At what point does a pellet become a slug?

[SeeOhTwo]

The .25 34 grain and the .22 redesign....they look like slug-lets to me!

Glenn in Texas

 

[ChrisS]

Give 'em a try. You might be amazed as to how well they work, Move the 22 at 900fps or better and the 177 at 1000fps or better.
Chris

 

[silvershooter589]

Give 'em a try. You might be amazed as to how well they work, Move the 22 at 900fps or better and the 177 at 1000fps or better.
Chris

I'd love to see those in .30 somewhere around 60-70 grains.

 

[ChrisS]

That would be a near perfect weight for a 25 cal of that design. I'd like a 308 cal to be over 100 grains. But, how about this one in 135 grain. My Cothran makes 185fpe with it. I know, it's a slug.

 

[Baker Airguns]

If it's drag stabilized, then it's a pellet of some sort.

If it's (purely) gyroscopically stabilized, then it's a slug.

-Donnie

 

[JungleShooter]

A tiny skirt still produces drag/lift, so those "slullets" technically still are "pellets".
Spin is for slugs.

Matthias

 

[ChrisS]

But wait...if the gun has riflings, ALL projectiles shot from it are spin stabilyzed...skirt or not. In a rifled barrel, the skirt just expands out to fill the riflings to better seal the projectile in the barrel. But weather at the nose or at the base of the projectile, it IS spin stabilyzed. The only gun that could truly say it's projectiles are drag stabilyzed would have to have a smooth bore... So now it becomes gun dependant, if rifled, it's a slug, if smoothbore, it's a pellet.

Chris

 

[Revoman]

Matthias!
Some of those designs look very familiar as in the old Sheridan .20 cal trash can pellets from long ago in my childhood. They worked great for rabbits, squirrels and birds using the old pump-up Bluestreak. That old box (I still have one) states "PELLETS".
Mike

 

[Gerry52]

Pellets become slugs at about 3 months when the pupae stage is done. At 4 months they metamorphose into butterflies. Wait, what?

 

[M0ist0ne]

If the projectile has its' center of pressure behind its' center of mass then it has drag stabilization and IMHO is a pellet.

This is my fav answer.

 

[Scotchmo]

Depends on which definition we are reading. Or...

Is it by the looks of the projectile? ..."I'll know it when I see it"?

Or by it's behavior?

A roundball, "BB", or a "pellet" all can do OK in a smoothbore.
If it needs rifling, it might be the other thing.

 

[rangur1]

The .25 34 grain and the .22 redesign....they look like slug-lets to me!

Glenn in Texas

Fx new so called pellet whatever definitely fits this question.

 

[Rygar]

Here in California, if a pellet identifies as a slug, you have to call it a slug. It's the law. And YES, slugs can get pregnant.

In California, the slug or pellet is able to identify as anything it wants, not just either or…correct?

 

[Scotchmo]

A tiny skirt still produces drag/lift, so those "slullets" technically still are "pellets".
Spin is for slugs.

Matthias

View attachment 280934

Not because they would be any better than slugs, but because some matches (100yd airgun benchrest for instance) only allow "pellets", and I'd like a "pellet" that will shoot good in my .257 barrel.

 

[neopieanw]

Here in California you need to look up the projectile on the non-binary slug-pellet spectrum.

 

[357cal]

I've been shooting these JSB "Beast" pellets in both 177 (16.2 grain) and 22 (34 grain) cal. They are really, really good, hit hard and fly repeatably. I have also used what are called slugs with less success. Some weigh more, some less. What is the determining factor? Is it a shape? Does the use of a skirt automatically preclude the name "slug"? Some "slugs" have a hollowed base that I think does the same thing as a skirt. Or is it a weight thing? If so, what is the threshold?
In the powder burning world, the term slug is used as a kind of catch bucket referring to all projectiles. But I'd bet the term was originally coined to describe "lead" bullets. Not to say there aren't lots of different sub-categories... FMJ, HP, HPBT etc etc etc.
So, what is the determining factor that separates pellets from slugs?
Chris

I think the main thing .pellets are best shot with speed up to 920 fps may be a bit faster. Anything more it become unstable and the range is shorter because of the aerodynamics or bc, A slug can be shot speeds well above the 920 fps and the range is farther and the bc is better for the longer range. Thats the best i can do,lol here is a pic of both, skirted= drag like a birdie in badminton, and a slug.