250Z NRL22 | Slugs | 250z platform???

[PcpN00b]

New member here. However longtime lurker. I have yet to see this question posed, thus, my need for creating an account to ask - Is the 250z a viable option for a budget competitive rifle? My plans are to compete with a Pcp air rifle this season.

I compete locally in NRL22. However, the inability to reload and tune rimfire and the soaring price of quality 22LR has me thinking of going the PCP route.

Requirements:
-.22 caliber only
-Rifle can be easily balanced
-Capable of shooting 36gr+ slugs at 900fps or faster accurately (looking at high BC slugs to match 40gr rimfire)
-Minimum 12-14 shots before needing to refill (NRL22 stages shoot at most 12 rounds per stage)

Rifles I'm considering:
-250z - modded for slugs; External Plenum, slug kit, valve porting.

-FX DRS 700mm with larger plenum

-FX Panthera (Dream rifle)

-Wait for 270z and shoot PCP next season.

*Open to any other rifle suggestions. Budget is of high priority, else I wouldn't be considering the 250z and go straight to the Panthera. I just don't want to invest too much initially just in case I end up not liking Air rifles.

What attracts me the most to the 250z is obviously the price. Literally half the cost of the FX DRS 700mm. I love tinkering and modding. Nothing but the action and bolt is stock in my CZ bolt action. But prices of 22LR and the inability to tune my rounds with rimfire is irritating. I reload, so swaging my own slugs will not be foreign to me. The process looks simple. Seems like quality slugs are also cheap (compared to 22LR).

Thank you and sorry for the long post.

 

[Solo1]

Well welcome to the club! I don’t know about the 250 z but i do know a lot of guys shoot fx in nrl 22 take your time on picking a gun but once you do you will find yourself falling down the rabbit hole with the rest of us! A big reason for air to be popular is the 40 gr 22 slugs actually have better bc than 22 lr

 

[Billm]

My 250z was very accurate with pellets at 50yds, but not the greatest with slugs. @Pumacarl has one that’s an excellent slug shooter. I’d wait for a few reports on the new 250z barrels. I’d also maybe consider the used ,22 Sonoran at AOA.

 

[Danman]

I just don't want to invest too much initially just in case I end up not liking Air rifles

Oufff thats not possible on both counts the initial cost of getting into pcps is fairly hideous, and as a shooter, how could you not like something so consistent, accurate, quiet, and cheap (to feed)!
Welcome to Ham, I dont have a pcp suggestion for you but by the sounds of it you would do well with a panthera/Dynamic with 600 or 700mm barrel, maybe hunt around for a used deal? Being as your competing, id probably aim for something a bit 'high end' out of the gate.
Waiting for the 270Z sounds good too, but; waiting is hard and release dates have been inaccurate before. And if there is QC issues (ie barrels), you may just wait a long time for nothing.
What kind of distances do you generally shoot out to on your matches?

 

[Pumacarl]

My gun is an awesome slug shooter, but they are light slugs, 20.83gr and 23gr and it's only a 45fpe gun. So it wouldn't be ideal for NRL22, that's why I didn't pipe in. There are others adding plenums to their .22's that will be showing up to this thread shortly, I'm sure, and you will get a better idea what is possible. The 250z is a lot of fun playing around, and accurate, but I don't know if it would be up for the abuse of course and position shooting, at least as far as being competitive. I dunno though, I haven't tried doing that. Maybe @Northeastbeast will chime in, he had said he might try using his and I don't recall if he did.

 

[PcpN00b]

Oufff thats not possible on both counts the initial cost of getting into pcps is fairly hideous, and as a shooter, how could you not like something so consistent, accurate, quiet, and cheap (to feed)!
Welcome to Ham, I dont have a pcp suggestion for you but by the sounds of it you would do well with a panthera/Dynamic with 600 or 700mm barrel, maybe hunt around for a used deal? Being as your competing, id probably aim for something a bit 'high end' out of the gate.
Waiting for the 270Z sounds good too, but; waiting is hard and release dates have been inaccurate before. And if there is QC issues (ie barrels), you may just wait a long time for nothing.
What kind of distances do you generally shoot out to on your matches?

Hey Danman! Thanks for the reply. Our NRL22 matches range from 25yds to 200 yds. However, those are the extremes and I we have only shot one stage where we shot at a torso size target at 200yds in the two years I have been competing. I would say AVERAGE distances would be 35yds to 125yds monthly.

 

[PcpN00b]

My gun is an awesome slug shooter, but they are light slugs, 20.83gr and 23gr and it's only a 45fpe gun. So it wouldn't be ideal for NRL22, that's why I didn't pipe in. There are others adding plenums to their .22's that will be showing up to this thread shortly, I'm sure, and you will get a better idea what is possible. The 250z is a lot of fun playing around, and accurate, but I don't know if it would be up for the abuse of course and position shooting, at least as far as being competitive. I dunno though, I haven't tried doing that. Maybe @Northeastbeast will chime in, he had said he might try using his and I don't recall if he did.

Pumacarl, I have been following your threads closely. For my needs in .22, I definitely need approximately 60-70fpe to push heavy slugs at a decent FPS to stay competitive against rimfire. I thought with all of the mods you have done to your 250z you are capable of shooting at 60-70fpe? I guess being able to shoot at a certain energy does not always equate to the best or most accurate tune.

Comparing the FX DRS 700 and 250Z, I was really surprised that the 250z actually has a slightly larger air reservoir and can be filled 20 bar higher than the FX DRS (250Bar vs 230Bar), meaning 3-5 more shots per fill. I can get a 250z, mods, compressor, and fill tank for less than an FX DRS 700.

 

[Pumacarl]

Pumacarl, I have been following your threads closely. For my needs in .22, I definitely need approximately 60-70fpe to push heavy slugs at a decent FPS to stay competitive against rimfire. I thought with all of the mods you have done to your 250z you are capable of shooting at 60-70fpe? I guess being able to shoot at a certain energy does not always equate to the best or most accurate tune.

Comparing the FX DRS 700 and 250Z, I was really surprised that the 250z actually has a slightly larger air reservoir and can be filled 20 bar higher than the FX DRS (250Bar vs 230Bar), meaning 3-5 more shots per fill. I can get a 250z, mods, compressor, and fill tank for less than an FX DRS 700.

Yeah, I was never going for more than 50fpe or to use heavier than 25gr slugs. I just always wanted a 200y plinker. That's what I got. I had figured the same things about the DRS vs 250z early on too. The problem with using the 250z would be coming up with all your mods to get the power and the rugged stocks that you would need, vs the FX already having everything available. As a project, maybe; but if you want to be a competitor you need to be shooting your gun and not tinkering with it. You'd definately need a second gun ready, that's for sure.Now that bigger plenums are available, the power might be available, but you would still need a really stiff stock or chassis for repeatability. I suppose it would be possible to use just a power modded Barra, but you would have to be really lucky and treat it like glass.

I'm still waiting to see someone getting a .22 Barra to push 40gr slugs to do 70fpe. If it's doable, who knows if it could compete but I know that I would be watching that competitor, an unknown potential is way more interesting.

 

[Chief55]

I think it would be a really good idea to wait until the Barra 270z and 300z come out and see what kind of stats they have. I have a feeling they will be more suited for slugs as they have a bigger plenum and more power. They know that people are trying to shoot slugs with the 250z, so I believe they are upping their game. As much as I don't like a lot of seals I might have to jump on one of those 2 myself. We should start seeing reviews on them in the next month I would think.

 

[BBGunn]

PcpN00b, I've only had my 250z .22 for a month or so but have done a lot of shooting and some tinkering.

You will be able to get a trigger that will suit your needs. There are various ways you can adjust or modify the trigger to easily get what you want.

I scoped the bore in my rifle and it was nearly perfect. Very slight marks on the lands just ahead of the leade but the lands were not smashed. Crown and leade looked to be cut concentric to the bore. I did polish the bore.

My rifle shoots 22gr pellets at an average of 5/8" for 5-shot groups at 50yds. Many groups will go to 1/4" and sometimes as large as 3/4".

I have tried 5-different slugs that ranged from 21gr to 30gr and diameters from .2170" to .2193". I also tried those slugs over a fairly wide range of velocities. In short, I have not found a slug that comes remotely close to accurate. Most were plus or minus 3MOA.

I get the feeling from working with my rifle that it would be pushing the rifle to the outer limits of it's design parameters to get it up to what you are asking for. Of course, that's just my own opinion.

I know you want to spend as little as possible to get a setup like you want, but in the long run you may be better off to just go with the DRS platform. If for no other reason than you can get an FX barrel liner with a 16-twist that will serve you better for the weight of slugs you hope to shoot. Again, just my 'gut' feeling.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Pumacarl]

@PcpN00b You know, thinking back on it, it's been a while now, when I started with the 250z I was hoping to get really big power too, with the heavy slugs, but I kept dialing my expectations back, because of what I had before me and what was available. I ended up thinking more about what "I" wanted to accomplish, and not the gun. So I didn't build or wait for a big plenum, I just settled on hitting targets at 200y.

If you really just want to win at NRL22, build or buy, that gun. You might get lucky with a souped up 250z, but it will be a unicorn, alone in the world. I think what @Chief55 said above makes the most sense, except skip the 270z, and go straight for the 300z for NRL22. That's what I would be looking at if I didn't want to go all in on uber expensive equipment.

 

[Pumacarl]

If you're young, love shooting, and know you will be at this for a while, than just go in whole hog. Don't nickel and dime yourself if this isn't just your latest distraction. If you're not into tinkering, but just have a competitive nature, and just want to compete, do that. I know this is easy for me to say, and I didn't want to hear it at first either, and I thought everyone here was nuts spending thousands of dollars on airguns, but I was wrong. I did, and do, like to tinker, so I got some value from coming up in the sport that way. But that only applies to me, you can't recommend somebody's personality type to them. If you already have an idea on the overall type of involvement that you want to do with airgunning, follow it. You will be happier, because in the end you will probably spend the same amount of money anyway, your time will just be spent differently. So divide it up the way that fits best to you. So save up and shoot your dream gun, or build monsters until you can see for yourself the value of the high end airguns.

 

[BBGunn]

If you're young, love shooting, and know you will be at this for a while, than just go in whole hog. Don't nickel and dime yourself if this isn't just your latest distraction. If you're not into tinkering, but just have a competitive nature, and just want to compete, do that. I know this is easy for me to say, and I didn't want to hear it at first either, and I thought everyone here was nuts spending thousands of dollars on airguns, but I was wrong. I did, and do, like to tinker, so I got some value from coming up in the sport that way. But that only applies to me, you can't recommend somebody's personality type to them. If you already have an idea on the overall type of involvement that you want to do with airgunning, follow it. You will be happier, because in the end you will probably spend the same amount of money anyway, your time will just be spent differently. So divide it up the way that fits best to you. So save up and shoot your dream gun, or build monsters until you can see for yourself the value of the high end airguns.

So very true!

Over the course of my many decades of life I have four State Champion shooting titles. I have competed in formal Benchrest, Rimfire Silhouette, Handgun Silhouette, Trap and Archery. No formal Airgun competition.

I do understand the competitive environment even though I haven't competed in many years. What Pumacarl says rings true!

 

[South Texas]

My 250z was very accurate with pellets at 50yds, but not the greatest with slugs. @Pumacarl has one that’s an excellent slug shooter. I’d wait for a few reports on the new 250z barrels. I’d also maybe consider the used ,22 Sonoran at AOA.

Hey, my 250Z 25cal happened to like Slugs more than pellets. I've got my reg set at 2600psi and the slug power kit installed. My 250Z loves the H&N HP2 34 grain Slugs in .249cal. I'm getting nickel to quarter sized groups consistently at 60 yards. I tried in "H&N 's" the .30, .32, .34, .36 grain Slugs and the. 34 in .249 cal were hands down the best. Have you tried them? Good luck sir.

 

[Bladefin]

Carl hit the nail on the head. Even if you spend the money on a good PCP setup you're still going to spend the same if not more on slugs compared to rimfire. I know the days are long gone for picking up a Federal bulk pack of .22lr at Walmart for under $10 but a Blazer 40gr value pack is $45 right now, for 525 rounds it's 9 cents a round. Slugs will cost you 13 to 20 cents a round, although you get the tuneability and much less cleaning & mess.

Lets say you get a 250Z to get your feet wet and see if you like air gunning. With the gun, moderator, plenum, optic and a good compressor you'll be in the $1000 to $1500 range before even buying slugs or other mods. And don't forget a chronograph. But it will be backyard friendly and I don't think you will have a problem getting a 34~36 grain slug into the mid 60's FPE. I'm shooting a .25 33.49gr at 930fps getting 64fpe right now and it's ragged hole at 40yrds. If the weather dries up Saturday I'm going to test other distances to see if the grouping holds up.

 

[Billm]

Hey, my 250Z 25cal happened to like Slugs more than pellets. I've got my reg set at 2600psi and the slug power kit installed. My 250Z loves the H&N HP2 34 grain Slugs in .249cal. I'm getting nickel to quarter sized groups consistently at 60 yards. I tried in "H&N 's" the .30, .32, .34, .36 grain Slugs and the. 34 in .249 cal were hands down the best. Have you tried them? Good luck sir.

I don’t have mine anymore, it was confiscated lol.

 

[Pumacarl]

Hey, my 250Z 25cal happened to like Slugs more than pellets. I've got my reg set at 2600psi and the slug power kit installed. My 250Z loves the H&N HP2 34 grain Slugs in .249cal. I'm getting nickel to quarter sized groups consistently at 60 yards. I tried in "H&N 's" the .30, .32, .34, .36 grain Slugs and the. 34 in .249 cal were hands down the best. Have you tried them? Good luck sir.

The .25 calibers can make the power, but he needs to shoot .22 for NRL22, at least I think he needs to, because that's what he wants to shoot for caliber. Yes, .25 would make it a lot easier.

 

[Bladefin]

The .25 calibers can make the power, but he needs to shoot .22 for NRL22, at least I think he needs to, because that's what he wants to shoot for caliber. Yes, .25 would make it a lot easier.

Does the the 1mm cross section of the barrel make that much difference, or is in more the length of the slug in .22 at that heavy a grain?

 

[PcpN00b]

Does the the 1mm cross section of the barrel make that much difference, or is in more the length of the slug in .22 at that heavy a grain?

It's more Ballistic Coefficient (BC). The aerodynamics of the Slug. The higher the BC, or more aerodynamic the slug is, the longer it can travel at the same speed and be less affected by wind of comparable weighted slug.

So, a 34gr .25 slug will be less aerodynamic than a 34gr .22 slug in general. It's a game of inches. Both weigh the same, 34gr, but the slug with a higher BC will travel flatter and have less movement with wind.

 

[PcpN00b]

If you're young, love shooting, and know you will be at this for a while, than just go in whole hog. Don't nickel and dime yourself if this isn't just your latest distraction. If you're not into tinkering, but just have a competitive nature, and just want to compete, do that. I know this is easy for me to say, and I didn't want to hear it at first either, and I thought everyone here was nuts spending thousands of dollars on airguns, but I was wrong. I did, and do, like to tinker, so I got some value from coming up in the sport that way. But that only applies to me, you can't recommend somebody's personality type to them. If you already have an idea on the overall type of involvement that you want to do with airgunning, follow it. You will be happier, because in the end you will probably spend the same amount of money anyway, your time will just be spent differently. So divide it up the way that fits best to you. So save up and shoot your dream gun, or build monsters until you can see for yourself the value of the high end airguns.

You're probably right. This will always be a hobby to me. Same with shooting my center fires and rimfires. However, I'm competitive in nature and want to win.

I saw a YT video from 'shooting gear reviews' and he showed the 250z capable of ACCURATE shots with 36gr slugs out to 170yds. When I saw that, I spiralled down this rabbit hole learning everything I can about the 250z because... In my eyes, if I can get a 250z to shoot 36+gr slugs like that YT channel showed, that is all I need.

Regarding the flimsy chassis, I know how to fix that. Having MLOk slots helps a lot. Mounting an Mlok arca rail will solidify the hand guard and stiffen up the rail.

I also saw the thread here where some have talked about installing an external plenum on their 250z. I'm watching those threads to see the performance boost.

I have been messaging ARC designs on FB and he also claims that his plenum (50cc) can increase fps by 40fps.

This could all be for naught but... Man, if some of you can confirm that a modded 250z can shoot 36gr+ slugs at 900fps ACCURATELY, I'm sold.