Pellet testing: confused about results
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:08 pm
Howdy folks,
I picked up my first air rifle (a TX200) about a month ago and I finally got a chance to do some pellet testing yesterday, but I'm kind of confused about the results and hoping folks can offer up some advice.
Testing was done outside at 25 yards off a stable wooden bench and on Caldwell bags. I shot three 3-shot groups of each pellet after two or three off-target to adjust for scope changes. I tried JBL Diablos in 7.3, 7.87, 8.4, 10.3, JSB Stratton (pointy) 8.3, H&N Field Target 8.64, and some Winchesters (?) that came with the rifle.
I had heard the TX200's usually like the JSB 7.8 or 8.4 so I assumed those would perform the best. After the first set the best groups were from the 7.3's and the 10.3's with groups in the 0.25" to 0.5" range. The H&N 8.64's were third with groups in the 0.5" to 0.75" range. The rest were all 0.75" to 1.25".
I took the top three and shot one five-shot group of each to double check their performance. The 10.3's made a two-hole 0.25" group; the 7.3's made a three-hole 0.25" group; and the 8.64's made a five-hole 0.6" group.
I have the state match next weekend and seeing as I only had 100 test pellets in the 10.3's I decided to hold off on testing those any further. Instead I tried the 7.3's, 7.87's, and 8.4's with off-hand ten-shot groups, again at 25 yards. All three pellets shot around 1" low from the benched position, although the 8.4's shot slightly higher.
As i said, I have the state match next weekend so I need to get this pellet thing sorted out in time to have half a chance of doing a good job. Unfortunately I won't have much (if any) range time between now and then to try different things. Any advice from you air rifle gurus would be certainly appreciated.
I picked up my first air rifle (a TX200) about a month ago and I finally got a chance to do some pellet testing yesterday, but I'm kind of confused about the results and hoping folks can offer up some advice.
Testing was done outside at 25 yards off a stable wooden bench and on Caldwell bags. I shot three 3-shot groups of each pellet after two or three off-target to adjust for scope changes. I tried JBL Diablos in 7.3, 7.87, 8.4, 10.3, JSB Stratton (pointy) 8.3, H&N Field Target 8.64, and some Winchesters (?) that came with the rifle.
I had heard the TX200's usually like the JSB 7.8 or 8.4 so I assumed those would perform the best. After the first set the best groups were from the 7.3's and the 10.3's with groups in the 0.25" to 0.5" range. The H&N 8.64's were third with groups in the 0.5" to 0.75" range. The rest were all 0.75" to 1.25".
I took the top three and shot one five-shot group of each to double check their performance. The 10.3's made a two-hole 0.25" group; the 7.3's made a three-hole 0.25" group; and the 8.64's made a five-hole 0.6" group.
I have the state match next weekend and seeing as I only had 100 test pellets in the 10.3's I decided to hold off on testing those any further. Instead I tried the 7.3's, 7.87's, and 8.4's with off-hand ten-shot groups, again at 25 yards. All three pellets shot around 1" low from the benched position, although the 8.4's shot slightly higher.
As i said, I have the state match next weekend so I need to get this pellet thing sorted out in time to have half a chance of doing a good job. Unfortunately I won't have much (if any) range time between now and then to try different things. Any advice from you air rifle gurus would be certainly appreciated.