TargetTalk

Rover wrote:Just buy cheap pellets and shoot. It will make NO difference in your scores.

Unless someone proves that for themselves by testing in their specific gun, it might make a difference to their confidence and that might make a difference to their scores.

Rover wrote:
"I'm also of the opinion that if you're investing a lot of time and effort into the sport you should probably train and shoot the best you can afford."

I am not of this opinion. If you had looked at my pellet tests, you would understand why I'm using RWS Basic as my pellet of choice. Plus they are 1/3rd the price of the R10s, which would not be my second choice, either.

Just buy cheap pellets and shoot. It will make NO difference in your scores.



Hi Rover, because of your pellet testing; and opposing "Best pellet you can afford" postings;

I decided to buy and shoot the very best pellets that I can afford: The RWS Basic pellet!

Tony

The other day in practice, using the WORST pellets I have, I shot a 97 with only two holes in the target. One was a nine at the edge of the 9 ring (called).

Rover wrote:The other day in practice, using the WORST pellets I have, I shot a 97 with only two holes in the target. One was a nine at the edge of the 9 ring (called).

Air pistol crushed skirt test, I have been looking for the article where the guy was purposely deforming the skirts, they all held the 10 ring.

After reading that I quit being concerned about pellets.

Dave

The MIT collegiate team shoots RWS Basics for everything except the National Championships. We have a very wide range of pistols; everything from Tau-7's & IZH's to Steyr's & Morinis. I firmly believe we've never lost a match due to the pellets we use. We have an old, oxidized stash of "match" grade pellets we use for the Nationals, just to make the students think they have a little bit more of an "edge".

if you are really desperate, go ahead & test pellets. You'd be much better off spending the time dry firing.

dronning wrote:

Rover wrote:The other day in practice, using the WORST pellets I have, I shot a 97 with only two holes in the target. One was a nine at the edge of the 9 ring (called).

Air pistol crushed skirt test, I have been looking for the article where the guy was purposely deforming the skirts, they all held the 10 ring.

After reading that I quit being concerned about pellets.

Dave

I have done that test. Squashed them flat with my fingers and they still shoot in the 10 ring, even put in backwards they do. You need to cut off a part of the skirt with a knife to get them to group bigger than ten ring!

j-team wrote:

dronning wrote:

Rover wrote:The other day in practice, using the WORST pellets I have, I shot a 97 with only two holes in the target. One was a nine at the edge of the 9 ring (called).

Air pistol crushed skirt test, I have been looking for the article where the guy was purposely deforming the skirts, they all held the 10 ring.

After reading that I quit being concerned about pellets.

Dave

I have done that test. Squashed them flat with my fingers and they still shoot in the 10 ring, even put in backwards they do. You need to cut off a part of the skirt with a knife to get them to group bigger than ten ring!

I had some of the cheaper ones group as big as the 10 ring without doing anything to them. Maybe il give the squashed thing and backwards thing a go. I put one in backwards once and shot a low 6 but I haven't done it in a rest

In my limited testing I found squashed and backwards pellets really didn't do very well. If I loaded one backwards accidentally at a match (very unlikely) I would just go ahead and shoot it, though.

Rover wrote:In my limited testing I found squashed and backwards pellets really didn't do very well. If I loaded one backwards accidentally at a match (very unlikely) I would just go ahead and shoot it, though.

I have a knitting needle for that

I don't. Do you frequently load them backwards?

Gwhite says: " We have an old, oxidized stash of "match" grade pellets we use for the Nationals, just to make the students think they have a little bit more of an "edge"."

You're my kinda guy!

Unfortunately I do it every now and then

Muffo wrote:

Rover wrote:In my limited testing I found squashed and backwards pellets really didn't do very well. If I loaded one backwards accidentally at a match (very unlikely) I would just go ahead and shoot it, though.

I have a knitting needle for that

That's very clever!!!

Last July, at the nationals in my country, I loaded a pellet and couldn't deliver the shoot,I aborted two or three times, and then discovered the trouble was I was concentrating on my full bladder and not my trigger release! So I asked the RO for permission to leave my firing point, and he asked me to open the pistol (it already was) and to put a safety flag, which I couldn't due to the pellet in the chamber.

What a moment! If I'd had a needle I could have complied, instead I had to shot a hurried one (luckily, it was only a wide 9) but it got me thinking I'm gonna include something like you said for future matches.

renzo wrote:So I asked the RO for permission to leave my firing point, and he asked me to open the pistol (it already was) and to put a safety flag, which I couldn't due to the pellet in the chamber.

What a moment! If I'd had a needle I could have complied, instead I had to shot a hurried one (luckily, it was only a wide 9) but it got me thinking I'm gonna include something like you said for future matches.

You could have asked to discharge the gun instead of taking the shot.

Like you can if you load two pellets by accident.

6.11.2.4 The gun may only be loaded with one (1) pellet. When a gun is
accidentally loaded with more than one (1) pellet:
a) If the athlete is aware of the situation, he must raise his nonshooting
hand to indicate to a Range Officer that he has a
problem. A Range Officer must then supervise the unloading
of the gun and no penalty will be incurred. No extra time will
be allowed for this;

The same principle should apply to your case.

Hope this helps

rmca wrote:

renzo wrote:So I asked the RO for permission to leave my firing point, and he asked me to open the pistol (it already was) and to put a safety flag, which I couldn't due to the pellet in the chamber.

What a moment! If I'd had a needle I could have complied, instead I had to shot a hurried one (luckily, it was only a wide 9) but it got me thinking I'm gonna include something like you said for future matches.

You could have asked to discharge the gun instead of taking the shot.

Like you can if you load two pellets by accident.

6.11.2.4 The gun may only be loaded with one (1) pellet. When a gun is
accidentally loaded with more than one (1) pellet:
a) If the athlete is aware of the situation, he must raise his nonshooting
hand to indicate to a Range Officer that he has a
problem. A Range Officer must then supervise the unloading
of the gun and no penalty will be incurred. No extra time will
be allowed for this;

The same principle should apply to your case.

Hope this helps

Thanks for the information bit!

Mind you, I'm a shooting judge and didn't remember THAT one to call it in the event.

Makes you wonder why 6.2.2.6 is still there
During firing, the gun may be put down (not held) only after the cartridge(s) and/or magazine are removed and the action is open. Air guns must be made safe by opening the cocking lever or loading port.

Spencer wrote:Makes you wonder why 6.2.2.6 is still there
During firing, the gun may be put down (not held) only after the cartridge(s) and/or magazine are removed and the action is open. Air guns must be made safe by opening the cocking lever or loading port.

My understanding is that 6.2.2.6 only applys if you are at the firing point.
When you leave the firing point dont you have to insert the safety flag?

Hence the supervised discharche.

Nice long thread. Too bad there's no response from the guy who started it (if he's even interested).

rmca wrote: You could have asked to discharge the gun instead of taking the shot.

Ah, the famous PDC, as annex A of the training manual for pistol range officials

David Levene wrote:

rmca wrote: You could have asked to discharge the gun instead of taking the shot.

Ah, the famous PDC, as annex A of the training manual for pistol range officials

David

Never seen one, except in the same manual you quoted.

Are there any measurements to follow when building one to use in matches, should the need of its use arise?