.22 Cal Pellet Options

[rodwha]

I have been looking at Hatsan .22 cal rifles. It’s main purposes being backyard shooting along with squirrels and rabbits, but figured I’d be an opportunistic predator having heard porcupines taste like pulled pork, and there’s hit or miss on whether a raccoon tastes good which means I’d have to try it. So I need schooling on pellet designs and weights.

Here’s my thought process. I’m looking at a claimed 1000 FPS/33 ft/lbs output. I would mostly be killing paper or odd targets in the backyard or be after squirrels and rabbits so boring accuracy to 25 yds is sorta nice, but when it comes to slow you want a wide meplat for good killing power. I would think I wanted something with a bit of mass so starting at maybe 18 grns.

Am I wrong in my thinking that I’d want some mass if dealing with larger critters? And are the domes or better yet aerodynamic pellets inferior to the SWC or otherwise wide meplat designs?

If you had a .22 cal rifle pushing 30-33 ft/lbs and wanted great accuracy to 25 yds and also quite capable for larger critter to maybe 15 yds what few pellets would you recommending trying?

I’ve also looked at the models stating 800 FPS and 22 ft/lbs. I’m a head shooter. Would a pellet at these lower figures work on critters messing with chickens or helping themselves in your garden? I’m talking raccoons and possums within 7 yds and braining them. If you had a 22 ft/lb .22 cal rifle rifle what pellet(s) would you use?

 

[troy fairweather]

If for hunting I'd go heavy with the Diablo point, this will keep you from breaking the sound barrier. I recommend the jsb, exact jumbo. For a good cheap pellet it hard to beat the crossman there cheap and tend to shoot pretty good.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/...o-heavy-22-cal-18-13-grains-domed-500ct?p=690
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/crosman-premier-22-cal-14-3-grains-domed-500ct?p=769

 

[rodwha]

If for hunting I'd go heavy with the Diablo point, this will keep you from breaking the sound barrier. I recommend the jsb, exact jumbo. For a good cheap pellet it hard to beat the crossman there cheap and tend to shoot pretty good.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/...o-heavy-22-cal-18-13-grains-domed-500ct?p=690
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/crosman-premier-22-cal-14-3-grains-domed-500ct?p=769

I totally forgot to mention the sound barrier. It seems to me, with black powder guns, you want to stay above or below that, that dropping from sonic disrupts the projectile. I’m guessing this is true here too.

 

[troy fairweather]

I totally forgot to mention the sound barrier. It seems to me, with black powder guns, you want to stay above or below that, that dropping from sonic disrupts the projectile. I’m guessing this is true here too.

probably so, I always figured it your breaking the sound barrier with a pellet gun and making the noise you mind as well use a 22 lr. Unless you have to use a pellet gun in a town or village where guns aren't allowed.

 

[rodwha]

If for hunting I'd go heavy with the Diablo point, this will keep you from breaking the sound barrier. I recommend the jsb, exact jumbo. For a good cheap pellet it hard to beat the crossman there cheap and tend to shoot pretty good.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/...o-heavy-22-cal-18-13-grains-domed-500ct?p=690
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/crosman-premier-22-cal-14-3-grains-domed-500ct?p=769

So I’m a little surprised at a RN (Diablo) recommended for a heavier pellet. I see the other “dome” on the lighter pellet is much more flat so I can see that being a bit devastating. I guess if you’re typically aiming at the head the design isn’t quite so important though. So why just these?

Oh, and I do love economical, it’s why I chose .22 cal over .25, that and options and availability. Plus a .25 is really overkill on little stuff.

 

[troy fairweather]

So I’m a little surprised at a RN (Diablo) recommended for a heavier pellet. I see the other “dome” on the lighter pellet is much more flat so I can see that being a bit devastating. I guess if you’re typically aiming at the head the design isn’t quite so important though. So why just these?

Oh, and I do love economical, it’s why I chose .22 cal over .25, that and options and availability. Plus a .25 is really overkill on little stuff.

the Diablo will expand if pushed hard enough or hits something hard. The shape helps a lot out last say 35 yards. Seems most of the big air gun hunting guys use Diablo shaped pellets. A good old wad cutter will do some damage, there good for rib shots on woodchuck. One behind the shoulder or back more, they will make it to the hole and die down there.

 

[rodwha]

I’ve just not been much of a fan of light and fast. What’s the allure to lighter alloy pellets?

To my thinking mass gives both penetration and adds to the ballistic coefficient. I could see it desirable in a heavier pellet maybe, but not so much on the lighter end other than for the numbers that make it look zippy.

 

[rodwha]

the Diablo will expand if pushed hard enough or hits something hard. The shape helps a lot out last say 35 yards. Seems most of the big air gun hunting guys use Diablo shaped pellets. A good old wad cutter will do some damage, there good for rib shots on woodchuck. One behind the shoulder or back more, they will make it to the hole and die down there.

Expansion of pure lead is something I’d like to understand to a greater level. From lead experts it takes about 1000-1200 FPS for it to expand on impact. And there’s a 60’s military video showing a ball from an 1860 Army using piss poor powder going 600-something FPS going through gel with a bone in it and not deforming at all. They stated the ball looked like it could almost be reused. Human bone by the way, which seems a bit weird, but shows heavy medium game application.

Having read so much about lead bullets from percussion handguns I figured it best not to count on lead expansion.

 

[troy fairweather]

Expansion of pure lead is something I’d like to understand to a greater level. From lead experts it takes about 1000-1200 FPS for it to expand on impact. And there’s a 60’s military video showing a ball from an 1860 Army using piss poor powder going 600-something FPS going through gel with a bone in it and not deforming at all. They stated the ball looked like it could almost be reused. Human bone by the way, which seems a bit weird, but shows heavy medium game application.

Having read so much about lead bullets from percussion handguns I figured it best not to count on lead expansion.

Think that's why the Diablo shape is so popular you don't need to reply on it expanding. The Diablo or At least the jsb jumbo do flatten out a bit with my 1322 going about 500 fps thats in wet paper. I planed on doing test on woodchuck this year but need I fix the 1322, well more figure out t hats messed up lol.

There's a bunch of nice videos and articles on what the different pellets do.

 

[troy fairweather]

Expansion of pure lead is something I’d like to understand to a greater level. From lead experts it takes about 1000-1200 FPS for it to expand on impact. And there’s a 60’s military video showing a ball from an 1860 Army using piss poor powder going 600-something FPS going through gel with a bone in it and not deforming at all. They stated the ball looked like it could almost be reused. Human bone by the way, which seems a bit weird, but shows heavy medium game application.

Having read so much about lead bullets from percussion handguns I figured it best not to count on lead expansion.

Hardness of the lead make a huge difference, pure lead at about 5 bn and soft lead at 10bn will be much different.

 

[rodwha]

I’ve been watching videos and whatnot and am wondering about the hollow point pellets. They seemed a ridiculous idea until I saw how they perform in gel. Makes head shots seem ideal for a HP.

But I’ve also seen weird pellets that look like modern HPs. They don’t have a skirt and come in various sizes apparently to seal the bore. Seems the stronger rifles might be able to obturate soft lead. They sure do come with a hefty price compared to others.

I skip by the cheaper pellets. If they don’t cost close to 4¢ each they may not be good enough quality.

 

[jmohme]

Like this?

This one is a 25.3 grain .22 slug. I keep them around to use in my PCP when a raccoon gets into the chicken pen at night.

 

[HJ857]

But I’ve also seen weird pellets that look like modern HPs. They don’t have a skirt and come in various sizes apparently to seal the bore. Seems the stronger rifles might be able to obturate soft lead. They sure do come with a hefty price compared to others.

That sounds like slugs. They are great, IF your gun will shoot them acceptably. Pretty much figure that you need a PCP to even get in to the game though. A break barrel may do the trick, and if you try it, stick with lighter slugs.

When shooting slugs, like any airgun/pellet combo, be prepared to do a LOT of testing to find the slug that works in your rifle, and there's no guarantee that any slug will work in your rifle. As you noticed, they aren't exactly .22 diameter, they come in a variety of diameters and you have to test both diameter and weight combinations.

Oh yeah, they're expensive too, compared to skirted pellets. My experience is that NSA slugs are the best bang for the buck, with AVS being a tiny bit better at a much higher cost. H&N slugs never seem to work.

The advantage of a slug is a higher ballistic coefficient and theoretically better stability at longer distances, and the ability to run at a higher velocity, as well as better penetration.

There is a sort of hybrid pellet, which is the Sniper series from H&N, currently not in production due to an accident at the factory, when they will come back on the market is unknown as far as I've seen.

Sniper Mediums for .177 cal and Sniper Magnums for .22 cal. They've worked really well in every rifle I've tried them in, I use them in both break barrel and PCP rifles with equal results. Keep an eye out for them if you get serious about it.

The other thing you can do is to buy a rifle that is designed specifically to run slugs. Not cheap. Look at the FX line with the STX barrel system.

Just as a note, don't discount cheap pellets, test them too. Sometimes you can be very surprised. Some Crosman Premiers run great at shorter distances.

I forgot something that's kind of odd. Pellets sometimes have to "settle" in to the gun, or vice versa. When accuracy testing a new or different pellet, you may want to shoot 10 or even 20 before you start testing. I find this especially true for slugs. The first shots often produce miserable groups, but after shooting a bunch of them, all the sudden they can start grouping nicely. At least, you can hope that will happen.

 

[rodwha]

Like this?
View attachment 1019432
This one is a 25.3 grain .22 slug. I keep them around to use in my PCP when a raccoon gets into the chicken pen at night.

I hadn’t seen a solid version, but something like that but with a hollow point.

 

[HJ857]

That pellet is a Crow Magnum or a Rabbit 2, perhaps. A slug looks like this.

 

[rodwha]

I’m wondering if the lighter weight HP’s (14-16 grn) are more than plenty for <10 yd head shots on raccoons. The velocity alone seems it would push it through the skull and it seems with what’s left is more than plenty to scramble the noggin. I don’t know how airgun HPs differ, but doubt they do, from modern ones, but the higher the velocity the more explosive the permanent wound channel. Seems a perfectly great reason to give up on some penetration if it would liquify its thinking cap.

Or would you use a SWC? 14-16 grns just seems ridiculously light no matter what the projectile is to my thinking, but clearly they work well. Using the .22 Short CB with its 29 grn bullet and being considered pretty anemic airguns powerful enough for critters as big as coons anything short of 20 grns seems pathetic, yet here we are.

I went through the same skepticism and disbelief when I got involved in black powder arms. A sphere is just pathetic on paper, yet performs well outside of what modern thought on the subject would dictate, it’s not what I thought I learned concerning modern projectiles and their performance and capabilities, often fed by the gun magazines of the 90’s and 2000’s.

Anyone finding their pellets and able to compare deformation and damage?

Initially I figured a 30 ft/lb rifle should probably use the heavier side of pellets and only considered those that could round up to 18 grns. I also want to stay under 1000 FPS, which the rifle shows as a max velocity with lead so I assume that’s with a 14 grn or lighter pellet.

I’ve seen lead spheres too. Anyone use those? I’m curious how they perform compared to pellets other than the ridiculously low BC value.

I’m looking at the various Hatsan offerings pushing 30 ft/lbs.