.22lr / .22 FAC air rifle, have I made the wrong call?

[25 Sharps]

Hey Sharps 25, the slugs carry crazy energy at distance dont they! I noticed this bigtime when I started shooting even the 23 grn h&n out at 100 mtrs.
Even with the pellets at shallow angles 10-15 degrees, its maintaining enough speed when it hits ground level to do damage to somebody. I suppose on when its in freefall is it less of a problem.
( just this year have been getting fallout whilst beating under high pheasant, still un-nerving with no 6 shot!)

falling shot is unnerving, it’s why I always wear a baseball cap if out with others and shotguns.

yeah, I’m talking 60-90 degree shots up trees so it going a long way up and losing energy before it tips and falls back down

 

[villaman]

Have .22lr , 17 HMR , FAC.22 FX crown running @42 ftlbs and impact .25 FAC running @72 ftlbs . .22 FX crown is the one I use mostly, so versatile, any thing from close range rats to rabbits out to 120 +yards

 

[Steve123]

If you buy a FAC FX you won’t be able to turn the wick down enough for safe shooting in roofs etc.
I had a .25 Impact running at 52ftlbs and the lowest it would turn down to was 30ftlbs.
Having owned the Impact for 2 years and then selling it and replacing it with a £175 CZ 22lr (which is far better on the rabbits) my advice would be buy a sub 12 for barns and stick with 22lr.

It is not inside barns, but on the barn roofs and trees/hedges where the projectile will fall within the farm boundary and there are no livestock or people in those fields. A .22lr has better killing power than an air rifle but is only useable into the ground or somewhere a good backstop can be shot into. A good air rifle will have far more use and shots that can be taken than a .22lr.

 

[Pete1774]

I would like an adjustable power air rifle, but I think they are big bucks! unless I strike lucky with a secondhand deal.

I have an AirArms S510 XS Xtra (FAC) in 22 and the power is adjustable (5 settings) via a little knob on the right side. I use it primarily for rabbits and and pigeons. Its very accurate out to 70 or 80 yds. I use JSB 16 or 18 grain pellets. The lower power settings are good for pigeons and rats inside buildings because at the lower power settings the pellets don't penetrate corrugated roofing or walls. Price new just under £1K but worth looking at used.

 

[hammo]

I have an AirArms S510 XS Xtra (FAC) in 22 and the power is adjustable (5 settings) via a little knob on the right side. I use it primarily for rabbits and and pigeons. Its very accurate out to 70 or 80 yds. I use JSB 16 or 18 grain pellets. The lower power settings are good for pigeons and rats inside buildings because at the lower power settings the pellets don't penetrate corrugated roofing or walls. Price new just under £1K but worth looking at used.

Nothing decent is cheap. Do you know what your min and max settings are in ft/lbs?
I have been pretty impressed with the FX Dreamline classic, looks just what I want at about £800.

 

[Pete1774]

Nothing decent is cheap. Do you know what your min and max settings are in ft/lbs?
I have been pretty impressed with the FX Dreamline classic, looks just what I want at about £800.

The quoted max power, setting 1, for the .22 is 32 ft pounds but the lower power settings wil vary depending on pellet weight. I read somewhere that the minimum setting 5, can be as low as 7 f/p. I've used setting 4 to pop pigeons inside a barn up to 15 yards. I don't have a chronograph so I've no idea what energy that is. I can't comment on the Dreamline but I have shot a friend's FX Impact using slugs in .25 cal and that is mighty impressive, but so is the price

 

[hammo]

The quoted max power, setting 1, for the .22 is 32 ft pounds but the lower power settings wil vary depending on pellet weight. I read somewhere that the minimum setting 5, can be as low as 7 f/p. I've used setting 4 to pop pigeons inside a barn up to 15 yards. I don't have a chronograph so I've no idea what energy that is. I can't comment on the Dreamline but I have shot a friend's FX Impact using slugs in .25 cal and that is mighty impressive, but so is the price

Those power settings sound useful, would suit me fine. Yes, I looked at the FX Impact; not for long though as its more than double my planned budget.

 

[Steve123]

For what you need sub 12 would be good, fac air still needs a backstop, 900 fps/300mtr/sec with 18 grns aint something that should be shot skyward and will knock holes in buildings.
Could you not have both on your ticket, I have no probs having both on mine.

.22 Hades at 900fps has no energy left at 250 meters. That velocity is good for vermin on roofs and trees to 70 to 80 meters where a sub 12 would be useless.

 

[Mr. Gain]

I will be selling my 22LR Jan, it’s not being used since I’ve bought an FAC Air rifle, the Air Rifle is far more versatile and dare I say safer to shoot than the 22LR, you can buy pellets and slugs over the counter or posted which is bonus when your nearest gun shop is 30 miles away and only stock certain makes of 22 LR ammo.
Enjoy your FAC Air Rifle.

Very much this. Unless you have lots of rabbits on your ground, like semi-autos, or just like shooting .22LR, then it won't get much use. (And I'd rather use a .17HMR for the rabbits) In comparison, .22 FAC air rifles and filling kit is much more expensive, but the projectile/ballistic options are considerably more versatile and convenient; and with slugs (used appropriately on ground targets or with 100% clear and solid backstops), a good PCP air rifle will effectively mimic the performance of a .22LR to 100m. At sub-12FPE levels, modern pre-charged airguns are so good that hunting to 50m is certainly doable with the right kit and skills. Nevertheless, the reduced drop and drift at FAC levels offset the limitations imposed by range and weather to a useful degree. Consequently, I shoot farmyard quarry with .177 12FPE air; corvids, squirrels and rats (where the latter are in a large concrete clamp) with .22 FAC air; and foxes and squirrels on the ground with .17/.20 CF. The rabbit population on my permissions is so much reduced by VHD that it does no perceptible damage and as a result I haven't shot one for probably 5 years.

 

[norcan]

.177 12ft/lb
.22 FAC
22lr

Get all your bases covered...



.

 

[jb7x57]

I bought a Kral FAC air rifle and it’s been fantastic value for money
I get about 50 shots before top up required more accurate than a 22 rim fire at 40 yds 12 shot mag
Also adjustable power settings

 

[Boosh]

.22 Hades at 900fps has no energy left at 250 meters. That velocity is good for vermin on roofs and trees to 70 to 80 meters where a sub 12 would be useless.

Hey steve, it might not seem like it has any energy left, but believe me if it has any velocity left moving sideways it could potentially blind somebody.
At the very least can you imagine trying to explain to an angry father that a pellet that has just hit his child in the face has less than 1ft lb of energy?
I could imagine more than 1ft lb coming back towards you!

 

[Steve123]

Hey steve, it might not seem like it has any energy left, but believe me if it has any velocity left moving sideways it could potentially blind somebody.
At the very least can you imagine trying to explain to an angry father that a pellet that has just hit his child in the face has less than 1ft lb of energy?
I could imagine more than 1ft lb coming back towards you!

Fair point but I only shoot like that where it could drop onto farm land open fields. I also check for livestock in those fields before shooting .

 

[Pete1774]

Fair point but I only shoot like that where it could drop onto farm land open fields. I also check for livestock in those fields before shooting .

Makes me wonder where Boosh does his shooting if he's so concerned about children getting injured. An inner city park maybe?

 

[Boosh]

Makes me wonder where Boosh does his shooting if he's so concerned about children getting injured. An inner city park maybe?

Dont be a fanny Pete.

 

[25 Sharps]

.22 Hades at 900fps has no energy left at 250 meters. That velocity is good for vermin on roofs and trees to 70 to 80 meters where a sub 12 would be useless.

3 ft-lb of energy

 

[Steve123]

Strelok says 1ft lb at 250m and 0 at 275m. anyway a small enough amount to not worry if landing in a field, wheres a .22 rimfire even with low velocity rounds has still got more like 18 ft lbs. The bullets bc is so much better than pellets. If only the Rimfire ammo makers could deliberately make a bullet with pellet bc . They would have a winner.