FX Hybrid Slugs Test Review 22 Grain .22 Caliber

VALUE FOR MONEY

In this FX Hybrid Slugs test review, we’ll start by looking at price. Of course, no-one would expect any FX product to be bargain-priced and this is the case with these slugs. At 14.99 Cents each, these slugs are definitely towards the upper end of the range, as we can see from this comparison chart.

The heavy weight, large diameter and long bearing surface mean that a powerful air rifle will be required to shoot these ogive/hollow point slugs successfully.

That requirement for high power, of course, is the message FX is conveying to consumers. It’s probably not coincidental that FX Airguns has introduced “Power Plenum” versions of many models at this time, as they are ideal for slug shooting.

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FX Hybrid Slugs .22 Cal

TEST DATA SUMMARY

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

In this section of our FX Hybrid Slugs test review, we look at the manufacturer’s claims for this product. And there’s many of them!

FX Airguns claims superior velocity, consistent accuracy and greater expansion. The product packaging claims that these slugs “allow for velocities and trajectories that are unparalleled by any other slug or pellet”. These are big claims and just need the word “downrange” added to make them completely accurate.

The packaging further claims that “you get flatter trajectory with less wind drift, more retained energy, and much more accuracy at longer distances than any pellet”. As FX is clearly thinking 100 Yards plus when it says “longer range”, this is a reasonable statement, too.

The packaging also claims massive expansion for hunting. This is also true, as we see below – providing that the terminal velocity is sufficient.

Here we see a FX Hybrid slug side-by-side with a .22 caliber, 16 Grain FX Air Rifle Pellets tested by HAM in 2018. The difference in design is obvious!

FX packaging indicates that these Hybrid Slugs have a diameter of .217 Inches (5.51 mm), together with a length of .322 Inches (8.179 mm). The slug weight is stated as 22 Grains.

Unfortunately the results of this FX Hybrid Slugs test review show that the samples tested by HAM were all larger in diameter, longer and lighter than the manufacturer’s specifications – as we’ll see below. That, in turn, could be expected to make a difference to the slugs’ Ballistic Coefficient and hence, downrange performance.

FX claims a BC of 0.080 for these slugs. HAM achieved 0.070 under test. This difference can probably be explained by us using a (relatively) low-powered FX Impact for the testing. HAM plans to re-test this BC in future with a higher-power Impact II once we can get back to the range after travel restrictions are lifted.

CONSISTENCY

The body diameter of the FX Hybrid Slugs tested by HAM had an average head diameter of 5.54 mm. There was a variation of 1.27% between the largest and smallest diameter slugs we tested. The largest diameter slug measured 5.59 mm when using our standard PelletGage.

The most common diameter – 5.52 mm – was held by 38% of the slugs tested. This is below average for HAM’s test data for pellets.

The implication of this is that the bore diameter of a suitable air rifle for these slugs will need to be quite large to prevent potential jamming.

The average weight of the slugs in this FX Hybrid Slugs test review was 21.86 Grains. The most common weight was 21.84 Grains, which was attained by 30% of the slugs tested. This is very good consistency.

The variation between lightest and heaviest slugs measured was 0.36%. This is very low in comparison to the figures we commonly see for pellets – outstanding!

Average length for the FX Hybrid Slugs tested by HAM was 8.44 mm. The most common length was 8.44 mm, which was measured by 16% of the slugs tested.

With a variation of 1.92% in length between the shortest and longest slugs tested, length consistency was about average compared to HAM’s manufacturing consistency expectations for airgun pellets. However all the slugs were longer than the specification of 8.179 mm.

DIRTINESS

Using our standard washing protocol, this FX Hybrid Slugs test review found 0.54 Grains of lead dirt and junk in the package of 100% slugs.

Of course, such dirt is inevitable in the manufacture of lead airgun ammunition. This level of dirt is about average for lead pellet manufacture also.

DOWNRANGE PERFORMANCE

HAM found the Ballistic Coefficient of these FX Hybrid Slugs to be 0.071, when tested with a “Mark One” Impact, shooting at 860 FPS. We used the “G1” BC model for this. For a full discussion of this performance, compared to that of FX 16 Grain pellets, check out this link.

As BC is highly dependent on velocity, we have been expecting to generate a new – and almost certainly higher – Ballistic Coefficient for FX Hybrid Slugs using a new Gen 2 Impact with Power Plenum. However, winter weather – and then Coronavirus restrictions – have prevented that from happening to date. We’ll get there as soon as it’s possible.

Until that time, here’s how Chairgun calculates the downrange performance – at least out to 60 Yards. You can see the effect of the high BC as no less than 80% of the Muzzle Velocity is still available at 58 Yards downrange. That’s waaaayyy better than the performance from any diabolo-waisted pellet!

HUNTING USE

For this FX Hybrid Slugs test review, we fired at the standard HAM soap block with two different airguns. One was at 480 FPS, the other at 860 FPS. The results were interesting…

Penetration was more at the higher power – as expected – but not by very much. The difference was from 42 to 55 mm, as you can see below.

But what really was different was the in-target expansion! At the higher FPS, the slug completely compressed into a large, irregular mass. It’s on the left in the photograph below. Clearly the result would be a devastating wound and a clean, one-shot kill when hunting.
The middle slug shows clear rifling marks from having been fired. Yet it had not changed shape at all when recovered from the ballistic soap block. (That’s an un-fired slug on the right).

Below we see the results of the slow – 480 FPS – impact in the soap block. Although there’s good penetration, there’s no expansion whatsoever.

BUYING AND OWNING

FX Hybrid Slugs are available from all FX dealers across the US and online. In fact, it looks as if they are so popular that the manufacturer has a tough time keeping-up with demand!

These slugs are beautifully-presented in a plastic tray with card sleeve. Obviously they’re dedicated for FX air rifles, however they’re definitely worth trying with other powerful PCPs to see if your air rifle’s barrel “likes” them.

TEST DATA

For background details on HAM’s Pellet Test Review methodology, check out this link.

Chairgun is a product of Hawke Sports Optics LLC and is used with permission. Check out http://www.hawkeoptics.com

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FX Hybrid Slugs .22 Cal

Understanding HAM Pellet Awards

HAM Pellet Awards come from the most rigorous, professional and comprehensive pellet testing by any independent publication. They are the result of much precise measurement and analysis using high precision measuring devices and highly-experienced testers.

Note that accuracy is a product of the complete “system” of airgun, scope, atmospheric conditions and shooter ability – not the pellet alone.

This means that no pellet test review can predict the accuracy of a particular pellet with YOUR individual air rifle. That’s why we do not measure accuracy in these pellet tests.

What HAM Pellet Awards do recognize is manufacturing consistency. Inconsistent pellets definitely will be inaccurate, consistent pellets are much more likely to be accurate.

HAM Awards also recognize value. There’s considerable variation in the price of airgun pellets. This means that an 8 cent pellet needs to score higher than a 2 cent pellet to achieve an award.

For full details of the HAM Pellet Award scoring methodology, please check out our Pellet Testing page.

For a full listing of HAM-tested Ballistic Coefficients, please see our Ballistic Coefficients page.

This entire article including scoring, data etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.