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Slugs- seems to be a rabbit hole.

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 I'm not talking light weight! more like 36-55gr in 25. The JSB 25 cal KO is great for squirrels! but I prefer the 43-55gr NSA for larger animals.

& yes these heavies are very accurate from my Condor or I would not use them for hunting!

I can't push these heavies from my SS into the 900 FPS range & don't really care! I get more of a controlled expansion with the heavier 43.5gr slug @ 878 FPS.

I would like to get the 55gr into the 900 + Fps range! But the Condor ss (from my experience) isn't capable. I currently push it @ 820 FPS & its got alot of range & power at that speed. I'm not knocking pellets at all! I won't deny that the most accurate projectile I have fired is the JSB Kings!

They print such a tiny group & use so little air that they simply can not be beat for some applications. But bigger animals is not on the list of uses for them! or atleast not for me. I have a 24" Condor barrel on the way, So I have yet to really test alot of the heavier slugs. 

Good luck with your pursuits.
 
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Air rifles in general can be very frustrating compared to firearms which is the benchmark I got used to over the years! It is mostly the POI shifting in airguns that would be the main source of my problems. Then temperature causing some shifts. Then its weird how one day an air rifle can shoot so well and a week later not so good. Then the fragility that is built into many airguns. These are not for the impatient person. Or you just accept them for what they are and trudge onward, tuning, checking screw torque, adjusting this and that, etc.

If you want far less frustration then get a "good" 22rf and use higher quality ammo. Nothing is perfect though and everything has downsides. However due to the higher ES 22rf ammo typically has vertical that is pretty disappointing past 100Y unless you have a good batch of ammo.

Airguns - Pellets are fine, maybe preferred, inside the distances where the power level and weight are the most appropriate. It's still fun to me shooting 10M offhand with 6 fpe, FT inside 55Y using sub 20 fpe, general plinking with more powerful airguns inside 100Y. But honestly I just do not get off on using pellets at longer distances very much even with heavy pellets going from 840 fps to 970 fps. It's the darnedest thing how at 90Y my Thomas can put in some very small vertical but at 100Y not so much, well much less frequent, and beyond 80Y the wind is blowing these things like crazy???

In my personal experience compared to pellets ^^^ that's where slugs come into there own - farther out, well if you can find that slug and rifle combo that provides decent precision. It's mostly the edge that the higher BC provides as far as having less wind drift. A recent example is my friends Crown which is very precise. Heck he has out performed me at 100Y on a 1" spinner when I used slugs but getting to about 125Y the 34gr 25 cal pellets are blowing so much in the wind that its getting hard to hit our other steel that are farther than this. Not so with my two rifles which shoot slugs well in similar conditions. The .072 BC of the 29gr 25 cal slugs going 925 fps gets the job done better, as well as the 42gr custom swaged slugs with .142 BC not even going 800 fps.

In our XFT matches I've been shooting 22rf division, it's so much easier to knock em down than using pellets in my HPX. Though I'm not allowed to use custom swaged slugs in my Thomas HPX in our XFT match so how well it compares to the rimfire in an actual match setting isn't known yet. My AGT King in 25 cal that I shoot the 29gr slugs in has poi shifts so I don't trust it for XFT but its fun for plinking farther out since when I see a shift happening I just adjust for it.

We'll see what the future holds. Once we get to .2+BC going 1000 or so fps, lacking POI shifts, great precision, having low ES, and with a decent shot count, then.... I sure would like to try one some day but I still enjoy the pellet - guns.




 
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All I shoot is .177 for pesting in my backyard, so I can't talk about *long distance* shooting.

At one time I had access to pest at ~60 yards and the drop, even at ~950fps was significant, but since I mostly shoot at ~750 fps using 10.5 grain pellets, the holdover at 60 yards IS large. Even so, I made many groups sub MOA at 60 yards and took several tree rats and chipmunks with head shots at that range using LUM77/CPUM 10.5grain domed pellets.

Now, if I were to want to shoot with ANY accuracy (with any hope of precision?) over 60 yards, then I would HAVE to consider slugs.

However, I NEVER HAVE HAD any opportunities to shoot pests (with safe shots) past 60 yards and now my longest safe shot (new neighbor put up privacy fence that blocked ANY safe ~60 yard shots) is a maximum of ~45 yards. And those *safe shots* are very rare.

Most of my safe shots come between 13 and 35 yards with a scant few at ~40 yards. The largest majority of my *safe* shots come between ~17 and ~27 yards. Most of these shots are within my PBR, which helps to make precision shots more often.

So, pellets are the best choice for me. I have considered getting into .177 slugs in the 10grain+ range, but the cost/benefit ratio just never comes close to making it reasonable.

YMMV (smile)

P.S.

I'll leave the slugs to those folks who have the opportunity and interest in long range shooting. That, IMHO, is where slugs come into their own for airguns. Having said that, there are many PB that can do that job and possibly/probably better.

Long story short, if you have the interest and the money... go for it! (smile)
 
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I have asked on several platforms the simple question of which FX liner with which slug and at what speed for best slug setup and accuracy in .30 cal. I never have received a good response so I could order that liner and slugs to work with. So, I keep shooting pellets which are very accurate and haven't bothered with wasting much time with slugs or slug liners. Slugs just don't stack like pellets do from what I can gather.
 
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17,1grain Samyang in 4,5mm from a Daystate Revere.



Enough accuracy for backyard hunting. No longrange slug needed for this distance...just more critters.



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17,1grain Samyang in 4,5mm from a Daystate Revere.



Enough accuracy for backyard hunting. No longrange slug needed for this distance...just more critters.



AW5d9Jg.jpg
[/url][/img]
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LOL! Yep, I am not shooting much in my backyard since January, 2022 simply because of lack of targets.

I guess I have been too efficient over the last 4 years! (chuckle)

Of course, spring is just around the corner... (smile)
 
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Let’s face it shooting anything can be frustrating depending on your demands. Most of my deer hunting buddies are happy with two or three shots in two inches at a hundred yards. Not me I expect clover leafs or better. Air rifles are THE MOST challenging of all. Seem to be so sensitive to hold and of course there is the wind. Slugs ? yep. But if you test logically you can get there. I found that I was making too large of adjustments on my guns go slow and find guys with similar equipment to point you in the general direction. And If you get frustrated walk away for awhile 
 
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One of the first things a up and coming slug shooter needs to consider is info. There are three groups when it comes to slugs. First group is the guys chasing their tails and wanting instant gratification, the easy way. These guys finally shoot a couple good groups and jump online to brag about it. Every guy who sees it chases that tune and slug but doesn’t know that the braggers groups fell apart the next day when he shot again. The second is guys putting out slug info for views. If you’re fortunate enough to be watching a video and the guy is not a nincompoop and does know his stuff, he’s not telling the whole story. The third group is guys who figured some stuff out, knew what it took and the cost and are keeping that info to themselves. It’s a hard pill to swallow but some info is just not available with a google search. But trust me, the third group can even get flustered because shooting solid lead has some drawbacks. It’s forgiving but dirty. I will leave it at that. Slug shooting is a hobby within a hobby. Thank god we all have pellets to fall back on. If slugs are frustrating, just become a better hunter and close the distance.
 
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One of the first things a up and coming slug shooter needs to consider is info. There are three groups when it comes to slugs. First group is the guys chasing their tails and wanting instant gratification, the easy way. These guys finally shoot a couple good groups and jump online to brag about it. Every guy who sees it chases that tune and slug but doesn’t know that the braggers groups fell apart the next day when he shot again. The second is guys putting out slug info for views. If you’re fortunate enough to be watching a video and the guy is not a nincompoop and does know his stuff, he’s not telling the whole story. The third group is guys who figured some stuff out, knew what it took and the cost and are keeping that info to themselves. It’s a hard pill to swallow but some info is just not available with a google search. But trust me, the third group can even get flustered because shooting solid lead has some drawbacks. It’s forgiving but dirty. I will leave it at that. Slug shooting is a hobby within a hobby. Thank god we all have pellets to fall back on. If slugs are frustrating, just become a better hunter and close the distance.
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Well said. (smile)

They are called pellet guns for a reason. (chuckle)
 
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Companies no matter if its autos, phones, or laundry detergent have to introduce something new to keep customers and to bring in new ones. What part does that play in the introduction of slugs? Im not one who "Tunes" my rifles just load it up and shoot. But as others have said its your time and money you shoot what ammo YOU want. Good luck on your quest.
 
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8C4FDDBF-CE81-459D-A11B-67C2FBD9A27B.1645898378.jpeg

I have an FX Impact .22 w/ 600mm barrel, Superior liner. Loves the 21.14gr H&N Barracuda Match in 5.52 @900fps. They consistently group 1” or less at 100yds, as long as I do my part, and I’m no sharpshooter by any means. The group pictured was shot at 100 yds, outdoors with little to no wind. Not saying this to brag or impress, but to provide information on an option based on personal experiences with this projectile. BC is .038, Slightly higher than JSB 18.13’s @.033. My holdover, or if I was to dial, is a full mil (10 clicks) less at 100yds than with JSB 18.13 at the same muzzle velocity. As for wind drift, I have no data on that at the moment, but you can figure, it’s a pellet so it will definitely be affected more than a slug. Since I have discovered these, it’s all I shoot. I may be “shooting myself in the foot” (for lack of a better phrase) for when I go to buy my next batch. But, I enjoy sharing my info to help others and I try not include myself in that “third group” 😜 I highly recommend these. 
 
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I picked up an EvoL HPS about a year ago simply to shoot slugs. It is very picky with what it likes. So far any of the pellet manufactures who make slugs have not been so great. Dedicated slug makers like NSA, Griffin, etc, all seem to do very well. Now on the plus side the HPS shoots pellets extremely well providing that they have some weight to them. I tend to shoot pellets far more from my other airguns, and far more in general. 
 
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I sipped the Kool Aid but I'm thinking about spitting it out. You follow the general advice and sometimes you luck into getting a gun to shoot slugs. Then you try to do the same, and it humbles you. There is a lot said regarding slugs, and a lot that is not said. Heavily modded guns with parts not available for purchase. I consider that misinformation, not information. The barrel length, caliber, CF liner (glued or not), regulator setting(s) and hammer spring are one thing. Then there are custom parts, probes, transfer ports, different springs and hammer type and weight. There's MUCH more to it than meets the eye. I am starting to wonder if slugs are worth the effort and expense. I'm gradually trending back to pellet shooting.

Some of what I'm talking about:

https://youtu.be/m8j9yagbXVA
 
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Yes sir. It’s a wonderful way to keep a guy who won’t give up, dumping money into the Airgun economy. Like you said, the lucky gun, and I have one, fuels the fire even more. If I would have chosen to be a blabber mouth about that gun and the slug, it would trigger massive spending amongst the Airgun community. It’s so funny when you sit back and see it for what it is. All it takes is one new video to reignite the flame. It is a good thing though because it keeps us moving forward. What I’ve spent on slugs is just downright stupid. But I must figure them out or go down in flames trying. But I have great pellet guns in the gun safe to keep me grounded and always happy. Every day, every week, every month of every year. 
 
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I have asked on several platforms the simple question of which FX liner with which slug and at what speed for best slug setup and accuracy in .30 cal. I never have received a good response so I could order that liner and slugs to work with. So, I keep shooting pellets which are very accurate and haven't bothered with wasting much time with slugs or slug liners. Slugs just don't stack like pellets do from what I can gather.
Click to expand...

I hope to disprove that theory.
 
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Air rifles in general can be very frustrating compared to firearms which is the benchmark I got used to over the years! It is mostly the POI shifting in airguns that would be the main source of my problems. Then temperature causing some shifts. Then its weird how one day an air rifle can shoot so well and a week later not so good. Then the fragility that is built into many airguns. These are not for the impatient person. Or you just accept them for what they are and trudge onward, tuning, checking screw torque, adjusting this and that, etc.

If you want far less frustration then get a "good" 22rf and use higher quality ammo. Nothing is perfect though and everything has downsides. However due to the higher ES 22rf ammo typically has vertical that is pretty disappointing past 100Y unless you have a good batch of ammo.

Airguns - Pellets are fine, maybe preferred, inside the distances where the power level and weight are the most appropriate. It's still fun to me shooting 10M offhand with 6 fpe, FT inside 55Y using sub 20 fpe, general plinking with more powerful airguns inside 100Y. But honestly I just do not get off on using pellets at longer distances very much even with heavy pellets going from 840 fps to 970 fps. It's the darnedest thing how at 90Y my Thomas can put in some very small vertical but at 100Y not so much, well much less frequent, and beyond 80Y the wind is blowing these things like crazy???

In my personal experience compared to pellets ^^^ that's where slugs come into there own - farther out, well if you can find that slug and rifle combo that provides decent precision. It's mostly the edge that the higher BC provides as far as having less wind drift. A recent example is my friends Crown which is very precise. Heck he has out performed me at 100Y on a 1" spinner when I used slugs but getting to about 125Y the 34gr 25 cal pellets are blowing so much in the wind that its getting hard to hit our other steel that are farther than this. Not so with my two rifles which shoot slugs well in similar conditions. The .072 BC of the 29gr 25 cal slugs going 925 fps gets the job done better, as well as the 42gr custom swaged slugs with .142 BC not even going 800 fps.

In our XFT matches I've been shooting 22rf division, it's so much easier to knock em down than using pellets in my HPX. Though I'm not allowed to use custom swaged slugs in my Thomas HPX in our XFT match so how well it compares to the rimfire in an actual match setting isn't known yet. My AGT King in 25 cal that I shoot the 29gr slugs in has poi shifts so I don't trust it for XFT but its fun for plinking farther out since when I see a shift happening I just adjust for it.

We'll see what the future holds. Once we get to .2+BC going 1000 or so fps, lacking POI shifts, great precision, having low ES, and with a decent shot count, then.... I sure would like to try one some day but I still enjoy the pellet - guns.



Click to expand...

Just goofing around towards the end of our practice session and an example from yesterday at 100Y off bucket and sticks, in 10-15 mph and mostly full value winds using pellets/25.4gr RDM's going 965 fps, in my Thomas HPX air rifle named SURELY=PELLET SURELY in this case. This was without using any kind of flag out on the course, only the string hanging off my gun. No mirage to take advantage of because it was cold but trying my best to watch grass swaying. Small vertical but look how wide it is and I was doing my best to out guess the wind. I was aiming at a splat where the 3 are touching. 10 shot group about 4.5" wide. Inside of 80Y yesterday I don't remember missing the rest of the bell targets that are smaller as distance gets closer, these are in 10Y increments.

Past 80Y its getting tough when its windy using pellets! First pic is my range and the bell targets start at 60Y. 2nd pic was at 100y.

20210319_133405.1647276675.jpg


20220314_085936.1647274449.jpg


Same piece of steel and my friend's group doing what I was doing, he used a 25 cal FX Crown with 34gr pellets going 870 fps, he was also trying to hit a splat. Having a repeater for quick follow up shots does help when its windy as long as one can see where their other hits are.

20220314_090103.1647274633.jpg


This is what our 100Y bell target looks like with KZ at 3" tall by 3.6" wide, it was freshly painted before we started. Its dirty because it blew over on the face during the night but I wiped it off and took the pic this morning.

We missed some but I did more missing than he did on it.

It's was a bit frustrating for me because I know from past experience in similar conditions that with the slug barrel on SURELY using 42gr 22 cal .142BC=SLUGSURELY, I would have hit the KZ most of the time!!! - I'm sure a similar outcome using the rimfire.

20220314_090029.1647275217.jpg


Then using slugs out farther, especially past 150Y, slugs allow the hit ratio to be way higher. Its NOT hard hitting this bobcat at 300Y with SLUGSURELY in normal winds. With the pellet barrel on I'd be lucky to hit this bobcat at all.

20220203_133819.1647276004.jpg


Here's my best 5 shot 100Y group with SLUGSURELY.

20220105_140135.1647277244.jpg



 
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The Airgun slugs rabbit hole is deep, I’d even say it’s a black hole. Once you get sucked into its pull, you can never get out. When they’re good, they are amazing. But to get there with most guns….
Click to expand...

I remember when I was sponsored with a $2700 30 cal air rifle. It shot 44gr pellets reasonably well. Then I ordered and tried 47.5gr slugs and the first 3 shots were touching at 50Y and I thought oh boy I think I stumbled onto something here. 10 minutes later after three 1.5" groups I thought otherwise, LOL. Of course that gun wasn't designed to shoot slugs with that barrel but its always a hope and a try until you know for sure. That one and a few other guns with slugs had soured me against slugs until......my mantra back then was UNTIL!
 
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