Nic Shots | Freebase & Salt Nicotine Shots

Nic Shots by Ecigone

A nic shot is a 10ml bottle of unflavoured nicotine that you add to a 0mg shortfill to set the strength yourself. One 18mg shot per 50ml of shortfill gives 3mg, so a 100ml takes two and a 200ml takes four.

These are our own shots. Pick freebase for the full throat hit, nic salt for a smoother one, or ice to add a chill to any flavour. A 0mg base shot fills the headroom without nicotine.

Match the ratio to your bottle: 70/30 shots for 70/30 shortfills, 50/50 shots for 50/50 shortfills.

If you are new to shortfills, our shortfill guide covers the background in five minutes, and the nic shot calculator works out how many to add for any bottle and strength.

Every bottle a shot goes into is in the e-liquid range.

Nic Shot Key Features

• 10ml bottle, child-resistant cap, TPD notified
• UK made, pharmaceutical grade nicotine
• Freebase 18mg in 50/50 or 70/30
• Nic salt 18mg in 70/30 and 20mg in 50/50
• Ice shot 18mg in 50/50 or 70/30, freebase with a cooling agent
• 0mg base shot in 70/30 for topping up without nicotine
• Unflavoured, so it does not change the taste of the shortfill
• One shot per 50ml of shortfill gives 3mg

Which Shot to Pick

• 18mg freebase: the standard shot. Full throat hit at 3mg in a sub-ohm tank. Use it if you liked the hit of a 3mg or 6mg bottle.
• 18mg or 20mg nic salt: the same salt nicotine as a 10ml nic salt, so it is smoother at the same strength and absorbs faster. Use it if freebase feels harsh, or if you are moving from a pod kit to a shortfill and want the hit you know.
• 18mg ice shot: freebase with cooling added. One in a 50ml gives a light chill, two in a 100ml gives a proper ice finish, and the fruit or dessert underneath stays the same.
• 0mg base shot: no nicotine. Fills a 100ml to the full 120ml at 0mg, or pairs with one nicotine shot to land a 100ml at roughly 1.5mg.

Matching the ratio to the shortfill is not essential:

• A 50/50 shot in a 70/30 bottle makes the mix a touch thinner, which is fine in a tank.
• A 70/30 shot in a 50/50 bottle makes it a touch thicker, which some pod coils dislike.

If you are still choosing between the nicotine types, nic salt vs freebase settles it.

Adding a Nic Shot to a Shortfill

1. Take the cap and the insert off the shortfill.
2. Empty the whole shot in.
3. Cap it and shake hard for 30 seconds.
4. Fruit and menthol are ready straight away. Custard, dessert and tobacco taste better after a day or two.

For other strengths:

• 20mg salt shots change the maths slightly, giving about 3.3mg in a 100ml.
• If you want more than 3mg, a shortfill is the wrong format, because the headroom only takes enough shots for 3mg. A longfill lets you mix to any strength you like.
• The calculator above handles any bottle and target, and our mixing charts have the full table.

Price and the 2026 Vape Tax

Nothing on this page changes price on 1 October. Stock already in the country can still be sold at pre-duty prices until 31 March 2027, and we are not repricing until the stock we hold carries the duty.

• Vaping Products Duty starts on 1 October 2026 at 22p per ml, or 26.4p with VAT.
• It applies to nic shots and base shots as much as to flavoured liquid.
• That is £2.64 of duty on a 10ml shot, the part of a shortfill mix where the tax bites hardest.

That six-month sell-through window is there so you can buy in bulk at pre-duty prices. Buy as many shots as you want at today's price and use them at your own pace: an unopened shot keeps for around two years stored cool and out of the light.

Our vape tax guide has the breakdown by format.

Specifications

Specification	Details
Bottle Size	10ml
Strengths	18mg, 20mg, 0mg base
Nicotine Type	Freebase, nic salt, ice (freebase with cooling)
VG/PG Ratio	50/50 or 70/30, by variant
Flavour	Unflavoured (ice shots add a cooling effect only)
Nicotine Per Shot	180mg (18mg) or 200mg (20mg)
Mix Ratio	1 shot per 50ml of shortfill for 3mg
Nicotine	UK made, pharmaceutical grade
Cap	Child-resistant

Nic Shot FAQs

What does a nic shot do?

It adds nicotine to a shortfill. Shortfills are sold at 0mg because UK law caps nicotine liquid at 10ml a bottle, so the nicotine comes separately in a 10ml shot and you add it yourself. One 18mg shot per 50ml of shortfill gives 3mg, the strength most sub-ohm vapers use.

How much nic shot should I add?

One 10ml shot for every 50ml of shortfill for 3mg. A 50ml takes one, a 100ml takes two, a 200ml takes four, and the bottle has exactly that much headroom left in it. For any other strength the nic shot calculator does the maths for your bottle.

Do I put 2 nic shots in my vape juice?

If it is a 100ml shortfill, yes: two 18mg shots fill the 20ml headroom and give you 120ml at 3mg. A 50ml shortfill only has room for one. If you want more than 3mg, a longfill is the better format, because you mix it to whatever strength you want.

What is the difference between nic salts and nic shots?

A nic salt is a ready-mixed 10ml e-liquid with flavour and nicotine in it, usually 10mg or 20mg for a pod kit. A nic shot is unflavoured nicotine you add to a shortfill. A nic salt shot is a shot made with salt nicotine, for the smoother salt hit in a big bottle at 3mg.

Can you vape nic salt shots on their own?

No. A shot is 18mg or 20mg of unflavoured nicotine and nothing else, and it is not made to be vaped neat. Add it to a shortfill. If you want a 20mg liquid for a pod kit, buy a 10ml nic salt, which is flavoured and mixed for that job.

Is 18mg or 20mg the right shot?

18mg is the standard and is what the 3mg rule assumes. 20mg is the nic salt option at 50/50 and gives about 3.3mg in a 100ml, which most people will not notice. Pick by type and ratio first; the 2mg difference is the smallest thing on the label.

What's in the Box

• 1 x 10ml nic shot in your chosen type, strength and ratio