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Lead Free Pellets & Springers

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Bear-of-Grayling

Bear-of-Grayling

Member
Dec 19, 2021
1,635
2,998
Alabama, United States
Seems to be a lot of controversy over the use of lead free pellets. Especially on springers. I just don’t know. Not to concerned though. I have enough lead pellets for my entire afterlife anyway. I don’t see any reason to try them. If a lead free pellet does indeed even microscopically round the sharp edges of the rifling it could over time then reduce accuracy. They need to launch a thorough scientific study. Give a 10 year old a springer and 1000 tins of lead free pellets.

Here is a couple interesting articles about springers and lead free pellets.

https://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/look-future-lead-free-pellets/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Erwin-Vermeij/publication/262103949_Identification_of_Lead_Free_Metal_in_177_Caliber_Airgun_Pellets/links/57c97c7608aedb6d6d97bae4/Identification-of-Lead-Free-Metal-in-177-Caliber-Airgun-Pellets.pdf?origin=publication_detail

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They wanted us to use lead free plinking pigeons off the tin roofs at a hog confinement and they were too light for my RWS 54 in .22. Harsher report and I imagined I could hear the piston slapping the end of the tube. All metal on metal movement produces wear. If the alloy Brinnells out higher than lead there will be more wear. But you are probably correct that it would take a thousand tins of pellets to see that wear. If I can't shoot the 15.9 Exact jumbos I'll shoot somewhere else
 
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The biggest concern in a springer is the light weight of the nonlead pellet. Most all springers producing 10 fpe or higher are not set up to shoot these light weight pellets. Springers are designed to create an air cushion atvthe end of the firing cycle, which cushions the piston and stops the harsh slam at the end. If this slam is severe, especially in higher powered springers, it can cause seal and spring damage. A springer of moderate power could be tuned to shoot the light weight pellets, but would not shoot heavier lead pellets very well....generally, lighter weight pellets are less accurate at distance so there is another tradeoff... I would never consider using these " green" pellets unless absolutely necessary !! As long as lead pellets are availiable, I will stick with a proven performer...
 
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I use the Green pellets in my all 22 cal, Lgv, Hw77 and Hw50S air rifles. None of my rifles are tuned, the weight is 12.65 gr. A difference of 2 grain between them and the lead pellets I use in my other air rifle. I use them because I have found them to be very and the most accurate in my rifles up to 40 metres and haven’t really tried to shoot further than that with these pellets. I have shot the lighter 9.65 greens in my Lgv and Hw50S. The Lgv had a bit more bark with these 9.65 greens but no louder than the bark using the Jsb 13.43 grain pellets I tried in it. There was no difference in accuracy or noise in my Hw50S between the 9.65 and the 12.65 greens.

They fit very snuggly into the breach of all my rifles and I have never experienced any piston slap. They do cost a bit more and might create some wear in 30 years time but I don’t care. I want accuracy and you only live once.😁

Gary
 
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My oldest HW95 is 12 years old and has been through three tune kit rebuilds so far. I have shot the 11.75 GTO in it almost exclusively and it gets shot a lot. I shot an entire 200 tin of GTO this afternoon shooting paintballs, sugar cubes and one real target today. The rifle has always shot a dime sized group at 50 yards with these pellets. As will my newer HW95 and HW97, both the newer rifles like them as well.

How many pellets has that older 95 shot? I dunno and I guess well over 50,000. The bluing is gone off the barrel from cocking it. I just keep it well oiled and clean and provides character and appeal. The bore of the rifle if and when I do clean it, which is rare and just because is still as bright and shiny and well defined as it was when new. You will see lots of flakes of tin on the patches when you do clean the barrel, however accuracy never varies and the bore still looks new. I only clean it just because once in awhile as it never sits more than a day or two without being shot. Well maybe three days when I decide to start fishing this spring again!

I like accuracy. I demand it and so the GTO provides this. Lead pellets are what I would call adequate, however none are even in the same range as the GTO. The GTO is harder, never has any deformed skirts, is perfectly consistent, and if you take the time to weigh them vary very little, Chrony numbers in my 95 are from 810 to 814 FPS, which is also not much variance which also adds to its extreme accuracy.

I like them and if my rifle ever does wear out, well AOA has more for sale.........Grin. !! Just ordered 20 tins of the GTO a bit ago, their only drawback is that they are quite expensive compared to lead pellets. However we only live once....Grin! I have tried other Green termed pellets and various reports of those are accurate, the GTO is not your average Green Pellet. I have shot dime sized groups with them at 40 yards in my Gamo Magnum, however they are zipping along at an average of 1050 fps and start to tumble and hit the paper sideways at 45 yards or so, yet out to 40 they turn an otherwise basically inaccurate gun into a tack driver. At 30 fpe plus I might add. It really knocks the socks off a squirrel, you can hear the smack clearly. 

That guy Steve something did a review of the HW95 and it is posted on YouTube. He does all kinds of airgun reviews and like he said, The GTO kicked the lead pellets Kister!! 

Not sure how they work in the Hatsan's, Benjamins, etc, etc as the Gamo is the only non German rifle I ever got curious enough to play with. I am betting they would excel there as well. 

Kit
 
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