New H&N Baracuda Light?

[TonyL]

I've just had a quick peek on the Hard Air Magazine site.

Mmm....new Baracuda Light, 9.57 grains. I was itching to try the Baracuda FT last year. Finally managed to in the Autumn and was very impressed with the results, both indoor at 33 yards and then outdoors in breezy conditions.

The new Baracuda Light is quoted as being the same weight and, at a cursory glance on the site, would appear to be the same pellet.

So, will they be different or is it the same pellet and it's being re-named now that the FT has undergone thorough testing? Suppose we'll have to wait and see..

[TonyL]

The new Baracuda Light is now showing on the H&N site.

I wondered if this would mean that the FT is no more and that the Light had replaced it in a re-naming exercise?

Nope, they're both showing. Same weight, same quoted BC. But the FT is described as being the "Premium" pellet and the Light as an "affordable" lighter weight alternative to the Baracuda Match.

I wonder if the Lights are exactly the same as the FT but that the FTs are subject to passing more stringent tests and QC than those labelled as Lights? Sounds plausible.

Also, I see that the Sniper Mediums are now available again at our sponsor's. I've been wanting to give these a try but it seemed like they weren't available for a while. Very good quoted BC on the H&N site. And the Cleary brothers (not a pair to be sucked in by over-zealous claims / marketing hype) did seem most impressed at the superior long range trajectory characteristics when shooting at 75 yards at Quigley Hollow some time ago.

Fun times ahead comparing this little trio methinks!

[FPoole]

Have fun, but don't expect too much from the sniper mediums. They were total crap in 3 different TX's. Could be that the TX's were crap, but they do so well with Exacts. The Barracuda was the go to pellet for FT, back in the late 1980's and early 1990's. I have a friend who owns a pellet roller specifically for 10.6 gr. Barracuda pellets. Two steel plates with a half profile machined into each half. You lay a pellet on one half and lock the other half in and slide the two halves past each other. The pellet is rolled down the entire length and slightly reshaped. A local, well known, Colt 1911 gunsmith made the roller, but he has long since passed. He had a 50 yard tunnel with a rig to hold his AA NJR rigid while he tested pellets. With pellets from the tin the gun would produce a 50 shot group of .75". After he rolled some pellets, the next group shrank to .375", so basically halved the group size. His theory was not that he resized the pellets, but he made them concentric. I never got to witness this, but several of our old time FT shooters did.

[TonyL]

As ever, thank you for your input.

Very interesting story re the pellet roller.

[sandyman1963]

Interesting I may try a tin good story about the pellet roller

[Citizen K]

Baracuda FT = Lead
Baracuda Light = "Special" Alloy

[Amac]

I really do wish that a pellet as good as the infamous JSB would emerge. I continue to search but haven't found anything to match yet unfortunately.
Andy

[TonyL]

Baracuda FT = Lead
Baracuda Light = "Special" Alloy

Thank you for the input, but I don't think that will be the case here.

On many of the lead pellets in the range the terminology used, "special lead alloy", will refer more to the mix (and antimony content) leading to less fouling and, possibly, less pellet distortion.

On the FT, the blurb is concentrating more on the "carefully selected" and accuracy of manufacture and more intensive testing, so probably no room to also include the wording re composition.

My guess would still be that testing and quality control on the FT is more stringent and maybe the product of multiple dies / batches goes into the tins of the Light.

[TonyL]

I really do wish that a pellet as good as the infamous JSB would emerge. I continue to search but haven't found anything to match yet unfortunately.
Andy

Very, very possibly true, sir. And, it must be said, as a whole there are probably more guns that prefer a diet of JSB manufactured pellets compared to other makes.

However, a number of my guns do give better accuracy with other pellets. For example, my .177 HW95 produces its tightest groups with (1) The Baracuda FT, (2) Field Target Trophy, (3) Boxed Crosman Premier 7.9 and with the Air Arms Diabolo Field, Exacts of various batches, the Express version of the Exacts and RWS Superdomes all sharing an equal fourth place.

It really does pay to conduct some intensive pellet testing.

[21grains]

I've just had a quick peek on the Hard Air Magazine site.

Mmm....new Baracuda Light, 9.57 grains. I was itching to try the Baracuda FT last year. Finally managed to in the Autumn and was very impressed with the results, both indoor at 33 yards and then outdoors in breezy conditions.

The new Baracuda Light is quoted as being the same weight and, at a cursory glance on the site, would appear to be the same pellet.

So, will they be different or is it the same pellet and it's being re-named now that the FT has undergone thorough testing? Suppose we'll have to wait and see..

*.177 Cuda's are 10.65gr The New FT Cuda's are 9.57gr >>> H&N said the FT Cuda's where Made for the 12flb FT Handycap Class.....Franky