Fisheruk Posted October 23, 2022 Report Share Posted October 23, 2022 Has anyone experience in find any success with non lead pellets for air rifles either sub 12 or FAC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultrastu Posted October 23, 2022 Report Share Posted October 23, 2022 They can be quite accurate at up to medium ranges (jsb .exact .177 lead free ) but the low bc reveals its short comings much past 35 yds . Also they ricochet and bounce back at you with terrible speed at those shorter ranges that they are of any use. As such I won't shoot them , they should be banned on safety grounds . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultrastu Posted October 23, 2022 Report Share Posted October 23, 2022 I often plink in my garden I have a 25 yd range with .sand box back stop backed up with a wall of concrete slabs .I put tin cans or steel targets in front of it and plink away with lead pellets .177 or .22 sub 12 .the furthest any pellet has come back towards me is about 12 inches .the floor directly infront of the box is littered with totally smashed pellet fragments . I bought to try some jsb lead free . And while the sand alone caught the pellets. Any steel or the concrete slabs made them bounce around ridiculously .I stopped pretty quickly .later that week I found one 15 yds away up on my garage roof totally intact and could be shot again if I'd wanted .these pellets should be removed from sale from all rfds and manufacturers told to stop making them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 23, 2022 Report Share Posted October 23, 2022 I've read quite a few posts about lead free pellets, OK accuracy to 20-25mtrs but nothing like normal lead pellets, plus fliers, then opening up past 25 to make them unusable IMO on live quarry. Then like Stu says they ricochet badly, I happily check zero and shoot a couple of mags in my garden but I'm not sure I could with lead free, and being able to shoot safely in your garden is a big appeal of air guns. Lads have said they don't load smoothly as lead does, so will they damage barrels and probes? I've just read nothing yet that makes me want to try some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted October 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2022 I’ve tried several types in my various air rifles, accuracy seems inconsistent. When you are shooting live quarry you have a responsibility to be accurate with consistency. If you can’t be consistent then you are going to miss or maimed too many. If you are shooting to a squirrel feeder you’ll get bounce back a ricochets, which are too dangerous. The Health and Safety Executive have a consultation open until 6th November. I strongly urge anyone who has genuine concerns about non lead ammunition for both air rifles and .22lr., to submit a response. Otherwise lead ammo could become banned. 23 minutes ago, Mice! said: I've read quite a few posts about lead free pellets, OK accuracy to 20-25mtrs but nothing like normal lead pellets, plus fliers, then opening up past 25 to make them unusable IMO on live quarry. Then like Stu says they ricochet badly, I happily check zero and shoot a couple of mags in my garden but I'm not sure I could with lead free, and being able to shoot safely in your garden is a big appeal of air guns. Lads have said they don't load smoothly as lead does, so will they damage barrels and probes? I've just read nothing yet that makes me want to try some. Those that I know have done serious testing of the non lead ammo have not found any offerings that are available provide consistent accuracy beyond 15 metres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEINVISIBLESCARECROW Posted October 24, 2022 Report Share Posted October 24, 2022 I've tried a few. Won't buy any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas seal Posted October 24, 2022 Report Share Posted October 24, 2022 Hi Fisheruk l have used bsa non lead in .177 in a gamo gx 40 12ft lb air gun. The pellets fired higher than the bisley magnum that l use and have a flatter trajectory. I found them accurate to 30yards, I don’t shoot much further. I tested them at 30yards on fresh shot pigeons and crows the pellets passed through them. I’ve shot pigeons crows rats and rabbits with them, the pellets are very light weight but they seem to hit harder. They seem to knock pigeons out of the tree. I’ve not used them on a windy day . I have shot a few pigeons at 40yards ish with them. I don’t know if anyone has tried them in a higher power air gun but the pellets will be heavier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu64 Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 Steve Shally of the youtube channel AEAC seems to have good results with Predator GTO pellets, which I don't think are available here in the UK. He generally tests airguns with a variety of pellets including lead free and sometimes the lead free are the best in a particular gun. I was wondering if a new calibre or twist rate or smooth x type barrel might be on the way to suit a 12ftlb rifle and lead free pellets or slugs. A slug would be a better weight than a pellet but would need a different barrel to avoid excessive drag from the rifling of a conventional barrel I think.Someone like FX seem to be pro active with that sort of thing. New calibres seem to come along in firearms all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 2 hours ago, stu64 said: was wondering if a new calibre or twist rate or smooth x type barrel might be on the way to suit a 12ftlb rifle and lead free pellets or slugs. A slug would be a better weight than a pellet but would need a different barrel to avoid excessive drag from the rifling of a conventional barrel I think.Someone like FX seem to be pro active with that sort of thing. New calibres seem to come along in firearms all the time. All of that is possible, but I'd say if something new is brought out then it needs to work in existing barrels, think how many air rifles must be out there already. I'd need 177 & 22, then I'd need to test multiple pellets across all guns, far from straightforward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 ive been wondering about this for a long time....im not some sort of ballistics expert ...but a change of calibre and shape of the ammunition...shape of rifling.... would be interesting......i just have this feeling that spring air rifles will become a thing of the past without lead ammunition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rewulf Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 5 minutes ago, ditchman said: i just have this feeling that spring air rifles will become a thing of the past without lead ammunition Where theres a will.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu64 Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 11 minutes ago, Mice! said: All of that is possible, but I'd say if something new is brought out then it needs to work in existing barrels, think how many air rifles must be out there already. I'd need 177 & 22, then I'd need to test multiple pellets across all guns, far from straightforward. We all feel this way-goes without saying. But if lead free ammo doesn't work/isn't acceptable in existing guns, and there is a ban on lead ammo, new guns in new calibres with different barrels may be a real option. who knows- they may be better than exisiting guns with lead ammo. higher fps and flatter trajectory could be interesting. probably years in the future, if at all. most people will be stocking up with lead so it wont be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas seal Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 I tested the BSA non lead.177 pellets in my BSA ultra mmc and they were not accurate. I’ve also tested the hades pellets in the same gun and they were not accurate. The same pellets in the gamo gx40 were accurate. It could be just a longer barrel making a difference. For the distance I shoot the non lead pellets worked for me. If lead pellets are made illegal and people still use lead it will no doubt lead to a license for air guns. Maybe the pellets need to be made heavier more so for fac air guns. Some lead pellets work better than others in air guns it will be the same with non lead pellets. The makers of the pellets must have tested them in different guns, they should publish the results before they go onto the market. I don’t know if they are any good in spring guns, l think they would work in some guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 1 hour ago, stu64 said: most people will be stocking up with lead so it wont be a problem. Surely not 🤣🤣😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 I will certainly have enough to see me out, no problem. I tried those Prometheus thingies when they came out, what a load of rubbish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultrastu Posted October 27, 2022 Report Share Posted October 27, 2022 6 hours ago, Gas seal said: I tested the BSA non lead.177 pellets in my BSA ultra mmc and they were not accurate. I’ve also tested the hades pellets in the same gun and they were not accurate. The same pellets in the gamo gx40 were accurate. It could be just a longer barrel making a difference. For the distance I shoot the non lead pellets worked for me. If lead pellets are made illegal and people still use lead it will no doubt lead to a license for air guns. Maybe the pellets need to be made heavier more so for fac air guns. Some lead pellets work better than others in air guns it will be the same with non lead pellets. The makers of the pellets must have tested them in different guns, they should publish the results before they go onto the market. I don’t know if they are any good in spring guns, l think they would work in some guns. Its often said that heavier pellets are better in fac airguns .that hasn't been my finding at all . Standard 8.4 s or 10.3 grn pellets in .177 are fine up to around 1000 fps the heavier 13 - 16 grn .177 s are rubbish . Same for .22 13.4 grn up to 18 grn pellets are great but the heavier than that 24 grn etc tend to be rubbish . Same with the .25 cal pellets the really heavy 33 grn and above are way too slow and not as accurate as the standard 25 grn .25 cals . Maybe I'm not driving the very heavy pellets fast enough .but then again why would I want too .there are mostly down sides to heavy pellets going very fast . I really can't see lead free slugs working in airguns at all .most lead slugs are pretty useless at sub 12 . And ok if you drive them very fast . Obviously there will be some people who can get there gun to work with work with a particular slug at a certain power etc .But for the VAST majority of sub 12 airgunners slugs won't work well enough to out perform a quality pellet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted October 28, 2022 Report Share Posted October 28, 2022 Can't help but wonder if the makers know something that we don't the way they're throwing money at the development of, say, in particular, lead slugs. I've just ordered some 10gr (JSB and Zan) sample quantity slugs to ty in the 12ftlbs R-10 and whichever new FAC rifle I finally buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARSH GUN Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 Think the .177s will be having a tough time hunting anymore in sub 12, and can see the .22 and especially the .25 being the choice for hunting/ pest control. The .25 has 19 grain from H&N , its the way i imagine it will go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 30 minutes ago, MARSH GUN said: Think the .177s will be having a tough time hunting anymore in sub 12, and can see the .22 and especially the .25 being the choice for hunting/ pest control. The .25 has 19 grain from H&N , its the way i imagine it will go. Are these the barracuda green at 19.91gr? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 I can see that for someone like me going back to puff gunning after some 65 years the choice of calibre is going to be a minefield and the only sensible action is just to carry on as though nothing was about to change. Just yet anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas seal Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 I use.177 12 ft lb with bsa non lead and don’t see any need to change to .22 or.25 air guns. The pellets weigh 6.6 grain they may be to fast in a higher power .177 air gun and not as accurate , I don’t use high power air guns. The distance I shoot is up to 35 yards and the pellets are accurate and powerful enough . I shoot at the same distance with lead pellets. None of my friends have tried non lead in 22 or 25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARSH GUN Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 1 hour ago, wymberley said: Are these the barracuda green at 19.91gr? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARSH GUN Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 39 minutes ago, Gas seal said: I use.177 12 ft lb with bsa non lead and don’t see any need to change to .22 or.25 air guns. The pellets weigh 6.6 grain they may be to fast in a higher power .177 air gun and not as accurate , I don’t use high power air guns. The distance I shoot is up to 35 yards and the pellets are accurate and powerful enough . I shoot at the same distance with lead pellets. None of my friends have tried non lead in 22 or 25 Tried The H&N Baracuda Greens in a 12ft ibs Air arms seemed accurate enough, could be .177s do ok on the light pellets i guess lighter will just make velocitys higher if they group ok and the ft lbs should be roughly the same just faster. might be ok for .177s then. re the H&N FTT powers just copper platted lead or are they indeed pure copper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas seal Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 Hi I fired the bsa non lead and hades pellets in a bsa ultra and they weren’t accurate. The same pellets in a gamo gx40 are very accurate. I am using lead and non lead pellets. I wanted to try the non lead pellets. I haven’t tried them on a windy day maybe because they are a bit faster they could be better in the wind or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultrastu Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 No they WILL be worse in the wind. The higher the bc .the better a pellet bucks the wind . Light weight lead free pellets generally have a poor bc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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