Whats your poison?

[UKPoacher]

I was lucky for two reasons; a) I have a highly developed malecowpoo filter and so rarely fall for shallow advertising hype used by companies like Airflo (fly-fishing) and Pax / Prometheus, and B) I'm a Yorkshireman by birth and so suffer from tightwalletitis . As a lad I found some cheap pellets by the name of RWS Superdomes and used successfully them in a succession of .177 rifles,mainly HW77s for thirty years.

 

It was only by accident that I found myself with a .22 rifle and little ammo, and a friend gave me a box of AA Fields. Since then I've experimented a bit and found that for the extra few quid there are pellets that are slightly more accurate than RWS Superdomes, especially over 30 yds (Superdomes seem to drop considerably more, maybe because of their flatter profile compared to other domed pellets), and have the right qualities at the receiving end; i.e. delivering 100% energy into a live target. JSB Exacts, AA Fields, Accupells, and Crosman Premiers are all exeptionally good hunting pellets.

 

It doesn't matter what the advertisers say, or what tame magazine editors write about new products (especially when the makers have paid for advertising space) when you look at the pellets used by successful target shooter they are predominantly JSB manufactured. As already has been written; if the pellet doesn't hit the target then you might as well be shooting fluff.

[Andy75]

Both HW's (100 and 77K) run H&N FTT's.

[21grains]

H&N Baracuda 21.1gr BEEMAM Kodiak 21.1gr Bis mags 21.1gr HW Mag 21.1gr Webley Venom mag 21.1gr All made in the same Factory H&N on the same equipment. Baracuda Match has different head sizes 5.51 5.52 5.53.....Franky

Edited December 2, 2010 by 21grains

[pabs]

I was lucky for two reasons; a) I have a highly developed malecowpoo filter and so rarely fall for shallow advertising hype used by companies like Airflo (fly-fishing) and Pax / Prometheus, and B) I'm a Yorkshireman by birth and so suffer from tightwalletitis . As a lad I found some cheap pellets by the name of RWS Superdomes and used successfully them in a succession of .177 rifles,mainly HW77s for thirty years.

 

It was only by accident that I found myself with a .22 rifle and little ammo, and a friend gave me a box of AA Fields. Since then I've experimented a bit and found that for the extra few quid there are pellets that are slightly more accurate than RWS Superdomes, especially over 30 yds (Superdomes seem to drop considerably more, maybe because of their flatter profile compared to other domed pellets), and have the right qualities at the receiving end; i.e. delivering 100% energy into a live target. JSB Exacts, AA Fields, Accupells, and Crosman Premiers are all exeptionally good hunting pellets.

 

It doesn't matter what the advertisers say, or what tame magazine editors write about new products (especially when the makers have paid for advertising space) when you look at the pellets used by successful target shooter they are predominantly JSB manufactured. As already has been written; if the pellet doesn't hit the target then you might as well be shooting fluff.

JSB(and obviously all their rebadged ones) seem to be the best in all rifles bar the odd few! H&N(and rebadge) seem to run a fair 2nd.

Proof is in the pudding and those two never let you down.

[1652HCU]

Falcon Accuracy Plus for most my airguns- except AA in the S200 & Wasps in the older imperial rifles (BSA, Webley etc.)

[The Duncan]

B*gger! Does that mean I've got to amend the poll options to include Falcons?

Can i? Not tried to before! :unsure:

 

 

I was a little surprised to see Bisley pellets finally taking off after a slow start, as I've tried them in every air rifle I've owned, but they've always been bettered by another brand.

I guess each rifle has it's own preferences. :thumbs:

Edited December 2, 2010 by The Duncan

[Doc Holliday]

I've been using AA Diablo Hunter pellets recently. Have to say, not overly happy with them. They penetrate too much injuring the rabbit rather than killing it. Previously I was using RWS Super H Point. Not too bad but they seem to lack the weight other pellets offer. I bought both after consulting with different "experts" in the shops. May look at giving a domed pellet a try next. What weight do guys generally use? I know it's a bit of a trade off as to shorter distance, etc, with a heavier pellet but what would you say is the optimum weight for a domed pellet or are they all aboutthe same?

Edited December 4, 2010 by Doc Holliday

[skyshooter]

Falcon Accuracy Plus for most my airguns- except AA in the S200 & Wasps in the older imperial rifles (BSA, Webley etc.)

I have a mk 1 airsporter and a mk2 meteor and have 1000 'original' ELEY wasps. I havent tried the new wasps but have heard thy arent a patch on the old wasps. Can anyone recommend a large.22 pellet replacement for these rifles?

[UKPoacher]

I've been using AA Diablo Hunter pellets recently. Have to say, not overly happy with them. They penetrate too much injuring the rabbit rather than killing it. Previously I was using RWS Super H Point. Not too bad but they seem to lack the weight other pellets offer. I bought both after consulting with different "experts" in the shops. May look at giving a domed pellet a try next. What weight do guys generally use? I know it's a bit of a trade off as to shorter distance, etc, with a heavier pellet but what would you say is the optimum weight for a domed pellet or are they all aboutthe same?

 

I use AA Fields or JSB Exacts in .177 or .22 These are about the softest domed pellets you can buy and hit hard on live quarry.

[UKPoacher]

Just ran some pellets through the Prosport now that the V-Mach innards are installed;

 

JSB Exact 4.50 8.44g = 11.1 ft/lb & 770fps

Webley Accupell 4.50 7.9g = 10.35 ft/lb & 768 fps

Norica Killer 6.0g = 9.2 ft/lb & 831 fps

JSB Exact RS 4.50 7.33g = 8.8 ft/lb & 735 fps

 

The RS are on the face of it disappointing, especially as lighter pellets should in theory favour springers. When the snow has gone I'll be interested to see how they perform through paper compared to their heavier stablematesat distance.

[mortimer657]

Air Arms Field .177 and .22 in all my rifles..both PCP and Springer. You can lump JSB exacts in with those as well i suppose since they are one and the same. I dont mind the JSB Exact Jumbo/Heavy as well from the .22 Pro Sport of mine.

 

On a different not only had my Air Arms TX200 HC mkIII for 4 weeks and finally have finished modifying it...thus far:

 

AA TX200 HC mkIII .177, MTC Taipan 6-16 X 50 scope, V-Mach Kit/Tuned, Rowan Engineering Custom Alloy trigger unit, Walnut CS800 Thumbhole stock with adjustable butt pad...handles like a dream now..rivals my PCP's with ease. Great hunting rifle..just have to feed a few hundred rounds through it on the range now to settle the tuning work in..bed it in.

[UKPoacher]

Air Arms Field .177 and .22 in all my rifles..both PCP and Springer. You can lump JSB exacts in with those as well i suppose since they are one and the same.

 

They might be from the same factory, but they are definitely not exactly the same pellets. JSBs are lighter in the skirt and they have a different profile.

 

Just done some rough and ready field trials of the four pellets I mentioned earlier; JSB Exact, Webley Accupell, Norica Killer and JSB Exact RS. Despite the 7.33g RS pellets coming out of the gun at around 2/3 of the energy of their heavier cousins, their POI is virually exactly the same as the 8.44g Exacts at a measured 33 yds. Whereas the middling 7.9g Accupells were around 1.5" lower :blink:

 

Plotting the data on Chairgun seems to suggest that these two types of JSB Exact pellets follow virtually the same flight path up to 35 yds and the RS are only around 1/2" above the heavier Exacts at 55 yds. The RS are certainly easier to shoot with having noticibly reduced recoil and therefore would appeal to target shooters. However, given that the retained energy in the heavier Exacts is 2 ft/lb more at 33 yds and over 1 ft/lb more at 55 yds I can't see me using them for hunting. I would have like to jack up the Prosport to give an extra couple of ft/lbs on the lighter pellets, but it is at the maximum power as it is, and anything more would in any case push normal weight pellets over the legal limit.

[Beretta28g]

Difenocoum

[UKPoacher]

They might be from the same factory, but they are definitely not exactly the same pellets. JSBs are lighter in the skirt and they have a different profile.

 

Just done some rough and ready field trials of the four pellets I mentioned earlier; JSB Exact, Webley Accupell, Norica Killer and JSB Exact RS. Despite the 7.33g RS pellets coming out of the gun at around 2/3 of the energy of their heavier cousins, their POI is virually exactly the same as the 8.44g Exacts at a measured 33 yds. Whereas the middling 7.9g Accupells were around 1.5" lower :blink:

 

Plotting the data on Chairgun seems to suggest that these two types of JSB Exact pellets follow virtually the same flight path up to 35 yds and the RS are only around 1/2" above the heavier Exacts at 55 yds. The RS are certainly easier to shoot with having noticibly reduced recoil and therefore would appeal to target shooters. However, given that the retained energy in the heavier Exacts is 2 ft/lb more at 33 yds and over 1 ft/lb more at 55 yds I can't see me using them for hunting. I would have like to jack up the Prosport to give an extra couple of ft/lbs on the lighter pellets, but it is at the maximum power as it is, and anything more would in any case push normal weight pellets over the legal limit.

 

Something odd going on! I've just re-tested the RS pellets. The Prosport has now had about 150 through since the re-build and bu99er me if the lighter RS aren't now pushing out 10.8 for 815 fps and the regular JSBs are also doing 10.8 ft/lb for 760 fps.

 

I'm working days for the next two so won't be able to get out. I'll feed a few hundred junk pellets through it over the next couple of evenings to see whether it settles down any more.

[pabs]

Something odd going on! I've just re-tested the RS pellets. The Prosport has now had about 150 through since the re-build and bu99er me if the lighter RS aren't now pushing out 10.8 for 815 fps and the regular JSBs are also doing 10.8 ft/lb for 760 fps.

 

I'm working days for the next two so won't be able to get out. I'll feed a few hundred junk pellets through it over the next couple of evenings to see whether it settles down any more.

 

Would imagine them seals etc are seating in proper now.

[The Duncan]

Interesting results UKPoacher especially with the rs's.

When I've rebuilt springers in tghe past, tuned or standard, they've almost always needed a couple of hundred shots before they properly settle down and everything beds in.

It should still get smoother after that though. And of course, with your set-up, you'd definitely be expecting single-figure consistency.

[UKPoacher]

Yes, I understand that bit. I've had a few HW77s tweaked. It was the unexplained variation in the three differing weight pellets that I wouldn't work out. Might have been operator error.

[The Duncan]

Yes, I understand that bit. I've had a few HW77s tweaked. It was the unexplained variation in the three differing weight pellets that I wouldn't work out. Might have been operator error.

 

Oddly enough,I've had similar occurences with pellet weights and the springer/pcp situation.

PCP's are supposed to produce more power with heavier pellets, springers with lighter pellets.

To this day though, most heavy pellets seem to produce less power in my HW100 pcp (about 11.9fpe with AA field 4.52, 10.9fpe with H&N barracuda Match @18grains approx) Conversely, The HW springers I have owned have produced more with FT Trophy pellets which are heavier than accupel, although still a middle weight pellet.

 

I doubt user error, but I don't know the explanation for the anomaly.

Perhaps the rs's aren't sealing as well under pressure as the Exacts?

Obturation I think is the word. Is the lead alloy mix the same? The mix might be harder in the RS's making them less dense and therefore lighter?

 

Duncan

Edited December 7, 2010 by The Duncan

[Born Hunter]

AA field hw100 good set up.

[UKPoacher]

Just been doing some research on the Pax / Prometheus pellet situation given that very few on here seem to admit to using this brand of pellets yet the unofficial champion of the brand claims on here that they are selling like hot cakes abroad - "machines can't keep up with demand".

 

So I checked the US eBay site and there is one, yes just one listing for Prometheus, none listed for Defiant and none for Thunderbolt pellets. Australia - zilch! France - zilch! Spain - zilch! Over to Deutchland however and it seems that eBay.de is awash with Prometheus & Defiant listings. Looking a bit further into this however I find that the feedback for the sellers shows that less than 3% of their pellet sales are Prometheus, most of these being 25 pellet trial packs at 8 euro, or packs of 1,000 Prometheus 'Indoor Plinkers' (whatever they are) that they are knocking out at 5 euro / £4.18 a thousand There are virtually no Defiant sales and Thunderbolt pellets doesn't feature in any listing.

 

Now I know that eBay isn't the only outlet for pellets, but it should be a decent indication of the market. So where do all these 'Queens award for Export' pellets go - outer space?

[The Duncan]

Just been doing some research on the Pax / Prometheus pellet situation given that very few on here seem to admit to using this brand of pellets yet the unofficial champion of the brand claims on here that they are selling like hot cakes abroad - "machines can't keep up with demand".

 

So I checked the US eBay site and there is one, yes just one listing for Prometheus, none listed for Defiant and none for Thunderbolt pellets. Australia - zilch! France - zilch! Spain - zilch! Over to Deutchland however and it seems that eBay.de is awash with Prometheus & Defiant listings. Looking a bit further into this however I find that the feedback for the sellers shows that less than 3% of their pellet sales are Prometheus, most of these being 25 pellet trial packs at 8 euro, or packs of 1,000 Prometheus 'Indoor Plinkers' (whatever they are) that they are knocking out at 5 euro / £4.18 a thousand There are virtually no Defiant sales and Thunderbolt pellets doesn't feature in any listing.

 

Now I know that eBay isn't the only outlet for pellets, but it should be a decent indication of the market. So where do all these 'Queens award for Export' pellets go - outer space?

There's adamned good reason why folk aren't raving about them - they're **** when it comes to grouping at distance, and get scattered by the wind like ash!

Once you've missed more than a couple of rabbits @ 35 yards, you retest your ammo amd review your brand!

Stupid-o price too

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

It's easy to get bogged down with pellet testing / choice.

I use a variety of different pellets, I useually find what's ok to use in whatever rifle i have then buy the cheapest often asking for cheaper dented tins.

When accuracy is needed without compramise then I get what's needed regardless of the price.

Pity RWS wasn't on the list but I did tick some of what I use.

[The Duncan]

I useually find what's ok to use in whatever rifle i have then buy the cheapest often asking for cheaper dented tins.

When accuracy is needed without compramise then I get what's needed regardless of the price.

Pity RWS wasn't on the list but I did tick some of what I use.

 

RWS - d'oh!