Best .22 pellet for pcp air rifle

[Jimbob39]

Evening all. I have been thinning the rats around our chicken run this week. I’m getting a lot of runners even though the shot is good. We have a bsa r10 12ftlbs which is super accurate, but the rats head shot and still run. I’m using hades pellets but feel they lack penetration power. Anyone got any advice for a better option? Shooting at approx 200yds.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I guess you mean 20yds?

Also, I’ve been doing a fair bit of ratting recently and changed my POA on the last outing - I used to go for the eye and was getting a few runners. New POA is between the eye and the ear - much better!

 

[Jimbob39]

I guess you mean 20yds?

Also, I’ve been doing a fair bit of ratting recently and changed my POA on the last outing - I used to go for the eye and was getting a few runners. New POA is between the eye and the ear - much better!

Ha! That’s be a fair shot! I’ll try that, was surprised they ran as the shots were hard enough to back flip them!

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Ha! That’s be a fair shot! I’ll try that, was surprised they ran as the shots were hard enough to back flip them!

I suspect they’re probably still dying, but I know it’s not ideal not having visual confirmation!

 

[Smellydog]

What do they do with a normal pellet?

 

[Longstrider]

Keep your pellet choice to those that group tightest, then stick with them A sub-12ft/lb air rifle will kill just as effectively with a good old fashioned dome-head pellet as with any of the posh pointy/flat/hollow-nose pellets you can pay silly money for.
My HW100 will put pellet on pellet all day long at 30m but only with a certain brand and size of pellet. The pellets were available in 2 different sizes of .22" believe it or not. Only the smaller ones were worth having. I'm told those pellets are no longer available, but I luckily have a good few thousand in the cupboard to get through before I have to start trying to find another type that will give me the accuracy I want.

Shoot at a good number of 6mm dots on paper, and choose the pellets that hit the dots. You can then hit the rats exactly where you need to and kill them irrespective of pellet brand or design.

 

[sauer]

nothing wrong with your hades pellets.... i use them in a rapid 12 FAC.

i was getting same with 12ft/lb air rifle ...they are dying but i get you exactly when not dropping them on the spot... they are hardy bu55ers!

you can try other JSB pellets but i found hades hit hard ....certainly in FAC & are accurate....

its why i went FAC air... but other reasons too, but ratting and dropping them on spot was primary reason.

try suggested shot poi if possible between eye / ear see how you go



Paul

 

[Overlay]

I’m using the Bisley pest control pellets in 177 from a pcp and they do the job perfectly

 

[Rake Aboot]

The best pellets are the ones that suit your gun the best.
Get Ona range with a chrono and check spread of velocity and grouping with a few different pellets and there’s your answer

I’ve always got on with Daystate and accupell but am now using hades in an fac springer

 

[The Grouse]

As others have already stated, the pellet that shoots the best from your rifle is the one to use.

Depending on which rifle I was using, I found JSB Heavies, Bisley Magnums and Hades all did the job well, very few runners ( all in sub 12 pcp )

 

[Longstrider]

Just found out that my beloved Air Arms Diablo Field pellets ARE still available in both 5.51mm and 5.52mm

Happy days.

That 0.01mm really did make a difference. The 5.52's threw 'flyers' every 5th or 6th shot. Ther 5.51's just go where you point the rifle.

It can take a LOT of experimentation to find the pellets that best suit your rifle, but when it works it's worth the effort. Just like developing a load for your C/F really.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Evening all. I have been thinning the rats around our chicken run this week. I’m getting a lot of runners even though the shot is good. We have a bsa r10 12ftlbs which is super accurate, but the rats head shot and still run. I’m using hades pellets but feel they lack penetration power. Anyone got any advice for a better option? Shooting at approx 200yds.

I've never had a headshot rat run anywhere , and I got 160+ last Saturday night

 

[flatliner]

Just found out that my beloved Air Arms Diablo Field pellets ARE still available in both 5.51mm and 5.52mm

Happy days.

That 0.01mm really did make a difference. The 5.52's threw 'flyers' every 5th or 6th shot. Ther 5.51's just go where you point the rifle.

It can take a LOT of experimentation to find the pellets that best suit your rifle, but when it works it's worth the effort. Just like developing a load for your C/F really.

Aye, pellet head size can make a difference. I found that out on both my HW77 and Theoben Crusader

 

[Young Buck]

My .22 S410 likes to use the JSB diabolo exact JUMBOS, and the JUMBO HEAVY for a bit of extra punch. Both in 5.52

 

[Lancaster]

Evening all. I have been thinning the rats around our chicken run this week. I’m getting a lot of runners even though the shot is good. We have a bsa r10 12ftlbs which is super accurate, but the rats head shot and still run. I’m using hades pellets but feel they lack penetration power. Anyone got any advice for a better option? Shooting at approx 200yds.

Try sample packs of pellets, available on the Bay or try Pellpax, see what works in your rifle.
H&N FTT or one of the JSB offerings have worked in most rifles I have tried them in, if they are not going down with a shot aimed between eye and ear, you're not hitting them in the right spot, or the pellet is wrong.
Have you chrono'ed the rifle, is it actually putting out 11-12ft/lb?
Hades is yet another fad pellet, a standard diablo dome head has done the job for years, having fancy "fragmenting" heads isn't needed in 12ft/lb, it may be different in FAC Air, but fragmenting on impact at 12ft/lb won't make any difference, in fact it may be dumping the energy in a shallow wound, you just want to make a 5.5mm hole.
It is far different from expanding CF or HMR/WMR bullets that cause Hydrostatic shock which disrupts nerves, blood vessels and tissue around the wound channel.