Upgrade my Impact Mk2 or upgrade to a Mk3???

[mtndragon]

Very good input, thoughts, and opinions by all. I sincerely appreciate all the responses. You guys never disappoint. 

I'll try to respond to a few posts here as opposed to replying to them individually. Special thanks to TMH for the link to his comparison thread, that was great info. @ ChRiSiS "in the long term we are all dead", lol, awesome!

I actually am happy with how my Mk2 shoots now, I love it honestly. Just need more power at distance.

I don't know that I would even utilize some of the benefits of the Mk3 such as all the adjustability. I don't fiddle around much with adjustments to be perfectly honest (once it is dialed in). Now I do enjoy having the latest and greatest toys, but I'm getting to an age when I have to make compromises in that regard.

I don't mind the extra cost of the Hybrid Slugs because I really don't shoot a lot. I got my Mk2 when they first came out and have only put about 450 pellets through it. But when I do shoot, I need it to be right on, and I need it to get the job done.

I don't have an official decision right now, but I think weighing all the options, for me, upgrading my Mk2 is probably going to be a better option right now at this stage in my life. I agree that the Mk3 would be a better long haul decision, but I like the ability to pay for the upgrades over time. Plus I won't have to worry about selling the Mk2, then being without a gun until I found a Mk3. Another driving factor is that I was really bummed out when FX later released better versions of the Mk2, seemingly right after I got mine, and mine didn't qualify for free upgrade (mainly talking about the plenum here). Kind of hard for me to justify going through all the trouble to get a Mk3 at first release when there will probably be a better version out in less than a year. 

If I do upgrade my Mk2 I think it will get me by until the Mk4 comes out... hehehe.

First, I love your Nutria hunting thread. Thanks for keeping that running for so long.

Second, my vote is to upgrade slowly in a pointed, methodical manner. Transfer port, liner...then plenum. Do it slow, keep us in the loop, so we can see how the power increases with each change. I can tell you the Ronin is probably not the best place to focus your money. I have run a Donny FX model, Koi, Sumo, and Ronin on both .25 and .30. The Ronin doesn't give you much more of a reduction, even at .30, and it changes the POI a bit because of weight and harmonics. I can swap out the FX, Koi, and Sumo and POI stays almost the same, but with the Ronin, the POI drops. The Impact shots will be quieter than the sound your pellet or slug makes thwacking the nutria with any of those suppressors. The Sumo is the sweet spot for .30 and below for suppression. The Ronin shines in .357 and above. My Impact Compact is making right around 80FPE in .30 cal, running a Sumo, and the pellets hitting the intended target are louder. The Sumo is a tad quieter than the FX you're running, but not really worth the difference considering hitting a nutria with 60+FPE isn't going to be quiet anyway. IMO only, of course.

I got one of the last MK2's before the MK3's came out, so it has Wika gauges and all the last refinements going into the M3. FX does slowly and quietly improve their guns as the model evolves, so my strategy for the MK3 is to save and wait. By the time I have enough money squirreled away it will be a better gun, and my MK2 shoots lights out now.

For the amount you're shooting (450 shots over the life of your gun), and how you're shooting (shoot to kill), I'd tinker as little as possible, think about what will get you the power you want/need, and carefully make changes. I've put more than 450 slugs down range tinkering in the last few days, only to come to the conclusion that I can't safely shoot slugs in a lot of the places I hunt, and returned to a JSB Heavy set up in .25.

.30 cal is awesome!

It is louder, it is more expensive to shoot by quite a bit, but it hits with authority, laughs at the wind (sorta), and is oh so fun. For the amount you shoot and your intended purpose, it would work well.

 

[Keyman62421]

Heck guy, my gen 1 w/PP shoots 90% in pellet tin @ 156 yds. I don't know what I'd up grade to?

I get the wants all the time. I fight as long as I can. Sometimes I weaken (foolishly).

 

[rwsmike]

Sell the mk2 and try finding a used m3 .

...might save a few 100 off a new one and limit the bleeding.

 

[8thman]

I have a mk2 700mm slug liner A pp and slug power kit tuned for nsa 36.2 slugs and the accuracy is outstanding, the only thing that I can do is just be a more consistent shooter. I have no reason to believe that the M3 could be any better than the mk2 that I currently own! Hope that helps 

 

[Chris_Hoek]

I want to thank everyone once again for their insight and advice on this matter. Very compelling reasons for either route which almost brings me back to square one, lol. 

After reading through all the posts and carefully considering my budgetary constraints, I think I'm leaning more towards keeping my Mk2. Through all your inputs I have a better idea of which items to prioritize when I do start my upgrades.

I will likely proceed with the transfer port, probe, and liner first, then get the M3 plenum when it becomes available, then eventually a quieter moderator.

Still on the fence on which liner to get though, not sure if I want to commit to slugs.

On another note, I'll probably have a bigger budget by the time the Mk4 comes out...

 

[triggertreat]

Either way works as both are great guns. Deciding is the hard part, which is now over. Now it is time to have some fun doing mods and making it yours. I am still on pellets in .25 and .30 caliber. Only dabbling in slugs here and there briefly. With the pellets, anything within 100 yards is easily precisely shot most times. The Titan scope is a big part of that. So far the pellets are precision shooters and the slugs are only accurate at best. The standard STX liner and the Superior liner are good for pellets. I would want the Superior heavy liner for slugs in heavier weights.

 

[tctaeg]

Get the M3. If you pass and upgrade the M2, you will always have the "what if" in your mind. Upgrade and get it over with. 

 

[qball]

I want to thank everyone once again for their insight and advice on this matter. Very compelling reasons for either route which almost brings me back to square one, lol.

you are welcome, we will be here all week. Try the veal! 

 

[Trip]

Following thread.

 

[Chris_Hoek]

Either way works as both are great guns. Deciding is the hard part, which is now over. Now it is time to have some fun doing mods and making it yours. I am still on pellets in .25 and .30 caliber. Only dabbling in slugs here and there briefly. With the pellets, anything within 100 yards is easily precisely shot most times. The Titan scope is a big part of that. So far the pellets are precision shooters and the slugs are only accurate at best. The standard STX liner and the Superior liner are good for pellets. I would want the Superior heavy liner for slugs in heavier weights.

Are slugs generally less accurate or do you just not have them dialed as good as your pellets? I originally thought slugs were supposed to be more accurate, but the more I've heard it sounds like that is not the case. I've been really leaning towards the hybrid slugs. But I want the heavier .25 hybrid slug that they haven't released yet, so I have to wait. I don't mind a little waiting though because I'm having a lot of Nutria activity presently and need my gun up and dialed in 100%.

 

[Chris_Hoek]

Get the M3. If you pass and upgrade the M2, you will always have the "what if" in your mind. Upgrade and get it over with.

Lol, yeah, "what if" if I don't, buyers remorse if I do...

 

[triggertreat]

Either way works as both are great guns. Deciding is the hard part, which is now over. Now it is time to have some fun doing mods and making it yours. I am still on pellets in .25 and .30 caliber. Only dabbling in slugs here and there briefly. With the pellets, anything within 100 yards is easily precisely shot most times. The Titan scope is a big part of that. So far the pellets are precision shooters and the slugs are only accurate at best. The standard STX liner and the Superior liner are good for pellets. I would want the Superior heavy liner for slugs in heavier weights.

Are slugs generally less accurate or do you just not have them dialed as good as your pellets? I originally thought slugs were supposed to be more accurate, but the more I've heard it sounds like that is not the case. I've been really leaning towards the hybrid slugs. But I want the heavier .25 hybrid slug that they haven't released yet, so I have to wait. I don't mind a little waiting though because I'm having a lot of Nutria activity presently and need my gun up and dialed in 100%.

Slugs are finicky and need to be sized to the choke and spin stabilized with the proper twist and speed for the length and weight. They also need some distance to be able to spin stabilize. This can be a challenge more so than with pellets that are stabilized by their skirts. They still need to be properly sized though. I have not given slugs a proper chance just yet. Only dabbling in slugs here and there briefly. I have had some luck with slugs. The best luck was with the AVS slugs in .25 cal. with the superior liner. They grouped as good as the pellets.

I will be converting my .30 cal over to slugs coming up. I need to get the superior heavy liner first though for the proper twist rate for the heavier slugs I want to launch. I have already installed the slug kit and PP so I can have more tuning ability when I do. There are plenty of air gunners that already have slugs sorted out so I know it is doable.

 

[Trip]

I find that if I really want something newer I will not be satisfied no matter what I do to make up for it and end up wanting it anyway and will ultimately sell and buy regardless. I say buy the M3.

 

[toku58]

You'll never have the latest and greatest!
Do you need the latest and greatest???
I have the MKII purchased just before the MK3 came out.

My Prod sees more action than any of my FX airguns.

 

[tctaeg]

Whatd you decide to do?

 

[Chris_Hoek]

Whatd you decide to do?

Well, long story short, nothing for now. Money is tight. I designed a moderator and had it 3D printed. Waiting to receive that now. It's just kind of an experiment. 

I think I 'm just going to purchase some parts here and there over time. Probably end up installing them all at once. Main effort will be on xfer port, pin probe, barrel liner (for hybrid slugs), then eventually plenum.