Slugs is a Dirty Job

[Al_Miller]

I finally have gotten my gun to shoot slugs substantially better recently so I've been shooting them a lot. I cleaned the barrel before testing some new slugs so i could get accurate results. I was surprised by the amount of crud I cleaned out of the barrel. After not quite a couple hundred rounds I found the accuracy had fallen off some. The new slugs at first were all touching at 50 yards and now the groups were opening up slightly. Not bad but I could definitely tell they weren't shooting as good.

Just to try it I cleaned the barrel even though I had just cleaned it 200 shots ago. HOLY S***! I hadn't seen that amount of black gunk come out of the barrel ever. Also there were a few small pieces of lead that came out as well but it was mostly just horrendous black gunk. It cleaned up easy though. 2 Ballistol soaked patches and a couple dry ones cleaned it up real quick. Some say they don't need to clean the barrel but in my case it makes a difference. Maybe once I get more shots through the 700mm heavy liner it'll wear enough it wont need to be cleaned. But its something to stay on top of right now.

Now I'm experimenting with cleaning and lubing slugs to see if it effects accuracy as well as keeping the barrel cleaner for longer. Unlike some I like the barrel cleaning process but not enough to keep cleaning after only 200 rounds.

 

[badger5th]

Possible dieseling from previous cleaning compounds causing the soot?

 

[dizzums]

i think a good barrel polish and possible treatment with a high tech molecular bonding lube would increase how many loads you could crank out betwixt cleaning the pipes ..

 

[Glem.Chally]

Possible dieseling from previous cleaning compounds causing the soot?

I don't think PCPs diesel.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

This makes me curious about those cleaning pelletsuse them during slugging? Idk I've not got ahold of some yet to try

 

[Vetmx]

Be glad you don’t have a TJ slug barrel. I‘m cleaning every 2-3 mags. The fact that you noticed this tells me you are on the right track with slugs and have certain standards for accuracy and consistency. The manufacturer you get your slugs from also has a bearing on how bad they fowl your barrel.

 

[jmohme]

I don't think PCPs diesel.

Oh yes they can.

 

[Glem.Chally]

Oh yes they can.

Everything I've seen says they can't, across multiple forums and Bob Sterne. Including my own experience. Springers diesel because they compress the air during the shot cycle and if there's anything ignitable it can "diesel". Ignition by compression. A pcp is using already compressed air and from what I understand it has a net cooling effect. (I'm not talking about using pure oxygen which those rules don't apply)

Now your turn, explain to me how my experience and everything I see online is wrong. I'm willing to eat crow if im mistaken.

I'm talking about normal circumstances, not adding something to make it do that.

 

[whyzee]

What makes slugs so much dirtier? Is it the contact area of the slug to barrel vs head/skirt of a pellet?
I ask since I have not shot a slug before.

 

[nervoustrig]

Dieseling with a PCP...Mike (thomasair) has produced it

Ballistol & Dieseling/detonation

Shooting the R9 today. Accuracy seemed to be dropping off so cleaned the barrel. Ballistol on a nylon brush followed by a pull thru mop and finished with cleaning pellets till they came out clean. Gave the breech/hinge area a quick spay as well and wiped it clean and dry as I could. Loaded a...

www.airgunnation.com

Just as with a springer, the presence of a combustible lube is necessary.

 

[Glem.Chally]

Dieseling with a PCP...Mike (thomasair) has produced it

Ballistol & Dieseling/detonation

Shooting the R9 today. Accuracy seemed to be dropping off so cleaned the barrel. Ballistol on a nylon brush followed by a pull thru mop and finished with cleaning pellets till they came out clean. Gave the breech/hinge area a quick spay as well and wiped it clean and dry as I could. Loaded a...

www.airgunnation.com

Just as with a springer, the presence of a combustible lube is necessary.

Well that's with adding something, but I'll
take the L on it anyways.

 

[Vetmx]

What makes slugs so much dirtier? Is it the contact area of the slug to barrel vs head/skirt of a pellet?
I ask since I have not shot a slug before.

The amount of surface of the projectile contacting the barrel and the goo we use hoping for consistency because we are pushing them with air.

 

[nervoustrig]

Well that's with adding something, but I'll
take the L on it anyways.

It was a safe bet since even a springer needs something added in order to diesel...some sort of fuel. The fuel can be on the pellets/slugs or in the compression tube (or both), but either way we need the something added to make dieseling possible.

The mark of smart gambler. The wager you can't lose.

 

[Glem.Chally]

It was a safe bet since even a springer needs something added in order to diesel...some sort of fuel. The fuel can be on the pellets/slugs or in the compression tube (or both), but either way we need the something added to make dieseling possible.

The mark of smart gambler. The wager you can't lose.
View attachment 320795

What I was getting at is a new springer can diesel with clean pellets (residue from manufacturing) Whereas a PCP won't. I took the L.

 

[nervoustrig]

Sorry, I can see where my last reply looked like a smartass. I actually intended it as a sincere acknowledgement that it was a smart wager.

A barrel on a PCP fouling from shooting slugs, would you guess dieseling first?

No, not at all. Accelerated fouling when shooting slugs is almost always some combination of insufficient lubrication and bore condition, coupled with the vastly increased surface area as compared to pellets.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

i think a good barrel polish and possible treatment with a high tech molecular bonding lube would increase how many loads you could crank out betwixt cleaning the pipes ..

Do you have a brand name of a good bonding type of bore lube? I'd be interested in testing this stuff out.

 

[oldman70]

Everything I've seen says they can't, across multiple forums and Bob Sterne. Including my own experience. Springers diesel because they compress the air during the shot cycle and if there's anything ignitable it can "diesel". Ignition by compression. A pcp is using already compressed air and from what I understand it has a net cooling effect. (I'm not talking about using pure oxygen which those rules don't apply)

Now your turn, explain to me how my experience and everything I see online is wrong. I'm willing to eat crow if im mistaken.

I'm talking about normal circumstances, not adding something to make it do that.

you are correct it has to compress . pcps don't diesel.

 

[Al_Miller]

Be glad you don’t have a TJ slug barrel. I‘m cleaning every 2-3 mags. The fact that you noticed this tells me you are on the right track with slugs and have certain standards for accuracy and consistency. The manufacturer you get your slugs from also has a bearing on how bad they fowl your barrel.

That sounds awful haha

I’ve been real happy with how these H&N heavy slugs are shooting. They seem pretty clean and feel like they have some lube on them but I just cleaned and lubed a tin to see if it makes any difference. Tried a different cleaning technique as well just to try.

I got the gun where it wants to shoot most slugs now. Even got the hybrids to group (granted still not great) when they were previously just a shotgun spread.

 

[jps2486]

You should plan to clean your barrel more frequently than 200 shots. In my experience, slugs will foul the barrels faster, especially those that are bigger in diameter. Have you tried using a smaller diameter slug?

 

[Al_Miller]

You should plan to clean your barrel more frequently than 200 shots. In my experience, slugs will foul the barrels faster, especially those that are bigger in diameter. Have you tried using a smaller diameter slug?

I’m shooting .25 cal slugs which seems to have much less diameter options. In the past I’ve been shooting a lot of .250 but right now I’m shooting .249. This lead seems softer as well which might be another factor?