As we air gunners here in Blighty are bound by some of the strictest gun laws in the world, I guess for many of us who are looking at all the you tube vids etc regarding slugs are wondering if we would be able to join the party? It is unlikely that HM Government will make changes to law that benefit the shooting community, so I guess that means for us the holy grail is probably a rifle that can shoot slugs accurately sub 12. The problem is within that limit the physics for anything above .177 just don’t stack up. I’ve had some success with 13 gn Prohunter slugs in .177 with my Webley Mastiff, but the smooth twist barrel in my Impact just didn’t get along with them. I’ve got a STX barrel on order so I’m hoping that will like them a little more. Has anyone else tried .177 slugs? My Impact chucks the 13gn out at around 640fps, so I guess that to stabilise them will need a faster twist rate. I know the .22 and upwards FX’s have got slug liners coming, but is anyone aware of any developments for .177?
Put simply if you can get a .177 slug to be stable at sub 12, it means it will still have around 9-9.5fpe at 100yds, that increased range coupled with flatter trajectory etc would result in a lot of sales and a lot of happy air gunners!
Put simply if you can get a .177 slug to be stable at sub 12, it means it will still have around 9-9.5fpe at 100yds, that increased range coupled with flatter trajectory etc would result in a lot of sales and a lot of happy air gunners!
Interesting. It had occurred to me that the only way we non-FAC UK airgunners would get to use slugs meaningfully would be in .177.
It also occurred that there would be a massive pass-through issue, they wouldn't deform enough to stop and would just make a tiny hole straight through your bunny. Interested to try though.
It also occurred that there would be a massive pass-through issue, they wouldn't deform enough to stop and would just make a tiny hole straight through your bunny. Interested to try though.
The prohunter and other hybrid slugs are hollow points. The pro hunters completely pancake on impact and as such dump their energy rather than pass through. The issue is getting a fast enough spin rate to stabilise the round. It may be that a match barrel that is intended for upto 15yds target may be the best option as they generally have faster twist rates. Whilst I appreciate that for the manufacturers there main market is non UK, but hopefully we won’t be left with outdated projectile technology whilst the rest of the world gains from all the benefits.
I know that hollow points are usual on slugs, the issue is making a hollow in a 4.5mm slug with lead that will deform on impact but isn't so thin and soft that the pellets would be impossible to handle without deformation. I suspect that solid slugs at .177 would shoot really well but the dimensions and materials would make a hollow-point effectively impossible. You're talking about a hollow with a maximum diameter of 1.5 to 2mm dia, Very challenging to make and I'm not convinced that they'd mushroom out at any velocity.
Hope they prove me wrong though.
Hope they prove me wrong though.
.177 I have not seen much mainstream - yes have seen some home grown stuff starting to appear. I do think the size is going to be the issue, it's such small tolerances - but am sure someone will crack it. In .22 high power the original smooth twist does not like slugs, but in sub 12 at 25yards it does tighten the groups and make is usable. I think people will pay attention to that. Maybe not this year but something has to come, I think slugs in sub 12 are possible, expansion well maybe we need to work on that. Due to the size required for the hollow point and the skirt / barrier at the rear they are always going to be heavier. Unless another material is used.
from playing around with slugs through a sub 12 i have to say; personally, i don't see what they could ever offer over a traditional pellet... to get a projectile shaped like a slug to stabilise you need to get it spinning and hauling, they won't sort themselves out in the same way a diablo would. i've had people say you could just tune the guns up to get them running 11.8 with slugs and that would solve it - but from a legal point of view - put a pellet in there after, it will be massively over.... .177 i think might be slightly more viable than .22, but its the engineering and the limited market that will hold it back... from a manufacturers point of view you'd focus the launch on the biggest selling calibers worldwide .22 and .25 - then phase out everything after.
i'm sure it'll come - but like i said at the start, for me and my sub 12's i'll be sticking to my trusty 10.34gr jsb heavies.
james
i'm sure it'll come - but like i said at the start, for me and my sub 12's i'll be sticking to my trusty 10.34gr jsb heavies.
james
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