Hi
I've tried slugs at sub 12ft lbs i started with fx but to be fair they weren't that good.
So I set out to make my own to shoot at sub 12ft uk limit as i liked the idea of them and so it didn't cost me a fortune in pellets lol.
After trying different bases hollows & diameters I finally got there.
At 20g and 22g they shoot well and very accurate out of a few different guns.
It all depends on what the barrel likes ie base /diameter and grain.
I hardly shoot pellets at all now as I melt my own lead and swage and cast my own slugs.
So in a nutshell yes they are meant to be shot at high fps but can still be shot at uk levels and they still deform on impact if made properly.
These shot at 30yrds not even trying on a 3" target

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I shoot 10grain Zans outta my Leshiy Classic 177 and they group well even at 800fps (14fpe) and might hold up at even lower speed.

I do have a question related to those subject to a 12fpe limit: Is this built in to the guns that are sold, meaning that it is based on the muzzle energy of the most energy efficient pellet? The reason I ask is that if I tune a gun to shoot a pellet at 12fpe and then shoot a slug, the slug will leave the muzzle with 11fpe on the same tune, due to increased friction in the barrel. So, is it legal to retune to get 12fpe at the muzzle with a slug?
 
I shoot 10grain Zans outta my Leshiy Classic 177 and they group well even at 800fps (14fpe) and might hold up at even lower speed.

I do have a question related to those subject to a 12fpe limit: Is this built in to the guns that are sold, meaning that it is based on the muzzle energy of the most energy efficient pellet? The reason I ask is that if I tune a gun to shoot a pellet at 12fpe and then shoot a slug, the slug will leave the muzzle with 11fpe on the same tune, due to increased friction in the barrel. So, is it legal to retune to get 12fpe at the muzzle with a slug?
 
Hi weevil
In the uk alot of guns are only 10.5 ftlb from the dealer for some reason or another " maybe they think people won't notice or err on the extreme side of caution?
The rule in the uk no matter what pellet leaves the barrel it cant exceed 12ftlbs
That is a 14.3g at 600fps =11.5 there abouts and a 22g slug at 485fps = 11.5 ftlbs there abouts
As for friction god knows

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Hi weevil
In the uk alot of guns are only 10.5 ftlb from the dealer for some reason or another " maybe they think people won't notice or err on the extreme side of caution?
The rule in the uk no matter what pellet leaves the barrel it cant exceed 12ftlbs
That is a 14.3g at 600fps =11.5 there abouts and a 22g slug at 485fps = 11.5 ftlbs there abouts
As for friction god knows

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Thanks for the info. Obviously the guns are delivered with headroom for the most energy efficient pellets (heavier diablos typically). Therefore when you shoot a typical pellet, you get only 11fpe. Slugs get the shortest end of the stick because they’re least energy efficient due to the fact that they contact the rifling along their entire length and therefore have the highest frictional loss. Do the authorities perform random checks of your guns? Are there many cheaters?

Given that you’re only likely to actually get 10-10.5 fpe with slugs, I’d stick to pellets.

On the plus side, you have nice beer (in the north at least)!
 
Hi weevil
There are occasions people get their guns checked usually when up to no good poaching or some such.
Has to how many people break the 12ftlbs law I couldn't tell you" obviously there will be some who do.
I have been stopped by the police in the past whilst shooting on my brother's land someone thought we were poaching " I offered them my gun to inspect or test it but they declined once they knew we were legal and above board.
The reason I make my own slugs Is purely because I prefer them to pellets and also at £20 a tin it ain't cheap anymore.
And I wanted to see if I could get them shooting accurate at low velocity which I have.
I can get my slugs down too 19g and can put them ontop of each other at 30yrds from my air arms s200 at 520fps 'im not after 900fps quite the opposite.
The slug in the pic with 3 bands" I bought the mold as I liked the look of the slug" the mold has had 3mm milled off it " so the boat tail has gone and it's going to have a hollow point in the face
The 3 bands are what hits the rifling ie less friction " whether they work or not is another thing it's all trial and error weevil
As for the beer I make my own at £5 a pint for Guinness. I can make 40 for ,£18 with porridge " funny enough I got the recipe from a pub in Cumbria that had a micro brewery in the back it's called black pearl and about 9%..
Dont think I'm a miser becase I'm far from it I just like my own Ammunition and beer lol.
Not got round to hollow in tip of slug yet but you get the idea.

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Interesting and on the contrary, I greatly admire anyone who crafts their their own wares, be it ammo, food/drink, a vehicle or house. I have dabbled a little with beer making but our water isn’t good for that. However, I do make make my own wine and have several varieties of wine grapes in my garden. Largely because after living in Europe and returning to the US, I could not stand the taste of the sulfite preservative in our wine!

Your slugs look great and that’s something that I’d love to try sometime. Certainly, if only the bands engage the rifling then the frictional loss will be lower. I jumped on this thread because I’ve been on a mission lately to craft the lowest power rig that I can use out to 100y. I have a problem with rats that come from a canal behind my house to my chicken coop. While it’s legal for me to dispatch them with 80fpe slugs from my 22 M3, I prefer to use the least power possible for safety. So far, I’m down to 18fpe to maintain ~1.5 moa at 100y with 10grain Zan slugs in 177 and 0/12 rats have survived the tests.
 
Interesting and on the contrary, I greatly admire anyone who crafts their their own wares, be it ammo, food/drink, a vehicle or house. I have dabbled a little with beer making but our water isn’t good for that. However, I do make make my own wine and have several varieties of wine grapes in my garden. Largely because after living in Europe and returning to the US, I could not stand the taste of the sulfite preservative in our wine!

Your slugs look great and that’s something that I’d love to try sometime. Certainly, if only the bands engage the rifling then the frictional loss will be lower. I jumped on this thread because I’ve been on a mission lately to craft the lowest power rig that I can use out to 100y. I have a problem with rats that come from a canal behind my house to my chicken coop. While it’s legal for me to dispatch them with 80fpe slugs from my 22 M3, I prefer to use the least power possible for safety. So far, I’m down to 18fpe to maintain ~1.5 moa at 100y with 10grain Zan slugs in 177 and 0/12 rats have survived the tests.
Bjesus weevil
That's some distance bud
I prefer the elma thudd approach lol
I started experimenting with slugs as people said they couldn't be shot at low velocity " and when someone says it cannot be done you have too try lol.
I'm sure I've seen a 177 slug mold with them bands on" if so they would be ideal for you I'd imagine as less friction.
It only takes an hour or 2 to make a1000 casting and a fair bit longer swaging.
And at £4 ,a kilo for scrap lead " that's a fair few slugs.
What I can say is diameter is a major factor as a barrel might like 217 but not 218 or vice versa and the base type ie dished flat etc not so much the type of hollow and obviously the grain.
They say slugs get tighter groups the further they shoot but I can put them ontop of each other at 30yrds weird.
I've heard good things of zan slugs they are probably some of the best out there as some aren't what there made out to be as I found out.
Every slug I swage is identical in grain not +or-1 on 2 sets of scales so they are consistent/ gmi engineering for you.
If you have the time weevil have a look at making them" its strange when your casting or swaging you seem to let the world go by and just get absorbed into it lol.
And after you can sit with a nice glass of chateau lafite and admire your big pile of lead you've made' its great.
Check out thor molds on Facebook his stuff looks promising weevil .
Next time I'm down the range I will do some footage of my slugs in action with fx chrono on voice as I've been meaning to do it for a while now.
Its great to have the banter with you weevil as that's what it is all about' sharing what we can with each other is what makes the world go round