You gotta see this! FX Impact .25 with INSANE ACCURACY: Tuned by SPAW!
- Thread starter UpNorthAirGunner
- Start date
I bought the Side-Shot Magazine Upgrade Kit .25 from Finland. It has 28 shots. Maybe now they will come like this, when FX makes them.
Upgrade kits in my local store:
0.177, 38 shots
0.22, 28 shots
0.25, 28 shots
0.30, 23 shots
Oh, I forgot, thanks for the video!
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No offense. But you claimed insane accuracy. I was thinking someone finally acheived .3 inches at 100 yards or something. I was expecting some 10 group shot at 100 and 150 yards and measurements. So we get an idea how good it's shoot. 3 inch metal target at 100 and even 150 isn't hard to hit over and over. A good tune impact can hit .60 to 1 inch group at 100 yards. So it shouldn't have trouble hitting a 3 inch target at that distance. Golf ball at 150 yard is nice. But we seen folks hit it at 200 yards with another guns too. I'm not attacking you or putting you down for your efforts. So don't take it the wrong way.
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I'm always surprised by some people that they are never satisfied by what they are seeing. Bob_O had the same deal with someone whining about 3 shot groups at 100 yards measuring 0.16"! with his Impact. Oh well, ya just can't please everyone can you? Uh, but I'm impressed.
I was also very interested to hear that this is a mega-tuned Gen 1 Impact and not a Gen !!. I have a Gen 1 and was resigning myself to the idea that in order to even thinking about shooting slugs at the right velocity, I'd probably have to step up to a Gen. II. I like my Gen. 1; right now it is consistently shooting one hole, 0.4" groups out to 55 yards. It would be nice to have it able to shoot slugs when the time comes. I know that the guys at FX have their hands full and I don't get the feeling that Ernest has the time to take on custom work. Bob, you got lucky there. Now I may be wrong but I am just getting that feeling. Ken Hicks sounds like he might be a better bet. I think I'll drop him a line.
Thanks for the video and discussion. You've got a nice Impact there!
Cheers,
KP/NC
I was also very interested to hear that this is a mega-tuned Gen 1 Impact and not a Gen !!. I have a Gen 1 and was resigning myself to the idea that in order to even thinking about shooting slugs at the right velocity, I'd probably have to step up to a Gen. II. I like my Gen. 1; right now it is consistently shooting one hole, 0.4" groups out to 55 yards. It would be nice to have it able to shoot slugs when the time comes. I know that the guys at FX have their hands full and I don't get the feeling that Ernest has the time to take on custom work. Bob, you got lucky there. Now I may be wrong but I am just getting that feeling. Ken Hicks sounds like he might be a better bet. I think I'll drop him a line.
Thanks for the video and discussion. You've got a nice Impact there!
Cheers,
KP/NC
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Ya - I have noticed that as well. I think the issue is that these rifles are or can be just as accurate shooting the JSB Match Diabolo Exact King .25 Cal, 25.39 Grains, but I wanted the increased BC with the 33.9 grain pellets and from what I have read slugs being spin stabilized like a little extra umph behind them for higher velocities. I got the slug liner too with this rifle, but haven't tinkered yet with it. I also think the inherent nature of airgunners is to never leave well enough alone. ABM disease (Always Be Modding). HA!
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You hit the nail on the head! By working with Ken Hicks at Southern Precision Air Weapons, I am getting the best of all worlds. Someone who is basically receiving direct training and friendship with Ernest Rowe and FX USA - he is an authorized FX dealer - and to top it off he is a champion competitive airgunner himself. You really can't beat that formula! Plus Ken is just a great dude all around and great to work with.
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Everyone relax. I think what Airmanator is trying to say is that while UpNorthAirgunner's shots are impressive, they are somewhat "par" for the course for a well tuned stock FX Impact - they are that good out of the FX factory. That I can attest to: My all stock 25 cal FX Impact X from AoA shot a 2 inch spinner at 125yds all day long without any fancy upgrades or tune - it just shot that way out of the box shipped from AoA. While I am sure Ken at SPAW did amazing work on the FX Impact, it would take a lot more to convince some of us that the SPAW upgrades/tune is that much better than a well tuned stock FX Impact that one can implement via watching Ernest's videos.
Was it "INSANE ACCURACY" as the title states? Well, that is subjective. It probably is "INSANE" when compared with UpNorth's Airforce slug rifles, but when compared to the current evolution of Daystate, RAW, FX, etc... it is probably par for the course. The FX impacts are justifiably that good out of the factory, that's why most competitors use them.
Having said that, I do share UpNorth's enthusiasm and have enjoyed and continue to enjoy his videos.
Was it "INSANE ACCURACY" as the title states? Well, that is subjective. It probably is "INSANE" when compared with UpNorth's Airforce slug rifles, but when compared to the current evolution of Daystate, RAW, FX, etc... it is probably par for the course. The FX impacts are justifiably that good out of the factory, that's why most competitors use them.
Having said that, I do share UpNorth's enthusiasm and have enjoyed and continue to enjoy his videos.
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AHA! Thanks for verifying that I am not crazy about the 28 shot capacity. That was driving me nuts!
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Great points! For me - this is insane accuracy because I came into the world of PCPs by way of raw unbridled force from the big bore Texans and the quest to tame them into 1-3 inch shot groups at 100 yards. Totally different animal. He has this rifle modded / tuned to get over 75 FPE in .25 cal - but dialed it back for better accuracy. It is good to know that I have the power there for slugs when I need it. How does that compare to a stock MKI or stock MKII? Out of curiosity...
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I'd like to address Centercut's comment on having to tune $2000 guns and I would have to say that he makes a valid point. 2K is a bunch a moolah! But if I had to make an argument , I'd say that, especially with the more expensive guns, most owners want to tease out every little nuance of accuracy that gun has to offer. The Impact shoots very good right out of the box. I think there are a lot of folks who are totally happy with that. To make another point, I'm fairly certain that that Olympic competitive shooters have their, (Anschutz to name one), air rifles gone over and tuned by an expert before they take to the range, (and some of those models exceed $3-4K). It would be nice if Impacts came perfectly tuned out of the box but demand, mass production, and price point just won't allow for that.
I think it just boils down to one's desire for top accuracy, especially those who compete for $$. I don't compete (though I'd like to sometime), but I love seeing pellet after pellet drop into the same hole at 60 yards. Kinda makes my day. My Impact is an older one and we all know the Impact has experienced growing pains since it's infancy. I had to send mine to Ernest because it was beyond my capacity to make certain repairs....the new valve seat being one. Ernest redesigned that part and it made a big difference. It only cost me about $150...so not bad. Since then, though, I've done my own tuning and with barrel indexing, better pellet selection, and watching videos on reg vs hammer vs valve tuning, my gun is now a real shooter. I'm kinda proud I could do that.
Anyway, just my $.02
KP
I think it just boils down to one's desire for top accuracy, especially those who compete for $$. I don't compete (though I'd like to sometime), but I love seeing pellet after pellet drop into the same hole at 60 yards. Kinda makes my day. My Impact is an older one and we all know the Impact has experienced growing pains since it's infancy. I had to send mine to Ernest because it was beyond my capacity to make certain repairs....the new valve seat being one. Ernest redesigned that part and it made a big difference. It only cost me about $150...so not bad. Since then, though, I've done my own tuning and with barrel indexing, better pellet selection, and watching videos on reg vs hammer vs valve tuning, my gun is now a real shooter. I'm kinda proud I could do that.
Anyway, just my $.02
KP
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All good points above. I am of the camp that one shouldn't need to spend over $2k and still have to send the gun to be "tuned". Just because a gun is tuned "now" and sent to you does not mean that it will still be in "tune" 300 shots later. In the case of the FX Impact, the rubber ball valve bumper, C3 bumper, regulator springs all settle over time and the tune will deviate slightly as time passes and more shots are fired. Are you going to need to send your rifle to the tuner to be tuned every 300 shots? FX designed these guns to be self tuned over a chrony. Watch Ernest's FX Masterclass videos and if still unsure, call up FX USA.
Our "tune" probably is not as tight nor as efficient as Ted's or SPAW's or Dubber's, but generally more than good enough. Bear in mind that even a perfect tune will get out of tune over time.
Our "tune" probably is not as tight nor as efficient as Ted's or SPAW's or Dubber's, but generally more than good enough. Bear in mind that even a perfect tune will get out of tune over time.
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It's all good. I see what you're saying and at some point I will probably get to that same level of expectation with this platform. Again - you have to understand I am coming at this from a world of "hunting accurate" with big bore airguns I have been pounding away with over the last few years. ie. White Tail Deer with a 6 inch kill zone accurate at 100 yards with slugs pushing 300+ FPE. Totally different discipline. Thank you for your comments though as I know now that "INSANE ACCURACY" I should be shooting for is more like .3 inch at 100 yards over 10 shots. Someone hit a golf ball at 200 yards with an airgun? Shut up - no way! Fake news!
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I also think in my original post I mistakingly used the term "tuned" when I should have said MODIFIED and TUNED. I have seen airgunners tune their FX Impacts themselves to get similar accuracy. What Ken did to my MKI Impact to get both accuracy and increased power is something I could not do myself or would even want to try to attempt. I am a trained U.S. Army Unit Armorer with over 8 years of maintaining M4s - M9s - M240s - M2s 50 cal - but I know my limits and these things are much more like a Swiss watch inside! I would screw things up bad if I were to tear into this thing.
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Totally agree with you Frank320. The gun's tune will drift over time and for the very reasons you site. Unless the gun needs specialized work I think everyone should learn to tune because....... tune you will! I've tried several different tuning styles/methods over the years and have settled on Ernest's from his recently released tuning video for Impact. My Impact, right now is very accurate.
I might add that I didn't just get the gun out of the box and send it directly to Ernest for tuning. After shooting it for several months I sent it back, (under warranty), to the retailer where I bought it because it was not acting right and my tuning was not working. They kept it a long time and missed the problem entirely. FXUSA did not yet exist. So I decided to send it to Ernest and he fixed it. I think the video where he talks about the upgraded valve seat was with my gun in the background. He varified that. LOL
Anyway, there's good info out there and the Impact is a gun set up for tuning. Anybody can do it.
I might add that I didn't just get the gun out of the box and send it directly to Ernest for tuning. After shooting it for several months I sent it back, (under warranty), to the retailer where I bought it because it was not acting right and my tuning was not working. They kept it a long time and missed the problem entirely. FXUSA did not yet exist. So I decided to send it to Ernest and he fixed it. I think the video where he talks about the upgraded valve seat was with my gun in the background. He varified that. LOL
Anyway, there's good info out there and the Impact is a gun set up for tuning. Anybody can do it.
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UpNorthAirgunner,
I agree, the upgraded power is nice. Provides a nice option and variable for regulator settings, which will provide a wider adjustment range should you go to slugs. I would like to get my Impact X upgraded to more power too, but it has always shot so well I am hesitant to do anything to it.
I agree, the upgraded power is nice. Provides a nice option and variable for regulator settings, which will provide a wider adjustment range should you go to slugs. I would like to get my Impact X upgraded to more power too, but it has always shot so well I am hesitant to do anything to it.
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Amazing how far these PCP airguns have come along, isn't it? I was at the shooting range over the weekend zeroing a new scope mounted on my DDM4V7 Pro - powder burner AR. Figured I take my 9 year old son along with my FX Impact and W.A.R Flex 357. After I was done zeroing my AR, my son proceeded to shoot 100yds 1.5 inch groups with the Impact and also 1.5 inch groups with the 357 Flex, in 5 mph winds just on a bipod(no rear bag rest). The powder burner guys were talking and one of them said: "That is just a glorified BB gun."
The range went cold and we proceeded to retrieve the targets. One of the guys retrieved his targets from the 50 yard line
, while the other "That is just a glorified BB gun" guy retrieved his 5 inch grouped .308 shots from 100 yds. I just kept my mouth shut and let the results speak for themselves as i laid the targets my 9 year old son shot with "a glorified BB gun" on the table for all to see.
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Ahhhh, I think that is a much better way to phrase what was done to your gun. Shooting the pellets that you are, at the speed that you are, your gun is no more ACCURATE than a lock stock off the shelf Impact that has been "tuned" by the owner per Ernest's Master Class videos. However, mods were done to your gun to allow more POWER should you want to go that route, with slugs or pellets. More than likely the additional plenum, larger valve seat and valve, hammer weight, springs, etc. that Ernest has been describing for a couple of years now. No real "secret sauce", unless there has been some sort of breakthrough that has been kept top secret in the halls of FX... It all boils down to air flow, and air speed. More air flow, more power. Simple in concept, sometimes very hard to do in practice.
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I am not an expert, but we have to remember the impact is from factory made to shoot every caliber form .177 all the way up to .30. The impact can be modified to increase power or efficiency even more. But as far as I know most people who modified theire guns usually shoot slugs beyond normal pellet speed range, or heavier pellets in bigger calibers. If you add more hammer weight, or stiffer hammer spring, will you be able to tame the gun to shoot a 8 grain pellet with decesent accuracy? A heavier hammer weight or stiffer hammer spring would probably make people smashing the valvestop to pieces just to get the gun to shoot a .177 pellet. Just something to think about that more is not always better on a gun designed to cover a wide range of calibers and power levels.
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To illustrate: When I got my impact X it was a .177 version. From the factory it had a regpressure at about 90 bar. The hammer spring wheel had slack on it all the way to setting 5. On "max" it shot 890 fps, with jsb heavy 10 grains. On all other settings with slack on spring it shot 880 fps. When I later increased the hammer spring, true max was 900fps where the gun started to waste air. The slowest it did shoot was 880 with 10 grains, and 940 with 8 grains where it probably wasted air. So for me if I wanted to shoot slower I had to use the valve adjuster, as there was no hammer spring tension to remove. Later retuned it with reg pressure to 115 bar shooting around 900fps to get it more accurate. Had the gun been modified to increase power, many UK .177 users might not have been so happy with theire guns, as it would have limited theire tuning options in that caliber.
So when people are saying they have to modify an expensive gun to shoot it accurately they are wrong. But people with special needs, have the option to do so, if they want to.
So when people are saying they have to modify an expensive gun to shoot it accurately they are wrong. But people with special needs, have the option to do so, if they want to.
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