A shortfill is a bottle of flavoured e-liquid sold without nicotine. The missing nicotine is important here. Under UK rules, a nicotine-containing refill can hold no more than 10ml, so a ready-mixed 500ml nicotine liquid could not be sold as one large bottle. A 0mg liquid can.
The name describes the way many of these products are packed. The bottle is filled short of its total capacity, leaving room for nicotine shots. With this size, you may receive 500ml of liquid in a 600ml bottle. That extra 100ml is enough for ten standard 10ml shots.
Do check the product page, though. Packaging differs between brands, and some 500ml bottles do not have the full 100ml of spare space. In that case, you will need a separate mixing bottle rather than trying to force every shot into the original one.
Why Go This Big?
This is not the bottle size for a blind flavour gamble. It is equal to:
- ten 50ml shortfills;
- five 100ml shortfills; or
- fifty standard 10ml bottles.
That amount is handy when one liquid has become your regular order. It also means fewer empty bottles, fewer emergency top-ups and, quite often, a lower price per ml. But a saving on paper is not much of a saving if you lose interest after the first 100ml. New brand? Unfamiliar flavour? Try a smaller bottle first.
For more bottle sizes and blend ratios, take a look through our Nicotine Free E-Liquids.
How Much Nicotine Goes Into 500ml of E-Liquid?
Here is the common setup. You have 500ml of 0mg e-liquid and standard 10ml nic shots at 18mg/ml.
Nic shots added
• No nic shots
• 5 x 18mg nic shots
• 10 x 18mg nic shots
Total liquid after mixing
• 500ml
• 550ml
• 600ml
Final nicotine strength
• 3mg/ml
• 0mg/ml
• About 1.6mg/ml
Ten shots produce the familiar 3mg result. Five shots come out at roughly 1.6mg, not exactly 1.5mg, because the nic shots increase the overall volume as well as adding nicotine.
These figures change if the starting volume, shot size, or shot strength changes. In particular, do not use the 18mg calculation for 20mg shots and assume the result will be identical. Check what you have bought first. You can find standard and high-VG options in our Nicotine Shots collection.
Add Nic Shots in Four Steps
Ten little bottles take longer to mix than the two used with a 100ml shortfill. Clear a flat surface and give yourself a few minutes.
- Read both labels. Confirm that the shortfill is 0mg and check the strength of every nic shot.
- Look at the available space. If the main bottle cannot hold 600ml, use a clean bottle that can take the entire finished mix.
- Add the shots slowly. Empty each one fully and keep count. Losing track at shot seven is surprisingly easy.
- Seal and shake. Shake the full mixture thoroughly, then do it once more before filling your tank.
Nicotine spills should be wiped up straight away. Keep the mixed liquid closed, upright and out of the reach of children and pets. If you pour some into a smaller working bottle, label it with the flavour and final nicotine strength. Relying on memory is asking for confusion later.
High VG E-Liquid Needs the Right Kit
Bottle size does not decide device compatibility. The VG/PG ratio does.
Many bulk shortfills use a 70VG/30PG blend. That thicker consistency usually suits sub-ohm coils with generous wicking ports, along with the higher power and airier draw used for DTL vaping. It is a poor match for many compact MTL pods, which tend to be designed around thinner 50/50 liquid.
“Refillable” does not automatically mean “suitable for high VG”. Always check the coil or kit guidance before filling up. If the product you are viewing is 70/30, our 70-30 Shortfills and High VG E-Liquid pages offer more blends made for the same general style of vaping.
Best Suited To
• A sub-ohm tank with a compatible low-resistance coil.
• A DTL kit that specifically supports high-VG liquid.
• A higher-powered pod mod with suitable coil options.
• A rebuildable atomiser set up by somebody familiar with wicking and resistance.
Browse DTL Tanks if your current tank struggles with thicker juice. It is also worth adding the correct Vape Coils to the order. Sweet e-liquids can leave deposits on a coil, and half a litre will outlast more than one coil head.
Probably Not the Right Match For
If you use a slim vape pen, low-powered starter kit or small MTL pod, a 50/50 e-liquid is normally the more sensible place to look. It moves through narrow wicking ports more easily. A very thick liquid in the wrong coil can struggle to keep up, particularly during frequent draws.
Unsure? Find the recommended VG/PG ratio in your device manual or on the coil listing. That answer is more useful than judging by wattage alone.
Choose a Flavour You Will Still Want Next Month
A big bottle changes the way you should shop. The boldest option is not always the best one to live with for months.
Fruit flavours are a dependable starting point. Straightforward berry, apple, mango or citrus profiles are usually easier to return to than a complicated novelty mix. Multi-fruit liquids add more depth, but read the full flavour description because one note may be much stronger than the name suggests.
Prefer a colder draw? Fruit ice blends add a chilled finish that can cut through sweetness. Check how the cooling is described. A light icy edge and a very cold exhale are not the same experience.
Drinks and sweet-shop flavours cover lemonade, cola, fizzy candy and similar blends. They tend to be punchier. Dessert liquids sit at the richer end of the shelf, with custard, cream, pastry or bakery notes. Lovely after a meal, perhaps less appealing all day. They can also be harder on coils when heavily sweetened.
A Quick Check Before You Commit
Ask yourself:
• Have I already finished a smaller bottle of this exact flavour?
• Do I know the brand’s usual level of sweetness and cooling?
• Will I use it in a compatible high-VG setup?
• Am I happy to vape one profile regularly, or do I normally rotate several?
Four yeses? A 500ml bottle is probably a sensible buy. If two answers are uncertain, stepping down a size gives you more freedom.
Should You Buy 500ml, 100ml or 50ml?
There is no prize for buying the biggest bottle. Pick the size that matches the way you vape.
Pick 500ml When the Flavour Is Already a Regular
You know the flavour, you know it works in your kit, and smaller bottles vanish quickly. In that situation, one bulk bottle cuts down repeat orders and usually improves the price per ml. It is especially practical for frequent sub-ohm use, where liquid consumption can be noticeably higher.
Choose 100ml for a Better Balance
A 100ml shortfill gives you enough liquid to judge the blend properly without tying up your whole e-liquid budget in one flavour. Two or three bottles can build a useful rotation. See the current 100ml Shortfills if that sounds closer to your routine.
Start With 50ml When the Flavour Is New
This is the safer test size for a brand you have never used. It also works better for occasional flavours, such as a rich dessert that you enjoy for one tank but not for an entire week. Our 50ml Shortfills give you more room to experiment.
A Few Practical Things Nobody Mentions About Bulk E-Liquid
A 500ml bottle stays at home. It is heavy, awkward to squeeze over a small fill port, and not something most people want rolling around in a bag. A clean 60ml or 100ml bottle makes day-to-day refilling much easier.
Mix the full batch before decanting. If nicotine shots are divided by eye between several bottles, one can end up stronger than another. Once everything is properly combined, fill the smaller bottle and write the strength on it.
Storage is simple:
• keep the main bottle upright;
• close the cap firmly after use;
• avoid direct sunlight and hot rooms;
• shake it after it has been standing;
• use it within the best-before guidance on the label.
Do not pour fresh liquid over an unidentified leftover mix. A few millilitres may seem harmless, but it can change the flavour and leave you guessing at the nicotine strength.
Why Buy 500ml Shortfills From Pirate Vapes?
Buying in bulk only feels straightforward when the important details are easy to find. Where confirmed, our listings show the bottle volume, VG/PG ratio, flavour profile, nicotine content and suitable vaping style. Nic shots are listed separately when they are not supplied, so you can work out the real cost of the finished liquid before checkout.
Orders placed before 4 pm qualify for same-day dispatch, and Free Pirate Post is available when you spend over £40. Checkout is age-verified. All vaping products are strictly for adults aged 18 and over.
Related E-Liquid Collections
Still comparing? Browse all E-Liquids, then choose by bottle size, ratio or flavour rather than settling for the first bulk option. If your device is due for replacement, our Vape Kits collection covers refillable setups for different draw styles.
