Slugs Vs Regular pellets

[nervoustrig]

Back to the original question, pellets will serve very nicely for pest control out to at least 50 yards. When I first got into airgunning, I bought a budget .22 cal PCP producing about 25fpe. Over the course of 2 years I removed roughly 50 raccoons from my property. Most of them from a distance of 40 - 50 yards.

JSB 18.1gr dome to the brain dropped them like a bolt of lightning. Shot placement is paramount. Side profile is best in terms of penetration...put it precisely between the eye and ear. A frontal shot, on the other hand, has the potential to be deflected due to the angle of the skull. I never experienced it myself, though. I shot most of mine using a lip squeak to get them to look directly toward me and hold still for a moment.

One such example:

 

[nielsenammo]

NSA slugs have a little antimony in them to run in the high speed machines. The lead wire we offer to airgunners is pure lead. Our lead will not be as soft as pure lead but not very hard as there only a small amount of antimony in our lead and nothing else. As far as nickel, the melting point of that is like 2600 deg F and the cost of it would astronomical so that would be ridiculous to say is in ammunition.

 

[heavy-impact]

NSA slugs have a little antimony in them to run in the high speed machines. The lead wire we offer to airgunners is pure lead. Our lead will not be as soft as pure lead but not very hard as there only a small amount of antimony in our lead and nothing else. As far as nickel, the melting point of that is like 2600 deg F and the cost of it would astronomical so that would be ridiculous to say is in ammunition.

Thank you sir, I stand corrected on the antimony.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

NSA slugs have a little antimony in them to run in the high speed machines. The lead wire we offer to airgunners is pure lead. Our lead will not be as soft as pure lead but not very hard as there only a small amount of antimony in our lead and nothing else. As far as nickel, the melting point of that is like 2600 deg F and the cost of it would astronomical so that would be ridiculous to say is in ammunition.

Sorry about that I tend to mix up tin and nickel for some reason.

 

[MongooseV8]

Why do you say Nielsen slugs are hard, I thought Nielsen only uses pure lead?

In our experience and "testing" the Nielsens are sort of a hybrid in design and alloy hardness. They expand better than the older design H&N slugs, but not as much as something like a 22Cal FX slug or some Knockouts. It can be tough to compare some slugs these days since there are so many versions of each brand and model. Not all FX slugs expand the same for example, but Nielsen are pretty consistent. I think that is due to the alloy, but mostly due to the difference in the slug design. The FX slugs are almost all cavity, where the Nielsen are more shallow. When you do the finger nail scratch test the Nielsen seems to be in the middle of the other slugs. Personally I like Nielsens the best, since I can get some penetration but also transfer a lot of energy through deformation. Its a happy medium that really shines depending on your targets. If you need to rid some squirrels or mice, I would use something else to get faster deformation.

To the OP: My choice is both. We use plenty of both but it depends on the target and how far away it is. Basically anything other than squirrels or small birds slugs are going to be better. If you are up close say under 30 yards, and you are worried about having a solid back-stop use a nice pellet. If your rifle is on the low energy side the Hades pellets are the best at deforming at slower speeds. A domed pellet can be great too but usually you want more speed, otherwise they tend to poke tiny holes. Some critters are tougher than others, and nobody wants a wounded animal running off. So know your target, and where to hit it, and what is behind it.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

In our experience and "testing" the Nielsens are sort of a hybrid in design and alloy hardness. They expand better than the older design H&N slugs, but not as much as something like a 22Cal FX slug or some Knockouts. It can be tough to compare some slugs these days since there are so many versions of each brand and model. Not all FX slugs expand the same for example, but Nielsen are pretty consistent. I think that is due to the alloy, but mostly due to the difference in the slug design. The FX slugs are almost all cavity, where the Nielsen are more shallow. When you do the finger nail scratch test the Nielsen seems to be in the middle of the other slugs. Personally I like Nielsens the best, since I can get some penetration but also transfer a lot of energy through deformation. Its a happy medium that really shines depending on your targets. If you need to rid some squirrels or mice, I would use something else to get faster deformation.

To the OP: My choice is both. We use plenty of both but it depends on the target and how far away it is. Basically anything other than squirrels or small birds slugs are going to be better. If you are up close say under 30 yards, and you are worried about having a solid back-stop use a nice pellet. If your rifle is on the low energy side the Hades pellets are the best at deforming at slower speeds. A domed pellet can be great too but usually you want more speed, otherwise they tend to poke tiny holes. Some critters are tougher than others, and nobody wants a wounded animal running off. So know your target, and where to hit it, and what is behind it.

What do you typically hunt?

 

[MongooseV8]

What do you typically hunt?

Mice, Rats, Norwegian Tree Rats (these are the big boys), Skunk, Racoon, Opposum, Pigeon, Black Birbs, California Ground Squirrels, Jacks, Starlings if I see them, etc. Pests control basically, but havent been out in a few months. In the past I was only using powder burners to cull critters at long ranges for some smaller ranchers near where I lived. These days I only use air rifles, and at "closer" ranges. The furthest I have used my 25Cal Impact is 145-155yards with a Nielsen slug, but I wouldnt advise the average air hunter to try that. The closer the better for both the hunter and to be respectful of the critter.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

Mice, Rats, Norwegian Tree Rats (these are the big boys), Skunk, Racoon, Opposum, Pigeon, Black Birbs, California Ground Squirrels, Jacks, Starlings if I see them, etc. Pests control basically, but havent been out in a few months. In the past I was only using powder burners to cull critters at long ranges for some smaller ranchers near where I lived. These days I only use air rifles, and at "closer" ranges. The furthest I have used my 25Cal Impact is 145-155yards with a Nielsen slug, but I wouldnt advise the average air hunter to try that. The closer the better for both the hunter and to be respectful of the critter.

That's a good list of pests as well as solid advise.

 

[heavy-impact]

In our experience and "testing" the Nielsens are sort of a hybrid in design and alloy hardness. They expand better than the older design H&N slugs, but not as much as something like a 22Cal FX slug or some Knockouts. It can be tough to compare some slugs these days since there are so many versions of each brand and model. Not all FX slugs expand the same for example, but Nielsen are pretty consistent. I think that is due to the alloy, but mostly due to the difference in the slug design. The FX slugs are almost all cavity, where the Nielsen are more shallow. When you do the finger nail scratch test the Nielsen seems to be in the middle of the other slugs. Personally I like Nielsens the best, since I can get some penetration but also transfer a lot of energy through deformation. Its a happy medium that really shines depending on your targets. If you need to rid some squirrels or mice, I would use something else to get faster deformation.

I lung shot a large goat broad side at less than 20 yards with a 66gn .30 NSA at 950fps. Pieces of lung sprayed out the far side. I didn't recover the slug but the exit suggested some expansion. I'd like to have more expansion but every hit has been a kill so far so I probably don't need it.
I like to support the Nielsen family of NSA because to the best of my knowledge Mr Nielsen was first in the USA to take slugs mainstream and make them more affordable to the average person. He took the risk and deserves the reward. Thank you for sharing your results.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

I lung shot a large goat broad side at less than 20 yards with a 66gn .30 NSA at 950fps. Pieces of lung sprayed out the far side. I didn't recover the slug but the exit suggested some expansion. I'd like to have more expansion but every hit has been a kill so far so I probably don't need it.
I like to support the Nielsen family of NSA because to the best of my knowledge Mr Nielsen was first in the USA to take slugs mainstream and make them more affordable to the average person. He took the risk and deserves the reward. Thank you for sharing your results.

If I ahd the opportunity to hunt large game, I would use NSA. For the price and amount of ammo you get, it's unbeatable. For me though, shooting iguanas with nielsen slugs would be like shooting them with lead free pellets, that projectile is just gonna keep on going, and going.

 

[heavy-impact]

I've never shot an iguana but I imagined they would be tough, especially the big ones. I appreciate the education and if I make it to Florida I'll have the right ammo.

 

[Berserkeley Mike]

If I ahd the opportunity to hunt large game, I would use NSA. For the price and amount of ammo you get, it's unbeatable. For me though, shooting iguanas with nielsen slugs would be like shooting them with lead free pellets, that projectile is just gonna keep on going, and going.

Those unleaded pellets just don't expand, if that's what you mean (keep going through the target). But they have only around 2/3 the weight, and thus the BC, of lead, so they lose energy faster and don't really keep going if you miss, compared with lead. I miss a lot so I know.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

Those unleaded pellets just don't expand, if that's what you mean (keep going through the target). But they have only around 2/3 the weight, and thus the BC, of lead, so they lose energy faster and don't really keep going if you miss, compared with lead. I miss a lot so I know.

Yeah that's why I said it. The harder head composition of the nsa slugs aren't good for iguana whether it's body shot or head shot. They'll just zip right through. But I will always recommend them for head shots on raccoonss or larger game.

 

[Berserkeley Mike]

So with some interest in slugs that are a little too hard and shot too slow to expand, and unleaded pellets that are way to hard to expand, I wonder if the engineering seen in say, copper firearm bullets that petal open upon impact, or have heads that lead to tumbling, if we'll ever see that in airgun pellets?

 

[coffeepan]

I would think that all machine-swagged slugs must have a bit of hardening material on alloy, otherwise they can go bad during machine handling. Altaros uses cnc, so it's a different method of making slugs. Or if you use press slug system by hand etc. But getting pure lead wire in the EU is difficult or very expensive. But you guys are lucky in the USA the Nielsen ammo sells you lead wire at a good price if you want swage own slugs

 

[JimD]

First criteria is accuracy. It's usually easier to find an accurate pellet but if your gun prefers slugs it may be better to shoot them. As long as they give you adequate penetration for the animal you want to kill I would use a more accurate slug. If you really need to take >50 yard shots I would want an accurate slug but even then, for small game, I'd rather not take the shot. But for something like a ground squirrel with a gun that is plenty powerful, I can see why people go ahead and shoot. I probably would too.

Another reason to try and find an accurate slug in your gun is over penetration. But this is only a factor if you hit. If you are worried about over penetration what happens if you miss? Its best to not shoot if the projectile is aimed in the direction of things you don't want to hit. If you do that I do not understand a reason to worry about over penetration.

I may have a gun now that prefers slugs. I re-tuned my P35 to over 40 fpe and I think it now shoots Nielsen 26.8s better than any pellet I've tried in it (which include both types of JSB 33.95 grain, JSB 25.39s and FX 25.4s as well as H&N Baracdas). I need to shoot it some more to be sure. I need to test them now for penetration but I suspect it's going to be plenty for squirrels, my normal target. But I also think I may not use it for my backyard shots at squirrels up in trees. I shoot where the projectile should not hit anything where it would cause damage but the bc advantage of the slug increases the distance I have to worry about. Probably better to use the 177. But if another raccoon shows up and needs shot, it seems like it could be the gun to pull out. If I go to hunt in wide open spaces, I may use it.

 

[josh55]

I prefer domed pellets for raccoons

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What caliber are you using

 

[SonOfAGun]

I have killed a lot of possums and coons with .25 H&N Hornets. I love those things, wish they would make them in a .30. Most people don't know it but those Raccoons are really good to eat and there is a lot of meat on them. People ate them alot in the old days and during the great depression. Now days there are even lots of online recipes for them. I have my own favorite.

I hands down agree. The .25 Hornets are the most devastating pellet you'll find! I reached out to H&N a while back and asked them if they would ever make a .30cal Hornet. The answer was a strong No ...and sounds like no plans to.

 

[denovich]

With raccoons, you really want to kill them with the first shot. If you wound them, I swear they seem to develop super powers allowing them to tank a ton more damage before going down.

 

[Berserkeley Mike]

With raccoons, you really want to kill them with the first shot. If you wound them, I swear they seem to develop super powers allowing them to tank a ton more damage before going down.

Adrenaline, pure and uncut.