Hello guys I’m new to air rifles and Im wanting to get serious about it. I recent bought a .22 caliber air rifle and I’ve tried 3 different pellets so far and I can’t seem to get the gun to zero in. The grouping is so bad I vent use the pellets for anything so it’s a waste of money. The next thing I’m gonna try is replacing the scope that came with the gun. At the same time I’d like to get some idea of some really good pellet names that seem to have the least flaws . Thank you in advance!
Best consistent pellet brands
- Thread starter jamesdrummond
- Start date
JSB pellets work the best for me in my various air rifles.
What air rifle do you own and what brand pellets have you tried?
What air rifle do you own and what brand pellets have you tried?
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+1 on more info needed. There are several things that can cause frustrating results if the gun is a spring or nitro piston gun, there are techiques that can help Tell us a little more about the gun and what you have done so far .
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I have a Gamo gas piston air rifle. I’ve recently used the recommended Gamo Rator pellet, Crosman hollow points (14.3grains) and the Gamo Rockets also 14.3 grain but seem to do slightly better then the first two. I have been eye balling the H&N hornets and H&N Barrucuda pellets. The way it’s seem to hold groups here and there then radom patches of flingers makes me think the (Gamo)scope is getting rattled around inside. I’ve been searching around for better name brand air rifle scopes as well
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General advice:
Faster is not better; Most break barrel guns are marketed to the new shooter, big box store audience with claims of 1000-1400 FPS * (*measured with ultra light pellets). Most people think faster is more energy and is desirable. Not the case for air gun pellets. Pellets are drag stabilized (rather than spin stabilized like a bullet from your .22LR or your deer gun) The drag is greater a fast speeds, so even a pellet that starts out at supersonic speeds drops velocity quite quickly. Near the speed of sound (~1200 FPS) the shock wave of the disturbed air can upset the pellet, making accuracy pitiful.
To drive a piston gun to the high or magnum power, there is so much recoil that a steady gun is very hard to achieve and most shooters will buckle down and hold the gun very, very tightly. That is not helpful. Piston guns have a funny double recoil, and really do much better when held with a lighter grip, sometimes called the "artillery hold".
I do not mean to say that piston guns are not accurate - no, there are many superb quality piston guns that are very accurate. Those usually are not in the man-ego feeding "magnum" category.
Further, piston guns do eat scopes like popcorn due to their double recoil cycle. Get a magnum springer rated scope for a piston gun. you will be a lot happier and so will the scope.
These are now 60.. shipped from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hammers-3-9x40AO-Magnum-Spring-Rifle/dp/B0099XIJKC
Faster is not better; Most break barrel guns are marketed to the new shooter, big box store audience with claims of 1000-1400 FPS * (*measured with ultra light pellets). Most people think faster is more energy and is desirable. Not the case for air gun pellets. Pellets are drag stabilized (rather than spin stabilized like a bullet from your .22LR or your deer gun) The drag is greater a fast speeds, so even a pellet that starts out at supersonic speeds drops velocity quite quickly. Near the speed of sound (~1200 FPS) the shock wave of the disturbed air can upset the pellet, making accuracy pitiful.
To drive a piston gun to the high or magnum power, there is so much recoil that a steady gun is very hard to achieve and most shooters will buckle down and hold the gun very, very tightly. That is not helpful. Piston guns have a funny double recoil, and really do much better when held with a lighter grip, sometimes called the "artillery hold".
I do not mean to say that piston guns are not accurate - no, there are many superb quality piston guns that are very accurate. Those usually are not in the man-ego feeding "magnum" category.
Further, piston guns do eat scopes like popcorn due to their double recoil cycle. Get a magnum springer rated scope for a piston gun. you will be a lot happier and so will the scope.
These are now 60.. shipped from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hammers-3-9x40AO-Magnum-Spring-Rifle/dp/B0099XIJKC
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Alrighty thanks for the help guys! I’m gonna trying getting a better scope cuz I know Gamo scopes aren’t very reliable to begin with and I’ll working on shooting techniques before trying different pellets. Thanks again! Stil open for my ideas
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And the good news is... after you master shooting your Gamo Gas Piston Rifle and getting one ragged hole groups at 50 yards, you will become a true well disciplined marksman.
CA
CA
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I have a crosman Phantom springer. Old school spring piston. I was just about to sell it as NOTHING shot well thru it (over 2000 shots so well broken in). The pellet of choice FINALLY turned out to be the H and N Baracuda match. I had to try over 20 different pellets before I stubbled upon this one. Part of what makes air gunning so fun is all the trial and error. Makes finding the tight combo so much more satisfying
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Haha that one thing I’ve always loved to do is to see how tight of a group I can get at all distances. But unfortunately I’m still trying to find pellets to shot a decent group at atleast 35 years so I can have fun hunting while I search for better pellets. I’m gonna shoot up what I have for pellets before I go try other because so far I have over 1000 pellets of all different makes. I’m hoping if I switch to some of the H&N that those will make me happy. Thank again for all the help guys!
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