As you might expect the most frequent topics on airgun forums will be the features and foibles of the dozens and lots of different models, but following closely behind the model discussions may be the chatter about airgun ammunition or pellets. You might not expect that a.177 caliber pellet from Manufacturer A would perform wildly different from a.177 caliber pellet from Manufacturer B in the exact same airgun, but they do. To make it even more complicated Manufacturer B’s ammo may outperform Manufacturer A’s in an alternative air rifle or pistol.

We shall discuss a few of the different characteristics of airgun pellets and how you should use these details to your advantage when selecting a pellet for your air rifle or pistol.

A light pellet will leave the barrel of an airgun faster than the usual heavier pellet and it will even accelerate faster downrange h4350 powder in stock. That means less time to a target and a flatter trajectory because there is less time for gravity to work its magic. A weightier pellet will tend to have a less flat trajectory not because of its weight but because it spends more time to a target providing gravity with an increase of time and energy to pull it towards the earth.

The second factor that a lot of affects the flight of an airgun pellet is air resistance. Air resistance increases with the cube of speed. When you double the speed of a pellet moving downrange you increase its air resistance by eight times. Really light.177 caliber pellets lose energy because of air resistance so rapidly that if a 35 yd. or so it will soon be moving slower than the usual heavier pellet fired from the exact same gun. Air resistance is probably irrelevant for target shooting out to 10 m but it would play a large role in a shopping shot beyond that range. That is among the reasons that you intend to hunt with the heaviest pellet your airgun can handle effectively.

Along with the weight of the pellet air resistance will vary in line with the model of the pellet. Wadcutters are flat nose pellets used for paper target shooting. At the 10 m range the upsurge in air resistance is nearly negligible but just like with the effectation of weight beyond 35 yd. the flat nose begins working such as an air brake.

Medium weight round nose pellets offer the most effective compromise for both weight and shape for medium powered air rifles. For small caliber air rifles (.177 and.20) the most effective hunting ammo is a round nose hollowpoint. This pellet moves through the air along with a regular round nose and mushrooms on impact significantly increasing the force of the shot.

The most effective advice about air rifle ammo is to try many different brands, many different shapes, and many different weights. That which you read inside the airgun forums might be true generally but may not work for your air rifle. If you are only a periodic shooter and still want the most effective accuracy and range then select a premium pellet from the exact same manufacturer that made your gun. It is more often than not best to prevent no-name bargains because there could be significant variability between pellets in the exact same package.