Pellets

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gspn

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I think I found a pellet that my gun will like. I've gone through about 5 or 6 types of pellets trying to see if my gun liked one particular type. Today I tested H&N Baracuda Hunters, Meisterkugeln, and Crosman Premier Ultra Magnums. I found that the H&N Baracuda Hunters group better than everything else I've tried so far. It's amazing to see just how much better they shoot than some of the others.

I noticed that the Baracudas fit the bore a whole lot better (and more consistently) than the other types. Every one of the barracuda's enters the bore with a bit of resistance. Many of the other types I've tried will have one or two that fit snug followed by a few that are loose. On the Baracuda's it's very consistent…every one feels the same. I don't know if that is the reason behind the accuracy but so far I think I've found the pellet for my gun.

Do y'all find that your gun prefers one type of pellet vs another? Anyone have a gun that shoots everything well?
 
My RWS was pretty finicky... I think H&N Barracudas were the preferred pellet when all was said and done (10.65gr).
 
Yes.....just like any gun.....air guns may well show a preference for a particular pellet design and skirt diameter. My FWB pistol prefers H&N Finale Match over other pellets.
Pete
 
Yes...my pellet rifles each "prefer" a particular pellet. Over the yeras I've tried just about every pellet made!

My Weihrauch HW97k in .177 is cool because it shoots several pellets
very well, but must be sighted in for each one. JSB Exacts are best, while Crosman Premiers and Beeman Field Target Specials are good too

My Beeman R9 .177 prefers Crosman Premiers

The Beeman RX .22 likes Beeman Field Target Specials. I used to prefer the Eley Wasp's, but they are no longer available. The Wasp's tins also had the nice screw-on lids. I miss those!


Years ago I purchased many 1,000's of the pellets from Mac1 when they had their annual pellet sale. I'm probably OK for the rest of my life, pellet-wise! :)
 
Do you find that "tight" or "loose" fit in the chamber has any correlation to accuracy?

In my limited testing so far it seems like the pellets that fit more loosely into the chamber shoot the worst.
 
H&N Baracuda/Beeman Kodiak are some of the best pellets for your go-to pellet. Most guns seem to like them but YMMV. My RWS/Diana 52s love them.
 
Sorry but I can't remember what gun or caliber you have, but like everyone said guns usually have one pellet that stands out so try as many as you can. I remember a forum that had a pellet exchange section to help people vs having to blow $10-20 to test a pellet type. Might look into that... On avg the better the barrel the less finicky it is. My FWB 124D shoots just about anything well thanks to it's very well made barrel, and most importantly (imo) is it's choked. Then better pellets usually work in more guns so imo just stick to the good ones. JSB, H&N, RWS, Cros Premier are favs of mine. Daisy, Gamo, and any cheap pellets are at the bottom imo. Many are just rebranded, like Beeman and Stoeger are H&N, Air Arms are JSB, Benjamin are Crosman, etc, so I just buy the orig.
I agree the Barracuda are excellent and one of my all time favs, however I only use the Std or Match version. Most all hollow point pellets don't actually open up and I doubt the Hunters do either so I'd use the round or semi-round/pointed like the Barracuda Std or Match for better all-around and max range. The best hollow point pellet imo is the H&N Crow Magnum, but they're designed for a bit of power to work right so no pistols etc. The Crosman Destroyers open too but not as far, are quite a bit lighter, and far less precision. Basically I use the Crow for powerful guns like a std Crosman break-barrel or stronger, and the Destroyers for pistols. I rarely use either tho, prefer to use round nose. Overall I like the JSB, 8.4, 10.3, and 13.4 for 177, then 14.3 thru 21 for 22. Each weight for a specific power level, gun type, and use. Say you have a generic non-magnum break-barrel like a Crosman or Gamo in .177. The JSB 8.4 and 8.3gr RWS Superdome usually perform best power wise and are very accurate. If you bump the weight to 10 like the JSB 10.3, Barracuda, 10.5 Cros Premier you will usually lose ~5-10% of your power. They're often more accurate, help tame the gun, easier on scopes, and carry they power better for longer ranges. Just letting you know they cost power/velocity more than one might assume. In a pcp or pump it's the opposite and the heavies usually make more power at the muzzle. Now in a magnum springer 177 pellets often go too fast so you have to use 10gr or heavier. Those mentioned usually work well, plus one of my favs; the JSB 13.4gr. For 22cal my min weight is 14.3 is both std and mags, but as power increases you can bump weight more. I consider the max weight to be 21gr Barracuda, and the 18.1 JSB being max for std and maybe the best all around pellet and weight for mags. If pellets fit loose you will probably lose accuracy, but many better pellets come in several diameters so you might look into that. If a gun is difficult to get pellets started in the bore you should consider a slight bevel. Many have a sharp edge that will actually cut the pellet, obviously a bad thing.
All these pellets and such are my opinion, nothing more.
If you post the gun, cal, power, usage I can give you more "opinions" if you want :)
 
Did I give you the tuning guide yet? I'd certainly consider tuning the gun, even if you just do some basic stuff. So I'd definitely try the RWS 8.3 Superdome, 8.4 & 10.3 JSB. Crosman 7.9 & 10.5 Premier round nose are worth a shot too. H&N Barracuda Match will probably shoot very close to the Hunters, but worth trying imo. The heavies like the 10gr cost you power at the muzzle which I think I mentioned, but usually that loss inverts at 5-10yards since the lighter ones slow down faster. To get a feel for how much pellets drop I shoot at either water or a dry dirt field, aim at something far away that's fairly level with you, then look for the splash or dust impact of the various pellets. It's amazing how quickly light ones drop. There are so many pellets out there to try, and while I haven't tried them all those are the best I've used. The round nose are usually the most aerodynamic. Seems like the pointed would be but I guess they have too much turbulence after the point. Round nose are nice all-around pellets. The only time I use hollow points is for pests where the other pellets pass thru too easily, like rats/squirrels or birds. The round work, but hollow like the Crow Mag make the difference between things like a Crow flying off a bit, or dropping on the spot. You can really hear the pop when it hits too.
I think those new Barracuda Hunters are meant more for magnum guns but you'll need to test 'em to find out. I'd try shooting them into something like clay to see if they open up at all. A poor mans hollow point for shooting at very close range like at rats is just turning your pellets upside down. Certainly not ideal, but from 0-10' they do more damage than the round end. If you do get some clay to play with it's fun to see how each pellet does. Shooting water balloons or eggs gives an idea how hollow points or backwards pellets work, and how deep heavies go. I have some printable targets I made if you want, they're excellent for airguns and don't waste ink like most do. Fyi; you can buy a .22 barrel for the gun if you have any interest in that. You can also buy the shrouded version like on the Trail guns to make it quieter. I really like those... A barrel is only ~$16, plus you'll need some small parts or rob them from your old barrel. Shipping is $4. It's nice to try both calibers to see which you prefer. Just a thought.
 
I've tested the following in my Umarex Fusion .177:

Gamo Rocket 9.6 gr : 650 fps, 1.04" avg group (5 shot - 20 yds)
Crossman Premier Dome 10.6 gr: 625 fps, 1.18" avg group (5 shot - 20 yds)
RWS Diablo Basic 7.0 gr: 699 fps, 1.125" avg group (5 shot - 20 yds)
JSB Diablo Match 8.65 gr: 679 fps, 0.40" avg group (5 shot - 20 yds)

Pretty clear that the JSB Diablo Match is by far the best.
 
Brian: With CO2 I'd shoot for the heavier pellets because pre-charged guns usually have more power with the heavier ones which is the opposite of springers. Plus the heavier will carry that power longer and are more accurate on avg. So I'd skip the 7gr and use what's working for you, but also try RWS Superdome and JSB 8.4, 10.3 and even 13.4. Since the JSB Match are working for you as it is, I'd imagine the 8.4 will work as well, but with better range. Probably cheaper too. The 10 and 13 will be slower of course, but make more power as mentioned, especially at the target. If you're shooting pests and what not that will really count in a weaker gun. The drawback is you have to get used to the drop of the slower pellet, but since a CO2 gun will gain power with a heavy and the BC is better then the drop will be minimal. Like diff between your 7gr wadcutter and an 8.4gr JSB round nose is probably like 2mm at your 20yards thru to say 50 yards. Not much to worry about at all, but the power is probably 25% better with the heavy for game, and the % gap between the two only get bigger with distance. Crosman Premier have thick skirts which can cause a power loss, leakage, and inconsistencies, and the weaker the gun the more pronounced, but as long as they work in your gun that's all that matters. The JSB are the opposite which is one reason they're so popular and work well in so many guns. Good luck, and post results if you try the other pellets
 
Chevota said:
Brian: With CO2 I'd shoot for the heavier pellets because pre-charged guns usually have more power with the heavier ones which is the opposite of springers. Plus the heavier will carry that power longer and are more accurate on avg.
Click to expand...

Not to sound like a hater, but can you explain the first half of that statement? I'm confused trying to understand what you mean.

edit: If this constitutes a threadjack, feel free to PM me instead. :)
 
RWS Superdomes work well in all mine. Pumpers, CO2, PCPs, springers. All like Superdomes.
Some even like Crow Magnums and Eun Jin.

Of course, there's one I've never even tried pellets in.
Sam Yang 909. .45 Caliber (despite what the mfr says) precharged pneumatic.
It gets balls and boolits.

My .22 Marauder is very happy with Superdomes.

Pellets that are loose in the bore give horrible accuracy for the same reasons undersized bullets do.
 
heavydluxe: Imo it has to do with the timing. In a springer the peak pressure is only available for a split second and a pellet that moves quickly enough can use that pressure before it drops off. A heavier pellet should also cause a faster piston rebound which makes that window even smaller. It all depends on how you believe a springer works. Take a standard 1200fps gun like a Crosman/Gamo etc and it will work well with up to about 8.4 grains, after that it will lose power as weight increases. The guns are essentially tuned to work with the standard 7.9gr pellet weight. A precharged gun applies the pressure and the pellet uses all of it regardless of weight until it leaves the barrel. Even my pneumatic pistol with its short little barrel makes the most power with a 13.4gr pellet (the heaviest 177 I have), then power drops as the weight drops. This is assuming friction is close, many heavy pellets have higher friction which would drop power.
 
I guess I was tripping on your use of the word 'power'.

I agree that heavier pellets lose velocity quickly in a magnum springer... But I don't think the drop-off in power is quite as severe.

Even PCP or CO2 air rifles fire heavier pellets (of a given caliber) at slower velocities than they do lighter pellets.

Anyway... thanks. I wanted to make sure I understood your post! :)
 
Yeah, power, not velocity :)
So a springer will usually shoot one pellet weight best, and the same gun with a heavier piston will on avg shoot heavier pellets better because the pellet more closely matches the pistons movement. The heavy piston is slower to compress, but that's perfect because the heavier pellet is slower to move. Then the heavier piston will rebound slower giving the pellet time to use it. My Trial XL has a very heavy piston so it works better with heavier pellets.
My Titan for example will shoot a 7.4gr @ 1053fps=18.2ftlbs, 8.3 @ 1011=18.8, 10.5 @ 867=17.5. So it loses power not only with a heavy, but also going too light, and as mentioned before it likes pellets ~8gr best.
The same gun in .22 isn't as sensitive to weight, and different guns have different numbers, but the pattern is still there.
My little P17 pneumatic pistol will shoot an 8.4gr @ 385=2.78, 10.3 @ 355=2.90, 13.4 @ 320=3.05, so velocity doesn't drop as much and power is up. Same pattern with other pre-charged guns.
 
If you haven't tried them already you might give the JSB pellets a try. Most of my rifles love them, and in .177 they have a sampler at pyramid air so you can find out which of them shoots best in your gun.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/JSB_M...l_Round_Nose_Pointed_4_Pellet_Types_400ct/958

Since yours is a springer (nitro piston is just a gas spring instead of a steel one) I'd stay away from the Monster but the Heavys should be OK.
 
Before you spend a lot on high priced pellets try the crosman destroyers, hollow points and competition. I have ten air rifles and every one likes one of those sometimes more then one. they are cheap and at wal mart
 
My TR77 NPS seems to favor crosman premier hollow points. That's fine with me because those open up great when shot into my clay mound bullet trap. I can't wait to take it hunting to see what they really do.
 
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