The weather is nasty here today so no target shooting for me. I decided instead to test the penetration of a couple slugs my guns like. My Caiman X likes 21 grain H&N slugs and is tuned to shoot them about 920 fps. My P35-177 shoots 12.5 grain Nielsen slugs pretty well. It is tuned to shoot 10.6 grain pellets about 875 fps and shot the 12.5 grain slugs about 800 fps in these tests.
It was raining when I started so I tested penetration in mdf in the garage at point blank range. That was a bit of a mistake because I normally test at 25 yards. The 21 grain went through 3 .25 inch pieces of mdf and the 12.5 grain 2. But I then tried the 21 grain at 25 yards and a 10.6 grain pellet at point blank range. Both tests indicate I get through 1 more layer of mdf with either gun when testing at point blank range. So penetration of the slugs in this hard material is the same as pellets. I will include a picture of a 10.6 grain pellet and a 21 grain slug after going through the mdf. Both are pretty distorted.
I will also include pictures from the side and nose of the projectiles that went into the paper. The 21 grain H&N slugs expanded to about .265 and the 12.5 grain Nielsen did not expand. But the Nielsens left the muzzle at 800 fps and the H&N left at about 920 fps.
I found the 10.6 grain pellets in the 10th and 11th magazine. That's consistent with previous tests or a little less, probably because this test was at 35 yards and prior tests were at 25. The 12.5 grain slugs went through 9, 11, and 12 magazines. The 3 21 grain slugs went through 12 magazines. In prior tests the Caiman shot through 17 to 19 magazines with 18 grain pellets.
I do these tests to see if there is enough penetration for small game. I like to see about 10 magazines or more and got that. I would expect either slug to kill squirrels fine with the 21 grain dropping them a bit quicker.
It was raining when I started so I tested penetration in mdf in the garage at point blank range. That was a bit of a mistake because I normally test at 25 yards. The 21 grain went through 3 .25 inch pieces of mdf and the 12.5 grain 2. But I then tried the 21 grain at 25 yards and a 10.6 grain pellet at point blank range. Both tests indicate I get through 1 more layer of mdf with either gun when testing at point blank range. So penetration of the slugs in this hard material is the same as pellets. I will include a picture of a 10.6 grain pellet and a 21 grain slug after going through the mdf. Both are pretty distorted.
I will also include pictures from the side and nose of the projectiles that went into the paper. The 21 grain H&N slugs expanded to about .265 and the 12.5 grain Nielsen did not expand. But the Nielsens left the muzzle at 800 fps and the H&N left at about 920 fps.
I found the 10.6 grain pellets in the 10th and 11th magazine. That's consistent with previous tests or a little less, probably because this test was at 35 yards and prior tests were at 25. The 12.5 grain slugs went through 9, 11, and 12 magazines. The 3 21 grain slugs went through 12 magazines. In prior tests the Caiman shot through 17 to 19 magazines with 18 grain pellets.
I do these tests to see if there is enough penetration for small game. I like to see about 10 magazines or more and got that. I would expect either slug to kill squirrels fine with the 21 grain dropping them a bit quicker.
