Self Reliant Airgunning - Pellet Production

[milegajo 595]

It has been the one bug bear of mine. That little niggle about airgunning. The tie that keeps me reliant on the world of money and the marketplace.

I speak of ammunition, its consumption and its loss.

We use a lot of pellets!

Accuracy demands that each pellet is near identical in shape and weight, and soft (for the rifling). Killing cleanly requires the material, after accuracy is obtained, to still pack a punch, thus a metal is deemed best.

It is therefore safe to say this means a man in the woods cannot extract or find the materials from the surroundings without mining the ore (if it even exists locally), smelting, casting, moulding, and swaging.

Unfortunately, if one is to stay safe from harassment, bow hunting, despite its 'renewable' ammo, is not an option on this island of ours, and catapults firing stones that are rarely uniform is a challenge I have yet to master.

 

On and off I researched various methods of banging out homemade ammo, but none were acceptable;

 

Corbin Pellet Presses and Swaging dies -Too expensive, too bulky and hardly cost effective to have shipped from the US of A.

 

L.E.M Spitzer moulds - poor accuracy results, becoming rare, none found in .177, production long ceased.

 

But lo! Whilst browsing for airgun bargains I came across an advert for a product aptly named "Airgun Pellet Maker". A chap had knocked up a prototype and posted a video of it on YouTube (I remember seeing it when it was first posted). He finally bowed to demand and has begun manufacturing them for sale.

He also lived locally so I popped across and we did a deal on a set. One .22 swager, one .177 swager and a dual calibre casting block.

 

That was on a Monday when the weather was poor and work was called off. I didn't get an opportunity to play until yesterday.

 

I was gifted some blanks to press and play with so I thought I'd do those and see what sort of weight the products were and their consistency on my new junkie scales bought for the job. Each were on the dot identical.

 

.177;

 

 

.22;

 

 

 

Now being as I'm using a springer, I've turned the weight of the .22s down to 18.4gr. The .177 I'm happy with as I want the punch.

The measurements include the tail flair, each fit beautifully in the barrels of the TX200 and TH208.

 

 

 

Pics of my play time.

 

Casting Block and eBay Lead Ladle;

 

The Blanks;

 

The Melting Pot;

 

The Finished Pellets;

 

The 'Workstation';

 

The lead was obtained from the old roof of this house I'm working on. The swager is to the right of the casting block seen in two parts. I intend to do a bit of a review of it with better pics outlining the method and process.

 

First test through the tx200 .177 10 yards.

 

Those two flyers, I think, were me tweaking the scope, zeroing as I went, and experimenting with holds. I was pretty impressed

 

Melting the old lead In a pellet tin on an old SMA Dried Milk Can using charcoal made in the woodburner;

 

Ran out of charcoal and had to use wood. I needed more oomph so...;

 

The process is alot of fun. Not everyone's cup of tea, but for me the value is more in the capability. Both the ability of recycling my shot, and forming it.

 

Hoorah!

 

Now to find the lead mine....

[Phantom 631]

Excellent

[AR177 588]

looks like mega fun!

 

If you can get the manufacturing process refined to produce greater accuracy you will be onto a winner great first effort though!

 

keep going till you find a winning combination

 

ATB

 

Adam

[milegajo 595]

It is awesome on a million levels! Soooo cool.

 

I have made one observation today. The pellets were slightly heavier than usual. 18.7gr and 18.8gr, now I hypothesize that this could be down to mixing the waste and adding different brands of spent pellet. It could be my Geco pellets? a zinc ThUnderbolt? I can't be sure. Anything over 18.8gr was easily trimmed down but there is a limit until you need to change the die in order to make the pellet lighter (essentially just shorter by raising the die).

 

Still I LOVE that I can get each and every one the same. Will make chronoing spot on! I found 4 different weights in AA fields, 2 in Bisley Mags, and 5-6 in cheapo Spitfires... Amazing.

[Elliott 436]

This looks great! Be interesting if you can get equal grouping to manufactured pellets! How cost effective is it apose to buying pellets?

[Mawders 595]

It sounds brilliant mate, you already know my thoughts however I have doubts about the .22 rounds being effective in a springer with the size and weight they are coming in at. Maybe in a pcp that's FAC rated they would be awesome. Sub 12ft/lb spring rifles prefer the lighter pellet in my Experiance.

[barrywhite 282]

L.E.M Spitzer moulds - poor accuracy results, becoming rare, none found in .177, production long ceased.

[milegajo 595]

This looks great! Be interesting if you can get equal grouping to manufactured pellets! How cost effective is it apose to buying pellets?

 

It's not really a viable replacement of mass produced ones.

But i enjoy the process and the results. I also like that i can recycle them. Need to refine and streamline my method for certain!

[milegajo 595]

It sounds brilliant mate, you already know my thoughts however I have doubts about the .22 rounds being effective in a springer with the size and weight they are coming in at. Maybe in a pcp that's FAC rated they would be awesome. Sub 12ft/lb spring rifles prefer the lighter pellet in my Experiance.

 

Possibly, but they're lighter than bisley mags at 21.4grains which people use with good results.

[milegajo 595]

L.E.M Spitzer moulds - poor accuracy results, becoming rare, none found in .177, production long ceased.

 

I stand corrected. One is evidently in existence.

That's gotta be worth a few Bob! Collectors love them especially boxed.

[tegater 789]

Very interesting topic and look forward to hearing more

[silentshot1 206]

Brilliant stuff!! Great to hear someone trying something different!

[hugo1 31]

looks great wouldn't mind ago my self does he sell them online got a load of led in the shed and in the pellet catchers

[ghillies 209]

sucking lead fumes is an IQ killer and depresion beinger (or sort of similar simptons..on going).

 

however have you thought of going its all balls?..lol smooth bore. slightly less distace accuracy but better one holers.

 

theyre used to be ball pliers/cutters for that sort of thing, but that was the 1900's.

[milegajo 595]

A musket man always had a ball mould and scrap lead in his pouch. I hear you can get shotgun moulds in .22 that make 20 at a time.

In a scenario that demands this sort of thing i wouldnt be fussy what shape it is, conical or ball.