Pellet accuracy testing

boisepaw · Feb 5, 2019

I can learn all this by trial and error or...I can ask you folks who have been shooting airguns far longer than have I (that being for a little over a week now).

I'm shooting a Daisy 853 from the CMP. I haven't chronographed it but my understanding is it will shoot somewhere in the 400-500 fps range.

I am testing a TON of pellets (thanks to BigTinBoat) and having a ton of fun.

I want to be precise in trying to figure out which pellets my rifle likes but I neither have the set-up (in terms of an indoor range out to 25 yards) nor the dispostion (I'm not COMPLETELY obsessive...just partly) to be completely scientifically exact in my findings but here's what I'm doing (you're gonna love this):

I'm shooting 25 yards because I figure that will give me a better gauge than 10 meters...I want to be able to spot the variance with my eyeballs rather than only by measuring (which I also do in measuring group size). I am shooting from my kitchen counter (with bags on the front and back and using the peep sights that came with the rifle) into the back yard. So have the path the pellet travels is both indoors (first 7-8 yards) and outdoors (17-18 yards). I have not been shooting on windy days but nevertheless...half the time the pellet is outdoors. What can I say...it was really cold when I started my "testing" over the weekend.

Will my results be screwed up because it is both indoors and outdoors?

AND is 25 yards too far if I want to focus on accuracy? Is there anything inherent in a 177 caliber pellet that has it become unstable after 10 yards or so?

Muleskinner · Feb 5, 2019

The only thing I can think of that might cause a variable from indoors to outside is the wind. You're shooting at subsonic speed so that's not a factor. Some pellets shoot straighter than others but it sounds like you've already weeded out the flyers. One thing I have noticed in my own pellet guns is after shooting several hundred pellets through it, the rifling in the barrel gets fouled with lead and I have to use Ed's Red from Brownell's to remove it. You can definitely tell when the bore gets foul...the accuracy (in my guns) goes to sh*t..

Vic · Feb 6, 2019

I shoot at 25 and longer with mine, but I do shoot .25 cal and higher velocity. Leading is an issue but can be managed.

I guess to answer the question you have to decide what you are shooting the gun for. What ever that use is, do you need to get to 25 yards to be effective? If you plan to shoot birds at some distance, determine what that is. If you are going to shoot paper, the distance doesn't matter. I think the gun is capable. Outdoor does add variability to the mix, but it can also teach you to dope the wind.
V

Biggfoot44 · Feb 6, 2019

With the caveat about the wind, go for it . Your reasoning is sound .

DentonDog · Feb 6, 2019

Here are some graphs you might find useful. They are for a 7.6 grain, .177 caliber pellet. Shows 20 yds may be better than 30 yds?

boisepaw · Feb 6, 2019

Those charts are very helpful and eye opening.

If I am reading them correctly then the drop at 20 yards is about 4 inches but at 40 yards it is about 18 inches. Wow!

To answer a previous question...the goal is simply to have fun plinking in the back yard. Informal competitions with my kids and grandkids shooting at hanging spinners AND shooting at animal silhouette targets. I thought 25 yards was a nice distance...going to my bullseye pistol shooting days.

In the silhouette competitions (like the Pyramid Gunslynger) they shoot the rams at 55 yards. It looks to me like the Daisy 853 would be seriously underpowered to be able to do that without holding WAY over the top of the ram.

So I just learned something new today...if I want to be shooting much beyond 20 yards then I am going to need a higher powered air rifle obviously. I'm guessing that anything beyond about 40 yards just isn't practical for a Daisy 853 air rifle.

Other thoughts?

boisepaw · Feb 6, 2019

DentonDog...what program did you use to get those graphs?

Biggfoot44 · Feb 6, 2019

For your stated goal of accuracy testing with enough distance for the differences in group size to be apparent w/o needing calipers , 25yds will definitely do that .

What distances will deliver energy on target, and non-rainbow trajectories ( by air rifle standards ) is a different question .

BigTinBoat · Feb 6, 2019

Get the strelok app for your phone. Then you input all parameters (speed, weight, caliber, ballistic coefficient, scope height, etc) and it will give you all of your hold over/under at whatever yardage you want. Hawke used to have a program chairgun and with it you could determine the "best" sight in range for your combination.
For instance my Regal I have sighted in at 16yds. Then I have a kill range from about 12 to 39yds. At 12 and 38 it is .28" low and at it's peak of 25yds it will be .28" high. This way for squirrel hunting I can use my crosshairs any distance between 12-39yds and hit within .28". Then I use my mildots for longer distances.

DentonDog · Feb 6, 2019

boisepaw said:
DentonDog...what program did you use to get those graphs?

I used ChairGun for the iPhone by Kawke. You can still get it from them (free) but they no longer support it.

BigTinBoat · Feb 7, 2019

DentonDog said:
I used ChairGun for the iPhone by Kawke. You can still get it from them (free) but they no longer support it.

Nice that you can still get it, didn't realize that. (The company is Hawke Scopes)

Here are 2 screen shots from Chairgun on my laptop. One the one my zero is 16yds. On the 2nd one I increase the zero to 25yds. If you notice the 16yd zero is much better (IMHO) for "airgun" range hunting. (Less hold over/unders to remember) I think this view is easier for determining your zero.
I input my gun/scope/pellet parameters and then set my killzone (.5") and then keep increasing the zero till I get what I want.

Blacksmith101 · Feb 7, 2019

Because of the rainbow trajectory of an air rifle pellet range estimation becomes important. Estimate the range wrong by a couple of yards and you will miss the squirrel entirely or turn a humane kill shot into a wound.

BigTinBoat · Feb 7, 2019

Blacksmith101 said:
Because of the rainbow trajectory of an air rifle pellet range estimation becomes important. Estimate the range wrong by a couple of yards and you will miss the squirrel entirely or turn a humane kill shot into a wound.

With the way my gun is set up I can aim directly at the center of the squirrels head between 12 and 39yds with crosshairs (no hold over/under) and it's a kill. MAX deviation is .28" high or low. I just range the trees around me and stay inside 39yds. No estimating at all.

Vic · Feb 8, 2019

I think shooting your rifle at 25 yards isn't an issue. You just need to sight it for that. You shoot bows at that distance and their velocity isn't even close to what you are doing. Also, since air rifles are low velocity it is a great way to learn termanal ballistics. Pellet travels below, above, below line of sight. You also will learn to dope the wind if it is going across trajectory. Great learning tool.
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DentonDog · Feb 8, 2019

You can get the legacy ChairGun apps for Mac, iPhone, Windows PC, and Android at: https://uk.hawkeoptics.com/chairgun-and-x-act-end-of-life.html
I've used them for a number of years for multiple calibers.

Pellet accuracy testing

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