Opinion / Test - .177 / 4.5 mm H&N Barracuda Hunter HP Explosive Power

[Blackpaw]

Okay I am waiting for the HFT season to start, so I am trying to keep myself amused, and being a science geek I like to test. I have seen a lot of buzz about the coming JSP .177 Hades, but I haven’t had the chance to try them yet. I have though the H&N Barracuda Hunters HP so I thought today to do a “test” looking at the “explosive” power of the pellet at sub 12 ft/lbs and 18 ft/lbs setting.

Gun: Brocock Compatto Sniper XR .177 cal / 4.5 mm FAC version

Pellet: H&N Barracuda Hunter HP - 9.57 grain

Chronograph: FX Chronograph

Settings on rifle: sub 12 and 18 ft/lbs

Shooting distance 8 m. (Length of my indoor shooting range)

Test items: small oranges / onions

Okay, this is purely a subjective test, but I did chronograph the speed of the pellets to confirm the setting and muzzle energy. When I used the low setting muzzle energy of the pellets was around 11.5 ft/lbs and at high setting, the muzzle at 17.6 ft/lbs.

I had some oranges going bad, so I thought to use them at “test subjects”, so I set them up and took shots at individual / similar sized oranges and onions. In a general statement, the destruction power of the pellet “doubled” between the high and low settings. And the expansion of the pellet was dramatic when I “clicked the switch” the energy transfer was dramatically visible. I will try the same test with JSB Hades in .177 / 4.5 mm when they become available locally. The only advantage I see with the Hades is they are a bit heavier, so maybe some better down range impact power vs the Barracuda Hunters.

So any thoughts or experience yet comparing the Hades to the Barracuda Hunters HP?

 

[intenseaty22]

Nice! Questions. How did you achieve the power levels? Power wheel? If so, at what settings? No pictures?? .....better than a thousand words

 

[Blackpaw]

Okay fair questions: Low power setting is sub 12 ft lbs. High 17-18 ft. I didn’t the medium high setting. The difference I notice is that in the higher power settings is the “finer shock trauma”. The insides have more shredding, thus shock trauma, and this gives you more “shredding” inside of the “organism.” I figure at 18 ft setting (high) the H&N can do this to a small orange or onion it should have much problems with doing major trauma to a pigeon, startling or rat, etc with the H&N Barracuda Hunters. Also, the obvious happened, the pellets flattened out more. One last note to sum stuff up, at the higher setting there was more fracturing than at the lower setting. Does this make sense?

photos provided.

 

[intenseaty22]

Thanks for feedback. Just to make sure, you only used this power adjuster right? I just saw that the Hades are in the country, but still not available for purchase. I’m hoping they perform well. 

 

[Blackpaw]

Yes, I am using the external on the fly power adjustment. Only issue is I had is the trigger is sticking. I did adjust it, and maybe that had something to do with it, but I will try it in the morning to try and refine it. Also, I shot slugs and they still don’t do well in the gun, so not worrying about the for the Brocock Compatto at this time.

 

[JungleShooter]

The only advantage I see with the Hades is they are a bit heavier, so maybe some better down range impact power vs the Barracuda Hunters.

Mmmh, I think you're talking about the H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme. Because the regular H&N Baracuda Hunters are actually heavier than the Hades.



10.34gr = .177 Hades (cf. link 1)

9.57gr = Baracuda Hunter Extreme (cf. link 2) | BC of 0.018

10.49gr = .177 Baracuda Hunter (cf. link 3) | BC of 0.023 [excellent!] 



Thanks for sharing your test results!

Matthias



Link 1: https://hardairmagazine.com/news/product-news/coming-soon-jsb-hades-177-cal-pellets/

Link 2: https://www.hn-sport.de/en/air-gun-hunting/baracuda-hunter-extreme-177

Link 3: https://www.hn-sport.de/en/air-gun-hunting/baracuda-hunter-177

 

[intenseaty22]

The advantage I personally see with Hades is just that. Personal. I like the design. The .22s work really well for me. They have proven to be very accurate for me, more so than the H/Ns, I have also had very good luck with the regular JSB 10.34s. So basically I’m just hoping they perform as good. Just hoping, but I can’t wait to try them anyway. 

 

[Blackpaw]

Hi jungleshooter, yes you are correct. I was shooting the H & N Barracuda Hunter Extremes, not the Hunter. 

 

[Motorhead]

ACCURACY ends all debates with a well placed ( accurate ) shot with a simple dome pellet trumping any fancy hollow point, cup point, ballistic tip ( Semi accurate ) designer pellet hitting the wrong place due to compromised accuracy.

While some of these pellets certainly have use where PASS THREW shots are not wanted at close ranges ... nearly every NON DOME pellet made today has a lousy BC and most don't shoot well past 30-40 yards relative to a dome. The JSB HADES while not a wild fragmenting pellet, it does blend the better attributes of both IMO.



just keeping it real ....



Scott S