TargetTalk

Hi there.

I want ask something. I don't know if it sound silly or not, but I do curious.
and my english not really good, so if something sound not right, please let me know :)

I'm newbie AP shooter with p44 and since 4 months ago, I shot with rws meisterkugeln for rifle (I don't know the name, the yellow one) because we're out of stock. but my coach said that it doesn't make any difference.

it just doesn't make any sense. if there's no difference, why the factory even bother produce it? and when I check out rws website, I found out that even the head diameter is different.

so what I want to ask is :
* does rifle and pistol pellet make any difference?
* how many type does AP pellet has? and what the difference for?
* any tips about it?

I hope I don't ask to much
Thanks
JA


PS: I've been shot AP for at least 1 year, I do feel difference between rws meisterkugeln (pistol), R10 match plus (pistol), and rws meisterkugeln (rifle). but i couldn't find any explanation

Pellets do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and many manufacturers have different products. The differences are usually pellet weight and diameter. There are also minor differences between lot numbers and runs of the same product.

The best thing to do is buy small packets of several different pellets, then methodically test pellets for grouping. Once you find a pellet that works for your rifle or pistol, then buy as many tins of the same lot or run number possible. Buying the same pellet from a different lot number may give different results.

Perhaps your coach meant that changing from one brand of pellet to another would not affect your score, especially since you are relatively unskilled. It probably would not matter even if you were good.

But, to answer your questions:

Pellet weight does not matter, but lighter pellets may make a cleaner hole in the target.

There are too many different pellets out there to list. The proper ones for your purpose are "wadcutter" (flat nose).

Pistol pellets are lighter, usually under 500 mg, rifle pellets are heavier at 530 mg or so.

The reason there are pellets for rifle and pistol are some older AP can barely make 400 f/s or 120 m/s, shooting light pellets will give them an extra 15-20 f/s velocity, so it will cut a cleaner hole in the target paper.

RWS are good pellets, like the previous poster said, stay with flat nose pellets for target shooting.

Judith,

Several of the points have been touched on, I will throw my thoughts into the mix. Hopefully I will not create confusion.

For paper target competition purposes the only pellets you should be shooting are the flat nosed "diabolo" pellets.

As pointed out the pistol specific pellets are nominally 0.03 grams lighter than rifle specific pellets. With the slightly smaller mass, shot from the same gun, the pistol pellet should have about 6% greater velocity. For some guns the extra velocity might help the pistol be more accurate or it may help the target punch more cleanly. Other pistols, it might not make a difference.

This is one thing about the precision shooting sports. The top level shooters can spend lots of time matching ammo and pellets to their rifles and pistols trying to get the best possible performance. This leads to the discussion about various diameters. As you note, competition pellets come in a range of sizes, typically 4.48 to 4.51mm. If you were to take your pistol and clamp it into a vice and fire 10 shots of each diameter you would find that one size of pellet would make the smallest group in your pistol. (Unfortunately the best size in one brand does not necessarily mean it will be the best size in another but it can be used as a starting point.) A top level air pistol or air rifle should be able to put ten pellets through something that looks like a slightly ragged single hole. My main familiarity is with rifles where the correct pellet will achieve that goal while the absolutely wrong pellet can make a group almost double the size of a single pellet hole.

The idea of pellet matching makes more of a difference for rifle than for a pistol. For rifle the ten dot is 0.5mm in diameter so a poorly matched pellet could leave almost zero room for error on the part of the shooter. A pistol target with the 11.5mm 10-ring leaves a little more tolerance for poorly matched pellets before it starts to affect what the shooter can possibly achieve.

Depending on your level, your coach could be right, as noted if you are fairly new at this the pellets you are using are not likely a factor. If you shoot tight groups and occasionally have those shots that just don't seem to be where they should sometimes it turns out to be the gun and the pellet just don't do well together.

Hope this helps,
'Dude