Crosman boxed pellets - first impressions

[mista meener]

I got suckered in to buy the boxed heavies and I got 8 rifles and not one shot them better or close to the tinned lighter CHP's I get in wal mart. I was surprised at the results

[DavidS]

Granted I've only bought Daisy pellets once but the head sizes were all over the place, trending undersized.  They shotgunned badly in 3 rifles.  It was a 4-type sampler in .177 cal.

Over time, my experience has indicated the magic pellet for a given rifle will be either a JSB, an Air Arms, or an H&N...with the probability being in that descending order. 

I've heard some good things value-wise on the Winchesters so I may try them sometime but I am once-and-done with Daisy pellets, and I have suspended purchases of Crosman at least until they demonstrate some general improvements in their QC.

I am one cheap SOB but, as the saying goes, only accurate guns are interesting.  By extension, inaccurate pellets are uninteresting.  I'm just not into shooting cans; I want to drill small holes in paper so I can then confidently put the pellet in the fusebox of small game and pest species.  To me, missing a single pest or, worse, wounding an animal isn't worth the price difference between an $8 tin of Crosman's versus a $14 tin of JSB's.  It's the allure of accuracy on the cheap that keeps me coming back to the inexpensive ones.  Just seems like it averages out to be more economical to spend a little extra on the better brands when I look at all the partial tins of lesser pellets collecting dust on my shelf.

Oops, sorry for the soapbox speech, got a little carried away there!

That is ok.  I agree that I want to put small little holes in paper so that I know that I will get one shot one kill on anything that I hunt.   And that is where my opinion on Daisy pellets comes from, though only the ones in the tin not the sampler, and only in .22 cal, not .177.

Winchester are the way to go for .177 in my guns.

[MarkBrumbaugh]

For what it is worth, my last two boxes have been unusually hard to seat.  Their new die or whatever is significantly larger than the 4.52's I usually shoot.

[Ghosth]

Nervous I was actually interested in what you had to say.

Like you I am a cheap SOB.

However unlike you I have pretty much totally lost my need/desire to kill anything.
Something has to REALLY wet me off to get me to change my mind about that.

So far I have tried a variety of pellets but mostly of the cheaper kind.

One thing I wanted to point out. 

A Crossman Premiers pack 500 to a tin, at 8$

B JSB's some are 300 to a tin, others are 500, but it looks to be double the price.

For you, knowing you hunt, knowing you want that perfect kill I'm sure its worth it.

However for me, knowing the odds of a pellet finding flesh are less than that of winning the lottery, I'm happier with the cheap Crossman premiers.

I think the company's really are hoping we won't notice just how many or how few pellets are in a tin.
And if your money flow's like water I'm sure you can ignore cost of pellets entirely.

Some of us are getting by on a dime, and are afraid we'll be squeezed down to a nickle.

Viva La Difference!

[stonykill]

Granted I've only bought Daisy pellets once but the head sizes were all over the place, trending undersized.  They shotgunned badly in 3 rifles.  It was a 4-type sampler in .177 cal.

Over time, my experience has indicated the magic pellet for a given rifle will be either a JSB, an Air Arms, or an H&N...with the probability being in that descending order. 

I've heard some good things value-wise on the Winchesters so I may try them sometime but I am once-and-done with Daisy pellets, and I have suspended purchases of Crosman at least until they demonstrate some general improvements in their QC.

I am one cheap SOB but, as the saying goes, only accurate guns are interesting.  By extension, inaccurate pellets are uninteresting.  I'm just not into shooting cans; I want to drill small holes in paper so I can then confidently put the pellet in the fusebox of small game and pest species.  To me, missing a single pest or, worse, wounding an animal isn't worth the price difference between an $8 tin of Crosman's versus a $14 tin of JSB's.  It's the allure of accuracy on the cheap that keeps me coming back to the inexpensive ones.  Just seems like it averages out to be more economical to spend a little extra on the better brands when I look at all the partial tins of lesser pellets collecting dust on my shelf.

Oops, sorry for the soapbox speech, got a little carried away there!

 well said! My experience with Daisy pellets has been similar. But luckily my bone stock P17 shoots anything, including them well. But I still won't hunt with them. Some are so undersize they fall right through the barrel!

  And like you, 1 shot better be the kill shot 

  I'm cheap as well. REALLY cheap. So cheap if a AG won't shoot one of the locally available pellets ( CPHP's, EX's, Winnies or Gamo) I have no use for the AG. I just can not bring myself to pay shipping on pellets.

  I have this sneaking suspision that Winnie pellets are made byDaisy. BUT they are not bad. Really not bad for the money.

[Sandspike]

NT.   please tell us the way you really feel.

[DavidS]

@Ghosth:
Interesting perspective.

I am a cheap one as well.  And I hunt to eat.   So guess what, accuracy is important to me.   And the most accurate pellets in my guns are inexpensive.  Daisy Pointed in my .22 guns, and Winchester Domed in my .177's.   I got luck and got guns that like cheap food .

Though I can understand that some shooters are vegetarians and as such do not want to kill anything.  being a meat eater I know that even if I could afford to buy meat from a store I am still kill-ing it (by purchasing it and driving the market), and I am not that rich.

When you live on way way less than $10000 (ten thousand dollars) per year and you have everything you could possibly want you learn to provide your own food.

[vigilandy]

Just seems like it averages out to be more economical to spend a little extra on the better brands when I look at all the partial tins of lesser pellets collecting dust on my shelf.

Those cheap, lesser pellets are good for something.  I just bought myself a chrony and will using my dusty tins of pellets tuning. 

Andy

[westtexasrancher]

Glad to see this thread. I just bought 10,000 of these because they are reported to shoot well in the rifle I just bought. I can stand some flyers for the price. I also plan to test all the pellets around the same weight. Whatever shoots the absolute best, I plan to stock up on those, despite the cost. They will be used when shooting with friends (friendly competition) or hunting. When I'm alone and not solely shooting for groups, I will shoot the crosmans in the box.

Side note, do yall lube yours?

[stonykill]

 I wash, no lube

[nervoustrigger]

I wash and lube. 

Wash is done with Purple Power (degreaser), then with dishwashing soap.  Soap alone isn't enough to cut the oil that some pellets have from the factory.  Despite being two steps, it goes quickly with a wire strainer basket at the kitchen sink.

Then lay them out on a cloth to dry, and finally tumble them with a few drops of liquid wax (bicycle chain lubricant like Krytech or White Lightning).

[airgunwarriors]

I wash and lube. 

Wash is done with Purple Power (degreaser), then with dishwashing soap.  Soap alone isn't enough to cut the oil that some pellets have from the factory.  Despite being two steps, it goes quickly with a wire strainer basket at the kitchen sink.

Then lay them out on a cloth to dry, and finally tumble them with a few drops of liquid wax (bicycle chain lubricant like Krytech or White Lightning).

I've been blessed with an .22 air-rifle that shoots both the higher priced JSB and lower priced Benjiman Discovery Extreme Hunter pellets very well. The JSB pellets a bit better between the two.

I enjoy plinking and use the lower priced Benjiman Discovery Extreme Hunter pellets for that, but when hunting time comes, it will be the higher priced and more accurate JSB pellets.

I do also enjoy the fact that my plinking pellets are local and under $9.00 for 400 of them to an assorted pack.
(4 varieties of pellets to choose from and 3 out of the 4 shoot pretty accurately and have thus far been consistent.)

The JSB pellets cost twice as much than the Benjiman Discovery Extreme Hunter pellets (14.3-grain), but the 18.1-grain JSB pellets provide more energy and top-notch accuracy. Also, when hunting time comes, I do not expect to be shooting several of the higher cost pellets per outing, so I expect that the higher expense when purchasing the higher priced JSB pellets will not be that often.

MAC1 happens to have a great deal on the JSB line of pellets by the way.

My local Wal-Mart finally started carrying the .22 CPHP pellets for under $9.00, 500 to a tin of course, but I like the variety of pellets I get from the Benjiman Discovery Extreme Hunter pellets, even if there's 100 less pellets and of the 400, my .22 air-rifle really only cares for 300 of them, lol!:) Again, for plinking, all 400 pellets will be put to use.

Side note: I have shot pellets cleaned by "nervoustrigger" and his method of cleaning pellets works!
(quoted "nervoustrigger" for a reason)

Respectfully,

Al.

[Redleg]

I pretty much shoot regular crosman pellets (wadcutters), some Daisy, some Winchester.  We don't have any pests around here to shoot except those that are let out at night to deficate in my yard. 
And sometimes I have to chase a herd of deer out with my 760 and BBs at three pumps.  So I am usually punching paper from 10 to 25 yards in the back yard.

My adventure in pellet purchases was last winter:  I purchased an order of 8 boxes of Crosman pellets when a big sale was on.  To my surprise, I found a large white plastic mailing bag on the porch.
This turned out to be my several thousand pellets.  They had been so abused that there were holes in the bag (taped up).  The boxes were broken open and hundreds of loose pellets inside.  Needless to say, I returned and received a full refund so this cost nothing exept a bit of a delay.  But I began to wonder how much shake, rattle, and roll is inflicted on pellets in transportation and warehousing.

My experience led me to think more about PA and their description of how they pack and handle pellets........ Very impressive!  And probably worth a bit of a premium provided their pellets are not abused before they get them.

This was fun and entertaining thread to read.

[mista meener]

@Ghosth:
Interesting perspective.

I am a cheap one as well.  And I hunt to eat.   So guess what, accuracy is important to me.   And the most accurate pellets in my guns are inexpensive.  Daisy Pointed in my .22 guns, and Winchester Domed in my .177's.   I got luck and got guns that like cheap food .

Though I can understand that some shooters are vegetarians and as such do not want to kill anything.  being a meat eater I know that even if I could afford to buy meat from a store I am still kill-ing it (by purchasing it and driving the market), and I am not that rich.

When you live on way way less than $10000 (ten thousand dollars) per year and you have everything you could possibly want you learn to provide your own food.

Hunting seasons are so short so how can you just live on what you hunt if you do it legal?

[Smoketown]

mista meener,

Some western states have year-round cottontail rabbit seasons.

Most having 10 bunny per day limits.

Better n' chicken!!

Can't shoot 'nothin' with an airgun here in PA ...

Cheers,
Smoketown

[Bicycleman]

mista meener, my lunch today is going to be "Squirrel with Smoked Sausage" baked in the oven in foil.  Our Squirrel Season ended February 28.  How is it possible I am able to dine on squirrel today LEGALLY?  I freeze some of what I kill for later consumption.  I do the same with fish I catch - not because of season limitations but because I catch more than I can eat at one meal.  I am thinking that many out there do the same.  It works for me.

[Papa Smurf]

This has been a VERY GOOD read ! I have been using Crosman Premiers ,both hollow point and domed , in 4 air rifles . Three are in 177 and one in 22 . Also trying other brand pellets , but always coming back to the Crosman . The findings of all you men agree with mine as far as cost and accuracy. I will now settle in and just enjoy killing a can or two as well as poking holes in paper. -------------------------------------Good Shooting to all------------ Papa Smurf

[Novagun]

In New Zealand we get two different qualities of Crossman Premiers. Wills Hunting and fishing sell boxed 1250 lots or at least sold them to me. They have a red stamp on the box and are substandard to the extent that they are a DON"T BUY.  They were cheaper than the black stamp ones. The other sort are in the same box but with a black stamp. They are excellent quality and better than Webley Accupells which are really the same pellet but not quite as well processed for quality control. They are however pretty good.
In my never humble opinion you would seek far to get a better 7.9 gn pellet than a CPL . I have not tried the heavy ones but I bet they will be just as good if that is what you need.
PS I am talking about .177. Must get some .22 for my Sharp Innova.

[Oldgringo]

For the past couple of weeks, I've been shooting my newest Daisy 853.  Today, I took out my Diana 34 and shot a variety of pellets at 25 yards.  Under "Lake Wind Advisory" conditions, the best 5 shot, dime size groups were with CPHP.   

So to answer the question; no, the Crosman boxed pellets don't do it for me in any of my rifles.  I wish I could find some more Air Arms 7.3 gr. Falcons and 8.4 gr. Diabolos.   

[Bill L.]

I found this interesting --