Why no slugs allowed for most 100yd airgun benchrest?

Originally the 100 ebr was designed by FX and AOA. If you read the rules you'll notice they are what they are to give FX guns an advantage over other guns.

Back then their ST barrel barely spun the pellets which are rear stabilized anyway unlike slugs which need more spin so no slugs.

Even FX admits that a faster twist rate in barrels (like LW) have a slight advantage up to 50 yards because they stabilize quicker but can become over stabilized as the pellet slows down so the longer the range the greater the FX advantage.

Also they banned tethering because FX had the largest air cylinders at the time. Then they added that the air cylinders couldn't exceed 580cc. What a coincidence that's what FX uses and they didn't want anyone to have a larger one.

Well...the current competitions are held by essentially 2 manufacturers, so it would honestly seem unusual for them to not make the rules to suit themselves. The general public has voiced their opinion of acceptance by attending these matches in large masses. There seems to be no reason to change anything if the current formula is producing success for them. If FX or Daystate will be favorably compensated for a particular change in the rules...it will likely happen. Nothing really mysterious about that. As long as the masses are happy with the rules of the game being dictated by two competing companies...things will continue to move forward on the timeline that fits their needs.

Mike 

I agree thomasair and ed.

That’s great. I hope they still have EBR with the Covid-19 situation in AZ.

I’ve been following this thread, and still can’t seem to wrap my brain around what “rated” means for distance with pellets or slugs. Rated by who, why, and when? Mike N has already shown in a posted 25 shot group that the state of the art is approx 0.8 inches with pellets at 100 yards, so 1/2 inch with a .30 plug seems to make the current targets pretty close to what is currently capable with a very accurate gun and pellets in ideal conditions...

It think it has to do with the ridiculous amount of wind drift in typical match conditions. If guys are shooting at twin mattress size 25 shot targets and are still shooting onto their neighbors card accidentally in heavy wind...I think they could use a projectile with a better BC. The same guys will be at the top...but maybe the lower end shooters won’t be putting shots on the wrong cards.


Kinda like golfing in the woods compared to a playing a nice course. The game is hard enough on a nice course.

See, now there I totally disagree. When I played to a low single digit handicap, the harder the course the better I did... must have to do with concentration.

I don’t know what “distance ratings” are with pellets or slugs. How far? Minimum accuracy for rating? At what speed? With what gun? When were the ratings done? Do they factor in modern air rifles?

Of course you’re exaggerating with the amount of drift, but I do get your point. The most I’ve seen at 100 yards was about 14 inch (4 Mil) drift at 100 yards with a .30 Cal. 44.75 grain JSB. Most of the time the drift is 1/2 to 2 Mil at 100 yards. 

Apparently wind drift can make it more than 6' considering my neighbor a few years back in "pro" class couldn't even hit his own paper. IoI won't mention any names here.

Glad I don’t shoot H&N.

The max drift I was referencing was my experience the past couple of years EBR and RMAC. Six foot drift is about 60 mph cross wind. I’d remember that! Yikes!!!


Look Ma, no “max distance”...

But from the H&N web site for their slugs...

Apparently so. But for the JSB there are no limits... I wonder where H&N dreamed up those moronic numbers anyway...?

OT a bit but I wonder how much that huge meplat retards the BC compared to a non hollow point slug? 

I want to try those Altaros slugs in 22 cal but they are pricey.

Not sure.

The fit of a JSB slug is pretty loose to make a seal. LW groove dimensions are .003” bigger than the biggest slug you can buy . If you made it to fill the groove...it probably wouldn’t go down the barrel from the excess friction. Driving bands would fix that, and JSB could accomplish that since they still use a split die for their slugs. I think the accuracy could be improved...but I’m guessing they don’t care. 
I’m not willing to cast slugs to find out. For now, I cannot get a good enough wind advantage out of the factory slugs at 50y to justify their use. At 100 they are significantly better than the monster comparing drift.

Mike 

Interesting. I think the conversion is 25.4 mm per inch, so 19mm is well under an MOA. Or we’re understanding differently what central dispersion means? Not sure, but it’s clear as mud. But I do see where you’re going with this. I’m pretty sure all the write ups from the manufacturers are based on older tech and not current state of the art airguns. 

Gotcha. I think I’d understand better if it was in Spanish...