's I was working my way up in fps and found a tune it liked at about 720 fps which was very quiet and it shot the JSB's very well. Too slow for what I want it to do but would have made a great backyard set up.
If you were to use a 600mm instead of the 500mm barrel it would probably even quieter.

Chukar... that sounds just right for what I'm looking for - up to about 25 yards. And very quiet. I guess the longer barrel 600mm requires less air pressure for a given velocity, so that makes the gun even a little quieter (and uses less air) than the shorter 500mm barrel?

Don

 

[L.Leon]

@DHart, why not consider the BRK Brococks? An Atomic or Ranger XR in .22 are already at the power levels you seek for backyard shooting. Or, the new Pathfinder which offers greater shot count at those lower power levels you seek… good luck in your search. I shoot my sub 17 FPE .22 Atomic XR from 15 to 64 yards, plenty of oomph at those distances and very accurate.

 

[Headshots]

If your Maverick shows up with a good tune , you could just turn down your HS adjustment and get as low as 500 fps or so in .22 .

I use the 600mm barrel and really like it for an all around barrel . A buck rail suppressor is only 40 bucks or so , and really helped mine. But it's not bad at lower powers and usually the pellet hitting the target is louder than the airgun.

 

[weevil]

I have a Wildcat BT (same guts, different stock) with an impulse air moderator. Using a 177 500mm barrel, it shoots 10grain or 13grain Zan slugs more accurately than any of my pellets. 20 and 25fpe respectively and much quieter than any of my 22s. And it does very well at 100yards. Here’s a group of the 13 grain Zans at that distance:

Occasionally, I’ll dip into the other end of the spectrum and shoot some paper at 25y with 7.x grain RWS wadcutters.

 

[DHart]

I have a .177cal 500mm barrel on one of my Mavericks right now and it's very quiet. I had it shooting JSB 8.4's at 900fps and you could barely hear it with a DonnyFL Sumo on it. I turned it op to 910fps with JSB 10.3's and it's still really quiet. I would assume the Ghost with only one reg would be easier to tune down in 22cal. The Maverick I have was originally a 22cal 500mm compact version and it was very quiet at 27-foot pounds with JSB Hades with the DonnyFL FX that came with it.

Jlowe... do you find the Maverick platform to be a trouble-free, fairly simple rifle, overall? I don't need, nor want, the complexity of the Impact, for example.

As it isn't something I would do often, I don't mind needing to coordinate the two regulators, along with the hammer spring setting. Basically, I would just dial things down to, perhaps, 18-20 fpe with 15.89 gr. or 18.13 gr. JSBs and call it good.

 

[DHart]

@DHart, why not consider the BRK Brococks? An Atomic or Ranger XR in .22 are already at the power levels you seek for backyard shooting. Or, the new Pathfinder which offers greater shot count at those lower power levels you seek… good luck in your search. I shoot my sub 17 FPE .22 Atomic XR from 15 to 64 yards, plenty of oomph at those distances and very accurate.

Excellent options to consider, L.L. Thank you.

 

[Chukar60]

Chukar... that sounds just right for what I'm looking for - up to about 25 yards. And very quiet. I guess the longer barrel 600mm requires less air pressure for a given velocity, so that makes the gun even a little quieter (and uses less air) than the shorter 500mm barrel?

Don

I believe the 600 would be a quieter set up. You need to be careful with the Maverick if you want a very low 2nd reg and plenum pressure. I cannot recall the lowest pressure FX recommends on it. There is a way around that but it appears more trouble than it is worth.
yes it would use less air. I put a 480cc carbon bottle on my compact when I changed it to 22. I have not actually done a shot count, but it seems to use very little air.

 

[Jlowe]

Jlowe... do you find the Maverick platform to be a trouble-free, fairly simple rifle, overall? I don't need, nor want, the complexity of the Impact, for example.

As it isn't something I would do often, I don't mind needing to coordinate the two regulators, along with the hammer spring setting. Basically, I would just dial things down to, perhaps, 18-20 fpe with 15.89 gr. or 18.13 gr. JSBs and call it good.

Yes I do find it to be trouble free. My 2nd reg for the .177cal is low, around 78 bar and the 1st reg is at 125. I had it at 70 bar for a while on the 2nd reg with no problems.

 

[rangur1]

Understand your desire for stealth. Lower it to bottom power adjustments. Shoot and learn projectile tendencies and loss of accuracy- but not real significant. Then go to town!

 

[GA_LeadHead]

Tune

I have a Wildcat BT (same guts, different stock) with an impulse air moderator. Using a 177 500mm barrel, it shoots 10grain or 13grain Zan slugs more accurately than any of my pellets. 20 and 25fpe respectively and much quieter than any of my 22s. And it does very well at 100yards. Here’s a group of the 13 grain Zans at that distance:
View attachment 351531
Occasionally, I’ll dip into the other end of the spectrum and shoot some paper at 25y with 7.x grain RWS wadcutters.

Sir, you just made me order a .177 barrel for my WC BT.

 

[DHart]

I just changed my Maverick Compact from a 25 to a 22. While I was tuning it to shoot JSB 18.13's I was working my way up in fps and found a tune it liked at about 720 fps which was very quiet and it shot the JSB's very well. Too slow for what I want it to do but would have made a great backyard set up.
If you were to use a 600mm instead of the 500mm barrel it would probably even quieter.

Could you estimate what your two reg settings were and HS setting was when you were at 720 fps?

 

[DHart]

Yes I do find it to be trouble free. My 2nd reg for the .177cal is low, around 78 bar and the 1st reg is at 125. I had it at 70 bar for a while on the 2nd reg with no problems.

As I recall, FX advises to keep the two regulators within a specific bar pressure range between each other. Do you recall what that spread is?

 

[weevil]

As I recall, FX advises to keep the two regulators within a specific bar pressure range between each other. Do you recall what that spread is?

There must be a gauge for each regulator?

30-40bar but in my experience, it doesn’t matter too much. I leave my first reg at 180 and operate the second at 120-160, depending on the barrel cal and tune.

There’s only one gauge on my wildcat BT and it measures the plenum pressure (output from reg2). To set reg1, you degas and open reg2 to a high pressure so that it’s effectively bypassed. Once reg1 is set, degas again and set reg 2 to a low pressure so the reading reflects that reg. Then increase it incrementally until you reach desired pressure. Make changes immediately after dry firing to ensure that the reg piston is free to avoid damaging the seal.

 

[Chukar60]

Could you estimate what your two reg settings were and HS setting was when you were at 720 fps? Does the Maverick have regulator gauges for each of the regulators? In addition to the bottle gauge?

I have my first reg set to 180 bar all the time on that gun. I got tired of adjusting the first reg chasing the differential when it really does not affect the second reg operation, plus my plenum fills faster.
I believe I was in the high 80 bar range on the second reg. Power wheel was on 5. Other than that no idea. I was working up to a speed of 880-885.
I don’t keep notes as I go. Once I have my tune I record the 2nd reg setting, power wheel setting and then take the IHS and cap out and measure that. I keep minimal notes on my tunes.