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Lets talk Xtreme FT rigs and pellets....

After talking to Kent while we were squadded together this past Sat, I've been wondering how much modification we've collectively done to our XFT guns and how much scrutiny we're giving our ammo. Or how many of us are running pretty much "stock," (straight outta the tin, or box).

I'll go first.

Mine is pretty well documented elsewhere on the forum, https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/veteran-long-22-rebarrel/

But the Cliffs Notes version is that I'm shooting a .22 Taipan Veteran Long with an unchoked traditional rifled LW barrel. Power plenum (that I question does much), but otherwise stock as I've not been in the regulator or done any valve modification, trigger component polishing, or even changed to a different hammer spring. 

I'm shooting 25.4gr Redesigned Monsters, lubed in Gunzilla. I sort them by weight and cull out the obvious defects (just by regular vision, no loupe/magnification) but they're not sorted by head size or anything else. The lube didn't help any with accuracy, just seems to make the need for barrel cleanings to be less frequent. Current hammer tension has them at 875fps for about 43fpe. 

Scoped with 20x SWFA and cheap UTG mounts. Considering upgrading to an Athlon Midas Tac though. 

Curious to see the in-depth details but also wondering how much the competitors are willing to share 
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Good topic Cole.... I'm at both ends of the spectrum with pellets...

With the stock .30 Bobcat I shot this past Saturday and in November, (it is blinged up with a Reaper Hydrodip) and a Huma regulator, I shot the .30 FX (rebranded JSB) 44.74 pellets straight from the tin. I've never had a problem with flyers with .30 caliber pellets in the older FX ST barrels...

Now, to the other end of the spectrum. For the next couple of XFT matches I'm going to shoot Bleu, my .22 Red Wolf HP with 25.4 grain JSB RD Monsters. Without sorting, the newer batches of RDMs will give you a true flyer about once every ten shots, maybe more or maybe less, but on average. So I SORT them (intentional capital letters). I take a tin, and sort for head size, and cull the ones that are smaller than 5.53 in my pellet gauge. Then I weight them, and only keep the ones that are 25.4, 25.5, and 25.6 grains. I lightly lube them with Ballistol. Out of a tin of 350 FX rebranded JSBs, I usually eliminate about 150 pellets that I keep for tuning and practice. 

I started doing this after getting burned with flyers this past Summer TWICE in 100 yard Benchrest events. Once in a TEAM event July in Utah (the flyer knocked me from 2nd to 8th), and once at EBR 2021 (the flyer knocked me out of qualifying for the 100 yard finals). In the first example, I hadn't been sorting at all, and had a flyer go outside the 4 ring. Then I started sorting as above, and shot RMAC without one flyer in the two qualifying rounds and the one final round. At EBR I thought I had sorted enough pellets but forgot that I was also shooting Bleu in the 50Y BR event and used them all before the 2nd 75 yard qualifier. Again, I got a flyer that was outside the 4 ring and that caused a low enough score to not make the 100 yard finals on Sunday (it was a lousy card but would have been good enough if...). Bottom line is I'll never shoot .22 RDMs again in competition without meticulously sorting...

When .22 RDMs are good, they are VERY good... In the first RMAC 100Y qualifier Bleu with RDMs shot the highest overall score of the tournament - 229-8X. But if you don't sort them they're guaranteed to break your heart! ;(
 
In 2018 I cleaned house on the EBR AFT course 40/40 (1 mulligan).

Daystate Redwolf HP

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  • .22 caliber
  • OEM everything (except I polished the barrel) and tuned the GCU.
  • MRD 935fps
  • I paid a neighbor kid to inspect & weigh over a dozen tins. I did not head size them.
  • I use Gunzilla as a lube (1 spray top & bottom of foam) with all my pellets.
  • No moderator
  • Athlon Cronus scope
  • Sportsmatch adjustable rings



After that I pretty much retired from mainstream competitions. A few years later I decided to scratch the itch and compete in a local event here in Texas.

In November 2021 I took 2nd place at Textreme AFT.

FX Impact M3

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  • .22 caliber
  • 700mm standard liner
  • OEM shroud & Donny
  • MRD at 975fps (old lot worked best, new FX lot 2nd best, new JSB lot 3rd best). I know that's hot, but my 100y groups tell a spectacular story.
  • I use Gunzilla as a lube (1 spray top & bottom of foam) with all my pellets. Reduces fouling and in this case delivers noticeable better groups.
  • Unsorted/unweighed pellets. Visually inspected for defects while loading magazine.
  • Element Optics Nexus scope
  • Sportsmatch adjustable rings
  • Ergo Air vertical grip



2022 Texteme events...

Hoping this Evol will be a real shooter! Came to me shooting MRD at 920fps. I've yet to see what velocity it likes best.

View attachment IMG_20220122_100708_999.1643244108.jpgView attachment IMG_20220122_100708_787.1643244108.jpg

-Michael
 
My first EFT event will be a Textreme comp this year. Nowhere near the experience as y’all but I practice regularly. If cast pellets are allowed, I’ll use my own pellets in both rifles, otherwise one setup I’ll use is my Prophet and Daystate 44’s. They perform second to edguns but a little better than the fx in mine. The only thing i did is a cf sleeve, but am adding an air stripper, although it holds its own with just tuning. The other rifle is a tweaked Mrod, won’t bore anyone with that. Crimson Trace Series 5 on both. I do sort and weigh ammo and instead of any liquid lube I now treat my barrels and ammo with h-bn. I have no clout to effectively back any claims of h-bn, but my results have been more than convincing. 
 
Ok I will play..The wife shoots a crown MKI in 25 shooting the FX 34 grain pellets sorted. She pulls out my reloading scale and goes to work….rifle is bone stock…..I shoot a crown MKII in 25 bone stock, but I have a saber tactical stock on mine, where as the wife has a “pretty” laminate stock….I shoot JSB 33.95 pellets…I do not sort and we both shoot from a magazine…

Tony P
 
Thanks for sharing everybody.

@davecole, succinct way of putting it, "no razzle dazzle" Afraid that I've got to admit that my gun and especially the barrel has some razzle dazzle, I just can't do it justice. Agree 100% that (at least in my case) I can't blame the gun for misses (maybe the pellets though, lol) 

@michael, the EVOL in SC's wood stock is just stunning. Love that you're going to use it for Ron's Textreme FT events. 

@aimright, Scott, I'm a single loader here. The first one or two matches last winter I used the magazine but switched to single feed as that's how I shoot in regular FT and 90% of the time when shooting @ home. Bout the only time I bust out the mags is pest time. My gun seems to shoot equally accurately. I just like the one pellet in, one shot out concept. Makes my OCD happy and I like to tell myself it reduces my risk of taking a shot without a pellet in the barrel. 

@pesty3782, don't change a thing man! Or maybe change it all up so that somebody other than you and Barb have a chance at winning next month. 

@greg1978, 5hrs is a bit of a drive for sure, but the fun is probably worth it. 
 
Franklink, here is my rig however I have been shooting rimfire the last couple times.

I'm shooting a RAW HM1000X in 22. Shoot the FX version of the 25 grain MRD at about 930 fps. I lube sometimes with Gunzilla but not religiously and have been shooting from the tin lately although I did sort for EBR last year. Glass is the Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x50 FFP and Accu Tac 34mm rings

Thx

Dan

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