Why do pellets have skirts?

[jennamber2]

Hi guys, more food for thought... Why do pellets have skirts? What was the original idea behind narrowing the projectile in the middle? One would think that a more consistent diameter would connect with the rifling lands better, no? also, I would think that a low grain slug of the same mass would perform better than it's pellet counterpart. Also; why don't slugs have a cup on the back like a pellet.

lemme know...

Paul

 

[grrbrrr]

Pellets have skirts because the skirt gives the pellet stability in the air. The majority of the pellet weight is in the dome and the lighter skirt is like a Rudder that keeps the tail behind the dome. Matt duber has a good video on ballistics that talks about some of this stuff. The downside to a pellet is that the flow of the air over a pellet has more drag than a Slug, thus the lower ballistic coefficient. Maybe I am wrong on my though process but it seems like a pellet gains a lot of stability from the “drag” the skirt creates. 


I believe the skirts that are on the hybrid slugs help the projectile conform to the barrel and allow less air to escape around the pellet, this gives a tighter fit so that they also develop more spin as they come out of the rifled barrel. 

 

[Leon83]

I always thought that pellets have skirts to cover their xxxxxxx. 



Mod Edit:Removed xxxxxxx

 

[jland48]

Think shuttlecock in badminton. The shape of the pellet makes it correct itself to forward stable flight. The skirt is thin so that the blast of air when shooting can expand it in order to seal the the lands to both capture the air and impart spin. The head of the pellet just rides inside the lands. 

 

[JimNM]

In Scotland, they be called Kilts....

 

[fuznut]

Pellets use drag to help stabilize them in flight. Their shape makes a lot of it. Slugs use spin only for stabilization they try to have as little drag as possible, a cup in back would increase drag.

 

[jennamber2]

 Cover their XXXXXX

LOL!!!

 

[fuznut]

I think the main reason for skirts is because they just look stupid wearing pants.???

 

[PerkyVal]

They are for stabilization because back in the day airguns were smooth bore.

 

[Yo]

Imagine BADMINTON...shuttlecocks or birdies spin for aerodynamics.

 

[intenseaty22]

In Scotland, they would be called Kilts....

You Took My Line!!

 

[JimNM]

I am grateful that I am not all alone in this world. Thanks buddy!

 

[Yo]

You're making me hungry!

https://youtu.be/utlyjy0Fv3E

 

[steve123]

Because all pellets are female 

Also you can tell because they don't go where they are supposed to half the time.

Kinda moody too! 

This time of the month the shootin is good, a few weeks later during THAT time of the month, BAM, it's not happening!

 

[JungleShooter]

 

Because all pellets are female.

Kinda moody too! 

This time of the month the shootin is good, a few weeks later during THAT time of the month, BAM, it's not happening!

I take the gender of pellets a scietifically established fact. No discussion there.



However, the alleged "moodiness" at different times could have a different cause, I'd venture to say.

Could it be that this "moodiness" was only observed when the pellet was with a "springer"?



I'd suggest that the cause of this erratic behavior is not the gender, but that they are not with the right partner. ➔ A PCP will cure this moodiness once and for all!



OK, that's just my 2c as I venture out into biomechanical territory — way out of my own field....



Matthias