Handling .177 pellets with bad mitts and eyes...tips and tricks please

I found that some lighter .177 pellets are more problematic than others. The 7.33gr JSB RS pellets are definitely head-heavy and tend to stand on their heads when I load them in the 1701P. I've done better with the 8.44's, which have a longer skirt. As for grabbing them from the tin, I don't. I dump a few out into the lid of the tin and work from there.
 
I only have one 177, it is a P35, a magazine fed PCP. I'm 67 with extra large (that's my glove size) hands and I don't have any significant problem loading pellets. But I don't do it while I am out hunting. I have three magazines for it and load those in advance. For me it's a lot easier to load the magazine when I'm inside where the temperature is comfortable and there is plenty of light. No gloves, no freezing fingers.

I also have two 22s and two 25s. So I like them too. And their magazines are easier to load. But they don't get 100+ shots on a fill.
 
Having shot .22 for a while, changing to .177 the pellets felt a lot smaller and took some getting used to.

I did get the stud mag loader system, which are fast and effortless, but there are a few drawbacks.

1: They only work with traditional diabolo shaped pellets, when the shape get alternative like say monster redesign, it dont really work.
2: As i recall the only make stuff that work with FX magazines.

But other than that, filling a Maverick magazine and 5 speed loaders,,,,, really you should use seconds to list the time it take as it is very few minutes.


My problem is i dont shoot pellets in my maverick, so i have a .177 kit in surplus.
they work just fine with fx pellets and air arms also but they look like the jsbs also
 
About two months ago I bought an HW95 in .177 break barrel. My first springer. Pellets are small of course but being a break barrel, not to bad to insert pellets. Last week I bought a TX200 but in .22. Obviously a larger pellet but loading is a bit more awkward than a break barrel.
After reading some comments regarding older hands and loading challenge I went in the basement this morning and found a piece of stiff non-corrugated cardboard, maybe twice as thick as a business card.
I cut a narrow parallel slot in it just the right width to lightly hold the pellet at the waist. Seems to work OK, so far.
I get the head oriented over chamber and then put my thumb on skirt and retract cardboard. Using only one hand.
I’m going to try making one using plastic like from the plastic lid on coffee cans or butter containers.

 
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About two months ago I bought an HW95 in .177 break barrel. My first springer. Pellets are small of course but being a break barrel, not to bad to insert pellets. Last week I bought a TX200 but in .22. Obviously a larger pellet but loading is a bit more awkward than a break barrel.
After reading some comments regarding older hands and loading challenge I went in the basement this morning and found a piece of stiff non-corrugated cardboard, maybe twice as thick as a business card.
I cut a narrow parallel slot in it just the right width to lightly hold the pellet at the waist. Seems to work OK, so far.
I get the head oriented over chamber and then put my thumb on skirt and retract cardboard. Using only one hand.
I’m going to try making one using plastic like from the plastic lid on coffee cans or butter containers.

That's very clever!
 
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I really wish someone would make a automated head size sorting machine, so you could drop a tin in a hopper. press start and then get back 30 minutes and find that tin sorted in 3-4 head sizes.
As there should be a camera to determine pellet / slug orientation, it should work for just about anything.
don't think a machine like this is in the Hobby budget ., time wise i do not think manufactures use them ?
 
n the Hobby budget

Well i dont think it would be that hard for the right geek, some 3D print - a raspberry / arduino computer with a camera and a few cheap servos, and a little coding skill.
If cheaper small electric solenoid and 3D print gearing might be used instead of servos.

Even if i acknowledge i have a tendency to think things are more simple than they actually are ( hail K.I.S.S ) then i cant see how it should be terrible expensive or hard to do.
A hopper on top
Feed into a stop / flip mechanism, where the camera see if pellet need to be flipped before its passed on head first.
The pellet then fall into a slit that gradually get thinner and thinner, ASO depending on how far down it fall head size are "measured " ( i assume this could be covered by the same camera as on the flip mechanism )
A lever in that slit them push pellet up / and out ( forward ) where it fall into a funnel / pipe / tube that a servo / solenoid can control to 1 of 3 or 4 ending compartments.

TBH i am not that interested in actual head size, but i would like to shoot sorted AMMO, so i know the tins i grab are all the same size.
 
they work just fine with fx pellets and air arms also but they look like the jsbs also
Indeed i have tested several brands of pellets too, but the shape of the pellets can not deviate too much from the traditional pellets, monster redesign are still pellet shaped just fine, but the weight / balance are different so i cant get those to fall in the holes in the "stacker " nearly as fast / effortless regular diabolos do.
 
Well i dont think it would be that hard for the right geek, some 3D print - a raspberry / arduino computer with a camera and a few cheap servos, and a little coding skill.
If cheaper small electric solenoid and 3D print gearing might be used instead of servos.

Even if i acknowledge i have a tendency to think things are more simple than they actually are ( hail K.I.S.S ) then i cant see how it should be terrible expensive or hard to do.
A hopper on top
Feed into a stop / flip mechanism, where the camera see if pellet need to be flipped before its passed on head first.
The pellet then fall into a slit that gradually get thinner and thinner, ASO depending on how far down it fall head size are "measured " ( i assume this could be covered by the same camera as on the flip mechanism )
A lever in that slit them push pellet up / and out ( forward ) where it fall into a funnel / pipe / tube that a servo / solenoid can control to 1 of 3 or 4 ending compartments.

TBH i am not that interested in actual head size, but i would like to shoot sorted AMMO, so i know the tins i grab are all the same size.
manual labor on rainy days ?