Slug lube question... yeah, yeah I know...

[ACard]

I have searched both with the search engine and manually and have not found an answer that directly address my question. In short, does one need to use a silicone based lube for slugs being fored out of an FX Panthera 700mm?

Thank you in advance.

Andy

 

[Kgphotos]

In my Impact and Crown I lube slugs with Balistol. After lots of testing comparing lubing vs non lubed I am convinced that my NSA 24.8 grain slugs shoot better when lubed.
Kenny

 

[Firewalker]

I have searched both with the search engine and manually and have not found an answer that directly address my question. In short, does one need to use a silicone based lube for slugs being fored out of an FX Panthera 700mm?

Thank you in advance.

Andy

Silicone isn't really a lubricant under pressure.

 

[ACard]

Silicone isn't really a lubricant under pressure.

And white is actually not a color but a lack of color...

Break that prefuntory statement down about silicone so a retired crayon eating Marine can make sense of it...

 

[Alan]

Personal opinion. As stated, silicon oil (or any other oil) is not a good pressure lubricant. Dust and other debris tend to stick to oils as well.

Danzac® is one commercial name for Tungsten Disulfide. It is easier to apply than moly, but a bit messier. It works well, and you gain a few FPS. The question remains, why use any lube? Lead by itself is fairly slick, and not near the (overall) mess lubes are.

I will admit this. Casting your own slugs require denser alloys than those used to swage slugs, and their coefficient of friction is somewhat higher. In these cases, lubes might help reduce fouling.

 

[ACard]

Personal opinion. As stated, silicon oil (or any other oil) is not a good pressure lubricant. Dust and other debris tend to stick to oils as well.

Danzac® is one commercial name for Tungsten Disulfide. It is easier to apply than moly, but a bit messier. It works well, and you gain a few FPS. The question remains, why use any lube? Lead by itself is fairly slick, and not near the (overall) mess lubes are.

I will admit this. Casting your own slugs require denser alloys than those used to swage slugs, and their coefficient of friction is somewhat higher. In these cases, lubes might help reduce fouling.

Thank you for.the information. I will opt for not using lube at all. It seems to be a hotly debated subject at best much like Ford vs. Chevy...

Being a long time centerfire elr shooter that has just ventured into the world of modern air rifles I am ignorant about air rifle do's and dont's.... The amount of info out there from FX in my particular case is a bit maddening. They do not seem to do a great job of owners manuals etc...

 

[nervoustrig]

The barrel will tell you if the slugs need lubrication. If you get what are ostensibly odd fliers, and/or you find it necessary to clean the barrel frequently, it’s time to experiment with lubed slugs.

 

[DesertSilver]

And white is actually not a color but a lack of color...

Break that prefuntory statement down about silicone so a retired crayon eating Marine can make sense of it...

Actually white is all of the colors combined. Black is the absence of color. Light is white dark is black.

 

[nervoustrig]

Given the self-deprecating crayon eating comment, he was talking about pigments rather than light. In the spirit of picking nits, of course

 

[DesertSilver]

Thank you for.the information. I will opt for not using lube at all. It seems to be a hotly debated subject at best much like Ford vs. Chevy...

Being a long time centerfire elr shooter that has just ventured into the world of modern air rifles I am ignorant about air rifle do's and dont's.... The amount of info out there from FX in my particular case is a bit maddening. They do not seem to do a great job of owners manuals etc...

Why write a book when pictures tell the story so much better.

https://youtube.com/@FXAirguns

https://youtube.com/@ernestrowe5061

 

[DesertSilver]

Given the self-deprecating crayon eating comment, he was talking about pigments rather than light. In the spirit of picking nits, of course

To be even more picky, pigments just reflect the color of light.

 

[ACard]

To be even more picky, pigments just reflect the color of light.

 

[HogKiller]

And white is actually not a color but a lack of color...

Break that prefuntory statement down about silicone so a retired crayon eating Marine can make sense of it...

We shoot airguns, NOT preform miracles. You guys are almost as bad as those Army guys that jumped out of our perfectly good airplanes.

 

[DesertSilver]

We shoot airguns, NOT preform miracles. You guys are almost as bad as those Army guys that jumped out of our perfectly good airplanes.

Hey, it's a job that somebody has to do. Heck, I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had the chance.

 

[o8ko8k]

I would not personally lube the slugs, FODs out the barrel, the graphite based coatings on other pellets will cake onto the lube, make a mess, could cause accurcy issues, and then your cleaning your barrel all the time, yuck.

 

[ACard]

I would not personally lube the slugs, FODs out the barrel, the graphite based coatings on other pellets will cake onto the lube, make a mess, could cause accurcy issues, and then your cleaning your barrel all the time, yuck.

No pellets in my air rifle, I only shoot slugs. Thank you for the info though. As much fun as this one is there are likely more in my future and thats good to know about graphite on pellets.

 

[mackeral5]

I would look for experience-based information around lube. Do some searching and you will find posts by proven slug shooters indicating which way they go, lube or no lube, and if they lube what their preference is.

For example, a lot of experienced slug shooters use silicon RC shock oil and are very successful, in spite of what is stated by those that pontificate to the contrary.

Often the more experienced shooters do not respond to these posts as they do not wish to waste energy debating their experience-based findings against someone else's theory....

There are many many options around lube or no lube on ammo, bore prep, cleaning methods and frequency, again I would recommend searching the topic, paying careful attention to information written by long time posters that shoot, document, and share their results.

Then you can determine, of those proven methods, which to test and see what works best for you.

There is no substitute for sending lead down the bore and learning from the results, good or bad.