First recovered hybrid slug

[AmosBurton]

Got a squirrel this morning from my porch with my .25cal Avenger shooting FX Hybrids.
This is the first slug I've recovered and it definitely shows signs of expansion.
The squirrel was 30yds out and 30' up being chased by two others. It's very satisfying seeing them fall out of a tree DRT after a good shot.
I caught her in the head and the slug stopped in the opposite shoulder.

 

[dens228]

That seems pretty consistent with my recovered Hybrids from my wet magazine test.

 

[JungleShooter]

Amos, would you tell us at what velocity you're shooting the Hybrids, please?

And a photo with the expanded and an unshot slug sideby side — to see and measure the expansion....

Thanks!

Matthias

 

[AmosBurton]

They are moving around 800fps. I didn't tune for them, just shot them on my existing pellet tune. It seems to work?!
I had been shooting H&N slugs with great success but have never recovered one. I'm pretty sure they don't expand much. It could just be they were going faster than the hybrids. The hybrids are a snug fit, the H&N's I have aren't.
Here's the side by side and an overhead of the hybrids. I think you can figure out which is which.

 

[JungleShooter]

Thank you!

 

[HogKiller]

Thank you!

Yeah, what JS said. It's good to know that they expand. The company that makes them for FX calls them their SLAP slugs, because of the sound the make when hitting. I've never tried to recover one, too much of a wuss to carve up a ground squirrel. Don't mind them with their guts hanging out from my .17 HMR though.

 

[Emu]

Not good for bigger animals !

 

[dens228]

Not good for bigger animals !

I agree. I wouldn’t trust them to penetrate a raccoon skull but great for rabbits and squirrels.

 

[S97]

I agree. I wouldn’t trust them to penetrate a raccoon skull but great for rabbits and squirrels.

I don't post a lot.... Not wanting an controversy but I'd totally trust a 25 hybrid slug going 800+ on a lot of critters. that's a lot of kinetic energy (35ish fpe) focused in a small area.

I've killed multiple 30 to 60lb hogs "traegerswine" with head shots same gun, same hybrid slug with a 1900 reg about same velocity of OP. .

Full disclosure, I have not shot a racoon ever (iwanttorealbadthough), and am not an expert of the anatomy of a racoon. Are their heads made of some sort of different density bone than a feral pig?

 

[Emu]

I don't post a lot.... Not wanting an controversy but I'd totally trust a 25 hybrid slug going 800+ on a lot of critters. that's a lot of kinetic energy (35ish fpe) focused in a small area.

I've killed multiple 30 to 60lb hogs "traegerswine" with head shots same gun, same hybrid slug with a 1900 reg about same velocity of OP. .

Full disclosure, I have not shot a racoon ever (iwanttorealbadthough), and am not an expert of the anatomy of a racoon. Are their heads made of some sort of different density bone than a feral pig?

If that is the case, I was wrong in my guessing….

 

[AmosBurton]

Yeah, what JS said. It's good to know that they expand. The company that makes them for FX calls them their SLAP slugs, because of the sound the make when hitting. I've never tried to recover one, too much of a wuss to carve up a ground squirrel. Don't mind them with their guts hanging out from my .17 HMR though.

They definitely make a smacking sound on impact! You know you made a hit!

I don't post a lot.... Not wanting an controversy but I'd totally trust a 25 hybrid slug going 800+ on a lot of critters. that's a lot of kinetic energy (35ish fpe) focused in a small area.

I've killed multiple 30 to 60lb hogs "traegerswine" with head shots same gun, same hybrid slug with a 1900 reg about same velocity of OP. .

Full disclosure, I have not shot a racoon ever (iwanttorealbadthough), and am not an expert of the anatomy of a racoon. Are their heads made of some sort of different density bone than a feral pig?

I agree, I think a well placed shot would definitely take down a raccoon.
It'll probably be a long time before I find out though, with 2 80+lb dogs they tend to steer clear.

 

[dens228]

I don't post a lot.... Not wanting an controversy but I'd totally trust a 25 hybrid slug going 800+ on a lot of critters. that's a lot of kinetic energy (35ish fpe) focused in a small area.

I've killed multiple 30 to 60lb hogs "traegerswine" with head shots same gun, same hybrid slug with a 1900 reg about same velocity of OP. .

Full disclosure, I have not shot a racoon ever (iwanttorealbadthough), and am not an expert of the anatomy of a racoon. Are their heads made of some sort of different density bone than a feral pig?

I've shot hogs with everything from a 45-70, to a 357 pistol, to a bow. Tough animals with thick heads for sure.
For me the skull angle of a racoon is steep when head on and I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it with a smaller hollow point, meaning the size of the hollowed out point not the caliber weight. I'm not saying they wouldn't do the job, but if I'm not sure enough I have other tools in my toolbox,,,,,,,I've taken plenty of racoons with 22 and 25 cal domed pellets.

 

[JimD]

I get expansion of Nielsen and H&N slugs in wet magazines. I've never shot a hybrid. My guns won't push slugs much over 800 fps. Maybe my Avenger would but it won't the way it's tuned. I also test penetration in mdf. Sometimes in plywood. I think the harder material is more like a skull. I made up a block of 1/4 inch thick pieces of mdf that are spaced 1/2 and inch or so apart so I can check the penetration. I do not see much difference in the penetration of slugs versus domed pellets in the MDF block or in plywood. It might be because the pellet distorts too when penetrating the harder material. Penetration in wet magazines is less when the projectile expands, however. The greater the expansion the less the penetration in wet paper.

I killed a small (8 lb) raccoon with a shot to the brain from my 32 fpe P35-22. It was shooting 21 grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets. It will only go through 1/2 inch of mdf. My 40+ fpe 25 calibers will go through 3/4 inch. I would expect them to do it with a slug too. But even if it was a little less it would kill a raccoon. But a 30 lb raccoon undoubtedly has a little tougher skull too. But I doubt it is as tough as a hog of similar size. I hit the little raccoon right between the eyes and brain material came out. It penetrated OK.

 

[HogKiller]

They are moving around 800fps. I didn't tune for them, just shot them on my existing pellet tune. It seems to work?!
I had been shooting H&N slugs with great success but have never recovered one. I'm pretty sure they don't expand much. It could just be they were going faster than the hybrids. The hybrids are a snug fit, the H&N's I have aren't.
Here's the side by side and an overhead of the hybrids. I think you can figure out which is which.

View attachment 424319

View attachment 424321

I'm getting 908 out of my Maverick VP (600mm) .25 so about 40 ft # average should leave a bit of of mark on most smaller critters..

 

[Ezana4CE]

@AmosBurton Ouch. Guess it's safe to say that one didn't suffer. Nice shot and thanks for sharing the recovered slug.

 

[markhooper]

I get expansion of Nielsen and H&N slugs in wet magazines. I've never shot a hybrid. My guns won't push slugs much over 800 fps. Maybe my Avenger would but it won't the way it's tuned. I also test penetration in mdf. Sometimes in plywood. I think the harder material is more like a skull. I made up a block of 1/4 inch thick pieces of mdf that are spaced 1/2 and inch or so apart so I can check the penetration. I do not see much difference in the penetration of slugs versus domed pellets in the MDF block or in plywood. It might be because the pellet distorts too when penetrating the harder material. Penetration in wet magazines is less when the projectile expands, however. The greater the expansion the less the penetration in wet paper.

I killed a small (8 lb) raccoon with a shot to the brain from my 32 fpe P35-22. It was shooting 21 grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets. It will only go through 1/2 inch of mdf. My 40+ fpe 25 calibers will go through 3/4 inch. I would expect them to do it with a slug too. But even if it was a little less it would kill a raccoon. But a 30 lb raccoon undoubtedly has a little tougher skull too. But I doubt it is as tough as a hog of similar size. I hit the little raccoon right between the eyes and brain material came out. It penetrated OK.

where did you find the little 8# coon? id guess that the ones I have killed are in the 30 # range.. only one in the day so it was good shot placement in the tree after I fought it off with a broken axe handle, everytime they were after my dogs.. and the one in daylight was likely rabid because he came after me and so I clubbed him with the axe handle until he backed off and went up a tree.. I got him with a Henry golden boy 22 and he hit the ground dead.. others I have had to at night and it would take a few shots of 22 LR or 38 to knock down.. 410 just made him mad..
I'm wanting a airgun that will be able to drop a coon-coyots easily in case it's at night and not good enough shot placement..
been thinking about either the umarex gauntlet SL 30 caliber or I keep wondering if the avenge x in 22 with the port on high and the regulator turned up to the power of the gauntlet 30, and use the heaviest slugs in the avenger X would be good enough and then for target shooting put the transfer port on low power and shoot pellets..
any idea?. Mark

 

[Emu]

I do not have the chance of easily buy all king of ammo for my air rifles.... Fortunately I have confirmed and reconfirmed the effectiveness of JSB Hades to take coyotes with chest shots, wild turkey, javalinas with head shots and a deer with chest shot.

Notwithstanding I have some NSA slugs in .30 Cal that my Vulcan 2 Tactical shoots like a champ, I do not want to get into the experiment in hunting because the Hades make the job very easy.

 

[JimD]

The 8 lb raccoon was walking across my backyard one day. I posted here or on GTA and got the suggestion it was probably a young male that got "kicked out of the nest". I thought it was likely rabid or wouldn't have been wandering around during the day. I weighed it on my fish scale so the weight is approximate, not sure how accurate it is.

For an adult raccoon my opinion is that a 25 caliber airgun shooting non-expanding projectiles are the least I would try for body shots. I shot the little 8 lb one with my 22 in the body first and it stopped him from running, he sat down and started hissing. So he got one between the eyes. He might have expired from the body shot but it would have taken awhile. Not a clean kill like I think any animal deserves. I am confident one of my 40+ fpe 25s would have worked fine on the little one for a body shot but on a medium to big one... I am confident enough to try it but I'd rather shoot it in the head. I'm sure that would work.

I used to get to go raccoon hunting with an uncle sometimes as a kid. I've seen them hit by a 22lr and come out of the tree with significant life left in them. The dogs liked those ones. I'm not sure how much the bigger diameter of a 25 caliber projectile makes up for having about half the energy of the 22lr. I am confident a 25 caliber pellet with 45fpe or so will penetrate to the vitals with reasonable placement. A 30 caliber ups the hole size again and it's hard to see why it wouldn't work well. Biggest unknown is how far they would travel after a body shot. They are going to die but DRT chances would seem likely to go up with bigger calibers. I think I see a difference on squirrels between 18 fpe and 32 fpe. Same thing is probably too for raccoons. 32 will kill at least small ones but >50 will probably do it quicker on body shots. 32 should be limited to head shots on raccoons and probably smaller ones too.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

Yeah, what JS said. It's good to know that they expand. The company that makes them for FX calls them their SLAP slugs, because of the sound the make when hitting. I've never tried to recover one, too much of a wuss to carve up a ground squirrel. Don't mind them with their guts hanging out from my .17 HMR though.

I thought it was called SLAP because it was both slug and pellet, hence the hybrid form.

 

[HogKiller]

I thought it was called SLAP because it was both slug and pellet, hence the hybrid form.

Nope, go to Rocky Mountain Reloading, they make the slug for FX. They have a little blurb on it. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of the universe. I stand corrected. Well technically we're both correct. "SLAP stands for “SLug And Pellet.” I’ve named them the SLAP because when they hit an animal there is an audible pop or slap. " Oh and his 5/8" Group at 100 yards was with a very modified FX using a Walther barrel. But I'm getting close to that with my Mavericks. Had a great discussion with the owner.