Non-lead high penetration pellets?

[His lordship.]

Has anyone tried the non-lead Rapter PBA or the Rocket type with the BB in the center pellets, made by Gamo yet?  I have pointed tip lead pellets in .22 and am wondering if it would be worth it to buy some of these harder types with their stated high velocity.

Thanks.

[securitysix]

The reason the Raptor PBAs have such high velocity (and presumably the Rockets as well, though I haven't checked them out) is because they are very light.  I don't shoot much in the way of very light pellets because my RWS-52 doesn't like them (it sprays them all over the place).

I don't know what kind of penetration you'd be getting with the lighter pellets, but it would be interesting to test out.

[ice]

There is another problem with super light weight pellets.
You can damage a springer .
I think I broke the spring in one rifle by shooting light weight pellets.

When you go too much above or below the norm in a spring piston air gun, it can create problems.

  .177       7.9 gr.

   .22       14.3 gr.

[blhof]

Penetration has more to do with weight than speed, until you get into the hyper levels and all else being equal, the heavier penetrates better.

[His lordship.]

ice...you brought up something that did not occur to me, go too light and it would be like dry firing a springer.  Well, now I know to stick with the conventional pellets, I hope to eventually go with the all domed type as they seem to be the better design for hunting from what I have heard on this forum.

[securitysix]

From what I have read, it goes like this:

For light and medium-powered air guns, a domed pellet is good if it gives you sufficient penetration.  If it does not, you should be looking for an accurate pointed pellet, which will give increased penetration, but a lower BC and thus less range.

For magnum powered air guns, a domed pellet should be sufficient; all you have to do is find one accurate enough for your purposes.

I read it on the internet, so it must be true, right? 

[S.S.]

The Rocket pellets seem to do a pretty fair job on rabbits.
A friend of mine uses them to rid his garden of vermin and pests
and even good sized rabbits fall to them pretty quick.
don't care for the raptor out of most guns

[JPShelton]

There is absolutely no way I would use Gamo PBA pellets. 

It isn't just their light weight, but low ballistic coeffecient that is a problem.  They don't carry enough foot pounds of energy to the target at the distances I need to shoot.

My .177 R-9 will deliver over 9 ft pounds to the fifty yard line shooting Crosman Premier Lights and over 8 foot pounds with Beeman Field Target Specials.  They'll penetrate far enough into a bunny to kill it clean, every time, all the way out to 50 yards and a tick beyond.  With .177, even with a weenie little 14 ft/lb M.E. gun like mine, lack of penetration on game normally isn't a problem, even with 'normal' pellets.

Besides, I much prefer shooting .20 in the field and Gamo doesn't make 'em in that caliber!  That's okay, 'cause as long as I can get FTS's in .20, I've got all the small game killing thump I need.

-JP