It’s often said that you only get what you pay for, but that does not always stand true. Sometimes you are just paying for the brand and the amount of investment in promoting the brand. So the investment has yet to go into making the product more prominent. Does this cross over into airgun pellets? Because we know that some of the influential airgun pellet brands are made by just a few factories.
We know that JSB produces Air Arms Pellets, FX Pellets, and many others. Is the FX .22/5.52mm Air Gun Pellet made in the same mould as the Air Arms Diabolo Field .22/5.52mm? They are the same size, listed with a difference of 0.01 grams and look the same, but a £5 difference in prices. Are the AA and the FX pellets just exact copies of JSB Exact Jumbo .22/5.52mm.
The Accuracy Of The Pellets
Many reviewers insist that cheaper pellets are inaccurate, but how many different brands have you tested? If you are not aware, different types of pellets shoot better than others in any particular rifle. That’s why iHunter is committed to selling pellet sample packs, so you can find what pellets suit your air rifle. That unknown budget brand pellet could have been produced in the same way, in the same factory as the overpriced, well-known branded pellet. The choice of different types of airgun pellets is also a consideration.
Types Of Pellets
- Round head pellets (Diabolo pellets)are for general use and cut through the air more efficiently than the other shapes of pellets.
- Pointed pellets are designed for hunting.
- Hollow point pellets are best used at close quarters and spread on impact
- Wadcutters pellets have flat heads and are only good at close ranges.
- Hybrid Pellets
- Lead free pellets
Quality Of The Pellets
You use the same methodology for assessing the quality of your budget airgun pellets as you would any branded pellet. First of all, do the pellets in the tin look good? Do they look visibly consistent in shape and size? Do any of them look visibly damaged (if the lead alloy is too soft, then transit damage may occur)? Do the pellets have clean lines with no excess material showing, is the bottom of the tin clean from any lead fouling?
The next step would be to take a sample of the pellets to check their consistency in weight.
The final stage would be to use precision callipers to measure the dimensions of the pellet. If there is a significant difference in the weight of the pellets, then this shows poor quality, even if they are branded or budget pellets. After you are happy with all the basic tests, it is time actually to fire the pellets.
Checking For Accuracy
When testing your budget airgun pellets its not about hitting the bullseye every shot. That’s a different discipline about zeroing the scope. In the same way that pellets are made, do expect the odd flier that seems far from what you were aiming for. What you are looking for is a grouping of the pellets and the constancy of the pack.
IIdeally, you need an airgun to be stabilised, with a resting point at the front and the rear. You should use a rifle bench rest for ultimate consistency and for checking for accuracy. This helps to remove any deviation from yourself when firing the rifle. You aim at the same spot (usually the bullseye) for every single shot and check for the grouping of the pellets. A good test would be 3 x 10 pellets to give a good overview of the pellets. Only then can you decide if they are quality pellets and suitable for your air rifle.
Rifle Bench Rest
Testing Is The Key
Finding a brand of pellet to match your air rifle takes time and testing, whether it be a budget pellet or a premium branded pellet. There are so many variables in manufacturing pellets that you may discover that your all-time favourite pellet needs to be more accurate. This could be down to a different mix of lead or alloy, or the die they are made in has become worn and reduces the pellet’s quality.
Below are some testing results from 10 different pellets (From Andy’s Airgun review channel). Remember, these are his results with the air rifle he was shooting then. You can use the same ten tins of pellets, and your results will be completely different. When people generalise about the quality of an airgun pellet, please do not take their word for it. Test the pellets and test with different types and brands of pellets so you can determine what gives you the best result.
| Pellet Type | 5 Shot Group mm | Best 4 Shot Group mm |
| JSB Exact Diabolo | 35 | 17 |
| JSB Stratton Diabolo | 28 | 24 |
| Soverign Rangemaster | 22 | 16 |
| Air Arms Diabolo Field | 20 | 17 |
| Accupell FT | 22 | 10 |
| H&N Sniper Light | 15 | 9 |
| H&N Field Target Trophy | 24 | 17 |
| H&N Terminator | 45 | 28 |
| H&N Baracuda Hunter | 26 | 20 |
| H&N Baracuda Match | 27 | 14 |
| Predator Polymag | 35 | 20 |
| Predator Metalmag | 25 | 10 |
Related: The Best Pellets For A BSA Air Rifle
So Are Budget Pellets Worth The Money
The only way can answer that question is by testing a few unknown brand pellets. Try different types of pellets, different weights and different shapes. At iHunter we are trying to reduce the cost of entry-level pellets whilst still maintaining the quality. You can check out the > iHunter pellets< here. We have also invested in another range of pellets called Apogee.
To keep the cost down, we do have air rifle pellet sample pack available for all brands. FAQ on airguns.
More advice if you are air gunning on a budget.