As you could expect the most common topics on airgun forums are the features and foibles of the dozens and dozens of different models, but following closely behind the model discussions could be the chatter about airgun ammunition or pellets. You may not expect that a.177 caliber pellet from Manufacturer A would perform wildly different from a.177 caliber pellet from Manufacturer B in the exact same airgun, however they do. To produce it even more difficult Manufacturer B’s ammo may outperform Manufacturer A’s in a different air rifle or pistol.
We will discuss a number of the different characteristics of airgun pellets and how you can use these details to your advantage when selecting a pellet for the air rifle or pistol.
A lighter pellet will leave the barrel of an airgun faster when compared to a heavier pellet and it will also accelerate faster downrange 30-30 ammo. Which means less time to target and a flatter trajectory since there is less time for gravity to work its magic. A weightier pellet will are apt to have a less flat trajectory not due to its weight but since it spends more time to target providing gravity with more time for you to pull it towards the earth.
The next factor that a lot of affects the flight of an airgun pellet is air resistance. Air resistance increases with the cube of speed. When you double the speed of a pellet moving downrange you increase its air resistance by eight times. Really light.177 caliber pellets lose energy due to air resistance so rapidly that after a 35 yd. approximately it will undoubtedly be moving slower when compared to a heavier pellet fired from the exact same gun. Air resistance is probably irrelevant for target shooting out to 10 m but it would play a huge role in a hunting shot beyond that range. This is among the reasons that you wish to hunt with the heaviest pellet your airgun are designed for effectively.
Along with the weight of the pellet air resistance will vary in line with the model of the pellet. Wadcutters are flat nose pellets used for paper target shooting. At the 10 m range the increase in air resistance is almost negligible but the same as with the effect of weight beyond 35 yd. the flat nose begins working like an air brake.
Medium weight round nose pellets offer the very best compromise for both weight and shape for medium powered air rifles. For small caliber air rifles (.177 and.20) the very best hunting ammo is a round nose hollowpoint. This pellet moves through the air along with a typical round nose and mushrooms on impact significantly increasing the force of the shot.
The very best advice about air rifle ammo is to use a number of different brands, a number of different shapes, and a number of different weights. Everything you read within the airgun forums might be true generally but might not benefit your air rifle. If you are only a periodic shooter and still want the very best accuracy and range then select a premium pellet from the exact same manufacturer that made your gun. It’s almost always best in order to avoid no-name bargains because there might be significant variability between pellets in the exact same package.
