Choosing The Right Air Rifle Pellets

“Only a poor workman blames his tools” along with “A workman is only as good as his tools” are two phrases we hear in relation to many things day in day out. The truth is they are both worth thinking about. Sometimes we put so much thought, consideration and effort into choosing our air gun, we put less emphasis on the pellets we choose. But should we?

Does it make a difference?

Yes it does!

For some airgunners it can literally be the difference between hitting the target and totally missing the target. Now we all know which one we would rather do.

Pellets come in many shapes and sizes and it can be difficult to know which to select.

The first consideration should be what you are trying to achieve, and whether or not your gun only takes certain pellets.

There are pointed ones, round heads, hollow ones and pellets with a ball bearing in the nose to name a few! The roundhead is the most popular and for good reason, it cuts through the air much more efficiently as it loses less energy due to it travelling faster and straighter than alternatives.

Wadcutters are great for close range, but not so much for long range as the point can often get damaged in transit – which is going to affect the accuracy of the shot.

Consideration also needs to go into the weight of the pellet. As a general guideline the rule tends to be the lower the power he lighted the pellet and the higher the power the heavier the pellet. Makes sense right?

Some people buy a variety of pellets and test them out, but this can be expensive. If you are looking for a starting point it is always worth investing in the same brand pellets as your gun, they would have been tested during production with these after all so it is always a safe option. If your gun manufacturer do not make their own pellets they will normally be happy to share what pellets they favour.

Confused?!

Don’t be!

Trevor at the Air Gun Centre is our pellet pro and he is more than happy to offer his expert opinions and advice if you need some guidance. Call into the shop and speak to him, he will be more than happy to help.