Pellet Testing in FWB 300(40 data sets) and RWS 54 (50 Data Sets)

[dtdtdtdt]

Pellet Testing in FWB 300 and RWS 54 – Both 0.177 (4.5mm)

There's a lot of data here.  If anyone wants the gory detail, send me an email address and I will send you the spreadsheet for your entertainment. 

Sampler Packs from Straightshooters.com, earlier sampler packs and other pellets that I had were used.  The pellets ranged from 4.0 gr to 16.36 gr.  40 sets of data were taken with the FWB 300 and 50 sets with the RWS 54.  There are less than those numbers of unique pellets because I had two lots of some pellets that were tested separately and reported separately. 
Test Method:
1.   Pellets – Weight, Brand, Name, Head type were recorded. 
2.   Accuracy:  5 shot groups, 50’ indoors using a Caldwell TackDriver bag as a solid rest.
3.   Point of Aim was dead center on NRA 50’ target bulls – no sight adjustment or other corrections made.  Each rifle zero was verified with their “favorite” pellets before the experiment was started.
4.   Point of Impact and group size were measured and recorded as x,y points on a grid. 
5.   A Chrony Master Chronograph was set 10’ from the muzzle.  Chrony Brand, Indoor LED lights were used to ensure a clean measurement.  Nearby fluorescent lights were turned off.   
6.   Each pellet velocity was measured twice.  If the differences were severe, a third and/or fourth measurement was made.   I didn’t have enough of many pellets to take more measurements. 
Results and Observations:
•   The calculated energy, measured as FPE, for each pellet showed that about the same amount of energy was delivered to the pellets regardless of pellet weight and resulting velocity.  The RWS 54 delivered an average of 17.3 fpe while the FWB 300 delivered 4.6 fpe.  This result is not surprising since the rifle delivers the same amount of air at the same pressure for each shot so the energy available to the pellet is the same in each case.  Variations between pellets were most severe in the very light and very heavy pellets tested. 
•   The heaviest pellets could not be chambered in the FWB 300 without great force.  Some pellets stuck in the bore on firing and had to be pushed out with a cleaning rod.  The heaviest pellet that I could get the FWB to shoot was 10.6 gr.  I am sure that I could find heavier ones that would but the velocities at 10.6 were dropping significantly so the results would be unreliable anyway.   
•   There is a linear relationship between velocity and pellet weight for both rifles.  That is, light pellets are faster than heavier pellets in a very linear relationship.  I made graphs of the results but don’t include them here to keep the post size down. 
•   The highest velocity attained was 1295f/s with a Crosman SPA-LF pellet weighing 4.0gr.  Accuracy was terrible with both rifles 4.1” in the RWS and 3.43” in the FWB.  The lowest velocity was 290f/s with a 10.gr Beeman Kodiak Double Gold weighing 10.6gr.  Group size was 1.6”
•   There was no evidence of tumbling with those pellets that attained supersonic velocities. 
•   “Gold” or “Double Gold” pellets were very slightly less accurate than the same weight, brand, and named pellet without the extra coating.  The difference are insignificant but the trend shows pretty clearly.  Squeezing a coated versus uncoated pellet between my fingers suggest that the coated pellets are a bit harder.  The velocity is also a bit lower too suggesting that the coated pellets may not conform to the bore as well as one would like.  The differences are enough to make me leery of using such pellets in my own shooting. 
•   Nothing that I see here will make me change the pellets that I use in each rifle for my own shooting.  FWB300: H&N Match Rifle Finale 4.50mm head, 8.18gr.  RWS 54:  Beeman Kodiak Match 10.65gr. 
 

[fishhuntmike]

 nice thorough test!

thank for sharing

[grauhanen]

The most telling result from the testing:  "•   Nothing that I see here will make me change the pellets that I use in each rifle for my own shooting.  FWB300: H&N Match Rifle Finale 4.50mm head, 8.18gr.  RWS 54:  Beeman Kodiak Match 10.65gr." 
 

[dtdtdtdt]

Grauhanen:  This is true.  I had done less exhaustive tests earlier and found my favorites the simple way of just looking at group size and repeatability at my normal shooting distance. 

This was mainly to keep me entertained during sloppy weather this spring!!  I still plan to do some shooting into plumbers' putty with a few of them to see what I can see on expansion and penetration.  That's for later this week ... or next.  Us retirees have to pace ourselves. 

Chipmunks aren't even cooperating this year.  I have only seen a few.  Of course, my game camera has picked up a fox, a coyote, and a couple cats spending time in the back yard.  Also a few raccoons and a couple turkey hens with chicks.  I think the predators are helping me out there.