Not Exactly a pellet Review

[Gene_SC]

In the Beginning...

Sometime's when I am over at CDT's shop, he tells me things as he is tuning rifles. Every once in a while something sticks...

One thing that got my attention was distorted pellets.. He was testing a finished tune one day when I arrived. He had the gun on the chrony. One shot had way low FPS, and he mentioned that, that was a bad pellet. I asked him what do you mean. He said the pellet skirt must have been distorted on that one. So he showed me and I was impressed to say the least. Thought to myself, maybe that is my problem sometimes when shooting targets and can't hit crap... After several discussion with Bob about pellets and what types do what, what damaged ones sound like leaving the muzzle, accuracy etc, etc., a light came on. I need to take notice with these pellets.. hehe

And now follows my conception of pellet handling and the performance and outcome of damaged or distorted pellets..


I am sure the old timers are well aware of pellet handling and what you look for in a good production pellet. I am goin into splitting hairs here with pellets...

Actually I never knew about pellet handling when I first started in the Air Gun Hobby. I practiced and practiced shooting springers constantly as most of you have done..

The whole point here is handling of pellets and not just the brands of pellets. Over time I have noticed a distorted pellet does not make for accuracy. Can really lower your FPS and FPE also. Some of you new guys when shooting targets or even small game hunting should take not at what the skirts of the pellets you use before you place them into the breech.

Every time you mis handle a pellet you risk distorting the skirt. I have big ole fingers and it is very easy for me to pick a pellet out of the tin and distort the skirt. When I am on the bench shooting I spread out the pellet I am using onto a cloth. That way I can pick them up with out damaging the other pellets around the tin. By putting them on a flat surface on cloth I never damage the other pellets.

I have got to this point after many hours of practice n which I would get flyers which would discourage me allot. At the beginning as I said I was not aware of the consequences of damaged pellets. At that point I was picking pellets out of each tin. Pushing my fingers into the tin and damaging the pellets. No wonder I could not shoot with accuracy. hehehe

You can look through a new tin of pellets and find damaged pellets from shipping and handling. I usually set those pellets aside. I also find that trying to wash pellets damages them also. Every time you move or shake pellets there is always some pellets that are getting damaged.

As I have found out that the consistency of shooting targets and good head shots depends partly on a good shaped pellet that you load into the breech. The consistency of my shooting has improved tremendously after watching how I handle pellets and looking at each one before I slide it into the breech.

There are many other factors with pellets that can make up good shots but this was the most important thing that I found that helped me out with consistent accuracy.

Gene

[shadow]

I got a tin of gamo's last year, got home and decided to do some target practice. Opened up the tin and to my SHOCK it looked like someone had tossed them in a tumbler and pushed the smash button. Over half of the tin was junk and back to the store for a return. They exchanged them no problems. Now this could be any brand and I havent had a bad tin since. MY NEW RULE TO SELF, check tin before leaving store.Check tin again when I get home,empty tin carefully onto something soft. Sort through them like I'm looking for a perfect diamond tossing anything that looks suspect. I've got a small magnifing glass I peak through once in awhile. I also line my tin with some soft deer leather, keeps them cozy and QUITE.

[ribbonstone]

Are still some pellets that come with the circular foam rubber filler..which really doesn't help too much when the tin is 1/2 empty unless you saved the foram rubber from another can to make a bottom and a top layer in the can.

And I do save the tins...esp. the screw together type...and reuse the foam fillers.  IF need be, can cut the circles from junk-foam (seems about 1/4 the items mailed in large envelops use a thin sheet of foam as packing).

[shadow]

WHAT DO YA THINK, JUST CAME TO ME. I'm always trying to move foward but never straight HA.

[Gene_SC]

I think you guys are on the right track.. hehe And Shadow, I buy all of my pellets on line because there is no place near me to buy good pellets or even any quantities. I get them shipped to me with bent tins, and dented tins. I sure inspect those very carefully. Always put the bad ones aside to shoot with me hand guns or the TF 99... hehe

I might add that I buy RWS Superdomes in .177, .22... JSB Exacts in .177 and .22... Beeman Target Specials in .20, every time I get below a thousand..  Also find that my FX Cyclone will shoot the CP's very good. So I keep a buch of them around also..

Gene

[shadow]

Mystery mail tins , now thats scary. Wish there was something closer for ya. I live about 45 miles from what I call, HEAVENS GATE slash hunting outlet .ADDRESS, 45th and plum. 45 miles out and plum back in the bushes.Dont mind though love the veiw and plenty of varments. By the way GREAT AIRRIFLE WEBSIGHT,happy to be a member. ED

[ribbonstone]

Haven't tried it...might not be as likely to confrom to the little bumps of individual pellets.

Not that I don't shoot pellets that aren't packed in tins...but I will put the other types of packaging in empty tins and relable the tins...toss in enough of the circular foam rubber spacers to keep 'em from rattling but not so many as to crush them.

[shadow]

gonna try foam rubber ,got a bunch of it in the shop. thanks ED

[Gene_SC]

Hey Shadow.

Loveing your posts bud. We thank you for your contributions. Good to see fresh meat on da forum.. hehe

Gene

I have to say that from the pellets I've bought it seems that for visual quality at least, Gamo's are the worst.  When you set a Gamo next to a JSB or RWS its like night and day.  This is a generalization, but it is what I've observed.  The Gamo's are just rough by comparison to most of the other brands.

[shadow]

Never had a problem with Gamo's other then that one tumbler tin. Nice grouping and they keep my iron happy. Always happy to try new ammo. Hunting bud gave me some raptors to try out,anyone else tried em.?

[Randino]

Ya, I've tried Raptors. IMHO even before I knew they could damage the gun, I didn't like what I saw. Terrible at long range, they seem to spin away from the target. I only got one "package" and probably have more than half left since I don't shoot them anymore. I wouldn't recommend them.

Sorry, this was an old post.

[shadow]

Hehe Randy, found a old post and since then I think most of us don't use em, they like pretty though. Ed

[longislandhunter]

Only gun I'll shoot em in is my 1377 pumper pistol,,, they actually work pretty good in that shooter.

Jeff

Not everything that looks OK is always OK, and not everything we buy is 100% manufactured to some rigid standards either.
This article reminded me of a car tune-up long time ago.
This happened to me several years ago when I was having  a tune-up done on wife's little Lincoln. I observed mechanic throwing brand new Champion sparkplug in a thrash can, which startled me a bit. (Through the years I always assumed that those things were built and tested to function properly).
Well he explained me that one did not fire as it should have had.
Recently I branded Crosman Premium pellets as a garbage. It was as I see now little harsh comment from a guy that just started shooting air gun 2 years ago. But when I can take another pellet an push the front one another 3 mm without any resistance it tells me that I must be wasting some of the air that suppose to built up the energy in my shot.
Also, I assume there maybe some kind of affect this bypassing turbulence  has on accuracy.
Of course I would not know there was a too much tolerance in Crosman until I bought JSB Exact( Wolverine ).
I realize, that lot of you guys shoot and like Crosman pellets. To me even at half the cost I would not buy another tin.
It would be like buying a lousy tasting cheese for buck a pound in a bulk of 20 pounds.
I would hate to eat that stuff for two months also!!

Ivan