Alloy pellets

[Flyboy]

I was wondering about alloy/copper/non-lead pellets...

* Do they damage the rifling of your barrel, if not short term, then long term?
* Do they really achieve a higher muzzle velocity compared to lead pellets?
* What are they like, accuracy-wise, do they tumble at all due to the higher FPS?
* What are your thoughts on them? Are they as good as they're meant to be?

Thanks in advance!

[DavidS]

I was wondering about alloy/copper/non-lead pellets...

* Do they damage the rifling of your barrel, if not short term, then long term?

I would think so.

* Do they really achieve a higher muzzle velocity compared to lead pellets?

Only because they are very lite, thus it may be higher velocity though lower energy.    They also lose energy faster than lead pellets.

* What are they like, accuracy-wise, do they tumble at all due to the higher FPS?

Terrible accuracy in my experience.  At least past 15 yards.

* What are your thoughts on them? Are they as good as they're meant to be?

Thanks in advance!

They are a good marketing ploy, which is what they are meant to be.    They are so light that they will lose energy in a hurry after leaving the barrel.   And they are so lite that the higher MV is equal to lower ME.

[L-phant]

I have just recently had my first experience with alloy pellets, and I am quite disappointed. Shooting GAMO Blue Flame alloy pellets I have found that:

1. They do in fact produce a higher muzzle velocity.
2. They are quite inaccurate. I would not recommend hunting with them beyond 10 or 15 yards, as they performed quite sporadically in my tests. This is most likely due to their lighter weight and eccentric shape.
3. I have heard different things about if they do or do not damage rifling, but they aren't even worth trying so I wouldn't worry about it. Unless your goal is to cause a ruckus by breaking the speed of sound, I wouldn't think twice about buying these pellets.
4. They are WAY too expensive.

[Marc]

I have shot H&N Greens - both Baracuda and FTT's.  They shot excellent.  Very accurate, and serious penetration. 

I don't think they are at all like the Gamo's.  They are not as light, and not made to just shoot fast.

They are excellent in my experience.  They are harder than lead, so I do wonder if you shoot them a lot if they will cause wear sooner.  But the brass barrels on the 392's, 397's, and Sheridan's are probably softer than a steel barrel, and they hold up to lead pellets very well - if that's any type of parallel - so they may not wear a barrel for a very long time.

[palonej]

Marketing gimmick....stay away! In regards to the Gamo stuff.
Some copper pellets, H&N, seem to be pretty good, but the very light and high velocity stuff is horribly inaccurate out of medium to magnum powered rifles. IME. Also very expensive.

[GunnerAl]

Lead is soft... Mild steel (which most air rifle barrels are made of) is soft too, by relative terms when compared to centrefire barrels. It makes sense to not shoot anything too hard. Pellets with aluminium and copper alloys mixed in with the lead are getting harder than lead itself, lighter, but harder. Although the mild steel in your barrel will be much stronger than aluminium or copper, any single pellet only passes through that barrel one time but that barrel has to sustain many of those one-timers, each one minutely contributing to the overall degradation of your barrel, so slowly but surely it will wear down the rifling, depending on just how much harder the alloy is. As far as velocity goes, the lighter alloy pellets should gain velocity, but that can virtually be an anwanted or unneeded thing. Many air rifles rated at around the 1000 - 1100fps (.177) may bee capable of sending lighter pellets much faster. The sound barrier is a known source of stability worry and sending pellets up through that barrier and then having to slow down back through it again, may induce inaccuracy. Also, the much needed cushioning effect needed by the piston/cylinder when fired, could suffer with lighter pellets, so again, careful as she goes..!!

In short,, the more lead, the better - for many different reasons...

[Flyboy]

Thanks for the replies.

I had thought about trying some of Stoeger's own brand alloy pellets (apparently made by H&N?) in my Stoeger ATAC Suppressor but I don't think I'll bother now.

Speaking of different pellet types...
* What are your thoughts on Prometheus pellets (plastic skirt and alloy heads)?
* What are your thoughts on Predator Polymag pellets (lead skirt and polymer tip)?

[tjk]

Never been too overly worried with wearing a barrel down with non-lead pellets,... But pellet fit,seal, and of course the end results are more of a concern to me. I have had excellent results with the Prometheus made 'Dynamic' line of non leaders in my R1k out to thirty yards. On the flip side, they are ridiculously overly priced for the count. Awesome penetrating power when pass through isn't a major worry such as Urban environs. If one were luck enough to get two nutters lined up, you could make a double kill with one shot easy. 

[drewciferpike]

Even at lower velocity, the lighter alloy pellets give up the "oomph" _MUCH_ sooner than lead pellets.

The .22 9gr H&Ns are one-hole accurate in my s510... out to 30 yards. At 40 yards, they were curving down and to the right (about 5-6 inches... no joke).

So, for in-close pest control, they'd be great. I bought them for shooting starlings around walnut processing equipment. I have to lower the velocity a lot, though. If a gun has easy velocity adjustments, or is a pumper with a steel barrel, I think the high-quality non-lead pellets would be OK at close range.