Slugs or Hollowpoints for headshots?

[rangur1]

Forgive me , but all my uneducated ass understands about projectiles is this. because of the mushrooming nature of hollowpoints , they are designed to expand on contact. This allows for increased energy dump into target animal. Slugs , appear designed to do the same thing , but , their design allows for much greater distance accurracy , and energy retention until impact. also allowing more energy dump into target. 

Here is the question , are either of these decent for head shots on tough skulls? ex. squirrel , raccoon , woodchuck etc? or would their soft lead mushroom and have almost no penetration with these shots? I know these slugs and hollowpoints are awesome in birds and body shots. what's your take?

 

[JimNM]

What caliber is your gun?

What is your power level?

What is your projo of choice? CPHP are much harder than JSB.

 

[Cranky1]

Your regular domes pellets will penetrate better then an expanding projectile. Yesterday I was playing with 31.5grn varmint knockers and jsb mk2 heavies. I set up a pumpkin, volleyball sized and a square cat litter bucket filled with water long ways. I shot 2 mk2s, both passes through the pumpkin and one went completely through the bucket. I reset with the vk slugs, shot three, only one passes through the pumpkin and one hit the empty bucket. 

 

[ghoststalker]

My 177 springer with pellets has no problem getting through squirrel skulls, raccoon totally different story. In fact so much so that it is goin* to cost me a lot of money to get through them damn coon skulls. ( coons period, even body shots don’t phase um with the springer) Not sure about woodchucks, but there’s a post here very recently a guy tried to put two though one and it didn’t work. So it’s got a lot to do with how hard you can drive them out of your set up. 

 

[Babaganoush]

I really like the H&N Baracadu for hunting. The match are just as accurate as JSB and they are hard lead with a semipoint. They make a great skull crackers for medium pests up to yotes. 

 

[davecole]

Which ever is the most accurate.

Don't matter what the shape is, your intended target isn't getting up and walking away from a head shot.

If you can't hit what you're aiming at, why bother? 

 

[rangur1]

What caliber is your gun?

What is your power level?

What is your projo of choice? CPHP are much harder than JSB.

Question was an "in general" type of question. my caliber of choice is currently 25 cal. 

 

[rangur1]

Which ever is the most accurate.

Don't matter what the shape is, your intended target isn't getting up and walking away from a head shot.

If you can't hit what you're aiming at, why bother?

davecole , i was curious from the perspective of using the best projectile for the job. i just got through bouncing a 25 cal predator polymag off a raccoon skull that was a dead perfect shot at 15 yards at 28 FPE . i will never use a polymag on a headshot again. i dropped 15 raccoons in last couple years same way with 34g JSB pellets same shot , no problem.

my target did run away-fast. so the projectile matters . and i can hit what i aim at. i was asking for information about stuff i am not well informed on. that IS the intention of the forum? NO?

 

[Dave]

I am assuming that you are asking about the use of either solid or hollowpoint slugs, since slugs come in both varieties. I think you will find some different perspectives, since experiences will differ. I have used both 19gr and 21gr NSA hollowpoint slugs with excellent results on both squirrels and groundhogs with proper placed shots.This is especially important on the tougher groundhog targets. but I feel confident to take them out to 50 yards no problem with the hollowpoint. If I need to go further, I have a 25 cal set the shot 34gr dimple nose NSA slugs at over 58 ft-lbs. These will definitely give much better penetration, but you still have to put them on target in an appropriate kill zone

I have witnessed. 22 lr. bouncing off a groundhog head when shot.

In general, I try to keep hollowpoints for body heart/lung, and non-hollowpoints for head shots. 

 

[kkarmical]

Which ever is the most accurate.

Don't matter what the shape is, your intended target isn't getting up and walking away from a head shot.

If you can't hit what you're aiming at, why bother?

davecole , i was curious from the perspective of using the best projectile for the job. i just got through bouncing a 25 cal predator polymag off a raccoon skull that was a dead perfect shot at 15 yards at 28 FPE . i will never use a polymag on a headshot again. i dropped 15 raccoons in last couple years same way with 34g JSB pellets same shot , no problem.

my target did run away-fast. so the projectile matters . and i can hit what i aim at. i was asking for information about stuff i am not well informed on. that IS the intention of the forum? NO?

I would choose a faster moving 25.39 jsb over the 33.95 below 35 fpe, imo. Then head shot would be more effective bringing a little more fps to the point of impact.

Question though, was the gun tuned to shooting Polymags at 28fpe, or 33.95's?

What gun are you using?

Why does it have to be a headshot? I'll take a well placed heart shot over a headshot anytime I can take it, with either hollow point or solid lead. Or where the skull meets the spine, either one is a kill shot and protected by softer bone than the skull.

And last can you bump up the power into the 40's, cause nothing is more forgiving no matter what you're using than fpe, the more the better.

 

[ghoststalker]

Which ever is the most accurate.

Don't matter what the shape is, your intended target isn't getting up and walking away from a head shot.

If you can't hit what you're aiming at, why bother?

If you don’t have the power, it don’t matter if you hit what your aiming at. I have hit several raccoons square in the side of the head, between eye and ear. And with a 177 springer, don’t even phase them. Put a .25 pellet going almost 900 FPS. Totally different story. Hitting your target is only part of the equation, driving the pellet through and hopefully out the other side, is just as important.

 

[Dairyboy]

On squirrels head shots with polymags is no issue but larger game I wouldn't use them ever. I believe the Hades should do much better than the polymags which sounds like .25s are in the works already

 

[Red-Feathers]

For squirrel in .22 at around 800 fps I have used Predator Pollymag shorts, about 15.7gr. At a quartering shot through the skull above the eye the pellet usually ends up on the opposite side under the hide, behind the shoulder, perfectly expanded to about .28. They just drop and twitch 4 to 5 seconds.

Have not yet shot a raccoon but I will use the Hunter Extreem at 19gr. Again at about 800fps. But you have to get the shot when his head is angled down, or from the side between eye and ear. If the shot is from the front and his head is up there is a chance the pellet will glance off his forehead.

I have used RWS Supermags, 9gr. with my RWS 34 .177 for squirrel. A good head shot puts them down like the hammer of Thor. They still kick for a few seconds, 5 to 7 and done. 

I live in a cul-de-sac and have 5 adjoining lots. So I don’t want any pass throughs. Also most shots are under 20 yds. I don’t use body shot. I did once with the .177, it was a perfect heart lung shot, confirmed by autopsy, but the squirrel still managed to go about 15 yds into a neighbors yard before expiring. I had to retrieve it. Lucky no one was home at the time. 

 

[Red-Feathers]

Forgot to mention but look up “pigman shoots pig with .177 air rifle.” YouTube. Looks like he is using a pellet, not sure which one. Interesting. But shows, shot placement, accuracy and of course good velocity are all vital to a clean kill.