Small game pellets

[White Stallion]

I have a .177 caliber Crossman Quest 1,000 Air Rifle and I wanted to know what type of pellets should I use for shooting,birds, and small pests like groundhogs. My gun shoots at 1,000 fps.

 

[Greybeard]

I's suggest buying a "variety" pack such as what I've picked up at Sportsman's Warehouse. Basically, it's 4 tins (of 250 each) for about $10, each tin supposedly for a specific purpose (such as hunting or match grade).

Set up where you can shoot groups of 10 or so with each. While some like the "magnums" or some such, I prefer to go with the one with the best ACCURACY. And I can assure you the "round ball" (altho a good penetrator) probably ain't gonna be the winner there.

Have (safe) fun with it.

 

[JohnKSa]

I'll second Greybeard's suggestion.

Airgun hunting is about accuracy, not power or ammunition performance. A typical conventional airgun puts out VERY little power compared to even a rimfire firearm. You can't count on any kind of shock effect, expansion, or dramatic tissue damage.

The pellet is going to punch a little hole where you aim it. If you punch that little tiny hole in something important, you did good. If you punch that little tiny hole in something unimportant, it won't make a BIT of difference what pellet you picked.

In general, round headed pellets provide the best combination of accuracy and range. If you get lucky and your gun is very accurate with one of the more "game-oriented" pellets these days, then that's great. Otherwise, pick what your gun shoots best and remember the limitations of your hunting tool.

Some of the nicer airgun shops provide pellet samplers that offer you the chance to try a wide variety of premium pellets without having to buy hundreds of each types.

BTW, pellet guns tend to be very specific about their preferences for a specific kind of pellet, and that preference can vary widely from gun to gun--even comparing two "identical" airguns. You're going to have to shoot YOUR gun to determine what works best in it.

That's actually a GOOD thing. Since accuracy is the KEY to airgun hunting, the more you shoot before you hunt, the more humane your hunts will be.

Try asking some of your questions here:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/

 

[redneck]

I avoid pointed pellets and always pick something flat. Don't have to go with the light match grade pellets, there are better choices, but the "field" pointed pellets just don't work very well for me. A pellet gun doesn't make a big enough hole to begin with, and pointed pellets tend to do even less damage from what I've seen. The wadcutter style pellets have been more accurate in my gun anyway.
For small birds its not going to matter much and range will be whatever you can hit them at.
I don't recommend an air rifle for groundhogs unless its your only choice and you can get them at close range and pick your shot.