• The AGN App is ready! Search "Airgun Nation" in your App store. To compliment this new tech we've assigned the "Threads" Feed & "Dark" Mode. To revert back click HERE.

Destabilization speed for Diablos

It has become apparent to me as I am learning from all of you, that at a certain speed (FPS) Diablo Pellets, generally speaking, experience in flight Destabilization due to their shape in general.
I wonder if people here could chip in with what they have noticed that "do not exceed" speed is to them, yes i know, barrel type, spin rate, humidity and altitude are factors BUT there is a POINT of no return for Diablos in general.
 
A nice video on YouTube of Ted's holdover pushing jsb .22 18.1 @ 935 fps with great accuracy from impact with 700 mm bbl. The .20 cal jsb 15.9 heavy get funky @ 920 from my Rapid mk ll. I think each gun/barrel handle them differently.
oddly teds holdover link from you tube gets deleted when i try to post it here (oh well) anyway, i am aware of the link you are referring to irt pellet speed stability for .177
 
Try Airgun101.
Screenshot_20221007-142305_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: cavedweller
I have found it greatly depends on the air rifle used. My AGT Uragan 2 will shoot JSB's 18's at 980 fps extremely accurately all the way out to 100 yards. My Daystate and FX doesn't even come close to being able to do that at those speeds.

View attachment 295466
what is the diff in your barrel length and twist rates?
 
So an interesting take away for me or my AHA is that "as the weight of the pellet increases, it can tolerate more speed" all other factors being the same. That said the lighter the pellet, the more likely you will need to reduce power to maintain levels of accuracy. This also suggests to me why slugs and higher calibers seem to thrive on higher power outputs when all other factors are the same. Thoughts?
 
So an interesting take away for me or my AHA is that "as the weight of the pellet increases, it can tolerate more speed" all other factors being the same. That said the lighter the pellet, the more likely you will need to reduce power to maintain levels of accuracy. This also suggests to me why slugs and higher calibers seem to thrive on higher power outputs when all other factors are the same. Thoughts?
Slugs thrive on higher power because they are spin stabilized and diabolo pellets are drag stabilized. If a slug is shot to slow or with to slow of a twist rate they wont stabilize.
 
rifled barrels on airguns have been a thing long before slugs became a "thing" with much higher powered air rifles
Doesnt really matter if it became a thing. Diabolo pellets stabilize in a smooth bore from drag. Slugs wont stabilize in a smooth bore and require the correct rpm to stabilize. The combination of twist rate and speed giving the correct rpm is needed to get accuracy from slugs. Slugs will always be more accurate at the higher speed than a pellet due to the design and how they stabilize.

As speed is pushed with a diabolo some very small amount of twist might be beneficial for accuracy and I dont know if that is true or not. If a drag stabilized projectile does benefit from a small amount of twist after a certain speed it will be a much slower twist than any slug would require.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gendoc
Doesnt really matter if it became a thing. Diabolo pellets stabilize in a smooth bore from drag. Slugs wont stabilize in a smooth bore and require the correct rpm to stabilize. The combination of twist rate and speed giving the correct rpm is needed to get accuracy from slugs. Slugs will always be more accurate at the higher speed than a pellet due to the design and how they stabilize.

As speed is pushed with a diabolo some very small amount of twist might be beneficial for accuracy and I dont know if that is true or not. If a drag stabilized projectile does benefit from a small amount of twist after a certain speed it will be a much slower twist than any slug would require.
I don’t disagree but you have to ask why the pellet gun manufacturer’s rifled barrels before slugs were in use?
 
Last edited:
Doesnt really matter if it became a thing. Diabolo pellets stabilize in a smooth bore from drag. Slugs wont stabilize in a smooth bore and require the correct rpm to stabilize. The combination of twist rate and speed giving the correct rpm is needed to get accuracy from slugs. Slugs will always be more accurate at the higher speed than a pellet due to the design and how they stabilize.

As speed is pushed with a diabolo some very small amount of twist might be beneficial for accuracy and I dont know if that is true or not. If a drag stabilized projectile does benefit from a small amount of twist after a certain speed it will be a much slower twist than any slug would require.