Benchrest Slug shooters being left out?

[Franklink]

I think you are off on that. Pretty much everyone I personally know who has a high powered airgun shoots slugs now. Maybe the majority who shoots low powered airguns don’t use slugs, but I’m willing to bet the majority of shooters using high powered airguns are now shooting slugs.

This got me thinking about airgun folks that I know.

I'll just include the maybe 150ish guys I know personally. This would be the people I see a couple times a year at various matches. The folks I shake hands with and say "hey, how ya been?." Guys where I know what gun and ammo they shoot cuz I've been squadded with them at matches, and/or written match reports where we both competed. ie not simply online acquaintances.

The common denominator here would be field target, either high power or regular AAFTA. This is three different AAFTA clubs, and two different places that put on high power FT and/or EBR-like matches. I didn't compete at EBR last year, but I did the prior two years, so if you want to throw them in the mix we're probably talking another 25-50 shooters. So, call it maybe 200 people I personally have some sort of face to face interaction with, (ie NOT YouTube and airgun forums).

Of them, probably about half are strictly sub 20 pellet shooters. (one whole club of AAFTA type shooters is low power only, I think one of them has a high power pellet gun, no slugs. They've got 20-30 different people that come to sub 20 matches and don't attend any other matches anywhere else. ) There's a bunch of AAFTA shooters at the other two clubs that don't even own a high power gun.
Another quarter of that 150-200ish people are sub 20 pellets, and sub 100fpe pellet shooters.
The last quarter of that 150-200ish people sub 20 pellets and sub 100fpe pellets and slug shooters.

Slugs are definitely A thing in the airgun industry. But they're not THE thing. Despite what the retailers and influencers want you to think.

 

[Pumacarl]

This topic is really getting long in the tooth. I will admit, that if I didn't have 125y at home and 400y at work, I probably wouldn't be shooting many slugs either, ...but I do. If more people had the room, I'd take the bet that they'd end up using it.

 

[Franklink]

This topic is really getting long in the tooth. I will admit, that if I didn't have 125y at home and 400y at work, I probably wouldn't be shooting many slugs either, ...but I do. If more people had the room, I'd take the bet that they'd end up using it.

This.

One of the most recent comments on that 100 yard challenge I posted on the other forum was something along the lines of "take airguns to the range so I can shoot 100 yards?!?! yeah right, that's why i got into airguns, so I could shoot at home conveniently."

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

This got me thinking about airgun folks that I know.

I'll just include the maybe 150ish guys I know personally. This would be the people I see a couple times a year at various matches. The folks I shake hands with and say "hey, how ya been?." Guys where I know what gun and ammo they shoot cuz I've been squadded with them at matches, and/or written match reports where we both competed. ie not simply online acquaintances.

The common denominator here would be field target, either high power or regular AAFTA. This is three different AAFTA clubs, and two different places that put on high power FT and/or EBR-like matches. I didn't compete at EBR last year, but I did the prior two years, so if you want to throw them in the mix we're probably talking another 25-50 shooters. So, call it maybe 200 people I personally have some sort of face to face interaction with, (ie NOT YouTube and airgun forums).

Of them, probably about half are strictly sub 20 pellet shooters. (one whole club of AAFTA type shooters is low power only, I think one of them has a high power pellet gun, no slugs. They've got 20-30 different people that come to sub 20 matches and don't attend any other matches anywhere else. ) There's a bunch of AAFTA shooters at the other two clubs that don't even own a high power gun.
Another quarter of that 150-200ish people are sub 20 pellets, and sub 100fpe pellet shooters.
The last quarter of that 150-200ish people sub 20 pellets and sub 100fpe pellets and slug shooters.

Slugs are definitely A thing in the airgun industry. But they're not THE thing. Despite what the retailers and influencers want you to think.

We can agree to disagree. By the way, there are plenty of people who shoot slugs with only 30 yards in their backyards. I hunt with a couple of them.

 

[Luis Leon]

We can agree to disagree. By the way, there are plenty of people who shoot slugs with only 30 yards in their backyards. I hunt with a couple of them.

For competition and hunting slugs are here to stay. For shooting in backyards 30 yards deep…? Glad they are not my neighbors…

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

For competition and hunting slugs are here to stay. For shooting in backyards 30 yards deep…? Glad they are not my neighbors…

Didn’t say they shoot in the backyard. They just have 30 yard backyards and shoot slugs. When someone has a good tune with slugs all they have to do is check speed. I have a chronograph with a back stop inside of my house and shoot rimfire into it. With how these guns hold a tune now and with the ease of tuning slugs airguners who aren’t using slugs are way behind in my opinion.

 

[Billm]

Why do I see another video 100yd slug challenge coming @AtlasAirguns. There were not a lot of entries and Tristan offered a prize. In my little bit of experience: tuning the average PCP for slugs is not an easy task. Whereas most any airgun will shoot nice groups with pellets. I do agree that it would be nice to see more competition with slugs.

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

Why do I see another video 100yd slug challenge coming @AtlasAirguns. There were not a lot of entries and Tristan offered a prize. In my little bit of experience: tuning the average PCP for slugs is not an easy task. Whereas most any airgun will shoot nice groups with pellets. I do agree that it would be nice to see more competition with slugs.

Gotta have the power for slugs and typically the average PCP doesn’t have it.

 

[Luis Leon]

Gotta have the power for slugs and typically the average PCP doesn’t have it.

Which proves the point, the majority of airgunners come to it for the lower power goodness. Enjoy your slug shooting and lobby for an “slug only” competition. The number of competitors/shooters who sign up for such a hypothetical Event would tell the tale.

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

Which proves the point, the majority of airgunners come to it for the lower power goodness. Enjoy your slug shooting and lobby for an “slug only” competition. The number of competitors/shooters who sign up for such a hypothetical Event would tell the tale.

Which is hypocritical because the majority of the shooters in the pellet competition are making around the same power. They are having slug benchrest competitions with good turnout already. Just not RMAC, or EBR, but I feel like that is going to change in the near future. Until then I’ll keep kicking the rimfire guys asses with an airgun.

 

[Billm]

Which is hypocritical because the majority of the shooters in the pellet competition are making around the same power. They are having slug benchrest competitions with good turnout already. Just not RMAC, or EBR, but I feel like that is going to change in the near future. Until then I’ll keep kicking the rimfire guys asses with an airgun.

What part of the country are you in? There’s no benchrest airgun competition in my area that I’m aware of. I wish there was - pellet or slug.

 

[Franklink]

...By the way, there are plenty of people who shoot slugs with only 30 yards in their backyards. I hunt with a couple of them.

If they're shooting little .177/12.5grainers into a solid trap, borderline okay, but with the fpe you were talking earlier in this discussion ....Good way to put a slug in the neighbor kid on the other side of the fence. Which will go as poorly for airgunning as it does for the poor victim of the stupidity that produced the "accident." And accident is really not the correct word here, "negligence" would be more appropriate.

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

If they're shooting little .177/12.5grainers into a solid trap, borderline okay, but with the fpe you were talking earlier in this discussion ....Good way to put a slug in the neighbor kid on the other side of the fence. Which will go as poorly for airgunning as it does for the poor victim of the stupidity that produced the "accident." And accident is really not the correct word here, "negligence" would be more appropriate.

I said they have only 30 yard backyards and still have slug guns. They don’t shoot at home. The range.

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

What part of the country are you in? There’s no benchrest airgun competition in my area that I’m aware of. I wish there was - pellet or slug.

Southern California.

 

[Franklink]

I said they have only 30 yard backyards and still have slug guns. They don’t shoot at home. The range.

This is what you said...

By the way, there are plenty of people who shoot slugs with only 30 yards in their backyards...

 

[Franklink]

....They don’t shoot at home. The range.

Yeah that would suck the fun right out of it for me. Might as well shoot a firearm, unless of course you can't legally own a firearm.

 

[Franklink]

@Airgunsruinedmylife, good luck in your endeavors.

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

@Airgunsruinedmylife, good luck in your endeavors.

Thanks, sorry didn’t convey my words correctly. Yeah, not being able to shoot at home would suck, but I know plenty of marksman who don’t have that luxury.

 

[FL22]

I’m posting in this thread because some of the things being said applied to me being relatively new to PCP Airguns, less than three years. Having a slug capable gun that I thought I would like to try.

I have decided to postpone any slug testing/shooting. The only slug capable Airgun that I own is my Taipan .25 long. I have 150+ yd and a good back stop available to me at home.

I feel like I’ve lost any interest in trying to shoot slugs with it. Just a couple of weeks ago I purchased more pellets.

Maybe I’ll reconsider in the future as things advance. Like when most people stop saying that finding right slug is a pain in the ass.

This hobby, (for me anyway and excluding dealing with a pest) above all things is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

I don’t particularly care for YT and the like. But I have been influenced by HAM and members of this community.

 

[Airgunsruinedmylife]

I’m posting in this thread because some of the things being said applied to me being relatively new to PCP Airguns, less than three years. Having a slug capable gun that I thought I would like to try.

I have decided to postpone any slug testing/shooting. The only slug capable Airgun that I own is my Taipan .25 long. I have 150+ yd and a good back stop available to me at home.

I feel like I’ve lost any interest in trying to shoot slugs with it. Just a couple of weeks ago I purchased more pellets.

Maybe I’ll reconsider in the future as things advance. Like when most people stop saying that finding right slug is a pain in the ass.

This hobby, (for me anyway and excluding dealing with a pest) above all things is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

I don’t particularly care for YT and the like. But I have been influenced by HAM and members of this community.

I had a Taipan Veteran 2 and did not have good luck with slugs either. Didn’t have much luck with a BRK Ghost, and a HM 1000x. FX, Epic, and RTI have been excellent with slugs. Very easy to tune as well.