Are cheap pellets worth it ?

[TonyL]

I do, I think the Mercury/Marksmen combo gave the best group of all at 4.5mm at 10m.! Although I also remember reading that some of the "results" were obtained at considerably closer ranges!!!!

Yes, I also seem to remember later reading that his tests were not always the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the.

[Blackbaronfish]

There, Ray, corrected it for you.

On that note I was getting some good groups with a meteor and marksman pellets

BBF

[catanonia]

Steve-I understand your video is purely to demonstrate what we all learn in life: "Wise man cry once, foolish man save money but cry often", however, to batch test different pellets in any rife, you need to ensure you clean the bore properly and then re-lead in the barrel before you shoot groups-2-3 pull through's should get the barrel clean enough and 20-30 pellets of the brand to be tested should be sufficient to condition the barrel.

Well done on the video, you are obviously an enthusiast

Thank you.

With the wasp pellets I don't think it would have made much of a difference as they were so loose in the barrel. But definitely a good point to let the barrel lead up a bit.

[1shot1kill]

I use the above for 10m air pistol in a Steyr & a couple of rather nice Feinwerkbaus, they are considerably more accurate than me & under £4 a tin so I don't see the point in spending twice as much on R10s. Surprised a certain Mr Jones who's a considerably better shot than me hasn't jumped in on this thread!
ATB John.

[oliver13]

I rebuilt an older BSA springer & got a tin of .22 SMK 'Blacks' to run it in, I'd normally get a tin of Wasps or Spitfires sort of thing & just plink for a couple of hundred shots at tin cans & such to do the job. They actually turned out to be quite a decent pellet in a lot of different guns, well above the Wasp/Spitfire standard. The only thing is, £3 only gets a tin of 250 they maybe aren't exactly budget enough for this thread?

[Phil Russell]

I have a variety of what you might call cheap pellets in .177 and .22. I use them just to check that a rebuild of a rifle has gone OK or for a bit of cheap plinking fun. Once happy with the rebuild I will continue the check using the prospective 'in use' pellet .. usually a JSB type.
Cheers, Phil

[Geezer]

Worth it: Basics and Gecos.

Not sure: Umarex wadcutters, Gamo "match".

Not worth it: almost everything else.

Though, of course, there will be exceptions where someone's particular rifle really gets on with BSA Interceptors or whatever.

[piggy589]

SMK Spitfires in .177 group quite well in my Meteor.

Tried them in newly serviced HW80 once,just a few clearing shots, produced an eight inch group at around twenty yards,the timber target board looked like a used prop from western movie.

Then I checked the gun over a chronograph .

[angrybear]

If you are simply shooting 500 pellets to bed in a brand new or freshly rebuilt rifle I suppose you could save £5 by using cheap pellets

Frankly if the pellet's not accurate or doesn't group with the rifle it's pointless to shoot them, no matter whether they're cheap or not.

Marksman were superb in my Hatsan .25.

[Rob Edge]

If you are simply shooting 500 pellets to bed in a brand new or freshly rebuilt rifle I suppose you could save £5 by using cheap pellets

Frankly if the pellet's not accurate or doesn't group with the rifle it's pointless to shoot them, no matter whether they're cheap or not.

Marksman were superb in my Hatsan .25.

Marksman group superbly in my FAC Galatian too

[TonyL]

Mmmm....those Marksman pellets seem to be getting a few favourable mentions.

[Phil Russell]

Re: using cheap pellets to test a fettled rifle. I guess you are correct in thinking that the cost saving is not much, so why buy cheap pellets. If I was buying cheap pellets just for that I would agree. But I am not ... not buying cheap pellets that is. My stock of cheap pellets, and some not so cheap ones of a brand I would not use for other purposes, have been accumulated over the years. Most have come as part of an auction buy where the target purchase was something else ... a few springs maybe, or even a rifle ... with a few boxes/tins of pellets being a bit of a bonus. Rather than throw these pellets away or not use them at all, I use them as a convenient ammunition for initial chrono etc testing after fettling a rifle. Maybe not a perfect choice but I find they can give a good indication as to whether or not my efforts with new leather piston seals and breech seals etc are working.
Simples.
Cheers, Phil

[Jimny4x4]

I just posted a thread and then saw this when looking at other Pellet threads .

I refuse to spend out hard cash in big lumps for 'names' - that goes for everything ,not just pellets - even like me jeans ....I could'nt give a monkeys what logo is on them ...they do the job .

Also quality is no guarantee - damaged skirting , loose bits .
I have been using a few budget brands - no idea why they are regarded as 'budget' in the usually understood sense .
Super pellets .
SMK / Marksman and a few others like Mono .
Elsewhere started a thread re these new MONO Pellets I see on the Bay - some sat beside me right now as I type - clean , well made , lubed - no dirty scum in every tin .
Marvellous

[Artfull-Bodger]

just looking at them will tell you nothing, you have to do grouping tests at ranges like 35 - 55 yds, cheap pellets rarely turn out to be anything but cheap pellets.

[Jimny4x4]

Ahhh so a keyboard jockey with attitude who cannot allow somebody to make a simple statement here ...

You didn't read my original thread .
A visual inspection is a must - and useful - molding marks / damaged skirting - and swarf in a tin is a marker of how a manufacturer treats their assembly line ....and any ( if any ) inspection processes .
I gave up spending out on some that had all the above negatives .

In my garden test area 35m ( measured ) I can shoot .... I'll stop there because until you buy a tin of Bulldogs or Marksman or ..you'll simply tap away on the keyboard trying to prove a point ....