Pellet Weight....too heavy too light?

[cherokee]

I have read here that using too heavy or too light is bad for a spring air gun (I think I have read it is bad too light)

I have a couple questions....first is how do you know what is too heavy or too light?

Second does the too heavy and too light also apply to the gas spring guns?

I think I saw that it does not apply to multi pumps, but what about the single pumps like an Avanti, or others.

I currently don't have any PCP guns (out of my price range at the moment to have them filled) but when I do get there....does it apply to them as well.

Thanks again for the help.....and sorry for the noob questions.

I have been shooting for quite a long time, but just buying the pellets at wally world and shooting, my first guns came from Cabelas....Adult guns that is about 13 years ago.  I have been shooting them off and on that entire time, but nothing really even close to serious, now that I am very limited with firearms I have really turned to air guns for my trigger time.  Several different air rifles, and about 20 different kinds of pellets.  I am really enjoying myself....testing different pellets with different guns, I wish I had started this long ago.

[cherokee]

Was the above questions just way off base....I would swear that I have read that shooting too heavy pellets in a spring gun was bad.

[farmerjoe99]

I don't know about the spring/gas ram part.
But as far as I've read, with multi-pumps and single pumps
it doesn't hurt them to use heavy or light pellets.
Hopefully someone will chime in on the springer part of things
Joseph

[Sfttailrdr46]

  It is all about accuracy and effectiveness. Too light and the pellet goes super sonic , the piston slams the bottom of the cylinder bad. Too heavy and the spring rebounds on itself before the pellet launches causing damaging harmonics to the spring again impacting accuracy in a bad way . So like the three bears we look for just right , best pellet speed to achieve best accuracy. That happens when the weight of the pellet complements the spring reaching the end of travel as the pellet is exiting the barrel. Sorry for the long winded explanation and there are others here who have explained it better in the past. Just understand that there are lots of things going on inside a springer when you pull the springer. PCP rifles are not subject to the same rules beyond the fact that the practical limit for accuracy is between 850 and 950 fps, this has to do with the physics of aerodynamics and the pellet exceeding the speed of sound and then dropping below the speed of sound before impacting the target. this causes instability and loss of accuracy

[EMrider]

I have read here that using too heavy or too light is bad for a spring air gun (I think I have read it is bad too light)

I have a couple questions....first is how do you know what is too heavy or too light?

Second does the too heavy and too light also apply to the gas spring guns?

I think I saw that it does not apply to multi pumps, but what about the single pumps like an Avanti, or others.

I currently don't have any PCP guns (out of my price range at the moment to have them filled) but when I do get there....does it apply to them as well.

Thanks again for the help.....and sorry for the noob questions.

I have been shooting for quite a long time, but just buying the pellets at wally world and shooting, my first guns came from Cabelas....Adult guns that is about 13 years ago.  I have been shooting them off and on that entire time, but nothing really even close to serious, now that I am very limited with firearms I have really turned to air guns for my trigger time.  Several different air rifles, and about 20 different kinds of pellets.  I am really enjoying myself....testing different pellets with different guns, I wish I had started this long ago.

IMHO the issue of pellet weight with springers is really trivial compared to accuracy.  Shoot what appears to be the most accurate pellet and don't sweat the weight.

It is often asserted that shooting heavy pellets is "bad".  But what exactly "bad" means is never made clear (nor "heavy" for that matter), nor have I ever seen any data to support that claim.

If it had any meaningful negative impact on spring life, there would be clearer evidence IMHO. 

And worst case I'm fine if I get 20,000 shots instead of 25,000 shots with a "heavy" pellet that shoots most accurately in my springers.

R

[Sfttailrdr46]

  Emrider too light and too heavy both cause premature spring failure. Too light is probably worse due to the piston slamming to a sudden stop at the end of travel too heavy has a different set of issues but if too heavy gives the best accuracy just be aware that in the eyes of most addicts in here accuracy is all important and springs are a consumable to be replaced as needed

[cherokee]

Thanks for the answers....I would GUESS that a gas ram would not take the same ?damage? as a spring being forced back on itself.  Sounds like it really is a non issue to me as the worst thing that can happen is the spring bounces or comes back on itself, and I am told that springs can be replaced. 

Sorry for all these noob questions, I have been shooting the air rifles for quite some time, just never really thought about this stuff.....I just always thought of air guns a little like 22lr....they can be picky about the ammo they like and sometimes you have to shop (yea funny shop for 22 ammo) to find the flavor it likes.

I guess I will keep with that idea and just keep shooting the pellets that the guns seem to like the best

Thanks for the help.

[DOKF]

Greg,

The air gun designs are optimised for pellet weight.  The power plant and barrel length are matched to provide the best energy transfer from rifle to pellet at a certain weight.

There have been a couple posts on the energetics of springers and PCP rifles:

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=74642.0

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?board=164.0

The upshot of it for springers and gas rams is as said above;

  if the pellet is too light it will go supersonic and the piston ram will smack into the backstop
  if the pellet is too heavy, the piston seal will be damaged trying to force the pellet out the barrel (like constipation)
  there is an optimal weight range that provides the max energy for the pellet

For PCP guns, heavier pellets require adjusted pressure or hammer strike, and could result in higher projectile energy.

[TC]

My own experience, take it for what it is worth. I own a Stoeger X20S (now detuned) and X5, and both are very accurate with "heavy" baracuda match 4.52 pellets. Seen lots of comments that these pellets are too heavy (especially for the X5 lower power class) and will damage the spring. Well guess what, tin after tin, year after year, not one single bent or broken spring. Every time they have been opened, the spring is straight and power decline is typical minimal wear and tear. I'm guessing the X5 spring is now over 4 years old. I like EMrider's approach, go for precision.