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Are these considered slugs?

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Oh man this thread is on one. Bullets and slugs are essentially the same thing = a projectile. Some airguns can shoot both airgun designed slugs and bullets (Bushbuck 45 for example).

A more precise definition of an airgun slug is one designed with less bearing surface engaging the lands of the rifling, having a shoulder to the ogive closer to the boat tail. Usually slugs are smaller dimensionally for the pressures used in an airgun.

Otherwise it's the same. That said, I would never say slug in reloading unless you are referring to a Shotgun, so in that sense it is more of a borrowed word.

Most airgun slugs have far less bearing surface than their PB equivalent. It isn't a black and white distinction but it is nevertheless present on most small bore slugs .35 cal and below.



-Atlas Airguns Podcast
 
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anatomy-breakdown1.jpg
Screenshot_20221002-002632-927.png

Sorry it was late last night when I was trying to type. Here is some helpful pictures to illustrate the point. With an airgun operating on lower pressures, if you could arguably distinguish slugs from bullets, it would be as I said above. These two images show howa projectile edges the rifling. A longer bearing surface = more friction and thus more pressure in traditional PB. With airguns operating in say 1/50th the pressure, the edging of the rifling must be done on a smaller section of the bearing surface. If you used a traditional bullet in most airguns it would either be too little power to shoot it or the projectile would get stuck in the barrel, which we have seen from time to time with experiments done by airgunners.

-Atlas
 
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Well, the technical difference — as a ballistician explained to me — is the SKIRT!

Slugs/bullets are stabilized through spinning around their axis — pellets are stabilized through the flare that the skirt provides (however small it might be) (some would want to call it drag stabilized, again the skirt is the key).


In the pic below are a few projectiles that had me wondering what they actually were.

Matthias



Slullets – Skirtless Pellets – Or Slugs with Low BC.jpg
 
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coffeepan said:
So what's the difference between a bullet and a slug? Is there a slug for weapons that also shoot diabolo/pellets possibly? And a bullet for big bores? I think that line is starting to blur. Slugs are usually made with a press technique and bullets are cast by machine or by hand. Those are bullets to me 😂😂
Well, it won't be too precise....
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What we call slugs are the same as bullets, and less conspicuous language. Whats the difference for air guns? No jackets, powder burners get a harder alloy (antimony and tin added). Airgun slugs are usually incredibly light for caliber compared to bullets. At 115 grains those would be considered light bullets for me.
 
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JungleShooter said:
Well, the technical difference — as a ballistician explained to me — is the SKIRT!

Slugs/bullets are stabilized through spinning around their axis — pellets are stabilized through the flare that the skirt provides (however small it might be) (some would want to call it drag stabilized, again the skirt is the key).


In the pic below are a few projectiles that had me wondering what they actually were.

Matthias



View attachment 294195
Click to expand...
The only thing I might disagree with in your statement is that pellets are only stabilized by the skirt. Pellets are stabilized by both spin and the skirt. There are many threads talking about spin rate for slugs and pellets for the best stabilization of any given projectile. (y)

p.s.

Else, we would all be shooting smooth barreled pellet guns! (smile)
 
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