Pellets for Classic Match Pistols

[zooma]

With the new MPL competition starting this month there has naturally been a lot of interest in finding the most suitable pistol to use in the series, and the most suitable match pellet to use in these pistols that mostly stem from the 70's.

The choice of pistol is quite varied, but inevitably the top pistols include the FWB 65, FWB80, Walther LP3, Original Model 6 and Model 10 etc.

The pellet most used at that time was the RWS Meisterkugeln, and unlike now we only had the one size (.177 or 4.50).

I am guessing that pistols of that era such as the Feinwerkbau Model 65 that held almost all of the records for many years were optimised for these same pellets, (or maybe the other way around) - but either way the combination of these pellets and these pistols produced superb accuracey and set world records (certainly with the FWB pistols mentioned) that have not really improved drastically to this day.

My guess would be that despite the much expanded range of pellets and sizes ( 4.48, 4.49, 4.50, 4.51, etc) the classic pellets used in the day to produce such good results are most likely to still be the RWS Meisterkugeln 4.50 - and these are still available.

Has anyone tested more modern pellets such as the RWS R10 directly against these classic pellets in their classic match air pistols- and can anyone see any difference between the 4.49 and 4.50 sizes as far as improved groupings are concerned?

[hwtyger]

My LP6/10 didnt like RWS at all.
They favoured JSB Match. And my LP5 magnum, JSB Exact.
I dont have much guns that show considerable variation is size reg pelletsize. My Tau 7's do, but other pistols I have not so much.

[zooma]

Sorry Yana - this thread is about classic air pistols and the most suitable pellets to fit them - not the currently available match pistols and your pellet choice for them as I think there is a lot of information already available on this very subjective choice.

Everybody will have their own preference about what fits their current match pistols, but this thread is to help those who are taking part in the MPL, and they will typically have classic pistols from the 70's.

[I. J.]

Strangely enough my FWB80 loves Meisterkugeln and when I use R10 the velocity drops a good 50 fps. Its present m.e. is on the low side but its easy to cock and very accurate. 4.49 or 4.50? Im not that good enough shot to be able to distinguish between the two.

As an aside - Im going to tell the Rivvi members that they have to use .177 Bulldog or Marksmen.

Alls fair in love and pistol shooting.

ATB
Ian

[mikec4]

As an aside - Im going to tell the Rivvi members that they have to use .177 Bulldog or Marksmen.

Alls fair in love and pistol shooting.

ATB
Ian

I'm not giving up my Meisterkugeln .

ATB

Mike.

[Iain K D]

As an aside - Im going to tell the Rivvi members that they have to use .177 Bulldog or Marksmen.

ATB
Ian

What if someone turns up with the proper target shooting variety - you'd be right worried then?

Regards,

Iain

[zooma]

What if someone turns up with the proper target shooting variety - you'd be right worried then?

Regards,

Iain

Nah........they still need to pull the trigger!

....but I have not tried those yet - are they any good in the classic match pistols?

At this moment it seems like the Meisterkugeln remain the ones to beat as first choice for the MPL series - no surprise there then as they were the ones to beat when these pistols were new and state of the art materpieces in any case!

And I also agree that it seems to make no difference now that Meisterkugeln can be bought in 4.49 as well as 4.50 - I have them both and can see no difference at all in results from either when used in the classic match pistols - but I do think they work better than anything else.

The correct period pellet for the same period match pistols, and still the best combination in the Feinwerkbau Model 65 and Model 80 under test so far.

[I. J.]

What if someone turns up with the proper target shooting variety - you'd be right worried then?

Regards,

Iain

If they were over 3 groats a tin they wouldn't buy them!

ATB
Ian

[gordon]

"and can anyone see any difference between the 4.49 and 4.50 sizes as far as improved groupings are concerned? " Iv`e tried 4.49 and 4.50 ,washed and unwashed ( the pellets not me ) also weighed and sized , no difference at all, still can`t put pellet on pellet .and iv`e been getting some practice in

[gordon]

Just watched Mo Farah, what a fantastic run

[gwyn]

MMMMM, a classic match pellet?is there such a thing? when i used to shoot 10mtr comps a few years back i used a FWB 80,then a FWB 90, moved on to a Tau7,Also had a FWB300 and a FWB C60???? CO2 jobby,packed up when the eyes gave out!!!!
Along with other club members we have used H&N pistol/rifle match pellets, R10's(the old and new varieties)and at the moment JSB Match, always in 4.49 size,indeed the test cards that came with the FWB's were shot with pellets of that size.
At present our club stock of R10's has recently run out and our local dealer was no longer selling H&N or R10's, at the moment he is JSB everything!!!!!(MY AA S400 doesnt like em) so its JSBmatch now,in 4.49,Pistols in use are a from a range of manfactures,in PCP we have Steyr,Morini,Walther,Hammerli etc.and FWB 65,80 and 90 springers.
So long as its a good quality match pellet,there seems to be nothing in it?no complaints from club members,
BUT don't try them in a 12ft ilbs rifle!!!! UUGGGHHHH!!! 12ft ilbs and wadcutters dont go together with the exception i found of JSB Jumbo, a .22 wadcutter,worked a treat out of my Falcon FN19,at lower powers i used to use Gammo Match wadcutters in a stretched Gammo CF16 for sport rifle comps,at about 7ft ilbs it cracked em down range a treat!!brought it second hand for £40.00 and it was almost recoil free!! shot better scores with that than i ever did with my later HW95,TX200 and Diana 34!!!!
Lesson being that a lower power rifle is all you need for 20yd comps,wish i still had my old FWB300!!!!

[zooma]

RWS Meisterkugeln were mostly used in the 70's when the current air pistols used by the top club and international shooters were most often the Feinwerkbau Model 65 - and later the "updated" version named Model 80 that eventually replaced it.

To my surprise the RWS Meisterkugeln are still available, and at a price midway between the Hobby and R10 from the same manufacturer.

Our tests so far show these pellets still work well in these classic air pistols at 10 metres - and this is what we are using them for in the MPL - along with other classic match air pistols from similar time periods such as the Original Model 6 and Model 10, Walther LP2, LP3 as well as "kickers" such as the Walther LP53,GAMO Centre and Target, HW70 and Original Model 5.

As an aside ( without wishing to hijack this MPL based thread) these same pellets are also working amazingly well with several of the top PCP pistols too, and some of our best 10 metre pistol shooters have switched over to them as their preferred choice.

......so yes I would say there is such a thing as a "classic" match air pistol pellet that started life in the early seventies when many of these "classic" match air pistols did and they are still performing well in them now.

A "classic" pairing maybe?