I set out to test the following pellets based on my inventory which is getting a bit more under control.
JSB SCHaK (4500 in inventory. one lot, but when there gone there gone)
RWS Miesterkuglen (4000 in inventory...mixed lots) 8.2g.
Vogel Sport (aka Orange) 10 test pellets from Tom. They only sell one weight .53 grams and one size 4.5mm.
Daisy Precision (sighters....I use to make sure I'm close and then switch to the real pellets, they stink)
Crosman Wadcutters (2500 in inventory) Buy them at Walmart
Misc items not tested
(not tested) H&N vintage 1500. Vogel Green 1500. R10 1000.
New airgun shooter tip
If there is one thing I can encourage news shooters NOT to do. Don't do what I do which is to have a "mix master" of pellets. Pick one and buy extra and avoid the distraction of "mix and match pellets" like the above. And this is after burning up 4 other small lots of just "stuff" I had accumulated over the years. It's all a big distraction from the real task at hand. Sure, testing value for accuracy is important for some. If you do this, don't let the odd stuff collect in the corners as I did.
Methodology
Two 2002SSPs shot off the bench. I put a 8-32x scope on which can focus to 10m. Shot at a dot with pellet impacting below on heavy target stock. Objective, use the pellet which after 5 shots leaves the smallest hole in the target paper.
Two desired outcomes. As I work harder to improve my technique, I wanted to be double darn sure there were no equipment issues. If nothing else, remove all doubt so I know all problems are related to the shooter. I also find I'm going through pellets faster than usual. I'm slowly cleaning out the random tins in an effort to make my core supply last longer. I have emptied 6 tins so far this season. Yea! But messing with odd ball pellets has slowed my path to goal.
Results.
1) Best pellets were the JSB SCHaKs. Still. I was surprised to learn they are JSBs practice pellet. Works for me. Wish I had 25,000. They are now $110/5000.
2) I only had 10 Vogel Sport (orange) to test and the first group of 5 was worse than the Daisy Precision which made NO SENSE. I adjusted my "bench position" and had another go. I made a second 5 which was as small as the JSB SCHakS. It is possible that the Vogel Sport (Orange) are as good as the SCHaKs but due to the odd result, they come in second. More testing required.
3) Meisterkugeln 8.2g. My first group of 5 from the the Blond gun was not that impressive. Slightly larger than JSB and Vogel. I decided it was me. But, when it came time to shoot the laminated gun, again, the Meisters were kinda sloppy. For me they are no longer the "defacto" pellet to go buy unless you are just buying tin to tin at local retail. Let's face it. In NH, there is not much to choose from.
4) Maybe I was tired. But I tested my beloved Walmart Crossman Wadcutters at the end. They were not as good as I remembered and not as good as prior tests. Not good enough for competition and best used for holding drills. Still, they deserve review for novice shooters as they are 7.9g (light) and for new shooters with a big wobble zone, they a good bang for the buck when you need to "cut" a target for score.
5) Daisy did better than expected. Still, I hate these pellets. Dirty black things, slag in the tin, made in China. They chamber inconsistently. I will be glad when they are gone. I got them from CMP for $27/5000. Almost gone and will never return. Life is too short to go this cheap for adults. Small fry, sure. I think even CMP stopped selling them. Their lowest price pellet is now $70/5000.
Learnings:
Bill said it and he was right. My two guns are pretty much identical in that they would put good pellets in the same tiny hole all day long. Any issues I am having are not the result of using an inaccurate gun. It's all about my physical condition, my technique and my mental management. Buying the right gun or the right pellet won't solve these issues! Showing up with a gun and some pellets is the most important first step.
Pellet buy:
So, I don't really need any pellets, so why am I searching? Unclear. HERE is the JSB offering. I find it interesting the colors line up a bit with Vogel's green and orange. I think I got my SCHaK pellets for $35/5000. I thought that was expensive. HA! I did not realize even pellets have doubled in price over the past 10 years. Still, cheaper than powder driven ammo. It's likely that pellets will only cost more in the future. If you play the game, there is no reason to not buy a few sleeves of what shoots well for you, they don't go bad. I did 10 years ago and I am still living off of them. Still, it may be time to restock.
Best pellet "bargain" for new shooters? RWS Hobby for $52/5000 7.0g. Airguns of Arizona. Plus freight I would think they would land for just under $6/500. Hummm. Based on how well the Miesterkuglens shot......would I want to save that kind of money on RWS Hobby in my gun? I think I would go with the Vogel Merlins first. We are going to be placing an order for Vogel Merlins through CMP. $70/5000 or $7/500. We have to buy in 'sleeve' quantitiy so those wanting less know that we'll fiddle with the less than sleeve orders to hopefully make everyone happy.
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