Hi all. New to the forum. Semi new to the airgun world. I have an RWS Diana 48/52 .22 cal. I'm looking for a hard pellet or one of a particular shape that won't mushroom too much or fragment on impact. I'm shooting pigeons and starlings. I use the kills to feed my hawks and falcons (I train birds of prey for a living). I don't want the raptors ingesting lead so I need a pellet that will give me a clean pass thru shot leaving no lead fragments or residue in the kill. I saw some dome shaped ones that looked like they had a copper BB pushed down into the top of each pellet. I was wondering about those. Any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks everybody.
Question for all pellet experts...
- Thread starter Skyhunters22
- Start date
Most dome pellets will pass right through a pigeon. I don't believe you can get the pellets to fragment at the velocity you would be shooting at. As for starlings? Definite pass throughs as they are even more light boned than pigeons. Of course this depends on what ranges your shooting them at? If shooting sub thirty yards with your stated rig, you'll get pass through with Crosman Premier Domes. That is a very, very hard pellet.
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Skyhunter,
I'm no pellet expert, but we had a "Worst Pellet Ever," thread, not too long ago, the BB stuck in the front was a contender. I'd go with L.Leon on this one, sounds right on. Last week had a JSP 18.13 Jumbo Heavy pass thru a crow at 15 yards with Taipan Veteran. Thing stumbled out of tree with loud squawk, regained balance, and flew off. Solid chest shot with loud thump so must have escaped on adrenaline and panic. WM
I'm no pellet expert, but we had a "Worst Pellet Ever," thread, not too long ago, the BB stuck in the front was a contender. I'd go with L.Leon on this one, sounds right on. Last week had a JSP 18.13 Jumbo Heavy pass thru a crow at 15 yards with Taipan Veteran. Thing stumbled out of tree with loud squawk, regained balance, and flew off. Solid chest shot with loud thump so must have escaped on adrenaline and panic. WM
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What about using lead free pellets? There are options available from JSB and probably others.
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If you are feeding the game to animals, they are far more sensative to lead. I'd also advise using lead free pellets. I believe h&n makes some, and possible a few others. I just hope your gun shoots one of them well.
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The Predator GTO lead free pellets are more accurate in many of my springers than are lead pellets.
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I tried the 22 caliber Crosman pointed 14.3 gr and they shot more accurately at longer distances than the CPHP hollow points and Domes and had greater penetration too.
Looks to be made of the same harder lead as the other Crosman in house made pellets.
They aren't as cheap as the others but may be worth trying.
Packaged in 175 count tins.
Looks to be made of the same harder lead as the other Crosman in house made pellets.
They aren't as cheap as the others but may be worth trying.
Packaged in 175 count tins.
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I shoot dove and pigeon and eat them. I never had a problem with pellets stuck inside them. Every pellet no matter what brand or shape will always go pass. Maybe you shooting too low speed. My guns are turn for 860 at slowest to 960 in the high and they all pass. No bones of these birds can stop a pellet going 850+. It will shatter bones like nothing and pass right through.
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I'm with worriedman and lleon the bb pellet is a gimmick that does not shoot well. As others have mentioned if you are pushing the pellet fast enough you should get pass-through on birds. When you collect your kills verify in and out before feeding to the raptors.
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i know the crossman red flite lead free power shot pass cleanly through a steel can 600 fps and are not barely deformed at thirty yds if your gun will shoot them.
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The only bird I shoot is doves and I eat them. I've shot 10 with my 25 caliber P35 shooting FTTs at 800-900 fps. All passed through. I shot one with my Prod tuned to about 720 fps with a copper plated 14.66 grain FTT. It passed through too. I shoot squirrels too with these domed pellets. Work great. H&N and crossman pellets are supposed to be a bit harder but I doubt it matters much. I would pick a domed pellet your gun shoots well. You could start with H&N or crossmans. Crossmans are the cheapest, at least around here. If you gun shoots them well your search could be over. My Prod shoots the domed and hollow point crosmans about the same and the hollow points do not expand at all at it's velocity. it shoots the copper plated H&N into smaller groups, however, so I use them as long as I can find them. But I've killed several squirrels with the Crosmans.
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The H&N Baracuda is usually accurate in many guns and also comes copper plated. They shoot the same groups as the lead ones in my .22 just at slower speeds.
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