This seemed like the best place for this post. I am new to the forum, and have been playing around with a Crosman 2240/50. Tuning, de-tuning (a lot of time detuning) and learning about lots of things messing around in the back garden. I need plenty of practise, so have been looking at most the economic way to get better. Obviously, I am getting through lots of pellets. Having read far and wide, and as this thread evidences, far back in time too, it seemed that Marksman, Excite and Spitfires were the ones to look out for if I wanted cheap before progressing to something that my improving aim would justify.

I have bought 4 tins of .22 Spitfires, and decided to weigh them up, (being retired, and time is not an issue whilst waiting for SWMBO to stir later in the mornings). These are the "new" Spitfires, and were pretty oily, with little swarf in the tin. I don't intend measuring heads, skirts or checking fit, other than if it goes in the breech, it is a guddun. I'll post a different thread elsewhere when I have done accuracy testing. However, in the course of my searching, I have seen many requests about Spitfire weights, and quite a lot of erroneous statements in reply too unless the old ones were quite different to the new ones (I've seen the pics). My 2,000 sample may not represent everyone's experience, but it is at least factual.

I bought cheap scales, and whilst claiming 0.001 gm accuracy, I wasn't quite so sure when testing them out, so have stuck to 0.2gn groupings. Overall for the total, the average weight was 16.6gn. I worked with groups of 16.0-16.2gn, 16.21-16.4gn, 16.41-16.6gn 16.61-16.8gb and above. Of the 2,000 pellets, 2 tins were showing the majority (about 80%) in the 16.4-16.8gn range, whilst two were skewed in the 16.2-16.6gn range. Anyhow, here are the ranges and average distributions:
16.2-16.4gn, 7%-19%, 11%
16.4-16.6gn, 31%-43%, 38%
16.6-16.8gn, 34%-47%, 41%
Above 18.8gn, 6%-14%, 9%

I guess this just shows what everyone says, don't expect too much consistency (or clean fingers) out of a tin. It remains to be seen if it is any better with accuracy within the weight groups.