Pellet Selection / Range

[camies 1]

You'll all be aware of the problem.

 

A perfect setup, a clean strike and the bird / rabbit looks at you, gives you the perverbial finger and walks / flys away!

 

You know you hit it! Heck you even saw the impact. The strike was "perfect". What's going on?

 

I tried to experiment with impacts into putty (like Ian Pellants site) and sure enough, pointy pellets don't hit hard they burrow and wad cutters splat impressively!

With a 12 ftlb gun funny things happen out at round the 35yard mark though and a number of pellets were found tumbled in the putty. Wad cutters still splatted (inaccurately) but sometimes side on.

 

So, the 64 dollar question.

Rabbit? .22, what shape / make (mine Bisley magnums) is everyone using and how many times does the prey stick out it's tongue at you and why do you think the pellets failed?

 

Birds? .22, inside I always use wadcutters (crossman wads) after I punched a diablo pellet through an asbestos roof (the farmer was not a happy bunny). Since the swap no problem, farmer back on speaking terms.

Birds outside is a different picture with wadcutters only seeming effective to 20/25 yards so diablo styles used as standard but good strikes especially under 25yards sometimes giving the finger.

 

I think it's a case of too much burrow and not enough splat but I'd love to know what you all use.

[Edgar 1]

RWS Hobby. They are accurate to about 25-30 yards in my air rifle and do a lot of damage to vermin!

[RaiderBoy 19]

webley accupell they will kill anything, i shot my garden door and it went through that and made it about half way through the door opposite

[camies 1]

OK, penetration not a problem Ta, but what about real life dramas in the field?

[Guest Scuba1]

OK, penetration not a problem Ta, but what about real life dramas in the field?

 

 

Well my take on the matter is that with a clean head shot, you are going to ruin the day of any bunny,pigeon etc. whatever pellet you use. Because if the pellet goes through it is going to mix the brain up and if it stays in ......... well they do have a problem thinking around a lump of lead whatever the time of day.

 

ATB

 

Michael

[andyfr1968 772]

It's the reason I gave up on .22 years ago.

Made the shot, saw the hit, waved bye-bye to my dinner! It happened a good few times and I knew the shot had been good.

That said, it only happened around the 30-35 yard mark, so I guess that's the reliable limit of a 12ft-lb .22 round head.

I changed to .177 (Bisley Mags after lots of tests) and I never had the same problem again. If dinner legged it, it was my fault!

I got hold of a .20 barrel for my gun a while back and have been trying Dynamic pellets and so far, I'm well pleased with the results.

 

Cheers.

Andy.

[camies 1]

Thanks for all your replies.

Changing to .177 or even .2 is not an option though as Daystate had quoted me £99 for a barrel and £15.00 for the 'brass bit'. As I'd have to adjust the air valve to keep legal, swopping round isn't viable.

 

Food for thought though and hopefully I'll find a high speed, semi domed smacker of a pellet.

 

I have always liked .22 so onwards and upwards (or sideways depending on the wind)!

[Sterry 0]

I did something similar but i used about £5 worth of blue-tac used to use bisley magnums but being soo darn heavy is good close range upto 20yrds but then it drops pretty quick, in an FAC rifle thaey are superb (through and through a rabbits chest) but in sub 12ftlbs i still will be using accupells ir Air arms diablo whatevvers and just lube em up. accupeel do kill and are accurate which is paramount. I would like to get my mitts on a .177 and have a play.

As for hollow points i would avoid them unless doing indoor or really close range pest control like rats or ferals. I shot a pigeon and instead of a head shot it landed bout 2" low and straight in its full crop and expanding quick just knocked the pigeon out and i had a bit of a chase on my hands.