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Javelin

Javelin Airgun Slugs in South Africa

Javelin makes slugs for high-power PCP airguns, and that is the entire range. Slugs are a different proposition from diabolo pellets: solid, longer, stabilised by the rifling rather than by drag, and capable of holding energy far further downrange. NeonSales carries 5 Javelin products, all in 200 packs, from R294 to R343.

What Javelin products does NeonSales stock?

  • 26 grain: in .218 head size
  • 30 grain: in .217 and .218 head sizes
  • 34 grain: in .217 and .218 head sizes

Weight and head size, and why both matter

Variable Options here What it changes
Weight 26, 30 and 34 grain Heavier holds energy and resists wind better, needs more power to push
Head size .217 and .218 How the slug fits your bore, which determines whether it stabilises at all

That thousandth of an inch between .217 and .218 sounds trivial and is not. Too loose and the slug does not engage the rifling properly. Too tight and pressure rises and accuracy suffers. Bores vary between manufacturers and between individual barrels, so the only reliable method is to buy one pack of each size and shoot them before committing.

Your rifle needs to suit slugs

Two requirements, and both are properties of the rifle rather than the ammunition. You need enough power, which in practice means a PCP rather than a springer or CO2 rifle. And you need a barrel with a twist rate fast enough to stabilise a longer projectile. A slug fired from an unsuitable barrel will keyhole, and no amount of tuning or weight changing fixes it. Check what your barrel is before buying slugs in quantity.

Common questions

Are slugs more accurate than pellets? Not automatically. At close and moderate range a good diabolo pellet often groups as well or better. Slugs earn their place at extended distance, where the better ballistic coefficient means less drop and less wind drift.

Which weight should I start with? 30 grain sits in the middle of this range and is the sensible first test. Move heavier if your rifle has the power and you want more resistance to wind.

How do I know if they are stabilising? Look at the holes in the paper. Round holes mean the slug arrived nose first. Elongated or sideways holes mean it is tumbling, which points to twist rate or fit.

Why only 200 packs? Slugs are heavier and more expensive to produce than pellets, so pack sizes are smaller. It also makes testing several sizes less costly.

Related: 5.5mm Pellets · Airgun Ammunition · Air Rifles · Cleaning Equipment