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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Exeter
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    35,658

    Lead free pellet test review

    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

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Exeter
    Posts
    35,658

    Chrono results

    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.
    Last edited by angrybear; 02-06-2022 at 12:36 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Tring
    Posts
    621
    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.
    ,AA , Magtech , Arnie, Sako, Ruger . plus the others .

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Watford
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    Did you clean the barrel first or was the barrel leaded up from previous pellets.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Exeter
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    Quote Originally Posted by aris View Post
    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Watford
    Posts
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    Quote Originally Posted by angrybear View Post
    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.

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