What ft/lb would be considered safely legal to set a springer?

[Barryg]

I have noticed a huge power difference with pellets alone and feel a bit uneasy much over 11 ft/lbs with the best pellet for power but some run their guns in the mid 11's to me this seems to close.

I was wondering what ft/lb you guys feel comfortable with and what is recommended.

[Smiffyxx]

12ft/lb or under is legal. Obviously Pellet weight can change this on guns running near the uk limit
This is where You need to be careful, if your gun gets tested by the authorities they will probably put different weighted Pellets through it to push it over the legal threshold if it does go over consistently then you have a problem.
Pellet selection and a chrono will keep you the right side of the law.

[MeHadger]

Personally never knowingly run anything over 11 and most of mine are set to/happen to output about 10.6-10.8 and really don’t miss anything from the 1.whatever I’m ‘missing’.

[flyingfish]

I mainly use 8.4grain JSB exacts. I set my springers to around 777fps. 11.2 or 3 by memory
Tend to get a nice firing cycle with enough power for 80 yard targets (not hunting to 80 yard

[angrybear]

12ft/lb or under is legal. Obviously Pellet weight can change this on guns running near the uk limit
This is where You need to be careful, if your gun gets tested by the authorities they will probably put different weighted Pellets through it to push it over the legal threshold if it does go over consistently then you have a problem.
Pellet selection and a chrono will keep you the right side of the law.

Actually, If it goes over 12fpe with so much as a single shot during testing, it fails

Test every pellet you can get hold of, set the power safe with whatever gives the highest reading regardless of whether it's accurate & you use it or not.

[WILBA]

10.5ftlb. The difference in a hunting sinario using 10.5ftlb against a gun running at near legal limit is negligible. Better to be on the safe side of the law.

[Mr. Gen]

Do we really require yet another self flagellating politically correct discussion on this done to death topic?

[Mayerone]

I have noticed a huge power difference with pellets alone and feel a bit uneasy much over 11 ft/lbs with the best pellet for power but some run their guns in the mid 11's to me this seems to close.

I was wondering what ft/lb you guys feel comfortable with and what is recommended.

Personally I go for 11.4 max with the most efficient (highest ft/lb) pellet through the chrono. That leaves me confident enough that there's enough up to the limit to not go over.

That's not to say I set any at 11.4 as the gun may shoot better at, say, 10.8 or lower.

[Mark Palmer]

Max I had on my superstar was 11.2, it varied between 10.8 and 11.2 depending on pellet, it was very consistent , regardless of its diet and most accurate on Superfields at 11ftlb

[TonyL]

Actually, If it goes over 12fpe with so much as a single shot during testing, it fails

Test every pellet you can get hold of, set the power safe with whatever gives the highest reading regardless of whether it's accurate & you use it or not.

Yes, this. And I try to set at about 11.4 max with the most efficient pellet to give that margin for safety. As said up above, some are often set up at a lower figure to give the nicest (for me) firing cycles.

[TonyL]

Do we really require yet another self flagellating politically correct discussion on this done to death topic?

Maybe, maybe not. But there will always be new people amongst us who are not fully aware of the technicalities and who haven't come across those previous threads. When it comes to law and safety topics, personally, I don't mind if they are brought up as reminders.

[gsxrman]

There can be a spread over 1ftlb between the least and most efficient pellet in your rifle.
When we were FT shooting every week or so and our rifles went over the chrono, every rifle was as close to limit as possible without going over. My 7.9 premiers used to run just over 800fps.
We had two Police officers in our club at the time and one was a Firearms officer, and they both used to do the same.
This not opinion, but fact.

[Barryg]

There can be a spread over 1ftlb between the least and most efficient pellet in your rifle.
When we were FT shooting every week or so and our rifles went over the chrono, every rifle was as close to limit as possible without going over. My 7.9 premiers used to run just over 800fps.
We had two Police officers in our club at the time and one was a Firearms officer, and they both used to do the same.
This not opinion, but fact.

Interesting post, are you saying that although you run your guns at just over 11.2 ft/lbs, at your club it was accepted and most club members including Police officers were perhaps running at 11.8 knowing that the power could jump with a more efficient pellet and not caring or is just over 11.2 ft/lbs as close as possible without going over. What are you saying is as close as possible without going over? Are you saying something like post 2 is acceptable.

[gsxrman]

Interesting post, are you saying that although you run your guns at just over 11.2 ft/lbs, at your club it was accepted and most club members including Police officers were perhaps running at 11.8 knowing that the power could jump with a more efficient pellet and not caring or is just over 11.2 ft/lbs as close as possible without going over. What are you saying is as close as possible without going over? Are you saying something like post 2 is acceptable.

I can only speak from experience. If your rifle was deemed over the limit then you were not allowed to shoot FT/HFT courses. Mine was pretty much 11.8 with 7.9 Premiers.
My rifles were tested several times, at big events too, and was always allowed to shoot. With my power level and chosen pellet I was within the law. I don't know the law well enough but if a rifle with varying power levels or an adjuster, which there are several and you set the power for your chosen pellet within the 12ftlb limit you are surely legal. If an officer of the law takes your rifle to test it and uses different ammo, surely that is him altering the pretence and committing the "crime" and not you. Surely.
Shotguns are designed to shoot "shot" which is what most do and at either game or clays. A cartridge can be easily adapted to shoot a bullet or other projectile. Again most people don't, but the potential is there to do so, so is every basic shotgun illegal?

[Anothermiss]

I can only speak from experience. If your rifle was deemed over the limit then you were not allowed to shoot FT/HFT courses. Mine was pretty much 11.8 with 7.9 Premiers.
My rifles were tested several times, at big events too, and was always allowed to shoot. With my power level and chosen pellet I was within the law. I don't know the law well enough but if a rifle with varying power levels or an adjuster, which there are several and you set the power for your chosen pellet within the 12ftlb limit you are surely legal. If an officer of the law takes your rifle to test it and uses different ammo, surely that is him altering the pretence and committing the "crime" and not you. Surely.
Shotguns are designed to shoot "shot" which is what most do and at either game or clays. A cartridge can be easily adapted to shoot a bullet or other projectile. Again most people don't, but the potential is there to do so, so is every basic shotgun illegal?

Nope. If a pellet is readily available to the shooter, they can test with it.itvavoids the simple workaround of a rifle running (random number, here..) 18ftlb with jsb.
Imagine the shooter knew this and had a pocket full of intentionally oversized slugs for the bore, meaning rifle could only achieve 10ftlb with them. Shooter sees cop coming, slings jsb in a stream. Then says "I only shoot these, officer" presenting the slow, oversized slugs.
Some people just can't conform. Me and my uncle had this discussion recently where he's said "20ftlb should be allowed for hunting" which is a fair argument. I pointed out if that was allowed, people would only want 21ftlb and would run their rifles as close to the higher limit as possible.
I think its a human condition. Folk seem to be obsessed with more is better, in all aspects of life.