JSB Predator pellets (in .177)

[Guest]

I have had a tin of these pellets for about 6 months and have not had an opportunity to test them, as the AirWolf magazine will not feed them.

However, yesterday I took the S200 out and used the pellets.

I was pleasantly surprised at the results.

Accuracy: -

The weather was very wet (and windy) and the fields were extremely muddy so I did not “get down” and use the bipod; all shots were taken either free standing or rested on a tree.

I paced out 35 steps to a line of small potatoes that had been left after harvesting. They were about 1 ½ inches diameter. I shot at 5 of them and all shots hit. What I noticed was how much potato flew as the pellet struck but I needed to have a better test of the pellet’s expansion.

Expansion of Pellet & Energy Retention: -

I found a small re-sealable mineral water bottle and stood up at 40 paces and shot it in the middle. On inspecting the bottle I noticed that the pellet was still inside it! Unfortunately I did not have any normal JSB’s to compare but I am sure that in the past when I shot these bottles, the pellet passes through. I also noticed that the Predator’s head has expanded noticeably.

Conclusion

I am going to give these pellets a go when I am next out hunting for squirrels

Cam

[Gary C]

I think I'd be doing a better grouping test than 1.5" at 35 yards

[Guest]

I think I'd be doing a better grouping test than 1.5" at 35 yards

I did take with me a target card and holder with me but the weather turned too wet for lying on floor. I will test again, but for 20 yard rats/squirrels the first test looks promising?

Cam

[Gary C]

I did take with me a target card and holder with me but the weather turned too wet for lying on floor. I will test again, but for 20 yard rats/squirrels the first test looks promising?

Cam

Distance makes no odds Cam in my HO. If you're grouping 1.5" at 35 yards you shouldn't be using the poxy things. If you're grouping 1/2" at 35 why not?

Personally I will use the most accurate pellets and try to place smack on the button, not go for faddy promises of greater killing power..

[ross H]

id agree with gary, which ever pellet groups best in my chosen gun is its hunting pellet, none of this hollow points for close range and domes for long stuff, just put the peelet in the right place and you will have a dead animal for the pot or not if its a rat

[Whitester]

You’re right to a certain extent Ross, but hollow points, in my opinion are better for rats. They seem to stop them better and they don’t ricochet half as much as domes. So I guess it’s horses for courses. But because hollow points won’t group well much over 25 yards then they are not really suitable for rabbits.

[Parabuteo]

I tried these things in a flat calm off of abipod with my 410k.

Not too clever. The standard pellets were grouping single ragged hole at 35y and the preds a 28mm pattern.

I repeated the experiment, and even gave my oppo a mag to shoot without telling him and the group size just went...err...bigger:D

Fun, but not something I have used more than once on live quarry (boy did it work, but I was closer than normal).

Cant beat good old JSB or, dare I say it, Penetrators (they seem to work particularly well in my rifle ATM:eek: ).

[nasha]

iv shot them in .22 but not 177.

i liked them ,accurate etc they dont seem any better than a standard pellet tho , until i shot some ratts .

being not the best shot in the world i got some head shots but not brain shots and some boiler room shots . they all stoped ratts that would have normaly made cover .
so from that point of veiw it worked well .

they seem better in low fac level guns tho as they where tested on 19/20 fpe guns .


they are far to expensive for me to shoot regular .

[Cynergy]

A major problem I have found with these pellets is there inability to be loaded in certain mags. Surely a major drawback when hunting :confused:

[Guest]

A major problem I have found with these pellets is there inability to be loaded in certain mags. Surely a major drawback when hunting :confused:

Yes, but not if you are using a single shot tray or rifle.;) :D

Cam

[hadaka-jimi]

I read that as the spuds wer one and a half inches diameter - not he grouping of the pellet. But as they are pointed and the point is inserted, I would only consider these as being a close range ammo anyway.

Anything that will stop inside a close range rat or woody is going to be good news but I dont really see that they will be that much better than a hollow point anyway.

But willing to give it a try:D

[Guest]

I read that as the spuds wer one and a half inches diameter - not he grouping of the pellet. But as they are pointed and the point is inserted, I would only consider these as being a close range ammo anyway.

Anything that will stop inside a close range rat or woody is going to be good news but I dont really see that they will be that much better than a hollow point anyway.

But willing to give it a try:D


Yes!

The weather was so poor that I didn't "get down" to use the bipod and simply rested or "free-standed" the shots.

I was surprised that all five consecutive shots hit the targets.

I will test again at 35 yards using the bipod.

I would be very interested in your findings.

Cam

[laity]

I used them , there good out to about 25 yards but no further than that for me. I used them in an Airwolf and they were bad as you like at 30 ...under that they were fine. I would use anything else rather than them for hunting ...but that's just me.

laity

[youngairgunner]

hi there, i used these pellets at the weekend and shot a squirrel. was the cleanist kill i have had on a squirrel. thouroughly recommend them:p

cheers james

[ribbonstone]

Have to apply airgun power to exactly the right spot, so accuracy is #1. Expanison and a great BC are good things, but not at the expense of accuracy. Given a gun that shoots predators well, they could be the best pellet offered, at lesst on smaller sized live targets.

I just haven't found the right rifle yet. Might be that long poly-point not being swaged on dead center (or considering the bulk packing, they didn't stay that way in shipping). Whatever the reason, will keep testing rifles hoping for the right combination.

Generally work backwards...ignore power during testing and look for whatever range I can keep groups in 3/4" as the max. yardage.

[hadaka-jimi]

Yes!

The weather was so poor that I didn't "get down" to use the bipod and simply rested or "free-standed" the shots.

I was surprised that all five consecutive shots hit the targets.

I will test again at 35 yards using the bipod.

I would be very interested in your findings.

Cam

TBH Cam, I think 35 yds may be too far for pointed or hollow pointed ammo.
The expansion is only really useful for close range stuff so i would actually test from close to 25 and then possibly expect deterioration in group size after that.

You are talking about a very aggressive point spinning so it it off centre or imbalanced the potential to group will be impeded.

[Pod]

Predator also do the same pellet without the tip - here (http://www.predatorpellets.com/products.htm). Don't know if they are available in the UK though :o and the where to buy link suggests not :(

[Guest]

TBH Cam, I think 35 yds may be too far for pointed or hollow pointed ammo.
The expansion is only really useful for close range stuff so i would actually test from close to 25 and then possibly expect deterioration in group size after that.

You are talking about a very aggressive point spinning so it it off centre or imbalanced the potential to group will be impeded.

Hi

I have been thinking about this too. I think I will do some thorough indoor testing at 25 yards and then 30 yards because the rats and the squirrels are rarely at more of a distance that these ranges.

I am going to get permission to use the greenhouses at one of my shoots!

Will keep you posted.

Cam

[Guest]

Predator also do the same pellet without the tip - here (http://www.predatorpellets.com/products.htm). Don't know if they are available in the UK though :o and the where to buy link suggests not :(


I am going to cheat. I will pick out the point and test.

Cam

[remorem2jh@supanet.com]

Have to apply airgun power to exactly the right spot, so accuracy is #1. Expanison and a great BC are good things, but not at the expense of accuracy. Given a gun that shoots predators well, they could be the best pellet offered, at lesst on smaller sized live targets.

I just haven't found the right rifle yet. Might be that long poly-point not being swaged on dead center (or considering the bulk packing, they didn't stay that way in shipping). Whatever the reason, will keep testing rifles hoping for the right combination.

Generally work backwards...ignore power during testing and look for whatever range I can keep groups in 3/4" as the max. yardage.

Seems good advice to me ,I do look for power but as the man said IF it groups 'use it' if it dont put it back in the cupboard.

[ribbonstone]

Think a test of some with the poly-points removed would be interresting...if you can remove them without mangling the pellet. May have to make that a project.

No, I don't totaly ignore power in testing...but a 12fpe+ rifle isn't going to suddenly become a 7fpe+ rifle with any good pellet. May lose 10 or even 15%, but unless a pellet is a total POS, won't lose 30-40%. Generally, any pellet that shows even a 15% loss is so hoplessly inaccurate you'd not use it even if it showed a 15% gain AND brewed beer.

In the us, with no energy restriction, can get HP pellets moving fast enough to expand well...perhaps too well. Testing with low powered air rifles (8fpe+) show some can expand (and these certainly can).

Get them impacting at 800+ fps, that poly tip usually comes off and makes a seperate (short) would track.