Best Hunting Pellets For .177

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BumbleB

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Dec 6, 2015
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Hi Guys,


I am new to Airgun Nation and I have a question for you people "In The Know"


A couple of weeks ago I bought the first pellet rifle that I have purchased since I was 12 years old, I am 55 now lol. I purchased a Crosman Nitro Venom and it came with a Center Point 3-9x32 Scope. I purchased this rifle to rid my property of nuisance pests , especially Magpies that have taken over and are killing the song birds which I happen to enjoy over their annoying squawk! I also bought this rifle to carry with us while we moose, elk and deer hunt so I can harvest ruffed grouse without making any noise and scaring the big game away. 


When I bought the rifle I expected that it would shoot accurately right out of the box, boy was I ever WRONG! So I contacted Crosman to complain about the rifle since it was shooting all over the map and at only 10 to 25 yards I could not get any type of grouping. Grouping is important to me because I do not like wounding any birds and pests, I want to kill them with one shot to the head. Long story short, I learned that a pellet rifle only starts to get accurate after putting approximately 250 rounds through it, accomplished! Now I am getting 1" groups at 10 yards freehand but still have a long way to go unti I am satisfied. I want this rifle to shoot effectively at 70 yards, not 10.


So here is my question!


I have been made aware buy watching many pellet comparison videos, that all pellets are not equal and that the barrel of a rifle, just like my high powered rifles prefer different type of ammo over other types. Right now I am shooting Crosman Super Point Hunting Pellets which I purchased with the rifle. I have killed several bird so far but what I am noticing is that the pellets are complete pass through with minimal shocking power and most of these birds are flying away, dead on the wing and not dropping dead on the spot.


I would like to know, what is the deadliest most effective pellet to kill birds is it the Hollow Pont, The Domed or the Pointed tip and what grain would you guys recommend, I am thinking the heaver the better?


Thanks All! BumbleB
 
Stick with a domed pellet. That is going to be the most accurate out of your gun. If the birds are flying away after you hit them then You're not hitting them in the right spot that's all. 

IMO the Crosman Nitro Venom is not a 70 yard gun but some here may disagree. 

You can try Predator Polymags. Sometimes they are accurate. The only way you are going to find out what works in your gun is to try a whole lot of different pellets and start shooting at paper. 
 
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IYO what is the effective range for a .177?


Sure wish I have of researched pellet rifles more before I made this purchase. I bought this rifle on a whim while I was buying a Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 RC in 300 Win Mag two Sundays ago.


I will definitely take your kind advice on try various types of ammo. I will start with Hollow Points, H&N barracuda extremes and JSB Match Diablo 8.44 Gr. although I believe that a heavier grain would work better in this rifle, in terms of it terminal efficiency.


In regards to hitting them in the right spot, because this rifle is not shooting the Premier pellets I am shooting "precisely accurately" I am only taking body shots. Lots of blood, broken wings, but terminal efficiency is sorely lacking. If I were using hollow points, I am sure that the internal shocking power would drop them in their tracks!
 
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A recoiling airgun takes a lot of skill to shoot accurately. Especially at range. 

50 yds and under is probably more realistic and likely 30 yards max until you get it all figured out, which could take awhile. 

Not trying to rain on your parade just trying to spare you some frustration. 

Put those .177's (any of them) in the heart and lungs or the head and they will drop on the spot. You're gun has the power. Accuracy is the issue. 

.177 is not about terminal performance. It about accuracy. Guys with .177 PCP's put birds down stone dead at 80 yds but they are taking head shots with $1000 plus guns. 

You've got a decent airgun but you need to lower your expectations a bit. 

 
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Well I have dropped many big game animals at long range freehand to include moose at over 500 yards, so 50 yards should not be a problem hehe.

I think the issue I am having is the pellet which is zipping through them without any shocking power and that the rifle barrel is not properly seasoned yet for appropriate and desired accuracy.
 
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You will eventually figure out that shooting a recoiling airgun is vastly different than shooting a centrefire. Just because you can hit a moose at 500 yards with your 7mm mag doesn't mean you can hit a magpie in the vitals at 50 with a springer. 

You're not the first to learn that lesson though. 

Good luck. Enjoy the journey. You should find lots of info on this forum and others. 
 
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I gotta admit I am really enjoying reliving my childhood, the magpies are not enjoying it as much hehe. The last thing I thought when I bought this rife is the journey, but it is becoming that for sure and it is fun!

I have been dropping all of my big game animals with my 30-06 with Winchester 180 Gr. Power Points. I bought the Weatherby because I wanted a more powerful, flatter shooting rifle to take longer shots (800 yards +) especially at Elk. :eek:)

Thanks for your input Ghostmaker, truly appreciated!

 
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congrats on getting back in the game first off, secondly I think you have been given some great information regarding a spring gun and I for one can understand that the skills that have been gained in powder burners do not always transfer to air guns...especially gas ram and or spring guns!
I have many years of shooting experience in long range and tactical shooting as well as comp in F-class 1000yards under my belt but had to relearn the ''artillery hold'' to get results with my own gas piston Trail XL .22 as the recoil is so much different in a gun that has your body fully in the throws of the effects of the recoil before the projectile "pellet" ever leaves the barrel ....I would say look up Artillery hold in you tube watch a few videos and try it for your self and I am sure that you will see that a lot of accuracy gains will follow and then you can find the limits of not only your skills but also your equipment ....I also agree that with any quality .117 domed pellet in the right spot small birds are not going to take flight! 
I hope this helps and doesn't sound to condescending as it is not meant to be I wish you lots of fun and the best of luck in your journey!
Jonathan
 
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Hey BumbleB, you can try shooting Wadcutters 10-15 yards and see if your gun likes them, the would have tremendous impact as would predator polymags. The problem with the wadcutter are they are short target pellets after 10 or 15 yards there lose power and accuracy due to all the drag created by the flat surface. My first kill was a starling at about 15 yards with RWS 34Pro compact (springer) in .177 shooting RWS superpoints. I thought i had missed But he birds just froze after the shot and the other ones flew up on the fence and wondered what the hell had just happened. About 2 seconds later the starlings head just slumped over and the bird never moved again. I went out there recovered the bird and not a drop of blood, but the bird was still dead. After pulling a few feather I've found a entry and an exit hole with a little bit of blood. What i've learned was a phrased called "ice picking". The pointed pellet went clean thru the bird dropping very little if any energy, but the pellet pierced either the spine or a major organ killing the bird all the same. My RWS loved super points as well as JSB dome pellets but i've since then stopped shooting pointed pellets at prey unless they are polymags because they don't drop much if any energy on the pass thru. Polymags, hollow points, hunting pellets, etc all create decent wound channels at the right FPS, but 90% of the time DOME pellets are the most accurate, and as an Air Gun our goal is SHOT PLACEMENT over everything else. Check out a few of Matts video's "AirArmsHuntingSA" on youtube, he has some of the best placed shots i've seen on birds. Most of his shots the bird does a little hop up with no wing flap and then drops down dead.

Happy Pesting, and enjoy re-living you're childhood, think most of us here once we have our favorite rifle in hand have the same feeling.
 
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Domed pellets work fine as others already said. Try JSB exacts & exact heavy, Air Arms Diablo field & field heavy, H&N field target trophy & baracuda match. H&N Baracuda hunter extreme also seem to be accurate for some rifles. Out of all those you will find one that shoots very good if you do your part. Again like others have already said the birds flying off were not hit exactly in the right spot. If you hit a bird in the right spot they will crumple over or bleed out within seconds without flying more than 20 feet or so. Birds vitals sit different inside the chest cavity than big game animals and their shape is deceiving and the feathers can throw off the true vital zone. You might look into aim points for different positions to get a better idea of shot placement or find illustrations covering the vital zone on different bird species.
 
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Hi Jonathan, I did not take your comments as condescending, I appreciate everyones input, because my goal with this rifle it to shoot under 1# groups at 50 yards. When I called Crosman to see what was up with the rifle shooting all over the place the gentleman on the phone told me about Artillery Hold so I watched many videos and that is how I am shooting, I also screwed and tightened the screws which were on the loose side, so now they are nice and tight. Congrats on your F-Class rating on 1000 yard shooting. Cant wait to top my Vanguard with my 5-20x50 Blue Diamond Huskemaw. Should be a long range killer system! :eek:)

Hi Ginuwine 1969, that's exactly what I am experiencing man, Ice Picking with no UMPH and I know that they are flying away DEAD and don't even realize it! I want UMPH at all distances, so I am looking for an all around round that will kill Grouse and Rabbits up to 70 yards. I will definitely watch Matts video's! Thanks :eek:)
 
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Well I will add them H&N barracuda Extremes to my shopping list, it will be interesting to see which pellet will be the most accurate out of this rifle. Wish I had of know about this site before I made my purchase! As the saying go "Hindsight is 20/20". Maybe in my case with my .177 Cal, 1" groups at 50 yards is unattainable. I give it my best go though.


From what I am reading sounds like 40 yards would be exceptional, especially since all of my shooting will be freehand without a bench rest.
 
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Your gun is a spring rifle, but it is a gas spring instead of a steel spring. You compress nitrogen, which I don't think is any better than air, but it does remove some of the problems of a steel spring. I see the point of the gas spring, but I prefer steel. My gun of choice is the Beeman R1, in .177 or .20. They require a spring change after about 6000, or so shots, but they are tune able, and the quality is up there with any fine powder burner. 
 
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