When are slugs worth the cost?

The only advantage for me would be the kinetic shock as the slug expands on impact, even then I would use them 10-20yards further than I would use a pellet and only on animals on the ground.



Bb

Honestly I would say 100yds plus. Pellets up to that distance work perfectly fine. Now though my pests I shoot are pigeons, collared doves, starlings, sparrows and squirrels. If hunting a larger animal using slugs might be useful having a HP. But benefit wise from the increased BC won't show much until after 100yds in wind usually.

I love slugs for larger game , for small birds and squirrels pellets are perfect , but coyote sized and super long range is where I like slugs .

Slugs do cost alot but hey so does everything , I shoot real guns too so in comparison here is costs



22 pellets $18 for 500 rounds .03 A ROUND

22 slugs $20 for 100 rounds ,20 A ROUND



real guns

.22 THUNDERBOLT AMMO .04 A ROUND OR $20.66 FOR 500 ROUNDS

.338 LAPUA $4.99 A ROUND SO $2500 FOR 500 ROUNDS



SO it is cheapest to shoot a 22 rimfire then it is a pellet when a rimfir had a primer a slug and brass and gun powder , this shows slugs and pellets are way over priced just like the guns are , but It is my hobby so I cant put a price on it ,

LOU

Like many things, it's a matter of personal preference and perspective. For me, my air rifles are fine for squirrels out to 40 yards or so. Beyond that, or, for larger game, I have cartridge rifles that are far more effective than anything I can put together with an air rifle. So, I don't mess with it. I enjoy air rifles up to their practical or ethical limit with pellets. Why go to the time and expense of building something that, best case, is significantly inferior to a well proven alternative? The answer, of course is, it's a hobby, and I enjoy it. On that basis, go for it, but don't try to cost justify it.

Actually I can cast 52 grain "bullets" for around 2 cents each so they are only about 1/3 the cost of JSB King Heavies in .25

I find what works best with my gun and stick with that ONE and ONLY projectile for all my shooting with that gun!

rite cost goes out window , and hey tp3 ranch , not really ,you said it is cheaper to cast slugs then buy pellets I totally disagree here is why



when I swaged ammo cost for startup was ,$3500 for press and 4 dies with 8 heads and tooling and wire is very expensive

ok casting , I bought maybe 30 molds , at $100 a pop then modded some at $300 to $400 a mold , then temp meters handles lead melters , a press , sizing dies , push threw sizer , lead hardness tester , Lead and tin , drop out spray , sizing lube , grease for slugs , all of this gets added to cost , then there is time , so for me it costs alot , throw pricing out window , so thousands again .

so either way it costs alot but when you can shoot straight , its worth it . Hey tp3 ranch , I am courious I make a .30 cal 52 gr slug for my R5 edgun , and it is most accurate , the maker of mold is accurate molds it was a custom mold I had made up , whos mold do you use for your 52 gr ?

LOU

I do it to get the most constant ammo and to have a supply for ever ,

LOU

Heres my 2 cents if you have a really powerful airgun like a condor or big bore of any kind and you are shooting insane distance the slugs will buck the wind better and give you a huge advantage over pellets. The next reason is if you are hunting pig size game or larger and you would like to have the option of shooting center mass if a head shot is not possible. Also deer size and up should always have slugs. 

RIGHT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

If you shoot any type of animal (Pest) I don't care what it is you should seriously be interested in slugs. 

I feel that it's OUR responsibility to bring the best, most lethal and humane projectile to the party. THAT'S A HP SLUG!  

I don't think that I'll ever shoot another pellet in my life time, because the slugs I make are so much better in every way!!!

So is it worth big $$$ to shoot a slugs? YES in my opinion. 

When I own a gun that will DO IT !

RIGHT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

If you shoot any type of animal (Pest) I don't care what it is you should seriously be interested in slugs. 

I feel that it's OUR responsibility to bring the best, most lethal and humane projectile to the party. THAT'S A HP SLUG!  

I don't think that I'll ever shoot another pellet in my life time, because the slugs I make are so much better in every way!!!

So is it worth big $$$ to shoot a slugs? YES in my opinion. 

Click to expand...

I am not being at all critical of your choice of air rifle slugs, just curious. Is there a practical reason why a .22 rimfire could not be used in the situations in which you use your air rifle? The only game animal I shoot with my air rifle is squirrel. Although lethal, my rimfire rifles are more accurate at extreme ranges, and have about 4 times the power (if you consider fpe as a reasonable measure). I use my air rifles exclusively on squirrels around the house, as I live in town with close neighbors. But, I consider that pest control, not hunting. Inside 30 yards I seldom miss, and the hits are almost always deadly, and humane. But in comparison, the rimfire with a good HP is vastly more effective, and gives me about twice the practical effective range. I appreciate the interest in the air rifle slug, and I'm sure its development will continue, but I can't see it ever replacing the rimfire rifle for my hunting needs. 

If the price comes down to pellet cost, then it would be worth it.

If I could buy a suppressor for a firearm over the counter, I'd consider a rimfire rifle.

The reason I haven't jump into slug is cause they are expensive. About 5 times the price of pellets. Pellets are good up to 100 yards. Some even shoot pellets up to 150 yard with good accuracy. If you don't mind the price of slugs then go for it. A buddy of mine have taken white tail deer with his marauder 22 using 18.1 jsb shooting 850 fps head shot. It just drop. So do we really need slugs for hunting? Probably not. If a 18.1 gr going 850 fps can drop a deer. Think of what a .25 cal shooting 25gr or 34 gr at 900 fps. Even a deer will not stand a chance.

Foulksnation, that's a really good question.It got the old nuerons sparking Thankyou.And I really liked reading every1s replys to it. I think it is a personal preference to an individuals desires,needs,resources and or expectations AND CAPABILITIES. I found JW and T3P,s replys to be informative and usefull. I certainly can relate to JWRabbits post since I use to cast myself for when I was into black powder muzzle-loading.I miss those days,hey! focus.And tho I would like to sample some slugs with my Dream Classic. I don't have the resources to buy a" slug barrel " for I don't know how much,good guess would be $200+. And the cost of the testing, no gaurantees that your initial set-up will be better. So for the perimeters I find myself currently operating in," Pesting birds and plinking. Pellets are the most accurate and economical resource at hand.

RIGHT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

If you shoot any type of animal (Pest) I don't care what it is you should seriously be interested in slugs. 

I feel that it's OUR responsibility to bring the best, most lethal and humane projectile to the party. THAT'S A HP SLUG!  

Click to expand...

I agree and disagree in equal measure, yes it is our responsibility to lethal and humane, yes hp slugs are very efficient but under the right circumstances so are pellets. My personal best is 208 feral pigeons in one afternoon, zero flapper, all head shots with my , .20 sub 12fpe. Rapid.

I will try slugs in my higher powered airguns when they are more readily available (hopefully cheaper) but they will definitely not be my only ammo.



Bb

I'm Now waiting for a barrel to be offered that will shoot slugs and pellets on a new gun out of the box not an add on. Love the Crown for ground squirrels out to 100 yards on low wind days. But then, although I have a custom .22 for hunting, I go to the 17HMR, for longer range. The biggest advantage,for me, for an airgun is the back yard use where I WILL NOT use slugs. But will as I say when I purchase the next gun slug will go hunting with me for the quiet. Cost is a factor but @ $200 in gas round trip and $50-$100 a night for motel to do what I enjoy, slugs will just be part of the cost.

My Taipan Veteran Long .25 caliber with the Lothar Walther barrel shoots the Varmint Knockers 32.8 grain slugs quite well -- i.e. accurately -- at 940 fps. I purchased an FX slug liner for my FX Impact X .25 caliber. The Impact is pushing the 32.8 VKs at 980 fps, though not as accurately as the Veteran at 100 yards.

Interestingly, my FX slug liner is more accurate with the JSB 33.95 gr. Redesigned pellets than the original STX barrel.

I am using a NOE mold and my equipment cost was amortized over the last 45 years for most of it. I also have Lee, RCBS and Lyman / Ideal molds. Been casting unsupervised since I was 15 years old. At that time (1974) the local small town police department carried my .357 cast bullets and handloads on Duty. It does not cost a lot to get into casting.

$100 for a high quality airgun mold, a set of handles for around $20, Casting ladle for $30 and you can pick up an old cast iron pot or deep pan at a thrift store you can heat it on any gas /propane stove or use a Coleman Stove that runs on white gas. That is how I got my start 45 years ago. Casting is as much a hobby as shooting. Of course you can get fancy and expensive just like you can with Airgun models.

There are sources of lead that are MUCH cheaper than Rotometals and other vendors of that type. There is a lot of lead that comes out of the Las Vegas area from sources such as X-Ray Rooms with lead sheeting lined walls that are torn down to make way for new ones and Isotope Storage Containers (which are not radioactive when sold as scrap due to rigid federal regulations). The cost of lead from these sources is usually 1/2 to 1/4 of the prices at Rotometals. You can find some of these vendors over at CastBoolits.com.

Personally I usually use an alloy consisting of 1 to 2 pounds of clip on wheel weights commonly known as COWW to 18 pounds of pure lead. It makes a very shiny projectile that does not tarnish quickly, Fills the mold well and releases from the mold well. Hardness is somewhat increased over pure lead but the projectiles shoot well out of everything from a Marauder .25 to Impact .25 to Huben .25 to Extreme Big Bore .408 to Texan .457