Vogel Pellets--Just a warning !! Don't shoot the messanger!

[whitefox545]

Hello all, Don't know how many of you shoot Vogel Merlin Match pellets from the CMP but I have been using them for a little over a year now and have found them to be Very good ,accurate and consistent pellets. last month I got down to my last few plastic box of them and so I placed an order for them through the CMP e-Store for a box of ten containers of them and finally received the order today, but when I opened the box I found that they were in tins instead of plastic boxes and labeled Merlin Match Plus? I opened the tin and inspected them to find that they are not near the quality of the ones in the plastic box as the have rough leading edges and a thick rough skirt compared to the plastic box pellets as they were some of the best looking smooth and concentric of any I have ever bought from anyone. I then weighted a few of them (10) and they varied from 7.8 to 8.6 grains when they are marked .53 grams which is 8.17 grains. I thought oh well no big deal as it's only ten meter distance I'm shooting with them and I'm no world class shooter!! I then went down to my basement range to try them out only to find out that the indeed don't shoot like the previous batch in the plastic boxes in any way shape or form! The impact point changed and the grouping was almost twice the size of the old ones!! I am fully aware that all guns prefer different pellets for precise shooting as I shoot Field Target and 100 yard benchrest with high end air rifles.
I then proceeded to shoot the gun from the bench with both pellets and just as I thought the results were the same the old ones shot one tiny hole while the new ones shot a group the size of a dime!! I also noticed that the new ones say they are Mfg. in Colorado Springs and the older ones bought last fall are from Monteagle Tn. Has Vogel changed hands AGAIN?? Also I went back to the web site and found that the picture of the plastic box pellets is gone but the description is still there and the same. I have been trying to contact the CMP at Camp Perry as there is no contact info for the E-Store anywhere that I can find but have not been able to as of yet. I will keep you posted on my findings but I just wanted to let you all know what I have found so you won't be disappointed like I was when you receive your order!! J.L.

[Brazos]

I bought a sleeve of Vogel Merlin Match Plus (in tins) last December while in Colorado Springs. My only other Vogel experience were pellets in the plastic box from CMP and they seemed to be of good quality and shot well. The price was right so I figured I would buy some more while in town. I find the new ones I got while in Colorado Spring are better. These pellets came in the new Vogel tin and the new tin is first class. Anyway I have been impressed with them and planned to buy more when I went back to Colorado Springs for Winter Air but now that has been cancelled.

[spektr]

For what it's worth......

I know the guys at Vogel retired some old tooling. I got some new green can Vogel Match from them and my 800x is lights out with them. They are in the fully padded new tin, and I expect whatever their transition problems from the move are over...... Still waiting on the new Orange Pellets for my 777. So far no complaints

[Tangohammerli]

I just started my second sleeve of the tin container pellets. What lot # did you get? I have had no problems and my scores went up from 540's to my current average at 558...

[RyanA]

My experience with them has been different as well. I’ve been shooting them exclusively to achieve scores in the 570s and they are available at a great price. I do find the occasional deformed pellet but I visually inspect each pellet anyway.

[whitefox545]

Hi! all, Sorry to have been so long getting back to this thread! I did not want to stir up anyone here just wanted you to be aware of my findings.
My batch # is 191268 and what I have found is the skirts are very rough and much thicker at the rear compared to the plastic boxed ones and the heads have many nicks in them while the older plastic box pellets are near perfect surface finish. The weight variance of the new pellets is almost a grain from lightest to heaviest the old ones only varied two to three tenth's of a gain when measured on my Lyman grain scale.

My finding as far as grouping from both my FWB 700 and my Crosman Challenger were that the old plastic box pellets shot one tiny hole when shot from a bench at ten meters verses a group a bit smaller than a dime with the new ones. The other two pellets shot well but not as well as the old plastic box Vogels ? As I said in the original post, don't shoot the messenger it was just my findings and you may find a different outcome but I won't be buying anymore of them I'm certain of that. I have tried contacting the CMP in Alabama where they came form with no response as of yet. I see they are not made in Tennessee any more so I guess that answers why they are different.
Again I didn't write this to stir the pot or bad mouth anyone but only as a warning to check what you have compared to the older ones.. Best Regards