One strange tin of 18.13's

[Tonykarter]

I'm sitting here watching my 'Horns and Iowa State, sorting, sizing and weighing pellets.  The first two tins had the normal rejection profile:  about one third made it through sorting.  The rejects had an higher than normal number of really bent up skirts, almost as if they had been stepped on.   So I sized the ones that made it through.  They sorted approximately 20% 5.50, 40% 5.51 and 40% 5.52.  Weighed the 5.51's and 5.52's. 

Then I opened the third tin and it got weird.  Only three pellets rejected the first tray.  I've never seen so many perfect pellets.  Same for second and third trays.  I really had to get pickier than usual to find any to finger out of the tray.  All in all, only about 50 rejected out of the whole tin. 

Then it got really weird.  I started putting them in the Pelletgage.  ALL of them are 5.48 or smaller.  It only goes down to 5.48.  Every one of them will fit in the 5.48.  Most fall into the 5.48 hole, no resistance.  What is up with that?

A tin of perfectly formed pellets.  A tin of ultra-small perfectly formed pellets. 

[ranchibi]

Maybe new dies? That many good pellets is AWESOME . Congrats!

[Tonykarter]

I've not had real good repeatable precision with the smaller diameters in the SynRod barrels that I have, TJ, LW or HW.  These I'm sorting to put through the Veteran Long at 100 yards.  Will know pretty soon tomorrow if it likes 5.48, 5.50, .51 or the .52's.  I was real excited to have so many consistent pellets, at least up until I started sizing them.  We shall see if the Long likes them, but I do not hold out too much hope.   

[nervoustrigger]

All I can say is go ahead and try them.  I have a few tins of the heavies that measure 5.48 - 5.49mm and they group as well as any I've ever gotten.  Ragged holes at 43 yards pretty routinely and quite a few sub-MoA groups when I'm on my A game.  That's from the China issue barrel on a B51.

[Tonykarter]

Will do.  Planning on being out there at daylight before the wind comes up.  That would be a hoot:  It like the 5.48's best.  'Cuz I got almost a tin of some very pretty pellets.  I'd have to put those back for special occasions.

[K.O.]

That comes out to about .2158"  Hmmm the Maximus Barrel I have is just under .216 groove...I think... did not write it down but did post about it...

edit*** checked and oops it was just over .216" at .2161" ...

[Motorhead]

I gave up on JSB 18's near 3 years ago due to there UNDER SIZE and lousy accuracy.

[Wayne52]

I've always had really good luck with the JSB 18.13's but it's been a while since I've bought a new tin.  I've been shooting all cast pellets pretty much throughout the year myself.  I've got a few hundred in reserve though.  The main mold that I'm after is when NOE posts them in their store and that's the .22 Hunters.  By the looks of it they'll be 20, 21 and 22 grainers but I really won't know until I start casting them.  I'll more than likely be casting the lightest ones to begin with which will replace the 18.13's.  For me casting is easy because I have the stuff to do it with and it's really all basic stuff that can be had for less than a hundred dollars.  I don't need any of the fancy bottom pour stuff because pouring from a ladle is the only way I've ever cast for over 40 years now and with the same ladle, caster and pure lead.  Buying the molds I'm sure a lot of people think . . wow that's expensive but it doesn't take long to pay for themselves after a few thousand rounds.  I also have fun doing it as well

[ranchibi]

Ray, if they don’t group well, try and expand the skirts to snug them in the breach to see if that will help. When I size some of my pellets I do lose a bit of FPS but if I then expand the skirt then FPS goes back up. I have a pellet skirt fixer/expander from Rapid Air Weapons about 20 bucks that I use. I also use my TSS sizers push probe to expand or round out bent skirts, both work the same. Good luck, hope they do well for you!

[Tonykarter]

Can cast pellets be more accurate and consistent than those we can buy?  I am intrigued by casting due to the number of really banged up pellets you find once you start looking at them in a pellet inspection tray.  The pictures of shiny cast pellets I see on here is not helping me keep my money in my pocket, that is for sure.

Scott, that is interesting that you gave up on them.  I am giving these a thorough try just because so many people on here think they are better than the 15.89's.  My past experience is that the 15.89's consistently shoot slightly better than the 18.13's in this new Taipan Long...except for one group.  I have more to discover today.

[Tonykarter]

Results so far:  the bigger the better.  5.52's are as big as I have.  I have a bunch of these to shoot.  If things change I'll post up.  I bought some 5.54's earlier in the year from somewhere and shot them through the SynRods.  I'll get some tins of those, and sort for largest among them, then post up the results.