ZAN Projectiles – Why Not Every Slug Works in Every Barrel

At some point, every brand stops being just about the product. It becomes about the person behind it. That point came early for ZAN Projectiles.

Žan Šude didn’t start in a factory. He started with a problem. After losing his job, he began making slugs for himself — not to build a brand, but to get better performance than what was available at the time.

From the beginning, the goal was clear: not just to make good slugs, but to push the limits of what is possible.

“We wanted to push the boundaries of what is possible.”

Beginnings – not a brand, but a problem

What started in a kitchen moved into a workshop, and quickly outgrew that as well. At some point, it stopped being a question of whether it works, and became a question of how to keep up with demand. When a delivery truck blocked the entire street, it was already obvious — this was no longer a hobby.

“It’s not just a piece of lead — my life is behind every slug we make.”

Development – what you don’t see

What most shooters never see is how many ideas fail before one actually works.

“Only around 20% of our ideas actually become a real product.”

That filtering process is what creates consistency. ZAN doesn’t just refine existing designs — it approaches the problem differently. New shapes, new ideas, sometimes new manufacturing approaches. Not everything is visible, but the result shows up where it matters: on target.

Where most shooters get it wrong

This is where most shooters get it wrong. You take the same rifle, one shot is perfect, the next one opens up. And the first instinct is always to adjust the rifle.

But in most cases, the rifle is not the problem. The system is.

Most PCP rifles don’t shoot inconsistently because they are bad. They shoot inconsistently because the relationship between the projectile and the system is not working.

According to ZAN’s experience, accuracy is not a single component issue. It is the interaction between the projectile, the barrel, and the energy behind it. If that relationship is not balanced, the result will not be consistent.

Consistency is everything

Consistency is where everything starts.

“This is actually the most crucial part in projectile manufacturing…”

Microns decide the outcome

A difference as small as 0.01 mm is enough to change how a slug behaves inside the barrel. An undersized slug will not seal properly. Air escapes past it, the pressure curve becomes unstable, and velocity starts to fluctuate. On target, this shows up as vertical stringing.

This is not theory — it is measurable. Variations of 10–15 m/s are not uncommon, even when the shooter believes everything is fine.

The other extreme – oversized slugs

On the other side, an oversized slug creates excessive resistance. Especially at lower energy levels, this leads to unstable behavior and inconsistent results.

“People often don’t realize how many small details matter.”

There is no universal slug

One of the key realizations at ZAN was that there is no universal slug. The same projectile, tested in different barrels, can behave completely differently. In one barrel: a tight, single-hole group. In another: several centimeters of spread. Not gradually. Immediately.

This is the point where the idea of a “good slug” stops being universal.

Most errors start here

Most shooters try to fix one variable. But PCP systems don’t work that way. They are systems. If the system is not balanced, accuracy will fall apart — even if individual components seem correct.

That is why slug selection is not about brand or recommendation. The same slug can perform differently depending on the barrel, regulator setup, and energy level. Selection is always testing. And feedback.

Recognition and direction

In 2025, Žan received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in Slovenia.

“It doesn’t mean much… but it also does.”

It didn’t change how the company operates. But it confirmed that the direction is right.

What “Ferrari” actually means

And it also explains a statement that many people initially misunderstand:

“We want to be the Ferrari of airgun projectiles.”

This is not about marketing. It is about intent. Not being the cheapest. Not being the fastest to produce. But being consistent when it matters.

Service perspective

From a service perspective, we see the same pattern repeatedly. Most shooters are looking for the problem in the wrong place.

This is not a defect. This is how the system works.

Accuracy is not in the rifle. It is in how the system and the projectile work together.

László Móra

FX PCP systems service and tuning

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