Seating a pellet

[pwh]

I realize this may sound somewhat of a stupid question but I'll go ahead anyway. Back in 1980 when I purchased a FWB 300 S from Beeman I also got what was called a Beeman Pellet Seater. Small little tool with a metal ball on the end for seating pellets. I never use it anymore and just figured it was somewhat of a gimmick.

I finally sold the gun and now have a FWB 700 Aluminum. While watching some of the World Cup matches from Bejing I noticed that the shooters seemed to place the pellet in rather quickly before closing the bolt. I've always had the habit of pushing the pellet in firmly with the fleshy part of my thumb. Now it may perfectly well be that they were doing this but having done it thousands upon thousands of times and becoming so much of a habit to them that they were indeed placing some pressure on the pellet when seating it into the breach of the barrel but than again, perhaps not.

Do you feel it necessary to do so or is it OK to simply place the pellet in without any pressure and let the plastic seating in the bolt seat it in. Like said, maybe somewhat of a stupid question but it has been bugging me for weeks when I'm shooting.

~Phil

[WarWagon]

I've always pushed it in firmly. Without seating the pellet completely, you don't know for sure that it is directly centered. If it is indeed in there at any kind of angle, you may put an abrasion on the pellet or slightly crush the skirt otherwise. Just my $.02.

[Pat McCoy]

The pellet seater made a difference with the older guns, as they did not have the protrusion the new ones have which help seat the pellet to the same depth every time.

I use mine all the time with my RWS75. It does make a difference in group size during testing.

[laxratnd]

i have a FWB 700 aluminum also. And i push the pellet in firmly flush against the breach. I have had rather good success this way but see what works for you. I dont like using the action to seat the pellet as to you can never feel how the pellet went in. But make sure you always inspect each pellet before using and discard the bad ones. And you might want to have that rifle sized for pellets if you have not already done that. I have not had mine done yet but i switched from R-10 to Vogel match and it did improve my groups.


lax.

[Guest]

Yep, I first place 100 pellets in a Gehmann Match Box and then look at all of the skirts with a magnifying glass. If there happens to be any bad ones I toss them out.
Anytime I try a different brand pellet I place the gun in a bench rest using the vice attachment and weigh down the bench rest with 50lbs. of lead shot. So far I have found two pellets that consistently shoot very well. I'm trying the R-10 match pellets next.
As for seating the pellet firmly with my thumb I still do so as it has become somewhat of a habit with me. I just brought up the question as it seemed that the shooters in the World Cup Matches did it so quickly that it seemed as though they were not doing so but as said, I might have very well been wrong on that.

~Phil

[pwh]

Hmm...for some reason the site knocked me off and listed my post as being a Guest!

~Phil

[laxratnd]

I know what you mean when it seems they do it so quickly but when you get into a habit and have done it so long its just so natural to you that it just happens.



lax.

[peepsight]

There are air rifles like the FWB and Anschutz where you push the pellet in with your fingers and others that push the pellet into the barrel with a sliding probe such as Walther and Hammerlie.

I don't think one system is better than another as both loading systems seem to win medals. Walther claim the loading probe elliminates the possibility of distorting the pellet with your fingers as you push it in plus it is pushed in in an identical way each time and to a prescribed depth.
Having said that finger loading has not stopped FWB from winning many major comps. Hardly worth worrying about! Both systems win.
Whatever loading system you have, its always sense to check the pellet for skirt damage before you load.