A thought on slug guns vs. pellet guns

[MrP]

I recall seeing a few threads somewhere about peoples thoughts on the recent popularity of “slug guns” that shoot bullet shaped projectiles accurately. I don’t want rehash the various points that have been addressed… but there’s one perspective on them that I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned before.


I just started this hobby two years ago and I’ve been 100% focused on creating decent slug guns from AF rifles. My reason is not machismo or to just to try to imitate a firearm. mainly i am doing this because it is so easy to cast bullet shaped projectiles and nice slug molds were available in stock when i got started.


For anyone who is on the fence, with a pellet gun you are way more likely to be dependent on and at the mercy of pellet vendors… it is like having a cigarette addiction and a pain in the a$$ with prices climbing and some brands hard to find.

For those people who feel like they have it in them to do a little casting, one reason to start with a slug gun is you will be able to find molds more easily and it will be much easier to cast quality projectiles. I keep reading long threads about issues with Diablo pellet casting - I’m operating under the assumption that it’s a much more finicky process. For those for whom high power is not an issue, .257 is a great caliber as there are a variety of molds you can get for around $80-90 from Arsenal if you can wait a month or two for them to get made .



Wondering if anyone else is starting from the casting side and then purchasing or building guns to match as opposed to buying guns and then hunting down projectiles to match)?

 

[fe7565]

Good question and good background info. I would be curious to hear the responses and onions too. 

I was no aware that there are many slug molds out there for purchase. One question: are they custom made to your specs? Or you need to design it first and sent them the specs? Can you modify the mold later on to tweak BC, etc? 

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

For starters, get you a gun that does both! Or adapt a barrel that does both. My stx superior barrel shoots lights out with both.

Secondly, when I do smoke, I roll my own, or smoke a pipe. No industrial chemicals/markup. As for pellets, I use a ton of. $6.35/500 crosman pellets, and when I'm feeling fancy, something akin to jsbs. 

I dont shoot enough to worry about prices or not having enough either. I've got 9 airguns and have been shooting from the same tins for over a year now.

That's said, I would like to get into casting/swaging. But need more time and space.

I find the most value in a gun that is not pellet picky. Versus a gun that shoots slugs well.

Oh, I also have a pellet sizer, so I can actually make poorly manufactured pellets shoot much better than they should.

 

[MrP]

I was able to find two molds when I started this whole thing, and one of those two is still available as far as I know. They were 25 caliber - The two on the left in the picture. The one on the far left can be purchased from MP molds I don’t know how well it will shoot in different platforms though. Seems to work ok in my Air Force barrels. Second to the left is from NOE and they have been out of stock for a year or more. These shoot very consistently for me. 


More recently I had two molds made by arsenal one was a 257-420 boat tail, the other an 85 grain Spitzer. Arsenal molds are made to order and the first one took two months, as they warned me it would. The second one came much quicker in spite of that same warning. Pic attached…

 

[Coolhand]

I’m a hunter and use my home poured bullets to take game. That is why I tend to go for the bigger caliber air guns, as they seem to shoot home pours well. Have a few of the NOE pellet molds also, but as MrP stated they are difficult to get perfect pours from. Now I’m working on perfecting my methods for pouring.

 

[dizzums]

i used to be into stuff like that and reloading ammo .. its alot easier to buy a box of ammo lol ... or a tin of pellets .. as far as a slug gun specifically i personally have no use for that nonsense lol .. i need a quiet accurate gun to pest with around my small farming operation, no slugs and the extra expense associated needed, and its perfectly legal to shoot firearms hear so if i 'need' more performance i can get a mini14 after something pronto lol .. i just dont want to pop firearms off in this day and age around my house for multiple reasons .. but if its your thing and your into it its all dandy and good .. im the same way with my filling operation always refining it and coming up with new stuff needlessly because i like it lol .. no reason other than that ..

 

[mtnGhost]

...

For those people who feel like they have it in them to do a little casting, one reason to start with a slug gun is you will be able to find molds more easily and it will be much easier to cast quality projectiles. I keep reading long threads about issues with Diablo pellet casting - I’m operating under the assumption that it’s a much more finicky process. For those for whom high power is not an issue, .257 is a great caliber as there are a variety of molds you can get for around $80-90 from Arsenal if you can wait a month or two for them to get made .



Wondering if anyone else is starting from the casting side and then purchasing or building guns to match as opposed to buying guns and then hunting down projectiles to match)?

Yep, I have been trying to tell people interested in slugs that it's far better to identify the projectile FIRST, and then choose the platform thereafter. More often than not, people end up going against the grain (pun intended).

 

[L.Leon]

I understand the advantage to casting your own slugs, because I reload for my handguns. That said, factoring in the time it takes to cast slugs is a factor, it depends on what your time is worth to you. All the reasons I went from a rimfire to a pellet gun for pesting, plinking and targets still apply. Diabolo pellets have characteristics that make them more than adequate for their intended uses. 

 

[mercado]

I know you wariness about long term pellets availability n price..I have it to .. I have 2 HP condors .224 - .257 ..2 texan. 257 - 308 .... the 308 planning on let it go to purchase a Corbin press n dies... casting n swaying..is about the satisfaction on been self sufficient and been able to successfully make a working projectile.. I don't have much time..but I enjoy casting a lot.. as I really hate to spend money on bullets..when I want it to test my .224 and a bullet vendor asked $60 for 2 pk of 50 bullets .. that equates to almost 50 pound of lead I know it was time to shop for molds n casting tools..

 

[Corvid_hunter]

I decided to be a little more self sufficient and bought a GMI swaging die for .25cal. Where I live ammo can be hit or miss so I wanted to have a supply I could rely on. I'm still in the tuning process, but it looks promising.

 

[Joedirt199]

Your still at the mercy of finding lead. Dad used to make his own bullets back when 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights could be picked up from his auto shop buddies for $20. No more lead wheel weights and you have to buy from vendors or source your own. I helped dad as a kid mold .45 bullets. If you have the spare time then fine. I can buy a few 1000 bullets for cheaper than it would be to source raw materials, melt and mold, size and lube. Good on you guys with a self sufficient hobby and spare time. 

 

[Corvid_hunter]

Your still at the mercy of finding lead. Dad used to make his own bullets back when 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights could be picked up from his auto shop buddies for $20. No more lead wheel weights and you have to buy from vendors or source your own. I helped dad as a kid mold .45 bullets. If you have the spare time then fine. I can buy a few 1000 bullets for cheaper than it would be to source raw materials, melt and mold, size and lube. Good on you guys with a self sufficient hobby and spare time.

I'm only using pure lead (99.9% or so) which can be bought at Corbin or Roto Metals. You can buy it in wire form in different diameters for swaging. 7000 grains to a pound (if I remember right) if anyone wants to do the math on cost per projectile. For swaging you need to cut the cores 2-3 grains larger than the projectile.

 

[MrP]

Doesn’t take long to cast up a few tins of slugs. Piece of cake. And lead is easy to find. One of my .257 5 cavity molds I’m dropping almost $2 worth of slugs each time I empty the mold (.257 slugs are not cheap). Well worth it to me. 

 

[Corvid_hunter]

That is a significant amount of money saved for a shooter, especially a high volume shooter.

 

[uskleinch]

I would like to try slug casting

 

[MrP]

I enjoy it myself. I use a pressure-pour ladle and an inexpensive pot. Pretty cheap setup and works especially well I think.

 

[RJCourt]

I am new to airgunning, I've had a Crosman 140 pump for more than 50 years and love it, but I am looking at getting into a big bore PCP. I love shooting but the cost of reloading has gotten expensive, if you can find the elements. I was hoping the cost of shooting air would be less per round. However, as I look at the cost of large caliber air rifle slugs are the cost of a reloaded cartridge. I have dies for smokeless rifle/ pistol bullets and sizing dies and press, can these slugs be used in an air rifle They look like standard slugs, what is the difference?

 

[dizzums]

i look at casting much like reloading .. i was into it for awhile but its for the birds in the end .. i want a pellet gun mainly to be quiet and effective, including cost and convenience around the house ... that means im shooting premeirs 99% of the time .. if theres anything that needs a slug im dern sure not afraid to escalate things to a firearm .. usually its uneeded .. so are slugs ...

 

[rigbymauser]

When I returned to shoot airguns after a 12 year break I didn’t wanted to like last time to invest big $$. So a good reliable pelletgun for medium range target, small game and backyard friendly. Slugs was not an option but a good pellet was. I have been lucky that it does shoot slugs very accurate too, but pelletplinking is the main stay as distances rarely goes beyond 45yards. Today airgunning can be driven as high as the sky moneywise. Its nolonger the poor man or poor kid fungun like it use to be. I still enjoy reading articals from the 70 s and 80s by BB Pelletier(Tom Gaylord) where a shooting out to 40 yards was long range. It was actually fantastic taken into consideration the airguns and pellets that was available 45-50years ago.

 

[JimD]

I have a 25 caliber pellet mold and I can cast pellets with more consistent weights than the JSB pellets I have. But my two 25s do not like the cast pellets. They are both picky. I think that is the issue with making your own. My mold cost a little over $100. But it is not real useful to me when they don't shoot nearly as accurately as my guns favorite pellets.

I have not found a slug my Avenger will shoot accurately but my P35-25 likes H&Ns in heavier weights. Would it shoot a cast slug well? Maybe. Do I want to risk $100 to find out? No. Pellets work fine for me.

I just got a new P35 in 22 caliber and it seems to be much less fussy. Might be a better candidate for a cast pellet or slug.