Will heavy pellets hurt my new 397S

[Robert 5mm]

From what I have read the new 397/392 valve uses a Mrod style valve with a smaller stem o.d. and a smaller valve o.d. that will allow it to open under higher pressure, allowing more pumps without valve lock.

All I know is what valve came in my 397s ( new black stock ) is the exactly the same valve as what came in my older 392 ( old wood stock )

[Frank in Fairfield]

No way.

[anti-squirrel]

simplest answer to the question the OP asked:

No


Like some of the others here, I have used featherweights and big ol' beefy sluggers out of my 392PA.  I stick with what is most accurate though: AA and JSB Domes along with H&N Sniper Magnums when I'm shooting paper or non-pest targets.

For pests, I stick to wadcutters and Gamo Redifre/Polymags.  Even on 5 pumps the domes are pass-throughs.  At shorter ranges for pest (up to 25 yards), there is nothing like a wadcutter.

[Airwoods]

simplest answer to the question the OP asked:

No


Like some of the others here, I have used featherweights and big ol' beefy sluggers out of my 392PA.  I stick with what is most accurate though: AA and JSB Domes along with H&N Sniper Magnums when I'm shooting paper or non-pest targets.

For pests, I stick to wadcutters and Gamo Redifre/Polymags.  Even on 5 pumps the domes are pass-throughs.  At shorter ranges for pest (up to 25 yards), there is nothing like a wadcutter.

I hear ya.when I used to pest with my benji 342 I also used wadcutters for close range. They really packed a wallop.

[Nick Hammack]

Your .177 cal with heavy pellets is the cats meow on squirrel.
I use Benjamin 317 , 312, 347, 342, 397, 392 Sheridan , for the pumpers , all kinds of springers and pcp up to .50 cal.

My favorite pumper is the 317 for small game hunting , the heavy .177 pellets are every bit if not better than the .22 cal pumper.

I kill in excess of 500 squirrel a year ( sell the tails to Mepps lures ) in fact 7 squirrel are on the stove boiling as I tell this , we like boiled squirrel , later in the year all squirrel are old ones not so good for frying.

Next week the Sam Yang or Quackenbush will come out for the alternative deer season , was sick during the rifle season and did not feel like cleaning the deer , so now will go shoot my 3 deer and start the work.

Yes your 397 with heavy pellets will do you all you can ask of a pumper , if one needs more gun go to another platform.

Regards Nick

[RBQChicken]

Nick, how heavy do you go with yours?  Domed, or otherwise?

[anti-squirrel]

Nick provides a good counter-perspective.  If I was in a rural area without having to worry about passthroughs, I'd be all about the 397 when it comes to modern pumpers.

I cannot risk .177 with domes specifically because those heavyweight domes pass through and I live only 15 minutes outside Richmond VA in the suburbs.  .22 wadcutters don't have that problem, thankfully.

[BackStop]

Nick provides a good counter-perspective.  If I was in a rural area without having to worry about passthroughs, I'd be all about the 397 when it comes to modern pumpers.

I cannot risk .177 with domes specifically because those heavyweight domes pass through and I live only 15 minutes outside Richmond VA in the suburbs.  .22 wadcutters don't have that problem, thankfully.

Peter, I use 10.5 CPUM (tinned and BB) in my Freedoms on low power (~730fps/~12fpe) and have few issues with pass through if I hit the mark on tree rats.

I live in an area with mostly 1/4 acre lots, so I have to be very careful about how and where I shoot/pest.

I don't know what a pumper like a 397 can do in fps with a 10.5 CPUM.   However, even if it can match or better ~730fps with maximum pumps, it can also easily shoot slower if necessary with heavier pellets and my *guess* is that accuracy would still be very good and pass through would not be an issue.

Just my humble opinion and I don't own any pumpers except a 1377 pistol.   So I could be totally wrong...  (but I'm a dancing fool - Zappa)   (chuckle)

[Hoosier Daddy]

So I could be totally wrong...  (but I'm a dancing fool - Zappa)

HA HA HA!

[BackStop]

So I could be totally wrong...  (but I'm a dancing fool - Zappa)

HA HA HA!

I figured there had to be at least ONE person who would get the reference...(chuckle)

[Ron B]

Hi. Merry Christmas!
Got a chance to try out the Beast 16.2gr pellets yesterday. Received my new Williams sights and set them up at the same time. I was having problems sighting in fine at 15 yards with the new sights. After I finished with the 397S I took out my Marlin 39A and made all of the shots that I was having problems with the 397 with ease. The Marlin has a Skinner peep that works very well for me. Got looking around last night and found some more apertures that I had put away years ago. Installed a larger peep and the sight picture looks way better! With the larger peep my eye seems to focus in on the post much better. My eye is closer to the peep on the Marlin. Will try again to see if this fixes my sighting problems. Anyhow the Beast pellets appear to be pretty accurate best as I could tell. The velocity was less than I had hoped buy maybe it will still be OK depending on what I use them for.
Chrony results as follows with 10 pumps. Not sure if I filled out the Ballistic info correctly but here it is.

[Nick Hammack]

Folks I match the pellet to the task ,  hunting squirrel with dog I use flat tops , for still hunting I always use domed and heavier pellets , longer range bigger game , heaviest pellets ( that shoot acceptable ) .

I require that it shoot minute of squirrel ,  ten shots in a dime is minute of squirrel.

I use a 317 and the rabbits copper plated to dispatch all the trap line including coyotes , 60 feet in the head , one shot .

I love my pumpers , I consider them and my springers 90 foot guns .

Peep sights and less than 30 yards is where these platforms shine.

Regards , Nick

[anti-squirrel]

Nick provides a good counter-perspective.  If I was in a rural area without having to worry about passthroughs, I'd be all about the 397 when it comes to modern pumpers.

I cannot risk .177 with domes specifically because those heavyweight domes pass through and I live only 15 minutes outside Richmond VA in the suburbs.  .22 wadcutters don't have that problem, thankfully.

Peter, I use 10.5 CPUM (tinned and BB) in my Freedoms on low power (~730fps/~12fpe) and have few issues with pass through if I hit the mark on tree rats.

I live in an area with mostly 1/4 acre lots, so I have to be very careful about how and where I shoot/pest.

I don't know what a pumper like a 397 can do in fps with a 10.5 CPUM.   However, even if it can match or better ~730fps with maximum pumps, it can also easily shoot slower if necessary with heavier pellets and my *guess* is that accuracy would still be very good and pass through would not be an issue.

Just my humble opinion and I don't own any pumpers except a 1377 pistol.   So I could be totally wrong...  (but I'm a dancing fool - Zappa)   (chuckle)

I wouldn't get the Zappa reference.

Anyway, 5 pumps pass through a squirrel skull more often than not if I used domes.  I only take headshots, either eye-socket, ear canal, or just abaft the zygomatic arch- and I've had my 10 FPE CZ-634 leave exit holes on their skulls using Superdomes and brown-box CPUM.      Though that gun is accurate enough at 19 yards that I get the eye-juice squirt   

I'll add that for pesting, I prefer larger slower pellets over faster smaller pellets- unless it is wadcutters.  I'll add I've been hoping for some magic to happen and .25 and .30 wadcutters to appear.  A .22 Meisterkugeln wadcutters makes a hearty meatslap even at 520 FPS, so one can only imagine how joyous a .30 wadcutter meatslap would be.  Until that time, though, we have...


Polymags

Anyway, heavy pellets and pumpers/PCPs or CO2?  Abso-frickin-lutely!

[xtred1]

Though I dont have a 397 I do have a .22 pumper. I shoot crow magnums as my main ratting pellet I shoot them just around 500fps. They hit rats hard and almost never pass through.