Hello AG Brother,
Swaged slugs can definitely be sent through any choked pellet barrel with great success.
EDIT: If you don't have micrometers I would send you a cheap Omega one. You push a pellet through & get a reading wherever pellet drops. I'd show you via FaceTime or a video.
The key to sending slugs from a 1:16-1:18 .177-.25 is correct slug OD. 1 thousandths +- difference can mean horrible groups, to OMG unbelievably great groups at short to long range.
Check out JSB Knockout slugs. I suggest that you start with the .217" ones in .22 or .250" in .25
If you have a wide variety of barrels like some do you may need .218" in one, and be waiting/praying on the release of JSB .215" Knockouts in .22
I'm sending Griffin RBT slugs, NSA, Varmint Knockers all with excellent results; but I prefer the 2 stroke Griffin RBT's.
I can get slugs all sub moa with a .22 Condor & .25 Sumatra tethered. I can get 7-10 great shots but I target shoot so I'm tethered & prefer it that way.
I've sent lightweight slugs from Rainstorms, Marauders, FX's with Smooth Twist barrels.
They'll work in a ST if lightweight, short, & a base that will allow obturation to barrel ID size during the blast force. Like these for a .25
I personally don't hunt, but there's slugs that are safe for your barrels (true 100% pure lead wire from Dave Corbin) and safer than solid core ones that some folks are using to pest in areas that they wouldn't want a pass through.
I personally got into slugs because I have 200 yards from my front porch with 200+ yards past that to tree line to shoot them. If I go down the road, I have permission to shoot into mountains of clean fill with my airguns.
350 yards anytime of year on weekends. Over 1000 if I want when crops are down & I can lay prone at far tree line to the mountains that give a visual splash and dust tells wind at target upon impact.
I have been sending JSB 18.13 pellets 175-205 yards on targets in early morning no winds, to shooting in snowstorms for 10 years.
Upon trying slugs I saw the abilities of them.
Certain Griffin RBT LDC Ballistic Tip slugs in the 34-44 grain .22 range, according to Labradar have a higher BC than any subsonic .22LR ammo.
I can get you a sample pack of slugs your airgun will probably like. I would need to know the barrel specs, gun model,
(to know if the extra long ones will fit mags, though I suggest single hand loading for everything. Pellets or slugs if shooting for best groups. And sorry to say but most all component airguns need to have in leade & crown trued up.)
and just how fast you can send a given weight pellet, so you need a chronograph reading of your AG maxed out.
There's a mixed truth in slugs. Some say they HAVE to go 900-950 to work best. Some say faster. I'm personally sending little 28 grain RBT .22's at 1070fps & they're stabilized extremely well. At close range or 400 yards.
If you don't have an AG that can get the RPM's up with high speed from common slower twist AG barrels, a lighter slug with a flat base, cup base, or deep pellet base might need to be used.
YES, you can shoot the right slug from your factory AG barrel.
I'm at a point where I'm willing to buy custom longer barrels w/a faster twist. From TJ liners to Lilja, Benchmark, Kreiger, & Mark Chanlynn of Rocky Mountain Gun Works.
But I'm getting into the
400-1200 yard range with an extremely tight tolerance fully custom built airgun rifle. I'm just shooting long range for fun, because I can safely here.
Otherwise IMHO there isn't much the newest heavy JSB pellets can't do for hunting to 100 & targets out to 200-300 yards.
