Slugs at short distance WHY?

I can say that for hunting purposes it may be legally required. It is now deer season in Texas. Take Texas laws regarding hunting white tail deer with airguns; the regulation stipulates that a .30 (or larger) PCP shooting 150 grain projectile (or heavier) traveling a minimum of 800 fps and producing 215 fpe is required to legally take a white tail. The Texas Parks and Wildlife department also recommends not shooting deer at a distance of more than 75 yards with a PCP. That’s a synopsis of the law. You can read the text here. https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/air-gun-arrow-gun-regulations

It’s best to practice a different distances to know your holdover/holdunder so the project hit where you need it to hit for an ethical kill sometimes animals show up very close. In the hunting forum @ApexPredator recently posted pictures of a buck he shot with a .50 Dragon Claw at 15 yards with great precision from a tree stand. That type of placement comes with practice. Here’s his post https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/dragon-claw-strikes-again/#post-1126072

Who knows what other states require? I’m sure others have other reasons for shooting slugs at close range. 

i see it as the same as the old 308 vs 223 argument .. bottom line is if you dont need the heavier projectile to bust through cover or to penetrate larger game, a lighter faster projectile is more effective on meat lol .. and has better flight trajectory ...

The JSB .25 33.95 vs the 33.5, 36.2gr NSA are only a quarter to one cent difference in price, depending on where you get them. So, they are pretty much the same price in my book. Trajectory and accuracy is the same out to 50 or 60 yards after that the slugs rule. I really see no reason to shoot pellets as I shoot at a range where the backstop is always safe. If I had to worry about where the projectile went after I pulled the trigger I would use pellets for sure.

Please note that as mentioned below that the JSB 44.75 .30 pellets are three cents more per pellet than the NSA 47.5gr slugs so why shoot pellets, unless you are in an urban environment, when slugs are just as accurate and cost less?

The .22 pellets and slugs are just under or just over a penny apart in price, depending on your slug weight, as well.

So, keep a good supply of both on hand just in case.

In .30 I’ve found that pellets aren’t cheaper... 

The JSB .25 33.95 vs the 33.5, 36.2gr NSA are only a quarter to one cent difference in price, depending on where you get them. So, they are pretty much the same price in my book. Trajectory and accuracy is the same out to 50 or 60 yards after that the slugs rule. I really see no reason to shoot pellets as I shoot at a range where the backstop is always safe. If I had to worry about where the projectile went after I pulled the trigger I would use pellets for sure.

Please note that as mentioned below that the JSB 44.75 .30 pellets are three cents more per pellet than the NSA 47.5gr slugs so why shoot pellets, unless you are in an urban environment, when slugs are just as accurate and cost less?

The .22 pellets and slugs are just under or just over a penny apart in price, depending on your slug weight, as well.

So, keep a good supply of both on hand just in case.

Click to expand...

+1

Because I use my air rifle for pest control. My experience is a slug kills more efficiently. 

cuz that's what 'floats their boat'

reason enough

I'm not a slug shooter, yet. But from what I gather, a gun totally set up to shoot slugs well may no longer be optimized for pellets unless you're lucky. In the case of FX, you may even have a different barrel installed. It's just to much work to be swapping setups all of the time and slugs do well enough under 75 yards to be a good alternative. 

Kind Regards,

Glenn

Freedom of choice.

From a pure hunting perspective I find that slugs kill small game much more quickly. Even quicker than head shots with a pellet. Most of the squirrels I kill with heart/lung shots with slugs just fall over or drop on the spot and don’t move again much again.

From a pure hunting perspective I find that slugs kill small game much more quickly. Even quicker than head shots with a pellet. Most of the squirrels I kill with heart/lung shots with slugs just fall over or drop on the spot and don’t move again much again.

Click to expand...

Like this domed pellet shot?

https://youtu.be/_dteOV09fyY

I only shoot. 177mm rifles and use slugs... 

The simple reason being that slugs seem to be more efficient at ranges pellets aren't. 

The ranges vary as my quarry can be 20m to 90m, but the slug will dispatch quarry within those parameters.

18gr slugs travelling at 850fps, the quarry doesn't care that it is a slug over a pellet.

I have tuned the gun to shoot slugs, so that's what I use...

What matters is whatever you feel comfortable to use be it a pellet or slug, it's not a competition... 

From a pure hunting perspective I find that slugs kill small game much more quickly. Even quicker than head shots with a pellet. Most of the squirrels I kill with heart/lung shots with slugs just fall over or drop on the spot and don’t move again much again.

Click to expand...

Like this domed pellet shot?

Yes! A lot like that.

https://youtu.be/_dteOV09fyY

Click to expand...

In .357 I can get cowboy bullets(slugs) for 1/3 the price of pellets with many more choices on design and weight.

I can only speak for myself. I shoot both pellets and slugs. Both have advantages (cost vs. accuracy vs. kinetic energy). When hunting I choose slugs for groundhogs all day, every day. Target shooting close is pellets, far is slugs. Squirrel hunting is a wash. Either will easily accomplish the task. Sometimes it all depends on what the gun is currently set up to do. I don't always have time before a hunt to tune for the other projectile.

I can say that pellets easily take squirrels (in .22 cal.). But I love having the ability to dead drop a squirrel with even a marginal hit with a slug.

Slugs for me involved a little more tuning effort than just chosing the right brand projectile. I was outside my comfort zone and was forced to learn a lot (I still am). Personally I get a lot of enjoyment out of the challenge of tuning for slugs. I got some great advice from very knowledgeable members here (you know who you are). The instructions sent to me by email are printed, laminated, and will always be my cheat sheet kept in my range bag. At the end of the day, I am a better airgunner, more knowledgeable, have a better understanding of my gun and how it works.

For those reasons slugs are a good experience for me. YMMV.

More power and flatter trajectory. This is the reason I have 3 FX guns as they shoot slugs with no problem. 

So right now there is little difference between pellets and slugs. 

Slugs are easier to get right now.

Why do I use them at sub 40 yards ranges? Because they are a lot quieter when they hit the paper target in my backyard and keeps things stealthy. A .22 pellet smack on paper carries quite a distance. 

I have just started experimenting with slugs. Love the long range BC. But I am still getting my 18 grain pellets to hold 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I do think the slugs hit harder so if you have a tough quarry that could be a deciding factor but honestly on sparrows and starlings it’s overkill not saying it’s a bad thing to watch them explode.

Personally if I’m within 60 yards I’m probably gonna choose a pellets. In my BSA and cricket they literally shoot one hole groups I have to move out past 60y for testing or it’s all just one hole, I would lose accuracy shooting slugs. 1hole group accuracy is key for small game. To me pallets are still less expensive and easier to find. Easier to find, that also means with the pallet selections out there you can find some thing that will shoot good in your gun. With my guns slugs sometimes I would go through 10-15 different weights, diameters, brands and still find nothing that works. I mean can’t keep it on a pie plate at 30 yards
One other factor to consider is backstop pallets once they hit something are usually done a slug scan penetrate further and still have some energy to ricochet.


Don’t take this as me bashing on slugs because I think they have a purpose but it’s almost like the difference between 22 Cal pallet and 22 long rifle it kind a bridges the gap so that depends on what your purpose is.

On this topic I have 400 .177 Precision Ballistics sub 12 ft/lbs slugs in my luggage heading to USA on Thursday with my Krale order pellets. The slugs are being divided up between myself and @intenseaty22, plus I am sending out 50 x 2 to 2 other people for testing for a project. This leaves me 150 which should be enough for my immediate needs.

I am going to ask @intenseaty22 to do one of his dissections comparing the PB slugs vs Hades, I will do the same. I will use the slugs left with me in my old 177 Brocock Compatto on both FAC and sub 12 ft/lbs settings.

Once the data is compiled I will post the results.

I am very interested in a slug that from 50 yards to 75 yards friendly aka doesn’t need to be flying at warp speed to stabilize to be effective. Or as I say, FAC-“lite” power levels.

We all say, the right tool for the job, and for winder settings the slugs would be better pellets. I am still a novice with them, but it will be interesting to see how they compare against the Hades. 

I never took my airguns to the squirrel woods in hunting season. No airgun is going to compete with my 22lr shooting Winchester power points or CCI mini mags. This year I decided I wanted to hunt squirrels on the perimeter of my bow hunting woods. Instead of cracking away with a firearm, I decided to use quiet airguns. First trip I took my Impact .25 shooting slugs at 950fps. Decided to treat the gun like a firearm and punch all the squirrels right behind the front shoulder. I only retrieved 1 out of the 4 I shot. Second trip I took my .25 P15 shooting JSB Hades at 905fps. Retrieved every squirrel I shot plus a opossum. All shots were under 50yrds. A subsonic airgun is a subsonic airgun no matter what the projectile. Unless you’re shooting far or shooting large critters, the slug life is just another place to burn your money. I have shot every airgun animal at my house with both pellets and slugs. From mice to raccoons. A well placed shot nets the same results. Poorly placed shots net the same results also. Still scratching my head over the 905fps Hades planting squirrels better than my Impact.