This poll is to ask a very hard question to answer. What are some of the best hunting pellets and slugs for airgunning? The best short range pellet, the best mid-range pellet, and the best long range pellet. Also the best slug for medium rang and the best long range slug. Then the best pellet for all the ranges. Short through long range. For this poll all pellets and slugs will be in .25 caliber. The gun would be a Uragan 2 just for the example. The Target animal species will be birds. Pigeons and bigger. All the way up to grouse or a similar sized bird. Lastly no 100% answer for this question.
What is some of the best hunting ammo?
- Thread starter Tonyo155
- Start date
There are lots of opinions on what is the best pellet. I think some of the confusion is created by pellet manufacturers marketing expanding pellets as hunting pellets. I can say from personal experience that expanding pellets are not at all necessary to cleanly kill small animals. Like squirrels. A .177 caliber hole through a squirrel damages the same percentage area of the animal as a .75 inch hole in a deer. It is by calculation and practical experience a big enough hole to cleanly take the animal.
But the hole has to be in the right place. That is why accuracy is so important. My guns seem to either like H&N or JSB pellets, not both (there is one exception). I like my velocity to be 800-900 fps when possible so I try pellets that will give me that sort of velocity in the subject gun. I can retune to go up or down but I start with them tuned as they came. I tweak the hammer spring setting on my regulated guns to get all the air out of the regulated chamber but I don't change the regulator until I see a reason to. For a light pellet in a 22, I will test H&N FTT and a similar weight JSB offering. For a heavy, I test a JSB 18 and a H&N Baracuda. Most of my guns prefer H&Ns but my P35-22 shoots JSBs almost as well. JSB also makes FX and many other brands of pellets and they are a little different so it can pay to test them soon. But I think the first thing to know is if they like the slightly harder H&Ns or the slightly softer JSBs. My Avenger really does not like the H&Ns but shoots nearly any JSB pretty well. FX the best of the ones I've tested.
I see the role of an expanding pellet to minimize pass throughs or energy for a pass through. A 22 caliber PCP under 20 fpe will not often exit a squirrel but my 32 fpe 25 caliber PCP will almost always exit. If I did not want it to, I could try and find an expanding pellet that it shoots well and use that instead. It might also kill a little quicker but if a 177 size hole is adequate, a 25 is even more so. So I do not see the expansion as very important to the lethality, only the tendency to "over penetrate". My limited 177 experience indicates that over penetration is not a big risk because the pellets are normally under 12 grains and even at 900 fps they are under 20 fpe. I've shot through a couple squirrels with mine but the pellet also stopped in a couple others (all died quickly). But higher powered 22s and 25s can certainly shoot through BTRs with a simple domed pellet. They will die quickly but the pellet may still have enough energy to damage something when it exits. I concentrating on my 177 right now but I may use some metal mags in my P35-22 to take some squirrels to see how it does. It penetrates further in wet paper than my P35-25 so I am confident it will usually go through a squirrel if I use the Baracuda Match it likes. It also shoots metal mags pretty well, however. They should penetrate less but make a wider hole. Might be a "good hunting pellet" for this gun. But a Baracuda Match would still remain a viable choice for hunting. As long as I put the pellet into the vitals, I am confident either will take the squirrels cleanly but I still like taking a few to see it happen.
But the hole has to be in the right place. That is why accuracy is so important. My guns seem to either like H&N or JSB pellets, not both (there is one exception). I like my velocity to be 800-900 fps when possible so I try pellets that will give me that sort of velocity in the subject gun. I can retune to go up or down but I start with them tuned as they came. I tweak the hammer spring setting on my regulated guns to get all the air out of the regulated chamber but I don't change the regulator until I see a reason to. For a light pellet in a 22, I will test H&N FTT and a similar weight JSB offering. For a heavy, I test a JSB 18 and a H&N Baracuda. Most of my guns prefer H&Ns but my P35-22 shoots JSBs almost as well. JSB also makes FX and many other brands of pellets and they are a little different so it can pay to test them soon. But I think the first thing to know is if they like the slightly harder H&Ns or the slightly softer JSBs. My Avenger really does not like the H&Ns but shoots nearly any JSB pretty well. FX the best of the ones I've tested.
I see the role of an expanding pellet to minimize pass throughs or energy for a pass through. A 22 caliber PCP under 20 fpe will not often exit a squirrel but my 32 fpe 25 caliber PCP will almost always exit. If I did not want it to, I could try and find an expanding pellet that it shoots well and use that instead. It might also kill a little quicker but if a 177 size hole is adequate, a 25 is even more so. So I do not see the expansion as very important to the lethality, only the tendency to "over penetrate". My limited 177 experience indicates that over penetration is not a big risk because the pellets are normally under 12 grains and even at 900 fps they are under 20 fpe. I've shot through a couple squirrels with mine but the pellet also stopped in a couple others (all died quickly). But higher powered 22s and 25s can certainly shoot through BTRs with a simple domed pellet. They will die quickly but the pellet may still have enough energy to damage something when it exits. I concentrating on my 177 right now but I may use some metal mags in my P35-22 to take some squirrels to see how it does. It penetrates further in wet paper than my P35-25 so I am confident it will usually go through a squirrel if I use the Baracuda Match it likes. It also shoots metal mags pretty well, however. They should penetrate less but make a wider hole. Might be a "good hunting pellet" for this gun. But a Baracuda Match would still remain a viable choice for hunting. As long as I put the pellet into the vitals, I am confident either will take the squirrels cleanly but I still like taking a few to see it happen.
Upvote 0
I have tested half a dozen slugs ( fx hybrids, h&n, zan, javelin, jsb,, nielsen) in .22 ( max 23 grain) and found the javelin’s opening ( mushrooming) best of all at a speed I tested with around 950-980 fps. 290-300 m sec. My test was purely based on energy transfer in terms of mushrooming capacity on a chicken carcas. Accurracy is a different story and very much depends on your specific airgun /barrel/ ammunition/tune combo . In my specific case I have a wildcat MKIII compact in .22 shooting the 23 gr javelin .218 at 300 m/s with great accuracy out of a superior standard 500 mm barrel.
( several mods to achieve power as is)
( several mods to achieve power as is)
Last edited:
Upvote 0
JSB Hades so you can go back to shooting regular JSBs without adjusting your scope.
Also works the other way around. For small game at normal airgun distance I don't see a need for anything else.
Also works the other way around. For small game at normal airgun distance I don't see a need for anything else.
Upvote 0
What @Rj said in the very first reply. I would add, the simple dome head pellet that groups the best in your rifle is the best all-around projectile. It will take some experimentation to find the right pellet and speed combination. You don't need gimmick, supposed-to-be-expanding, menacing-looking projos to get the job done.
Accurate placement, simple perforation, no perspiration.
Accurate placement, simple perforation, no perspiration.
Upvote 0
Feinwerk writes : “You don't need gimmick, supposed-to-be-expanding, menacing-looking projos to get the job done.”
This is like saying “ you don’t need a car to drive a 100 miles distance when you have a bicycle”
Maybe YOU do not need that but I can assure you that well expanding slugs are far more lethal and let you hunt with more confidence in many situations. ( provided you have a rifle that enables the slugs being shot with “enough” power ) Even with less precise killing zone shots than any dome pellet. Let alone the ballistic coefficient advatages that are shown in energy retaining capacity and wind drift advantages . when you find an accurate tune with a slug the slug is just in an other league vs a doomed pellet in hunting application . Having said this I am well aware that with a doomed pellet you can hunt in certain situations and distances perfectly well. All comes down to your demands and expectations . ( as usual…
). The main advantages of slugs got displayed best at a velocity of around 920-1000 fps by my own experience. There are definately velocity ranges below that where precision is fine but then the mentioned advantages of slugs do not come to display. Over 1050 fps things get a bit tricky in terms of windage and getting bit close to sound barrier.
This is like saying “ you don’t need a car to drive a 100 miles distance when you have a bicycle”
Maybe YOU do not need that but I can assure you that well expanding slugs are far more lethal and let you hunt with more confidence in many situations. ( provided you have a rifle that enables the slugs being shot with “enough” power ) Even with less precise killing zone shots than any dome pellet. Let alone the ballistic coefficient advatages that are shown in energy retaining capacity and wind drift advantages . when you find an accurate tune with a slug the slug is just in an other league vs a doomed pellet in hunting application . Having said this I am well aware that with a doomed pellet you can hunt in certain situations and distances perfectly well. All comes down to your demands and expectations . ( as usual…
). The main advantages of slugs got displayed best at a velocity of around 920-1000 fps by my own experience. There are definately velocity ranges below that where precision is fine but then the mentioned advantages of slugs do not come to display. Over 1050 fps things get a bit tricky in terms of windage and getting bit close to sound barrier. Last edited:
Upvote 0
Yep I read it “Pigeons and bigger. All the way up to grouse or a similar sized bird.”
i have had far more “shot throughs“ and birds flying away after not 100% lethal point hit with domes in comparison with slugs . Better a bit more “overkill“ in some situations than a wounded animal. Also bringing as much as possible energy to the target is very good in case of fawl as the featherpack ( especially the wings) can be very tough . Slugs retain far more energy than pellets. draw your conclusions. To anyone who reads this please always remember that with airgun hunting shot placement is by far the most important factor for succes so if you and your rifle are confident with pellets I do not recommend you to change that . Always be aware of the “kill zone” of an animal,you have to hit with 100% certainty or don’t shoot and be patient.
Upvote 0
Hades. 30 Cal on coyotes are lethal!....... Confirmed and re-confirmed!
I have taken two with chest shots. Dropped immediatelly.
I have taken two with chest shots. Dropped immediatelly.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
For ranges over 50 yards, I think slugs have advantages. It's hard to see even 50 yards, however, in most of the areas I hunt. But I know that is not true everywhere. But the difficulty in placement at longer distance is true everywhere. To me, airguns are short range tools and that means pellets are not a significant disadvantage. But if I lived somewhere that the only reasonably feasible shot was at closer to 100 yards or more, I would probably feel differently.
Upvote 0
My experience is with squirrels, mostly with a standard power .22 and .177, at ranges under 50 yards. Regarding the pellet, it makes absolutely no difference. I've shot them with a bunch of different pellets, and a good shot kills them quickly with any pellet. And a bad shot results in a cripple, with any pellet. And that is true with most any hunting scenario. I used to do a lot of groundhog shooting, mostly with various high velocity CF rifles, and I've seen them drag themselves away with the rear half of their body virtually blown away.
Upvote 0
Do you think(or know) that the Hades will expand well at those relatively low speeds(600-700fps)? And in 22 cal also? That would be great if they did.
Upvote 0
