Taking small game with pointed pellets

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outdoorman

outdoorman

Member
Nov 20, 2016
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Maryland
How effective are pointed pellets in taking squirrels as compared to hollow points? I've only used RWS Super H points (hollow points) since I got my Diana 34 about a year ago. I've taken over a hundred squirrels with them but was reading about how accurate the Crosman premier pointed pellets are so I got a couple tins. Just checked them out today. Target on the left is 5 shots with the RWS pellets and the right is 5 shots with the Crosman from 25 yards. Big difference. POI is off center because I'm shooting from a rest but scope is zeroed for off hand shooting. Can't hunt squirrels til September so I'm wondering how well they work compared to hollow points.

Crosman_Pointed_Group.jpg
 
I would try this, get you a phone book or some other thick throw away penetration target shoot both of your choices in separated parts of the book i.e top/bottom left/right...
This will give you a good idea of your choices, just remember if you are hunting in an urban area and worried about pass thru shots then most likely the pointed will pass thru but that may not be an issue for you if not then I agree shoot the pellet with the best groups as this will allow greater accuracy for head shots. If your shots are for body shots then you may want to reconsider as a hollow point will allow for some greater kinetic energy dump into the body cavity and less chance for ice pick scenarios
 
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The Crosman pellets of the right side target are the ones I'd go with, nice tight group.

BTW, I, too, shoot domed pellets, they group tighter for me.

Currently, I'm shooting H&N 21.39 gr domed pellets - into the same hole at 25 yards. I also like JSB 18.13 gr, but I'm out of them.

Haven't done any shooting comparisons, but It seems to me that my Royale 400 shoots the heavier pellets into tighter groups. But, both the 21.39 and the 18.13, will do a number on a squirrel..

Bobby
 
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Accuracy=shot placement will always trump pellet shape on small game like your fuzzy friends. Drop the RWS and stick with those Crossman...not because they are pointed...that's a good group. Hollow points need speed anyway to expand and that isnt the case here. You're putting a hole in something smaller than a dime at 25 yards, use what is capable of doing that. Have fun!
 
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As DuncanHynes says,"Accuracy-shot placement" trumps everything when hunting. My RWS 34 will only shoot RWS super Mags accurately,which is a heavy .177 wad cutter (9.3g). Only airgun I use wad cutters to hunt with because of accuracy with this pellet in this AG. Good news is you've already found your accurate pellet.

I put a slip on recoil pad on my 34 that installed in seconds. It greatly improved the 34 by reducing its felt recoil and made it a lot more pleasant to shoot.
 
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My springer shoots the H&N Hornets pretty accurately. Those things are wicked. I hit a squirrel with one of these, about 20 - 25 yards, right by the shoulder. The Hornet went in one side, out the other. The squirrel dropped on the spot, didn't quiver, didn't stop and collect $200. Just dropped. They are expensive though, so I stopped using them as JSB shoot as well if not better, but....if I was hunting pigs, I am confident one of these would do the job. 
 
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Yeah, I guess if your going for head shots, you don't really need the hollow points. Most of my kills have been chest shots as it gives a little more margin for error. I shoot exclusively off hand. I'm really liking the accuracy of these Crosman pointed pellets. My range is in the back of the lot but I just tried 3 shots from the sunroom doorway which is 58 yards to my targets in front of the backstop. First off hand shot using a 2 mil holdover (too high), second a 1 mil (too low) and the third 1 1/2 mil and hit 3/4" from dead center. Should have been experimenting with different pellets all along I guess.

Crosman_Pointed58yds.jpg
 
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Accuracy trumps everything else. Any pellet size / weight / speed is lethal, provided you can hit where you're supposed to.

That said, the next important factor is pellet / target interaction. For that, wad cutters impart an absolutely devastating impact force, moreso than pointies.

The shorter the stop distance, the stronger the impact. Think like slamming on the brakes in your car - A hard stop from 20mph can be far more jolting than a casual braking at 60.

When pellets over-travel and pass through a target, that's wasted kinetic energy popping out the other side - energy that would have made the impact far more jarring if it had been transferred.

I use all Crosman's offerings. Wad cutters hit super hard, but only within 20ish yards. Magnum round domes also hit hard, but penetrate more. Pointies penetrate the most.
 
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Jonny I shot a couple of squirrels this last season with RWS wadcutters, dead accurate out of my rifle. My gut still wrenching because I saw the hit, jump, and never recovered the quarry. But when shooting with either JSB 18 domes or HN hornets, the meat is in the freezer. I hear you on the physics of it all, but my experience has been different. 
 
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Really liking these Crosman pointed pellets. With the hollow points, I was limited in range due to accuracy and loss of energy. These pointed pellets (14.3gr) are amazing. Just did this video shooting a 2" by 4" glass jar at 45 yards. No problem with these pellets. With the hollow points, they wouldn't even break the glass if I could even manage to hit it shooting off hand. Having a ball and ordered some more. Can't wait to see how they perform on squirrels. Furthest I've taken them with the hollow points is 37 yards. Most at less than 30 yards.

 
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I almost always used domed pellets for small game hunting, and have had less than great results with pointed. You generally (in most guns) give up accuracy .... sometimes a lot with pointed pellets, and any gains in penetration is not significantly better than a domed head. It's personal opinion, but I will say that having hunted and shot with literally hundreds of different airguns and having used just about every pellet on the market, it is atypical to get better accuracy with a pointed pellet (but not impossible for a given gun). Besides the occasional use of a polymer tipped pellet for specific situations, I stay with dome pellets. But if you get better accuracy with the pointed use them .... accuracy is what should drive your choice.
 
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The Crosman pointed pellets are more of a cross between domed and pointed. Most pointed pellets that I've viewed have a sharp point and the angle between the tip and the wide part of the head is straight. The angle is curved with the Crosman's as you can see in this pic I just took of one of them. Just read a post on another forum from a veteran air gunner with many guns who stated, "For some reason my guns shoot the crosman pointed hunting pellets FAR more accurate than any others I have tried. I love the way they kill squirrells." 

Crosman_Pointed_Pellet.jpg
 
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