Is washing pellets always necessary?

Only accuracy will tell, for some works for others no, i do not wash nor lube pellets on the impact, and accuracy is sub moa on jsb

I washed a batch of pellets once. I even purchased a sieve to rinse away residue. Then, I shot the pellets into "Shoot N See" targets and a few into chipmunks. I've never washed any more pellets since.

It isn't needed and it certainly isn't necessary!

If you have nothing better to do then go for it, personally I think the extra time spent working on shooting technique will reap greater rewards.

I agree with Mark but... I only wash and lube the pellets I use for FT but in my case it doesn’t do any good..I have spoken to a couple of superior shooters and some do and some don’t. Some wash a few at a time and lube a few at a time. I have a hydo-static cleaner, designed to clean once fired PB case prior to reloading. I dump a whole tin in the wash and run it for 16 minutes.

Then the pellets are rinsed in very (scalding) hot water to aid in drying and then placed in the sun to dry.

Then the whole tin of pellets is dumped into a zip-lock bag with a few shots of liquid bicycle chain lube and shaken until (hopefully) every pellet is coated.

Then I put the pellets into a plastic box until it is time to shoot.

The day before a match, I check the skirt of each pellet I intend to shoot in the match.

As, I said, you cannot judge the feasibility of this activity based on my shooting skills.

For others, it may help. 

For plinking I shot from the tin. When I want the most accuracy I wash with a ultrasonic cleaner using Dove and hot water after pellets dry I’ll sort by weight and I’ll size them using Robb adjustable sizer. I will adjust my scope to each batch I create I don’t find one better than others but by sorting I’ll get similar results the gun just needs to be adjusted for each batch I make . I have found not much accuracy difference between the different weight batches I make, as long as I adjust for them. The adjustments I do may be as simple as just aiming a bit more or less in a certain direction or it could be adjusting the settings on the gun. The most important variable you need to control is yourself breathing and trigger pull must always not be different.

it takes a lot of quality practice.

If you are into sub-sub-MOA, you can wash, dry, size, weigh pellets...and a better marksman will still out-shoot you!

Don't waste time majoring in minors! Concentrate on your body, not the pellets. You should know what pellet shoots best from your particular airgun...use only them! Just remember, YOU are the greatest variable in pcp accuracy. Concentrate on your breathing, grip, trigger squeeze, body position, and stability of your unique shooting stance. YOU are the greatest variable in thousandths of an inch accuracy.

From my first airgun, an HW-55 lefty springer that Mrs. Beeman sold me over the phone in 1972, to my current beast...a .25, 67fpe, Taipan Veteran, I have never heard of, nor met, anyone who claimed they could out-shoot their airgun's accuracy potential, without using a machine rest.

Just my thoughts and experience. There's no tricks, the more you shoot, the better you will get.

Edit: as correctly commented below...the above only applies if you take good care with lube, cleaning and maintenance...I failed to state that...mea culpa!



Kindly 'Ol Uncle

 "...I'm so old, when I started shooting airguns they were muzzle loaders...and the pellets were carved from wood!"

Some of the best field target shooters I know claim it helps. They advised that it keeps the bore of the rifle in a more stable condition, so that it rarely requires cleaning. I also think that it could slow the formation of oxides on the surfaces of the pellet after exposure to moisture. 

So, I don't believe it is a necessity, but another one of those things that some believe, whether those reasons are fully proven. Just this week, I heard from one of the best known FT shooters in the US that he thinks it is effective.

In wash and lube only to help keep my barrels clean and the breech oring lubed. I have shot 5000+ pellets through my impact and thousands through other guns i own without any orings going bad so its working for me. A little dawn and hot water and a sprits of Napeir lube.

Washing and lubing is one of those “it depends” things that you just have to try with and without and see what works best. Sometimes a tin groups best just as they are. Sometimes they group better after washing and lubing. Sometimes the difference is significant. Sometimes the difference is indistinguishable.



Having said that, I seldom find there to be any difference with JSB which seems to agree with your observation about them being clean and free of defects. With other brands, even a quality brand like H&N, usually there is at least some modest improvement. The most dramatic improvements I’ve gotten have been with Crosman but it turns out it has less to do with them being clean and lubricated than it does being tumbled to help knock down the parting lines and flashing. In some cases as much as a 3x reduction in group sizes. Here are some examples https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=134454.msg1340198#msg1340198

Could it help? Sure. Will it help? Maybe. Can anyone say it won't help. I don't believe so. But each shooter will have to try for themselves.

I wash and inspect all my pellets. If I'm practicing precision I also weigh them.

I have done both , and I agree it is not necessary , I shot many tins both way , and I believe it makes a minor difference to a major one , I have gotten some lousy pellets with bad skirts and deformity's and some brands full of lead , and some weights off 3 grains in same tin , it does matter but it cuts down fliers by 90% but you can still hunt and plink out of can but I am a accuracy nut so everything matters me , and I make the time , I even sort my slugs to .1 gr and I hear it means nothing being a few grains off , to me I like uniform , when I reloaded bullets I made tolerances as close as possible .

LOU

If the bottom of your tin has a bunch of "trash" left in it after you dump the pellets out.....then you certainly aren't "wasting time" by washing them.

That's my take on it anyway.

I did the wash weigh sort and lube with the JSB .24 gn and it did help @ 80-100 yards. The KH's I just wash and lube and that's all I shoot now. 3 Pulls on a cleaning and the barrels are gtg. If YOU think it helps? Then it damn sure does right? LOL

all the small game that I hunt does not protest the dirty pellets I shot

There seems to be more chafing on the bottom of the H&N skirts, that I have notice. Not so much on the JSB's or AA's for that matter.

I'm guessing that the reason for seeing more "trash" in your cleaning the H&N's than the JSB's. You can prove this out by rubbing H&N's across a white piece of paper and see the chafing appear I slivers, not every pellet, but most.

I still like H&N pellets too though, the 5.52's shoot well in my guns.

I have tried cleaning as well and so far, I cannot tell any improvement.

mike 

Do you inspect or weigh?

Click to expand...

Inspect yes....weight only in BenchRest comp