Frankly Excessive Pellet Testing

Bazzatron said:
This is precisely the kind of thing I mean when talking about the apocryphal or anecdotal "facts" that we have kicking around the hobby.
I have absolutely zero idea on how one could possibly even test the number of pellets required to "lead in" - and equally I've heard from very experienced shooters that they found that this is much more true of RF/CF rifles than of air.

Maybe in a few years when I've got access to more machine tools, then I can go about designing an experiment to study this "leading in" hypothesis. But from the comments here, I've already noted several weaknesses in this study alone - so clearly I've just cracked open a can of lifelong research :ROFLMAO:

Do they still even make Spitfires? I don't think I've had a tin of those since I was a whelp!
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Yes, Spitfires are available, but not the old fluted body type. Technically, the 100 pellets is a sound way to go, but not really practical if you are testing 20 odd different pellets. I have found that 10-15 pellets is normally enough for leading in, less if you are moving from soft lead to soft lead. So, for example, JSBs are basically all the same lead mix, so no need to lead in when changing between pellet weights, QYS are similarly soft, and I have found switching between JSB and QYS, 5 pellets is enough. Moving on to RWS the lead mix is a bit harder. Going from soft to hard, you don’t really need to lead in, but going the other way might take 10-12 pellets before the groups start to tighten up.
Most of the other pellets I have tested are harder still, (Geko, Crosman, Shocks, BSA and a load of others.) For everything apart from soft-soft and soft-hard lead, I allow 10-15 pellets.

As stated above, knowing which are the “same but rebranded” is useful if you are testing as you wouldn’t need to lead in all the time. I am one of the saddos who have weighed into groups, then tested 20 odd different pellets to find what suits. You never know until you try, and I found that Victory Shocks are an acceptable substitute for Baracuda FTs in my Mito, but give 1-2mm larger groups. However, they are much cheaper, and fine for practising or plinking.

Similarly, my AA S200 shoots 2-3mm larger groups with swaged Crosmans than QYS heavies, so fine for practise, and much cheaper.
 
Justin44 said:
Is this a fact? I cant see Bara Lights on the H&N website? so FTs aer sorted better? what abount FTT is that better than FT? its a mine field out there.
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I just get the FTs and never tested Lights. For some guns, FTTs are lauded, but in my guns they are meah.
 
The Baracuda Lights were indeed production batches of our Baracuda FT rifles that, on our test rifles, didn't achieve the required shot groups at 50 meters, but were slightly below. So not bad, but not excellent either.

Note: on our test rifles! The result could be different on any other rifle.

We discontinued the Baracuda Light because we improved the overall quality of the production output and only very few Baracuda FT batches fell below the standard.

Edit:
The Baracuda and Baracuda Match have a similar relationship to each other, btw.
 
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well, I have seen some of the words before, I even understood some of them
wacko.gif


Fair play to you , if you are going to do something then do it properly
 
Berber said:
Yes, Spitfires are available, but not the old fluted body type. Technically, the 100 pellets is a sound way to go, but not really practical if you are testing 20 odd different pellets. I have found that 10-15 pellets is normally enough for leading in, less if you are moving from soft lead to soft lead. So, for example, JSBs are basically all the same lead mix, so no need to lead in when changing between pellet weights, QYS are similarly soft, and I have found switching between JSB and QYS, 5 pellets is enough. Moving on to RWS the lead mix is a bit harder. Going from soft to hard, you don’t really need to lead in, but going the other way might take 10-12 pellets before the groups start to tighten up.
Most of the other pellets I have tested are harder still, (Geko, Crosman, Shocks, BSA and a load of others.) For everything apart from soft-soft and soft-hard lead, I allow 10-15 pellets.

As stated above, knowing which are the “same but rebranded” is useful if you are testing as you wouldn’t need to lead in all the time. I am one of the saddos who have weighed into groups, then tested 20 odd different pellets to find what suits. You never know until you try, and I found that Victory Shocks are an acceptable substitute for Baracuda FTs in my Mito, but give 1-2mm larger groups. However, they are much cheaper, and fine for practising or plinking.

Similarly, my AA S200 shoots 2-3mm larger groups with swaged Crosmans than QYS heavies, so fine for practise, and much cheaper.
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That's what I meant. 👍🏻.
All good to know if you're going down that route.
"Let your fingers do the 'researching' " 😉; some of you are old enough to get this.
Then test in a specific order to save money and time.

Re SMK Spitfires, Big Dan's test is only s couple of years old. I wonder who actually manufactures them? Can I get hold of some but under another name over here?
I haven't seen them online on "the continent."

Keep the good work up anyway. 💪🏻
 
Ulysees said:
Really? I have a few days off work, I'll try to get it polished, packaged and published to my Github.
Once I've completed my honeydo list 🤪

I need to push the latest version of this too:
View attachment 907580
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If you can spare the (IIRC) £6, download Ballistic-X on android, it'll make you feel great 🤣
On a git repo too? What a legend.

I look forward to it immensely!
 
Justin44 said:
@Bazzatron Post above from H&N is going to make us both cry, Baracuda Lights have been discontinued! We both need to start again!
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Cannot believe that A - discontinued, and B - IT WAS BLEEDIN' REJECTS! :ROFLMAO:🤣
Welp, I can get 2nd place pellets no bother, and I will be re-testing the top four ad-nauseum...!

@H&N - if your boffins have any of those pellets kicking around from old runs, might be time to give them a second look - or else send them to me! ;)
 
its all good if you get consistent product in the tin, i had one tin of baracuda 8s and if it was not in the 10 it was me so i ordered 5 tins and they are all over the place, i got quite dis heartened ,tried jsb express and things are looking up and im happy that if its a bad shot its me
 
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