H&N piledriver in .177 or .22 Has anyone tried them.

[screwwork]

Ribbonstone,

Thanks for posting the chicken test results!

[M4cr0s]

@ Ribbonstone

Very interesting test that confirms a lot of whats been said in this thread and what I've seen elsewhere.

Look at those sideways holes in the drywall from the Piledrivers. No question about the fact they start to tumble and even then, they did manage to penetrate the drywall. The accuracy differences between the different guns also tell the tale of why people have such different results with this pellet. Not much hope getting this one to group well out of a standard Hatsan

Thank you for posting!

Mac

[Taso1000]

Mac,

You won't know for sure if they're inaccurate unless you try them.

All,

Tumbling upon entry is always good for terminal ballistics.  We may have our first tumbling pellet for tough critters!   

Taso

[M4cr0s]

Mac,

You won't know for sure if they're inaccurate unless you try them.

All,

Tumbling upon entry is always good for terminal ballistics.  We may have our first tumbling pellet for tough critters!   

Taso

When I get the chance again to shoot them at 30 to 50 yards benchrested I will do so, and also test them at different velocities. However, I believe Ribbonstone owns several Hatsans and some of his test groups was likely shot with them. If it's down to a twist rate thing and not the barrel per se, all Hatsans are said to be the same, LW made barrel or not.

This pellet however, must have the potential to be a real nasty one in the right gun with the right prey, making a brutal wound channel. Also, the effect should be interesting when plinking various things like fruit, water-filled tin cans and similar (thats where my main interest lie).

A little CP 10.5gr does this in the mid 900s. What would a Piledriver do running at say 800-850 or even lower at some larger fruit for instance?



Mac

[Pistoleer]

Just for reference, I've tried .177 21gr. Piledrivers (the H&N version) in the FX 400 (@810 fps actual), Daystate Pulsar (about 790 fps), Crosman 1720t (600-ish) and of course, various QB's and Breakbarrels. None of them could pattern within an inch at 25 yards. 
I use my rifles for either hunting squirrels or field target- in either instance, the pile drivers didn't offer anything more than what I could achieve with 10.3 grain pills.
Most time, the 10.3 were lethal, and at all times, accurate- except when I blew the shot...

[Ribbonstone]

How much better would a pellet that consistently (and in my terms, than means at least 4 5-shot groups averaged) .25" at 25 yards KILL SQUIRRELS than a pellet that grouped .30"?
If accuracy really is "everything" then that 5/100's (1/20th) of an inch is worth something.....I've not been able to translate it into what it is really worth out in the woods..for sure, it's not a 20% better killer (but is it a 20% better group).

I've gone out with my 2nd or 3rd "most accurate" combination, and not really felt any handicap...so long as a well held group at some range is smaller than the "off switch", I'm good.  If I know that accuracy limit, then anything not DRN (dead right now) is the fault of my shooting, not the pellet.


Will admit, so far (and I realize there are a couple of new guns that need some Pildriver testing), haven't found even the best combinations to work out to +50yard rifles....more like 45 yards.

Got to the Chicken Test because my first shots on live critters with the 21gr. were more dramatic than I expected (big puff of fur/feathers and a larger than expected exit "rip").

So I shot a few spoiled Yams (long tale...got soft/rotten...which lead to the discovery of a water pipe leaking inside a wall...which lead to some major work in this old house).

So what to do with rotten Yams...you shoot them (bet that didn't come to a surprise to anyone on this forum).




Which is what brought me to the Chicken Test.  Just too much energy dump too fast, and I know those solid 21gr. weren't expanding...so the only thought was ther they were tumbling after contact with something dense.


----

BTW: I cooked/ate the chicken.  It's no worse than eating the squirrels/rabbits I shoot...just disjoint it and  core out the bloodshot/bone splintered sections.