I used ground meat with a jerky gun. No more slicing for me.
I compare the ground meat to the stuff like Slim Jims. It tastes the same, just crumbles and chews up easily. I like to chew on the the whole meat pieces.
Also with the whole meat pieces, I have had luck putting the chunks of meat in the freezer for a while to get them cold and stiffer, but not frozen. Then slicing with a knife or slicer is a lot easier.