Pellet Testing... AGAIN!

[Rover]

Very true! I recommend you don't keep your pellets in your mouth, but I don't think you'll have a problem otherwise.

[hundert]

yeah, throw them away, the lead oxide is harder than lead and could scratch your bore.

New pellets usually look shiny.

[Rover]

yeah, throw them away, the lead oxide is harder than lead and could scratch your bore.

I don't believe that, but supposing for a second that they do, think of the accuracy improvement from the "firelapping."

[bootneckbob]

I know it's probably not doing me any favours but I have a .22 lead pellet (probably wasp if I was to hazard a guess) buried deep in my ankle. It's been there for 31 years now since someone shot me when I was 13. I found out the pellet was there after having an X-ray taken when I was 18 for a suspected broken ankle. The Doctors said it was best to leave it as it wasn't and hadn't caused me any trouble.

[hundert]

dude, it's lead, have it removed, but I'm not a doctor... still it's lead

[AlexFromPardini]

Yes I know, pellet testing for pistol is a waste of time...
But since I've given in and done it, here's my results for you to comment.
These are all ten shots groups, from my Steyr LP10 clamped in a vice.

First to establish a base line, I shot the RWS R10 Pistol, 7gr 4.49

RWS R10.JPG

Needless to say these gave me the smallest result of the four I´ve tested, although they cost about 10-11€ a tin around here!
The group is pretty similar to the H&N Finale Match Pistol 7.56gr 4.49 I´ve tested two years ago.

Second came the H&N Excite. These are entry level pellets, in 4.5 and didn't specify the weight (my guess is around 8gr)

HN Excite.JPG

I was not excited about these ones ;)
I had pretty good experiences with top level H&N pellets in the past, so I had high hopes for these...
At least it gave me an excuse for all the shots I couldn't call properly (yeah, right, it's the pellets fault!)

Third in line was the RWS Club (orange tin)

RWS Club.JPG

Better than the H&N Excite, but nothing to be proud of...

Finally came the RWS Diabolo Basic (green tin), in 4.5 and 7gr

RWS Diabolo Basic.JPG

I've tested these a few times, just to be sure. I was getting afraid my gun had developed a taste for the finer pellets in live...
Huge relieve!
I know the group size is larger than the R10, but they cost about 1/3 so I can´t complain!

So, is this worth doing?
In my book, yes. But once every couple of years.
It gives you trust in your equipment and get's it out of your mind.
Also gives you a mental boost every time you use the pellets that performed better.

What is your opinion?

I test pellets everytime I am in competition in Germany so about 1-2 times per year. Now, I know I am an extreme since I am on the pistol team, but I find that the more you start testing pellets the more you give yourself an "out" for the problems. I personally only test to find a match lot for the coming competitions and then in training I use whatever I have laying around...my K12 shoots RWS R10 rifle 4.49 the best and I get great groups everytime. Well within the 10 ring. My match lot that I use is within the x ring.

However, recently I have decided to try something...I noticed my pistol likes a match lot for about 6-7 months. Then it starts opening up.. So i just got a batch from RWS that I will exclusively use for the coming months. I will set 2-3 times aside for big matches but everything else will be using the match lot. This way I can see whether the match lot changes as a result of the use of different pellet brands/sizes or if its just through use.

[Ed333]

I was so impressed by Rover's pronouncements that I just ordered four tins of the green lid Basics. Can't wait ! The sleeve of Vogel Orange is just about gone, been shooting my R10s in practice, which seems profligate. :)

[nglitz]

yeah, throw them away, the lead oxide is harder than lead and could scratch your bore.

Sorry. Lead oxide is actually softer then lead metal. They most definitely won't scratch your bore.

[TenMetrePeter]

Not something you want inside the gun or sprayed into the range atmosphere. If the oxide is loose powder they need disposing of IMO.

[Houngan]

I test pellets everytime I am in competition in Germany so about 1-2 times per year. Now, I know I am an extreme since I am on the pistol team, but I find that the more you start testing pellets the more you give yourself an "out" for the problems. I personally only test to find a match lot for the coming competitions and then in training I use whatever I have laying around...my K12 shoots RWS R10 rifle 4.49 the best and I get great groups everytime. Well within the 10 ring. My match lot that I use is within the x ring.

However, recently I have decided to try something...I noticed my pistol likes a match lot for about 6-7 months. Then it starts opening up.. So i just got a batch from RWS that I will exclusively use for the coming months. I will set 2-3 times aside for big matches but everything else will be using the match lot. This way I can see whether the match lot changes as a result of the use of different pellet brands/sizes or if its just through use.

Might be extreme, but perhaps a single lot of pellets but store them in a container of nitrogen gas to eliminate oxidation? Certainly nothing that would matter to anyone normal, but it would arrest the lead changing from oxidation.

[Ricardo]

Bootneckbob:
Get a second opinion. Unless it's encapsulated (and maybe even then) that pellet is oxidizing away and leaching lead ions into your "precious bodily fluids". Toxic stuff. Nerve damage, kidney damage.

[SamEEE]

For those concerned about lead there are lead-free options from H&N and RWS. No idea if they shoot any good.

RWS:
https://rws-munition.de/en/rws-sportsho ... #!12/984/0

H&N:
https://www.hn-sport.de/en/target-shoot ... -green-177

[pbrejsa]

Reducing the weight of the shot always gets worse accuracy. Physics can not be circumvented.

[TenMetrePeter]

Reducing the weight of the shot always gets worse accuracy. Physics can not be circumvented.

On that theory increasing the weight would always improve accuracy which is blatantly false. Each gun/shooter will have an optimum pellet weight probably on a bell curve.

[kevinweiho]

Reducing the weight of the shot always gets worse accuracy. Physics can not be circumvented.

Both RWS and H&N have decades of expertise in producing high quality pellets. I have no doubt that their new light weight "lead free" pellets can be just as accurate, depending on the gun and the optimum velocity selected for that particular pellet.

Accuracy suffers at longer distances, within ten meters the difference is negligible.

[TenMetrePeter]

All the major control groups in EU and USA have accepted that lead is the best material for ammunition and no restrictions will be brought in. Hopefully the green ammo will die a suitable death.

[Gwhite]

Reducing the weight of the shot always gets worse accuracy. Physics can not be circumvented.

Both RWS and H&N have decades of expertise in producing high quality pellets. I have no doubt that their new light weight "lead free" pellets can be just as accurate, depending on the gun and the optimum velocity selected for that particular pellet.

Accuracy suffers at longer distances, within ten meters the difference is negligible.

I'm pretty sure someone has posted a test of some of the "green" pellets, but that was a while ago. My recollection was that they are not adequate for serious competition. I did a quick search, but came up empty. Maybe someone else will have better search luck, or can remember who posted the tests.

There are "accuracy" tests from other places posted on-line, but they are all garbage (hand held, usually with non-match pistols and people getting excited about 1/2" groups). The only vaguely serious test was with a Morini, but fired in the hand on top of a rest:

http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2016/03/ ... ol-part-3/

His results are hardly conclusive, but the lead-free pellets weren't as awful as the earlier results I've seen. The author made the same comment, that they were much better than previous "green" pellets he'd tried.

[TenMetrePeter]

I would imagine solid Tin alloy pellets would be ok but the die cast headed plastic ones I tried just stripped strings of plastic on the rifling and hung out of the barrel.

[rmca]

Have a look at what RWS says about their premium lead free pellets:

https://rws-munition.de/en/rws-sportsho ... html?cn=DE

"Outstanding accuracy for a lightweight tin pellet Shot groups of 7 mm are entirely possible "

7mm is what I got with pellets than cost a third of those... and made by RWS also!
The "entirely possible" part doesn't fill me with confidence either...

[kevinweiho]

Have a look at what RWS says about their premium lead free pellets:"Outstanding accuracy for a lightweight tin pellet Shot groups of 7 mm are entirely possible " The "entirely possible" part doesn't fill me with confidence either...

The selling point of “green pellets” is that they are safe to handle and are eco friendly, there are no other advantages.

The niche they created came from people that fear lead contamination or poisoning. I am no green pellet advocate, unless if they were selling at prices that are similar to lead pellets.

If they would have changed the statement and said that a 7 mm c-t-c group can be achieved on a rest, will that have sold you? LOL