I am wondering about this. Is the price for a pellet determine the quality and repeatability of a pellet? I dont know much about tolerances of a pellet ,how they do it. Is one company the best for repeatability and tolerances? If so, I wont waste my time on one brand , I would just go for the more/most expensive one to save time and money knowing I am going to get the quality pellet for competition/hunting purposes.
AIR GUN PELLETS QUALITY
- Thread starter danimal4789
- Start date
I'd say no on the price and tolerances overall. 2 cents or less as I'm very much in more seasoned company here on AN. Yeah, there is some worthless brands. I found handling care in regards to shipping protection to be the biggest factor. But, I have not shot the variety I see many others try out here or in videos. Also, I do most my stuff well below 50 yards.
(sorry, some corrections ... oh the aging mind, grammar etc out the window)
(sorry, some corrections ... oh the aging mind, grammar etc out the window)
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I find that I do get better accuracy from more expensive pellets, but not always. So much depends on what your barrel likes.
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JSB used to be the pinnacle of perfection when it came to quality pellets. Now, I find that JTS and AEA pellets perform better and seem more uniformly made. Too many bent skirts and the stupid pop top tins from JSB have swayed me to JTS/AEA/H&N.
As stated above, it's all on what your barrel wants to eat. Sometimes you get lucky and get a tack driver with daisy pellets. Sometimes you get unlucky and your gun only likes the most expensive pellets on the planet.
As stated above, it's all on what your barrel wants to eat. Sometimes you get lucky and get a tack driver with daisy pellets. Sometimes you get unlucky and your gun only likes the most expensive pellets on the planet.
I've never gotten great performance from very cheap pellets, but some shoot pretty good.
If you intend to maximize accuracy there is no shortcut to testing the widest array of pellet models across brands. Then once you have that, you may also find some lots perform better than others.
I have made pellets using a swaging die and they're about as close to physically perfect as I've ever found (and I've handled a bunch). But if your barrel doesn't like that particular pellet design/weight, its not going to shoot it well ever.
If you intend to maximize accuracy there is no shortcut to testing the widest array of pellet models across brands. Then once you have that, you may also find some lots perform better than others.
I have made pellets using a swaging die and they're about as close to physically perfect as I've ever found (and I've handled a bunch). But if your barrel doesn't like that particular pellet design/weight, its not going to shoot it well ever.
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I must be one of the lucky ones that purchased guns that are not pellet picky?
Some pellets will group better than others but, I have yet to see wild flyers????
Some pellets will group better than others but, I have yet to see wild flyers????
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Feature not a bug.
On the other hand if a bunch of pellets all shoot about the same, it could be there is something else in the system causing inaccuracy that isn’t related to the barrel or pellet selection.
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I just keep buying the H&N .22 Barracuda Match and .25 Barracuda at Hatsan when they have their 30% off end of year sale.
Most of my rifles shoot them just great and retail is $7.99 a tin (8 * .7 = $5.60 a tin on sale).
I can't see spending triple that for maybe 1/4" tighter groups.
My exception is the Niksan Ozark, JTS 25.39gr or Apolo 25.4gr. Apolo from Hatsan too.
-- Matt
Most of my rifles shoot them just great and retail is $7.99 a tin (8 * .7 = $5.60 a tin on sale).
I can't see spending triple that for maybe 1/4" tighter groups.
My exception is the Niksan Ozark, JTS 25.39gr or Apolo 25.4gr. Apolo from Hatsan too.
-- Matt
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I feel ya! when paying for "boutique" pellets (as I call them) you would think that for the price, you would get a decent pellet. Not always the case, my Cayden shoots the cphp pellets good and I can buy 3 tins of 500 for the cost of one tin of 500 in the jsbs. THEN I started into the "best pellet" quest, the difference in the "boutique" pellets and the cphp pellets starts to show when you size & weigh them. The jsbs while not perfect, are more consistent in weight, shape, and head size. This makes a difference when it comes to consistency, and accuracy. So, it really depends on what you consider decent, acceptable, and accurate. I don't think that the folks that are competing in matches are so bored, or have nothing to do, but size and weigh pellets, if it wasn't worth it.
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My guns (FX Bobcat, Royale, Boss) actually had their Original Smooth Twist barrels designed around JSB 18.13, 25.39 & 44.75gr (respectively). I always get superb results with them, still. However, I am really impressed with results trying AEA & JTS pellets. Both companies are doing SOMETHING right!
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My .30 Bobcat seems rather indifferent to MFG but not to weight. Likes the 45gr pellets, I've put Vortex, JSB and JTS through it with the same results.
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I do most of my (casual) shooting and plinking with unsorted pellets straight from the tin.
I have a variety of .22 caliber airguns and they all are happy shooting JSBs of the appropriate weight.
I've tried JTS, AEA, AirArms, FX pellets with good results and several others with mediocre results.
Some of my airguns tolerate H&N pellets and some definitely dislike them.
Unsorted Crosman pellets shoot poorly in most of my airguns, sorting makes a big difference.
I use sorted pellets for hunting, tuning, testing and serious shooting.
Just my observations.
Cheers!
I have a variety of .22 caliber airguns and they all are happy shooting JSBs of the appropriate weight.
I've tried JTS, AEA, AirArms, FX pellets with good results and several others with mediocre results.
Some of my airguns tolerate H&N pellets and some definitely dislike them.
Unsorted Crosman pellets shoot poorly in most of my airguns, sorting makes a big difference.
I use sorted pellets for hunting, tuning, testing and serious shooting.
Just my observations.
Cheers!
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Likewise with my Boss! Original Vortex though. Not the newer Vortex Strike! Those are crap, comparatively. Harder alloy that the OST barrels don't care for. Can barely find the old Vortex these days.
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Taipan is my longest lasting gun with CZ barrel, tends to be reasonably pellet friendly, but , to date, jsb/fx has been best. Have yet to try JTS/AEA but…since I shoot polymags and atomics. I match the hatch, so to speak. If AEA/JTS makes hunting pellets, then I’ll dive in their stuff.
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The good result reports from real folks speaks volumes. I'm glad to know there are valid choices.
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I picked up about 25,000 Norma pellets in .177 and .22 simply because the sampler packs were incredibly cheap and as luck would have it they have turned out to be decent pellets.
I’ve also had very good luck with H&N and those are affordable too.
JSB’s and their rebadged variations have always been great in my guns.
These days I pretty much stick to domes. I quit experimenting with hollow points and other varieties decades ago, so I don’t have much of a list of bad pellets to complain about. Crosman pointeds are the only pellets I’ve had a really bad experience with recently. I got two tins of them and some just fell into the bore while others needed to be seated with a probe.
These are both 5 shot groups shot with Norma Heavies. One in .22 and one in .177. Both were shot at 50 yards.
I’ve also had very good luck with H&N and those are affordable too.
JSB’s and their rebadged variations have always been great in my guns.
These days I pretty much stick to domes. I quit experimenting with hollow points and other varieties decades ago, so I don’t have much of a list of bad pellets to complain about. Crosman pointeds are the only pellets I’ve had a really bad experience with recently. I got two tins of them and some just fell into the bore while others needed to be seated with a probe.
These are both 5 shot groups shot with Norma Heavies. One in .22 and one in .177. Both were shot at 50 yards.
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Mine are Strike and do just fine. I literally just fired a magazine and they were nuts on.
-- Matt
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I recently picked up a Talon P .22, it may be my first gun that does pretty good with CPHP.
my HW30 does ok with them, but every few shots I get a flyer.
my HW30 does ok with them, but every few shots I get a flyer.
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The random crosman flyer is known well round these parts.
The only gun I had that would stack them no matter what, was my DAR G3. Out to 75 yards no problem. Too bad I sold it off because I didn't like the 30 round shot count on the reg.
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Thanks guys,that was all good info.What I am hearing is ,you have to buy a few brands and weights to see which ones perform. Just like with my centerfires and bullet weights and powder. I gues thats a good way how to keep a POLLOCK busy all day LOL. THANKS AGAIN.
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