4.49 or 4.50 - what should I use and why?

[zooma]

After a gap of over 35 years I am returning to target shooting and find the choice of pellet sizing a little confusing.

Previously all the RWS, H&N and Eley Match pellets I had shot with in the 70's were just generally available as .177 or 4.50mm.

Now various options are availabe apart from the 4.50mm standard gauge - the most popular of which is 4.49mm.

When I ask shooters why they choose to use 4.49 instead of the regular 4.50mm they don't seem to know why - only that they have been advised to buy 4.49 rather than 4.50.

I am hoping I can open a debate with this thread to gain some knowledgeable reasoning for the choice, and in turn help me to decide on the correct gauge of pellet for use in my Feinwerkbau P44 or Steyr L10 match pistols to gain the best results.

[The Doctor]

The answer is a simple one - you use the one head size that your barrel prefers. Most high end pistols will come with a test group from the factory that show what head size your pistol prefers, I generally go with this and haven't had any problems. Most of the time I just used 4.49's because I have a millon of them lying around and make sure when I get a new pistol it has been tested using this head size. The jsb green pistol pellets and R10's in this head size are about as good as it gets :-)

Lee

[derekm]

Whatever size you decide to use, note the stated diameter and then put a mike onto a dozen pellets and see how many correspond....... .

Possibly the expensive, specially selected competition variants may bear some relation, but with the run-of-the-mill pellets it's likely to be wishful thinking.

[markwarren]

I have gone with what The Doctor says i.e. the test group that came with my LP10 stated 4.49 so thats what I went with. I shoot JSM Match Diabolos (yellow) and I am improving slowly (particularly enjoying 20 yard at the moment). I don't think I'm at the stage where a different pellet would make much difference - but I could be, and often am, wrong

Any luck with your hunt for the elusive Model 40??

Cheers

Mark

[hwtyger]

I have my testcard with the Steyr. Was shot with the smaller diameters. 49 or 50 I think.
Usually, pistols prefer smaller sizes, rifles larger.
Not all pistols respond to sizechange by the way. Many dont give any accuracy differences.

[zooma]

I have gone with what The Doctor says i.e. the test group that came with my LP10 stated 4.49 so thats what I went with. I shoot JSM Match Diabolos (yellow) and I am improving slowly (particularly enjoying 20 yard at the moment). I don't think I'm at the stage where a different pellet would make much difference - but I could be, and often am, wrong

Any luck with your hunt for the elusive Model 40??

Cheers

Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply. The LP10 seems like an obvious one in the sense that the manufacturer states that they used a 4.49 gauge pellet to gain the test group supplied with the pistol - they don't say or reason why they choose that size rather than the 4.50, but I have been tempted like you to run the the 4.49in my LP10 - just because thats what they used - but it would be nice to know the reason why they use a slightly smaller pellet than the gauge they claim the pistol barrel is specified at.

The Feinwerkbau P44 is not so clear as no pellet size is specified in the manual to advise what they used to shoot the test card with.

No luck finding a P40 yet - but I will keep looking!

[Cones]

I think that unless you are shooting in the 95% or better category, that the pellets at 10m will really not make too much of a difference to your scores.

Even at longer ranges (25 yards) the low cost pellets such as the Geco's and Hobbies group surprisingly well.

You will get more benefit from shooting 4 tins of Geco's to one tin of premium match pellets, just think of how much more practice you can afford.

HTH

Mark

[zooma]

Maybe you are right about that Mark - opinions vary - some say qaulity is better than qauntity, and most pistols unquestionably group better with one brand/type/weight or another.

As this is the Target/Competition shooting section of the forum I am looking to find the answer (if possible) in relation to accuracy between these minute sizing choices - if in fact there really is any advantage to be had by choosing one size against another within the same brand and type of pellet.

Having established the brand/type that seems to suite your pistol the best by giving the tightest groups, I would like to know if any further tightening of the group can be gained by then further testing the same pellets in the various gauges on offer from the same source.

If not - why do they bother to produce such a wide choice of small calibre variations?

Perhaps this would make a good test review to either prove or disprove the myth or fact that there is some or no difference to be gained by choosing 4.49, 4.50 (or other)

What I am trying to find out is why after all these years is it now felt necessary by the manufacturers to offer 4.49, 4.50, 4.51 etc. in many of the brands and types now on sale, and in particular why 4.49 now seems to be the most popular choice used by most competition pistol target shooters.

[silvershooter]

What are the rules regarding pellet size in competition ? I tested some RWS Hobbies with a micrometer set at 4.7, many of the pellets would not pass through the jaws.

[zooma]

WOW Silvershooter - now that is an interesting observation - are you sure?

I know I can buy many of the RWS pellets in 4.48, 4.49, 4.50 and 4.51 - but 4.7 plus is a new one on me thats for sure!

Unless your micrometer is a little out of sync, the RWS qaulity control on the batch you tested would suggest it to be wildly out of control and makes an absolute mockery of worrying too much about any tin marked 4.49 or 4.50 !

I do understand that as the pellet is inserted into the barrel it is "sized" to the barrel in any case. One of the reasons I started this debate was to try to make some sense out of the manufacturers apparent need to offer such minor gauge differences when minor measurements like this are wiped out when the pellet is put into the barrel.

I am guessing that your FWB shoots the Hobby pellets you have OK - even when they measure over 4.7 - so this tends to further reinforce the suggestion that these minor size specification choices we are being offered make no difference - so is it just pure "hype" and a waste of time...or is it?

[silvershooter]

Hi zooma, I just tested again and I quickly found 10 pellets that would not pass through at 4.7 , approx 1 in 4 or 5. Yes they are fine in my FWB C25.

[RobinC]

Hi zooma, I just tested again and I quickly found 10 pellets that would not pass through at 4.7 , approx 1 in 4 or 5. Yes they are fine in my FWB C25.

I've just mic'ed up some 4.50 R10's and they are spot on at 4.5. 4.7's? I think you get what you pay for.
The answer to the original post is what shoots best in your barrel. Steyr, we visited the factory last year they had just about everything on the shelf, sizes, makes, even some real cheapo's, we asked what they used and the answer, anything! Whatever the local shop has in stock! That said both my Steyrs were tested with 4.49's but what make? could have been anything! Walther use RWS but we were told mainly because they are in the same estate.
Robin

[zooma]

Thanks Robin,

This new evidence just about sums up what I am thinking, - it makes no real difference if you buy 4.49 or 4.50, but the better qaulity pellets such as the R10 are the way to go for the most consistant results.

Unless we have any last minute convincing evidence to the contrary the title of this last thread contribution could be the final conclusion to the debate (?).

However, what we also have is no conclusion as to why the better qaulity manufacturers bother to mark-up the pellet tins 4.48, 4.49, 4.50, 4.51.

Maybe the only helpful reason for doing this is to confirm that all of the pellets in the tin are of the same dimension as each other, and this serves to confirm the consistency of the contents inside the tin.

[Cones]

Just a little more practical evidence that it does not really matter at 10m.


Guess which pellets in my LP10E?

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...1478Custom.jpg

Yes, the cheap ones. Geco's

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...1477Custom.jpg

The nines are all me, not the pellets.

HTH

Mark

[silvershooter]

Nice shooting.That would do me, I will stick with the cheapo pellets.