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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Projectiles => Pellets all calibers => Topic started by: MaxHeadroom on April 11, 2025, 12:14:12 PM

Title: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 11, 2025, 12:14:12 PM
I'm going through a good amount of 177 wadcutters now, working on 10m air pistol. I had been shooting a Snowpeak CP1-M / Diana Airbug, but recently bought a Crosman Skanaker and resealed it.

The Airbug wasn't very pellet picky. I had bought the giant bucket of Vogel Bulk ammo, which was okay enough for the price, especially after cleaning them.

Unfortunately, the Skanaker doesn't seem to like them as much. They don't seat as cleanly, so there can be some part of the skirt protruding, and the Skanaker has the pop up barrel that needs to slide along the breech seal.

I've run some Meisterkugelns and some H&N Excite IIs through the Skanaker, and Meisterkugelns were great. The Excite IIs seem to do okay too.

I'm thinking I'll try some H&N Sport pellets, and see how those go. Works out to be about 1.5 cents a round, shipped, from Pyramyd with discounts.

Any other recommendations?

And anyone want a great price on 5300 or so rounds of the Vogel Bulk ammo? Let me know, sure they'll work great for someone. I may just make a package when I sell the CP1-M.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: lefteyeshot on April 11, 2025, 02:09:30 PM
I don't buy cheap pellets any more. I only buy RWS Meisterkugeln wadcutters 8.2 gr and RWS R-10 Match wadcutters 8.2 gr. They both also come in pistol pellets 7 gr. About $15 for a tin of 500. They shoot good in about anything.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: splitbeing on April 11, 2025, 02:13:45 PM
The apolo air boss are a good price and have worked well enough for me in .22.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 11, 2025, 04:08:51 PM
I don't buy cheap pellets any more. I only buy RWS Meisterkugeln wadcutters 8.2 gr and RWS R-10 Match wadcutters 8.2 gr. They both also come in pistol pellets 7 gr. About $15 for a tin of 500. They shoot good in about anything.

Honestly, I might just do that. They're 10.80 or something on Amazon, and I get 5% back. You can do the "subscribe and save" discount too.


The apolo air boss are a good price and have worked well enough for me in .22.

Interesting, I'll take a look at those. Looks like 9 bucks a tin. Not bad.



Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Nukall856 on April 11, 2025, 04:18:32 PM
   H&N Excite Plinker at 7.5gr have done very good through alot of barrels. Very consistent fit and shape. Another good one Apolo Airboss Match 7gr, also very consistent shape and fit. RWS Diabolo Basic at 7gr cost more than the two above but each is as consistent as the next in shape and fit, the barrel you have will tell which pellet it prefers. Sig Sauer Match 8.2gr is another Very Good Wadcutter. Apolo Match Heavy 8.5gr are another good wadcutter though they are not as consistent as the ones mentioned above. Apolo Airboss Match Heavy 8.5 are the same shape and weight with better consistency in shape and fit. Crosman Wadcutter 7.4gr is a higher costing option, though very consistent in shape and fit and accuracy.
 There are other Wadcutters I use in 177, just not worth mentioning. < Win Flat Nose, Daisy FN, Gamo Match,.,.,

NVak
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Struckat on April 11, 2025, 05:06:20 PM
H&N Exite II are what I use most. Unlike Nukall none of mine like the Plinkers.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Nukall856 on April 11, 2025, 05:15:58 PM
Correction

HN Excite Econ II 7.5gr in .177 are the pellets I meant to mention.

Not

HN Excite Plinker, these are the 13.0gr in .22 

Not sure but in my mind I mixed these two up. Sorry, correction made.

NVak
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Struckat on April 11, 2025, 05:55:27 PM
LOL, thank you Nukall, I thought I was just unlucky again.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: lefteyeshot on April 11, 2025, 09:05:14 PM
Pyramyd has the buy 4 get one free deal but as you say is cheaper and next day delivery. Just order some.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Keesbo on April 12, 2025, 01:20:27 AM
The RWS Hobby pellets are great.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: mikeyb on April 12, 2025, 06:43:18 AM
I'm liking Some of my airguns like the Excite Plinking pellets 7.48grain.
I would NOT say these are best, but "good enough" and ~ 1 cent/pellet works for me.
When I find the time I can shoot almost a full tin 177 in a single session.

500/$4.99 (free ship >$25 order)

https://www.fieldsupply.com/h-n-excite-plinking-pellets.html

8x4.99x1.08/4000= $0.0108 / pellet



https://www.pyramydair.com/product/h-n-excite-plinking-pellets-177-cal-7-48-grains-wadcutter-500ct?p=1465

Pyramyd IF you pad the Pyramyd order to get free shipping.

((32x6.99)-(8x6.99))x1.08/16000= $0.0113 / pellet

FS is a slightly better deal for this pellet. Pyramyd does sometimes have the BEST price with the 4/3 deal.
Pyramyd packing has always been the BEST for me but lately my multi-tin orders from FS have arrived in perfect condition.


(I'm charged 8% NYS sales tax)
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Struckat on April 12, 2025, 11:08:57 AM
Hobby and Sports are my preferred Prod pellets. The Sports are what I use the most in .22

I really like the JTS 18 grain in my modified Prod, the mini Mrod.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 12, 2025, 07:14:12 PM
The excite 2s are pretty good. For the skanaker, they are clean and load well.

With Amazon, sometimes the other nice thing is the pellets add to the cart to $25 when I need something random next day.

I got some gamo match to try, those seem like they can be 6-7 bucks per 500.

I'll have to try the rws hobby pellets.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: DIABOLO on April 12, 2025, 10:57:53 PM
H&N sport wadcutters are good for their price point.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 13, 2025, 12:43:33 AM
H&N sport wadcutters are good for their price point.

I used a tin of those with the Airbug, and they seemed nice. I'll probably buy some of those next time I do a pyramyd order.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: airgunaut on April 13, 2025, 01:19:50 PM
I've shot many tins of Meisterkugeln 7 gr WC in my P3, as well as R10 7 gr.

The Meisterkugeln are a good value but their skirt sizes have varied enough to be noticeable when I load one in the breech. Some drop in and sit below the surface, while others stand slightly above and must be pushed in. The R10 pellets did not show this degree of variation.

I always wonder if the occasional really odd flyer is due to the pellet's fit. I'm switching over completely to the R10 for wadcutters for this reason, even though they cost more.



Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 13, 2025, 02:39:00 PM
I ended up doing an order from pyramyd with some H&N Sport, some Apolo air boss (both the 7gr and 8.5gr), and a tin of the JSB simply pellets. I've got a couple tins of the Meisterkugelns, a couple of the excite IIs, and a 250 tin of gamo match ones.

So, 6000 or so pellets to go through before I need to decide on pellets again haha.

Going to list my bucket of Vogels on the classifieds for cheap. And also some extra 22 pellets I have that my Hatsan 95 didn't like.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: splitbeing on April 13, 2025, 03:59:50 PM
He's on a roll, folks!  Keep us posted!  Maybe start a wadcutter testing topic! 

Which wad makes the cut? Inquiring minds want to know.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 15, 2025, 04:21:38 AM
He's on a roll, folks!  Keep us posted!  Maybe start a wadcutter testing topic! 

Which wad makes the cut? Inquiring minds want to know.

Nothing like great weather and a light couple weeks at work.

That works out to be about 1000cm^2 of paper to be punched.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: splitbeing on April 15, 2025, 12:14:59 PM
He's on a roll, folks!  Keep us posted!  Maybe start a wadcutter testing topic! 

Which wad makes the cut? Inquiring minds want to know.

Nothing like great weather and a light couple weeks at work.

That works out to be about 1000cm^2 of paper to be punched.

[chuckling]

Wad-ever works!
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: airgunaut on April 15, 2025, 01:36:26 PM
Seven different pellets to test! Let's see how soon be can pell-it off.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: splitbeing on April 15, 2025, 02:13:27 PM
[chuckling]

There seems to be a lot of fun and interest in this project.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: TorqueMaster on April 17, 2025, 02:39:22 PM
I ended up doing an order from pyramyd with some H&N Sport, some Apolo air boss (both the 7gr and 8.5gr), and a tin of the JSB simply pellets. I've got a couple tins of the Meisterkugelns, a couple of the excite IIs, and a 250 tin of gamo match ones.

I don't shoot much at 10m, but have accumulated all of those, except the Gamo -- my recollection is that these "2nd tier" wadcutters are very consistent -- rarely a flyer -- and the groups sizes are consistent, but a bit larger than the Meisterkugeln group size, which are the best I've used.  Should be a fun test, keep us posted.   

Let the 'pelling bee commence!

Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: Hoosier Daddy on April 18, 2025, 08:50:41 AM
Just to throw another one out there...
I have had good results with Eley's
Their Ventus is relatively cheap.
(https://eley.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/ELEY-ventus-4.50-air-pellets-600x416.jpg)

The higher end is the Tenex
(https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-rrfavlk38h/images/stencil/960w/products/11251/7241/4.51mm__96869.1731432326.PNG?c=1)


But nothing I have found beats the RWS Meisters.. even the R10's fall short for me.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: MaxHeadroom on April 19, 2025, 04:02:52 PM
The gamo match training pellets were okay, but not ideal. Found that seating them tended to push a little lead out that would scrape the seal, or I'd have to scrape it off with my fingernail. Probably would work well with something that has a bolt.

The Apolo Air Boss 7gr air pistol ones are very nice so far. Very consistent.

Only complaint is that for some reason the lid on the tin I opened was stuck, so it got the screwdriver treatment and the pellets now live in an empty tin I had.
Title: Re: Best inexpensive, decent quality wadcutter?
Post by: splitbeing on April 23, 2025, 06:50:15 PM
In addition to being a good bang for the buck, I like the black and yellow.