Lead free pellet test review

[angrybear]

I decided to put up my results so far as a review with a link to an album of target results, which are self explanatory.

At this point I have only been able to test;
JSB Pb free .25 - 16.54gn.
JSB Pb free .22 - 11.75gn.
FTT Green .22 - 9.57gn.
more to follow as & when I can get hold of them.

JSB .25.
The first Pb free I have really tested and I have to say a very pleasant surprise, My BSA scorpion loves them
at 25yds a magazine of 8 shots gave a single ragged hole less than 10mm (see photo) while I haven't quite been able to repeat that group, it shoots 5p size groups all day.

FAC sadly is another matter, at 42yds the groups are more like 50mm, this obviously needs more work,
I suspect I need to turn the power down to 30fpe or less, as at around 40fpe they are doing 1054fps ave.

JSB .22.
Another pleasant surprise, my Rapid .22 is not exactly pellet fussy, but these Pb free shot better groups at 25yds than some good lead brands,
They also seem to improve quite a bit with a few drops of Napier pellet lube,
sadly on the 5 shot group I pulled the second shot, it was 100% my fault and opened what would have been a sub 10mm single hole to 4+1 at 15mm.
On the 10 shot group the first shot was some 25fps slower than the rest giving a 9+1 group.

FTT Green
Disappointing after the JSB results, and more like the general reports for lead free.
A 5 shot group of 25mm, followed by a 10 shot group of 30mm but the POI was completely random.

I then repeated the test, with these pellets getting a few drops of Napier lube,
The 5 shot group improved to 20mm, once again on the 10 shot group the first shot was some 30fps slower than the rest ? which kept the group at 30mm.

Away from the actual accuracy all of these lead free have the issue that they are just too hard to consider as a hunting pellet,
and if I was using a metal target I would be very worried about ricochets.

Target photo's
https://ibb.co/album/TDpXg4

[angrybear]

Forgot to put the chrono results last night.

JSB .25.
control lead pellet was FTT 20gn which gave 519fps for 11.96-ftlb ( that needs turning down)
Pb free 16.54gn gave 560fps for 11.51-ftlb.

FAC
control lead pellet was JSB 25.4gn which gave 883fps for 44-ftlb,
Pb free 16.54gn gave 1054fps for 40.8-ftlb

JSB .22.
control lead pellet was FX 15.89gn which gave 574fps for 11.62-ftlb,
Pb free 11.89gn gave 660fps for 11.36-ftlb.

FTT Green.22.
control lead pellet was FTT 14.66gn which gave 598fps for 11.64-ftlb,
Green 9.57gn gave 738fps for 11.57-ftlb

BSA GreenStar .22
No lead control - clean barrel
GreenStar 12.96gn, 642fps for 11.89-ftlb

A noticeable point was that the chrono failed to read any of the FTT Green without lube once lubed there was no issue.

[B&W FOX]

Be nice if the sites sponsor supplied you a selection of the ones he sells for testing, then we would have some feedback on what works, before placing an order.

Thank you for the testing you've done todate. Very time consuming job trying to get consistent results.

[aris]

Did you clean the barrel first or was the barrel leaded up from previous pellets.

[angrybear]

Did you clean the barrel first or was the barrel leaded up from previous pellets.

No, I just took the pellets straight from the tin, same as I do testing different brands, No cleaning, no scope adjustment just load & shoot.
I will add that I did clean the barrel when I first built this Rapid up from parts and it's only had maybe 200 shots before yesterdays test.

I am well in to the second tin of .25 & the scorpion is as accurate with them now as with the first shot.

[aris]

No, I just took the pellets straight from the tin, same as I do testing different brands, No cleaning, no scope adjustment just load & shoot.
I will add that I did clean the barrel when I first built this Rapid up from parts and it's only had maybe 200 shots before yesterdays test.

I am well in to the second tin of .25 & the scorpion is as accurate with them now as with the first shot.

There is a possibility that the lead already in your barrel is helping the non-lead ones make a smoother way through - less friction. Not an insurmountable problem for non-lead - perhaps we will see moly coated non-lead pellets in the future.

[angrybear]

Well yes I suppose there is always that possibility, only one way to tell I suppose

[angrybear]

JSB .22 test repeated with a clean barrel,

Afternoon turned in to a bit of a nightmare from the start, as I wanted to check zero on my MFR .20, but it blew the seal as I screwed the bottle on ,
and then because it's blazing sun the shooting shed was 34*C inside.

Anyway on to the test, having cleaned the barrel there is no lead control only 5 shot groups of JSB Pb free, Groups 1,2,3 are no lube, groups 4,5,6 are lubed

Now I must be honest there was a touch of user error I'd set up my NV add-on last night, & forgot to reset the scope ocular back to my day setting, it was only after group 4 that I noticed the tipex mark was in the wrong place

Groups 5 & 6 were with the ocular reset to the day mark

I decided I had to reshot the test, see groups 7-12 where the first shot of each group was off giving groups of 4+1, I suspect that was down to me getting hot & annoyed.

anyway, targets with a a clean barrel.

https://ibb.co/kmtj487
https://ibb.co/QnYcnbF

[TonyL]

Thank you for the information to date, AB, and your fine efforts.

[angrybear]

BSA Green star

Now got hold of some GreenStar 12.96gn, I believe these are identical to the H&N Barracuda Green so I'm not going test the H&N unless someone can prove different.

These are, I would say, better than the FTT green when unlubed straight from the tin, but strangely the FTT showed slightly better when lubed.
The point of note is that they are the first lead free that has raised the rifle MV giving 642 fps for 11.86ftlb (11.62 with lead)

At least the chrono had no issue reading these.

target,
https://ibb.co/vjwqzHD

[angrybear]

Short version none are really acceptable

https://ibb.co/CmnKcgf

https://ibb.co/C7G1DTv

[egghead]

I bought some LF pellets in .177 to test last weekend, H&N Barracuda Green, H&N FTT Green and RWS Hyperdome.
I used my FX typhoon as a test bed which has a Weihrauch barrel on it (rifled, choked).
All gave satisfactory groups at 25 yards but were like a shotgun at 40 yards.
I cleaned the barrel thoroughly before I started and lubed the pellets.

I have the original smooth twist barrel for the Typhoon still, I will try that at some point.
Has anybody any experience of a smooth twist barrel with lead free pellets?
Regards
Dave

[DEAN C.]

Short version none are really acceptable

https://ibb.co/CmnKcgf

https://ibb.co/C7G1DTv

Thanks for going to the trouble of doing this, but you have confirmed my thoughts. They don't work!
I was getting 7mm Centre to centre 5 shot groups at 40 yards with .177 in wind last night trying a new barrel on my Steyr with JSB made from good old lead.

I have seen Gary Chillingworth testing .177 on you tube, and they are terrible at any real distance, totally useless for hunting or targets.
I will have a chat to him next time I see him and see if there are any new possibilities on the horizon.

I personally dont think they will be able to make lead free happen, even if they try and ban the sale of it.
The good thing is that BASC seem to be changing their tune a bit after it has come out about the evidence given in the EU is flawed.
They have stated in their latest news that they will fight to ensure lead is not banned where alternatives are not available. Who knows with the clowns in Westminster though.

[TonyL]

Fingers and everything else well and truly crossed, Dean, and thank you for "keeping a finger on the pulse" on this.

[angrybear]

Thanks for going to the trouble of doing this, but you have confirmed my thoughts. They don't work!
I was getting 7mm Centre to centre 5 shot groups at 40 yards with .177 in wind last night trying a new barrel on my Steyr with JSB made from good old lead.

I have seen Gary Chillingworth testing .177 on you tube, and they are terrible at any real distance, totally useless for hunting or targets.
I will have a chat to him next time I see him and see if there are any new possibilities on the horizon.

I personally dont think they will be able to make lead free happen, even if they try and ban the sale of it.
The good thing is that BASC seem to be changing their tune a bit after it has come out about the evidence given in the EU is flawed.
They have stated in their latest news that they will fight to ensure lead is not banned where alternatives are not available. Who knows with the clowns in Westminster though.

Has to be said Gary's test on the tube was largely pointless because he was chasing the POA around the target which is a schoolboy error pick an aim point & stick with it,
Unless of course he was deliberately trying to make them look worse than they actually are

The BASC has always had the position that until there's an accurate alternative lead cannot be banned, but some people seemed to expect them to fight against any change