VALUE FOR MONEY – H&N Slug HP II
In this H&N Slug HP II 27 Grain .218 caliber review, we find airgun ammunition that’s well priced and consistently manufactured.
German manufacturer H&N Sport has a huge range of slugs in multiple calibers. Pyramyd’s website shows a total of 58 SKUs, in calibers ranging from .177 to .357. Most of the SKUs are in .22 and .25 calibers, as you would expect: there are 26 SKUs in .22 cal and 25 SKUs in .25 caliber at the present time.
In .22 caliber, H&N’s slugs range from 21 to 40 Grains, so the 27 Grain weight slugs which are the subject of this review are actually at the lower end of the weight range for this caliber.
Below. H&N indicates the product weight and caliber on the underside of the tin.
Selling at a Street Price of $18.99 for a tin of 200, these H&N slugs are well-priced at 9.5 Cents each. They can be even cheaper if purchased in the “buy four, get one free” – and similar – deals offered by Pyramyd AIR.
BUY FROM PYRAMYD
H&N Slug HP II, .218 Cal, 27 Grains, Hollowpoint, 200ct 0.22
TEST DATA SUMMARY – H&N Slug HP II
| Price per Slug | 9.5 cents |
| Most Common Weight | 27.04 Grains |
| Slugs at That Common Weight | 26% |
| Variation in Slug Weight (Smallest to Largest) | 0.59% |
| Most Common Diameter | 5.56 mm |
| Slugs at That Common Diameter | 26% |
| Variation in Diameter (Smallest to Largest) | 0.90% |
| Most Common Length | 7.91 mm |
| Slugs at That Common Length | 24% |
| Variation in Length (Smallest to Largest) | 1.01% |
Earlier this year, the HAM Team re-reviewed .177 caliber H&N Baracuda FT pellets and were very impressed with the manufacturing consistency across pellets manufactured several years apart. So we decided to compare these 27 Grain Slug HP II projectiles against some 25 Grain Slug HP ammo we tested a couple of years ago.
Again, the manufacturing similarities are impressive. Again there’s a small but noticeable scoring improvement in Hard Air Magazine’s challenging test protocol even though both are HAM Gold Award winners. Again, congratulations to H&N!
| Slug HP .217, 25 Grain | Slug HP II .218, 27 Grains | |
|---|---|---|
| Ballistic Coefficient | 0.076 | 0.092 |
| Most Common Weight | 25.03 Grains | 27.04 Grains |
| Slugs at That Common Weight | 40% | 26% |
| Variation in Slug Weight | 0.44% | 0.59% |
| Most Common Diameter | 5.55 mm | 5.56 mm |
| Slugs At That Common Diameter | 42% | 26% |
| Variation in Diameter | 0.54% | 0.90% |
| Most Common Length | 7.80 mm | 7.91 mm |
| Slugs at That Common Length | 18% | 24% |
| Variation in Length | 2.08% | 1.01% |
| HAM Review Score | 67%, Gold Award | 69%, Gold Award |
And please remember that – like all Hard Air Magazine pellet and slug test reviews – both tests were undertaken using HAM’s unique, rigorous test protocol.
We used the same measuring equipment – including a laboratory-grade Sartorius Milligram balance – in an identical fashion, all operated by HAM Tester Doug Wall with his lifetime’s experience in research laboratory testing. So the test data is as consistent as it can possibly be.
This “double re-test” confirms the company’s superb manufacturing and quality control standards and shows that it maintains these over long periods of time. That’s particularly impressive!
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS – H&N Slug HP II
H&N recommends that these .22 caliber, 27 Grain slugs are best used with a high-powered PCP air rifle producing around 30 to 45 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy. The company suggests they are suitable for hunting medium game at long ranges – out to 100 Yards. HAM agrees with this and feels it’s very appropriate positioning for the product.
In this H&N HP Slug review, we found that there were actually 207 slugs packed in the tin. This exceeds the claimed count of 200. Thanks for the extra shots, H&N!
The average weight of the 50 sample slugs weighed by HAM Tester Doug Wall was 27.05 Grains. This is remarkably close to H&N’s specification of 27.0 Grains.
The average head diameter of the slugs tested by HAM was 5.55 mm. That’s 0.2185 Inches. Again, practically identical to the manufacturer’s specification of .218 Inches.
H&N publishes a length specification of 7.9 mm for these slugs. The samples measured by HAM averaged 7.92 mm. Yet again, incredibly close!
HAM testing also matched H&N’s specs in Ballistic Coefficient. The manufacturer gives a BC of 0.095. HAM testing showed a BC of 0.097. That’s an extremely close match in results, particularly given the huge range of variables involved in establishing BC figures.
Overall, it’s extremely rare that we find a product that matches so precisely to the manufacturer’s specifications!
CONSISTENCY – H&N Slug HP II
All 207 slugs in the tin were in perfect condition. There was no evidence of any manufacturing defects or shipping damage.
With an average diameter of 5.55 mm, the results of this H&N HP Slug review show that the overwhelming majority – 74% of the tested slugs – had a body diameter of between 5.54 and 5.56 mm. This is good consistency, particularly when combined with the variation of just 0.90% between the smallest and largest slugs measured.
As usual, we see a “bell curve” distribution of slug weights. 25.05 Grains was the average weight for the slugs measured by HAM and the most common among the H&N slugs tested in this review. The difference between lightest and heaviest slugs was just 0.59%.
No less than 84% of the slugs weighed by HAM Tester Doug Wall weighed between 27.4 and 27.8 Grains each, as we can see below. Again, this is great manufacturing consistency!
As many HAM tests have proved, length is almost always the most variable parameter in pellet and slug manufacturing. However, H&N has this parameter particularly well under control…
Looking at the chart below we can see that out of all the 50 slugs measured, the difference between shortest and longest was only 0.08 mm – that’s just over 3 Thou. This is an outstanding result for this parameter!
After the 50 sample slugs had been selected, weighed and measured for this review, HAM Tester Doug Wall thoroughly checked the remaining slugs too – as usual. In doing this, he found no damage or malformation to any of the 207 slugs in the tin. Again excellent!
DIRTINESS – H&N Slug HP II
Using our standard washing protocol, this H&N HP Slug review found 1.49 Grains of lead dirt and junk per 100 slugs.
Of course, such dirt is inevitable in the manufacture of lead airgun ammunition. This level of dirt is above average compared to other HAM ammo test results. However, it matches the results found in our earlier H&N slug test and so may be an inevitable artifact of the company’s production processes.
Mostly it appears to be made-up of small slivers of lead, as can be seen in the photograph below.
DOWNRANGE PERFORMANCE – H&N Slug HP II
Ballistic Coefficients – BCs – are the big selling point for slugs. And the higher the better!
As discussed above, the BC determined in HAM testing for this H&N HP Slug review was 0.097 when fired using an FX Impact Mk II. So we used this value – together with the average actual weight of the slugs we measured to create the following graph using Chairgun.
This figure is – of course – significantly better than that for traditional pellets and leads to greatly-improved energy retention downrange. This is shown by the Chairgun chart below.
As you would expect, the retained energy downrange is outstanding, with no less than 41.37 Ft/Lbs – 71.88% of the original Muzzle Energy – still retained at 100 Yards downrange. That’s one of the prime reasons slugs are favored for long range hunting.
Yes, .22 caliber slugs are available with higher Ballistic Coefficients. However these will undoubtedly be heavier and require a VERY powerful PCP air rifle to use successfully.
Another interesting effect is the long “point blank range” with just a 1-Inch drop all the way from 14 to 46 Yards. That’s a big attraction for shorter-range use as well.
HUNTING USE – H&N Slug HP II
In the standard HAM soap block impact test, the 27 Grain H&N Slug HP II penetrated 41 mm when fired using a QB79 test gun.
Expansion upon impact is good.
Muzzle Velocity was 613 FPS and the slug expanded from an initial diameter of 5.56 mm to no less than 8.09 mm inside the block. The length declined from 7.90 mm before firing to 5.98 mm after impact.
Compared with an unfired slug, there’s a strong mushrooming effect. This would create a devastating wound, however we expect it to become significantly more pronounced if fired at higher Muzzle Velocity. This leads to limited – that’s good – penetration in the soap block as energy was expended rapidly on impact.
All of this points towards a slug that’s ideal for hunting. The potential is there for a solid, humane, one shot kill in quarry of the right size, providing the shooter does his or her part with a sufficiently powerful air rifle.
BUYING AND OWNING – H&N Slug HP II
You can find H&N Slug HP II 27 Grain .218 caliber slugs available at Pyramyd AIR, Airgun Depot and most other online retailers. They may also be available at some physical stores selling the company’s airgun ammunition.
But – with the wide range of weights and diameters available for slugs, how do you know if this is the right one for you?
As most airgunners are aware, minor changes in both slug weight and diameter can result in significant differences in downrange accuracy. That makes the Slug Sampler packages produced by H&N a compelling purchase.
Each sampler package provides sufficient slugs of each weight in a single caliber for testing. It avoids the need to buy many tins of slugs which may turn-out to be unsuitable for your specific air rifle. It’s a recommended way to get into the world of slug shooting!
TEST DATA – H&N Slug HP II
For background details on HAM’s Pellet Test Review methodology, check out this link.
Chairgun is a product of Hawke Sports Optics LLC and is used with permission. Check out http://www.hawkeoptics.com
BUY FROM PYRAMYD
H&N Slug HP II, .218 Cal, 27 Grains, Hollowpoint, 200ct 0.22
Understanding HAM Airgun Ammo Awards
HAM Airgun Ammo Awards come from the most rigorous, professional and comprehensive pellet testing by any independent publication. They are the result of much precise measurement and analysis using high precision measuring devices and highly-experienced testers.
Note that accuracy is a product of the complete “system” of airgun, scope, atmospheric conditions and shooter ability – not the pellet alone.
This means that no pellet test review can predict the accuracy of a particular pellet with YOUR individual air rifle. That’s why we do not measure accuracy in these pellet tests.
What HAM Awards do recognize is manufacturing consistency. Inconsistent pellets definitely will be inaccurate, consistent pellets are much more likely to be accurate.
HAM Awards also recognize value. There’s considerable variation in the price of airgun pellets. This means that an 8 cent pellet needs to score higher than a 2 cent pellet to achieve an award.
For full details of the HAM Ammo Award scoring methodology, please check out our Pellet Testing page.
For a full listing of HAM-tested Ballistic Coefficients, please see our Ballistic Coefficients page.
This entire article including scoring, data etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.
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