Airgun Ammunition

This is the magic question everybody wants to know, but nobody can answer! Each barrel is made slightly differently, and will prefer different pellets, even if it is for the same gun. At the end of the day, the main thing you will be looking for is which pellet gives you the tightest and most consistent groups.

We normally recommend 3 standard size, weight and diameter pellets, which are well made, and popular amongst many shooters. These are [JSB Exact Diablo, H&N Field Target Trophy and RWS Superdomes ]. From here, you can branch off and find different weights, head sizes and shapes that might suit your rifle better – as well as many different brands to try.

For backyard shooting, or plinking as it is more commonly known as, a cheap pellet will always be our recommendation. You don’t need anything fancy, and a cheaper pellet will suffice for short range fun shooting. As long as the pellet is loaded properly, you shouldn’t have too many issues using them compared to a more expensive one – just don’t expect any tight groups or major accuracy! Our recommendations are [H&N Excite Econ, H&N Excite Spike, RWS Geco Diablo, Marksman Domed]

Lots of different people prefer different types of hunting pellets, but a general consensus is heavier pellets or hollow points. Heavier pellets tend to carry more energy on impact and are effective at pest control. Hollow point pellets are designed to expand on impact, with a higher power rifle leading to more expansion.

Hunting pellets come at all levels, so a cheaper option is [JSB Hades, RWS Super H Point], and more expensive ones like H&N Hornets and JSB Polymag Shorts. We also offer sample packs [JSB H&N RWS Pest Sample Pack] which give you an option to try them out. At the end of the day, the main thing is tight groups, and to always remember to hunt responsibly.

Lighter pellets can often give great results and work well in many different guns. They travel faster due to their weight and can be shot more easily especially from air pistols.

There are a huge amount of pellets on the market, and it can be a bit daunting when you are trying to find something to use. Pellets can be split into different types depending on their use, but the main types are: Domed, Pointed, Hollow Point, Detached Tip, Flathead, Slugs and Lead Free.

Pointed pellets (in general) tend to be less accurate than domed or flat head pellets. This is because they are not as balanced as domed or other pellets, which can lead to the pellet swaying more and having its trajectory and accuracy effected more. The most accurate pellets are domed or flat head pellets, however each barrel will prefer a different pellet, even if it is the same model.

The lightest 22 pellets are lead free pellets. These are typically made from a zinc alloy, and are slightly harder than traditional lead pellets. They are good alternatives and are used for hunting in areas where no lead fouling is allowed. At the moment, lead free pellets are uncommon and not so popular, but they will definitely be more common in the future!

For many years, .22 calibre has been the ‘go-to’ calibre for hunting, as pellets are bigger, heavier and carry more energy to the quarry and are more effective for hunting. However, there is an argument for using .177 and .25 calibres too.

The former calibre is popular for airgun hunting and there are a huge variety of hunting pellets designed to make this calibre very effective. The main necessity of this calibre is the need to be extra accurate to ensure more kill shots and get clean and humane kills.

.25 calibre takes quite a bit of getting used to if you haven’t shot it before. As the pellets tend to be a lot heavier, they have a much loopier trajectory which make the point of impact harder to predict unless you have a lot of practice. For shorter range ratting, .25 is a great calibre and really packs a punch. At the end of the day, it is all down to personal preference and what you are used to. Used in the right way, all three calibres are ideal and effective in hunting.

Short answer, yes as they carry more energy and provide kill shots more easily. However, there are a lot of variables and examples where this may not be the case. Whilst heavier pellets carry a lot of energy and hit harder, they also have a more curved trajectory at longer ranges and also travel at slower speeds.

Lighter pellets travel at faster speeds, and have a much flatter trajectory, but sometimes don’t offer clean kills or give great groups, especially if they are .177 light pellets, where you can sometimes break the sound barrier, which really messes with accuracy.