.177 Slug Swaging Update

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Xbowsniper

Xbowsniper

Member
Nov 19, 2017
1,238
129
New York, United States
Nation, 

Fresh back from the AAFTA Nationals from Baton Rouge Louisiana. Didn't do too bad, was right there with the big boys, but just short. Pleased with the score, though.

Now I'm done with all the bigger competitions for this year, I can get back to making and testing my slugs.

I made a bunch of 15 grain, 2S ogive, hollowpoint flat base slugs, and tried them in various rigs. The AIR ARMS EV2 did not like them too well, but I got a great 1 1/2" group at 50 yards in a 90 degree left to right wind of about 15 mph with the RAW TM1000. Also tried them in the 1720 T pistol, did not like them compared with the 3/4 ogive of the same design. I'll stick to those for the pistol.

Also tried 20.5 grain 2S ogive hollowpoint with a rebated boat tail. Nothing shot them well. I'll have to make more with varying weights, and see if there is a combo that works. I'll have to do the same with a bunch of designs with a cup base as well.

I'll be making a whole slew of varying weights and designs during the week for testing next weekend. 

I'll try to attach a short video to this post a little bit later, so stay tuned. 

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 


 
Was right there with the Big Boys? I thought you were "The" Big Boy! I know you've been busy, but like I said before, I still can't wait to see and hear the results of your work. I think I told you before, although I've tested mainly .25 and lately .22 slugs, the rebated boat tail and even the 2S hollow point haven't worked well in my guns at any velocity. Especially the RBT, I don't know why they won't shoot but it's always been bad in the .25 or .22. They haven't worked for any of the guys I shoot with or talk to about slugs either. A few have told me or posted on AGN that the dimple nose or 2S slugs work well for them but I've just never seen it at any velocity, or in any gun. That's shooting and tsting slugs though, what may work for one, may not work for another. In any case, I can't wait to see what you come up with to test and to see what happens! Part of the beauty of making your own slugs is that you can make the changes necessary to get them shoot well if they don't from the get go. good luck buddy! 

Stoti
 
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Stoti, MtnGhost, 

What I'm going to do first, being that the TM1000 shot them well (I believe it was a Lothar Walther choked barrel) is to make everything from 12 grains up to 21 grains in 1/2 grain increments with the flat base, 2S ogive. Same with the Cup base, and rebated boat tail. Then, I'll do the same with the hollow base.

When all of those are done, I'm going to do all of the above with the 1/2 ogive, and 3/4 ogive with all bases except for the flat base, and hollow base, as I've tried most of those combinations before, with only the 3/4 ogive 15 grain flat base working well in the 1720T pistol.

The lead that I am using is mostly pure soft lead, purchased from Corbins. I believe that it is well over 99%+ pure lead. I believe that the pureness is stated somewhere in their website. 

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 
 
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MtnGhost, 

I sent "regular " diabolo pellets (Air Arms 8.44's) through my TM1000 barrel and my Steyr LG 110 FT barrel, and recovered them with no damage. I shot them into a 4 inch pvc pipe stuffed with pillow stuffing. I sent 2 dozen of each to Corbin, the die manufacturer. He examined them in his microscope, and deemed that the right size for both barrels was .1775. I used Corbins pure lead wire to form these pellets, I would NOT recommend, as does Corbin, to use a harder alloy in their dies. I know of more than one person who has blown the dies up, due to the fact that the lead was too hard, and did not allow for a smooth bleed off of the lead from the die. VERY dangerous to try this. You COULD try a slightly harder alloy, by just a little bit, but not by much, the dies are engineered for softer lead alloys to bleed off easily and quickly. NEVER use wheel weight lead, or lead for casting powderburner bullets, the lead is much too hard, and you will damage your equipment. Unless you are a metallurgy engineer, I wouldn't experiment.

The slugs that I make come out of the barrel just like a regular pellet, because the dies that they came from were matched to the barrel by Corbin. I can push them through with almost the same resistance as a regular diabolo pellet.

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 
 
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Hi Tom, I think you may have misread me a little bit. I wasn't suggesting using questionable lead sources or blowing up any dies from Dave against their specs - I'm just saying that something along the lines of a BHN 7 would probably work better for me out of a TJ 17 cal, where the bore is .172 (probably even 5 thou smaller than that in reality). I don't own any dies / sizing bushings for that caliber, I'm just toying with the idea if setting up for 17 cal at the moment.
 
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MtnGhost, 

No problem, I do understand. I just wanted to reiterate to the other people following this thread, that experimenting with harder alloys might not be a good idea. 

Down the road, I am planning on getting a die made for the barrel dimensions that you mentioned. I have a 9 pound bull barrel that is waiting to have an airgun action built around it. I'll have to look, but if I remember correctly the lands and grooves of my barrel are .175, and .173. This is a standard .17 caliber powderburner barrel. It has a much tighter twist rate than the standard 16 or 17 in 1 twist of airgun barrels. This is something that I will pursue over the winter, as I want to get this project off the ground as well.

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 


 
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 Tom , 

might I suggest that if you’re shooting through a standard “pellet “ barrel that you reduce your weights . I think your twist rate is much too slow for the length of bullet once past about 12 grain . 

Im going to start experimenting with .172 cal come winter with a 1:9 twist TJ’s barrel . I plan on shooting cast bullets as I have most of the equipment already . I’ll be following this thread as I’m very interested in your results . Good luck and hope you find the magic combo. 
 
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Hobbyman2007,

I am shooting these pellets through a standard Lothar Walther choked barrel out of a RAW TM1000. So far, the best performance is from a 15 grain, 2S ogive, hollowpoint with a flat base. I'm going to attach a video I recorded at 55 yards, in a horrible 15 mph+ wind. I got a really nice 50 shot group or so, about an inch and a half. If that were any other "regular" pellet, it would have drifted 6 times that. I tried them as low as 12 grains last week, but was not impressed by the groups at 55. I'm doing all tests at 30 yards to sight in, then 55 yards. If it doesn't group at 55, it isn't going to group closer as well. I'm going to systematically make one design of pellet, and make dozens of different weights for each design. I'm going to note the good, the bad, and the useless.

As far as the other barrel goes, it's a Green Mountain Barrel, that is 27 inches long, 1.30 inches in diameter, with a 1:12 twist, at .173, .175 with 8 lands and grooves. That she be an interesting project. 

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 
 
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Hobbyman,

Tomorrow, (Saturday) I'm going to sight the RAW TM1000 with them, and do it at all Field Target distances. If I like the results, I will shoot them in the Connecticut State Championship on Sunday, the first time I will be trying them out in competition. I'm hoping all looks promising to do so.

One thing I do plan on doing above everything else, is to calculate the BC of that particular projectile. To take a guess, I'm going to say it'll be between .060- .070......might be more, or less, but that's what I'm going to guess. I'll have an answer tomorrow afternoon......stay tuned. 

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 


 
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Nation, 

Went for round 2 of testing, went okay, but not great. I'll have to make a mess of different weights to figure it out. 

One thing that I did accomplish, I was able to calculate the BC of the 15 grain, flat base, hollowpoint with a 2S nose. I shot the slug out of my TM1000, and recorded the velocity at the muzzle. I then got the velocity at 55 yards. Punched the 2 numbers and distances into a Ballistic Coefficient calculator, and got .082. Pretty decent in my opinion. I tried a 21 grain slug of the same design, and got a BC of .088. I'll have to test a few new batches this upcoming weekend. 

Stay tuned, 

Tom Holland 

Field Target Tech 
 
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