Month's long .25 JSB King Heavy Pellet Sorting Exercise and Testing Complete

[bdzjlz]

I have finally finished the sorting and testing of close to 10,000 pellets. About 60% were MK1 and 40% MKII. I sorted first for head size, and then by weight to within a 10th of a grain, if they weighed more than 33.60 gr or less than 34.60 grain. The "culls were thrown in as "miscellaneous" within each head size grouping.

After the sorting was complete, I waited for no wind days and tested the results of the sorting with four different .25 caliber rifles, all at the same distance of 84.1 yards.

My observations after all of this are as follows:

• For the average person, I don't think all of this is worth it, because we are not likely to throw half of more of each tin away to have the ultimate consistency .
• The MKI pellets varied much more in head size than do the MKII pellets. The overwhelming majority of the MKII pellets were 6.37MM in head size. The MKIs had a considerable percentage of each the 6.36mm and the 6.38mm pellets.
• If one's goal is solely focused upon winning matches, then I would think sorting would be mandatory. All of the best groups were shot with pellets that matched in head size and that were within a 10th of a grain.
• Sorting by head size seemed really reduce horizontal stringing, just as sorting for weight seemed to really reduce vertical stringing.
• While going through this exercise, sort of practicing with purpose, one learns things not expected. For example, even through one terrific pair of groups was experienced for the Brocock Sniper Magnum, the balance of the groups were subpar. So just for the heck of it, I got out the Air Arms and JTS 25s (25.4 Gr), and they stacked pellets on top of one another, not sorted, at about 100 fps faster than the rifle produced with the 33.95s. So I made the switch.
• As one would expect, each rifle seemed to have a preferred head diameter and weight, though this wasn't consistent between the MKI and MKII pellets.
• Finally, many of the groups would be 3/4" to 1" less if it weren't for just one or two flyers out of the ten shot groups. But we all know how that goes....

I'm not certain of the relevance of all of this, but it was an interesting exercise. I'm not certain how much more of this I will do. I m ight be more inclined to do more if it gets to -20 degrees with 30 mph winds for a month - but I am not anxious to resume the sorting exercise.

Thanks for looking.

 

[oledawg]

Well done on that lengthly testing, I’ve done it too BUT never that many…WOW. My take way is weight variations within a tin, which when you think about it are very small, won’t affect my accuracy unless maybe the extreme heavy or light pellet. Something I’m doing or not doing on that same shot may affect the poi as well and then the wind lets not talk about that right now.

Got my last testing pellets today for my Red Wolf .22. I have been shooting pellets on low & med in the weight range of 18g - 25.39g by JSB, H&N, AA, JTS and FX. I’m looking for the best 25 and 50 yd/m pellets, then I am going to look more closely at those pellets to see why my RW likes them and then what I might be able to do to improve them if anything.

So many things can affect my POI. My desire to improve my benchrest scoring can be found by looking at what I am doing or not doing to improve my scoring, doing the right things 25 times, rest, 25 times, rest 25 times. There still could be hidden secrets in pellet scrutiny, I may never stop .

Again nice test.

 

[bdzjlz]

Nice response. Thanks!