Canadian Airgun Forum

I have been using the Predator pellets for years to hunt with. I finally got to test them under field conditions at the velocity range they were designed for, this past Saturday.

I had reviewed the .177 metal mag as marketed by crosman previously here, so I won't repeat the comments made as to excellent accuracy.

Performance is another matter



15 yds at m/v 830 fps. The tiny little pill mushroomed to .2956" at it's widest... most of it being the head of the pellet. The metal tip was retained quite well.



It didn't quite make it through the back of the tin, which is what I'm looking for.

For all the previous pass-through's on game that I've had before, this is very welcome news. At better than 11 cents per shot, I think I've landed where I want to be...
They do need velocity to expand as advertised. I think anything below 800 fps, I'm just kidding myself, when it comes to getting proper expansion.

Now to find some metal mag in .22 cal.

-D.S.

_________________
"Ain't no half-way"
-S.R.V.

Fuzzy math. The complete equation has them at over 16 cents per shot. Duh.....

-D.S.

_________________
"Ain't no half-way"
-S.R.V.

Wow ~ the tip after getting into the tin is still sharp and shining like a shark teeth.... Looks it's really a very aggressive pellet ~

Sent from my S8 via Tapatalk

_________________
~Plinkers~
FX-M3-22 Compact#PP700-Carbine#Diana48-177#XS28M-25@26fpe#HW45 Beast#AW-Custom Z-Killer DE
~Competitors~
FWB300SU#Tau-7#IZH-46M#FWB-65#CP88-C
~Target~
HW 30s/35e/97k/40+Extender/P3+Scope/70#CZ200s Laminated@10fpe#AA ProSport-177@12fpe

TKS for the post, Doc. I noticed the local P.A. had them, at something like $16.95 per 150 pellets.
I have not tested these metal mags but do use the polymer tipped Predators in all calibres except
for .20.

_________________
Best Wishes
Daryl

They were 19.99 at P/A when I bought them late last year.
Add in the 2 sales taxes we have here and they get steep price wise.
Haven't seen them for a while now...

-D.S.

_________________
"Ain't no half-way"
-S.R.V.

Appeared to be 'reverse expansion', due to slugging up, that being the back-end tried to pass the front end.
I've had exits with regular Predators on field rats to 56 yards. My initial vel. was 890fps.

_________________
Best Wishes
Daryl

Did a little more comparison/testing tonight with the .177 metal mag predators.



Test media was a wet coconut/carbon water filter.
The metal tips fully penetrated, and were lost in the back stop this time. The lead section of the pellet upset nicely here, just a little bit over .22 caliber. Still impressive as ever. Again, most of the expansion occurs at the head of the pellet. There does not seem to be much skirt deformation.

As a control, I shot another filter with the 7.9 gr Crosman F/T domes which are very accurate in my test 1760 bbl. I actually shot twice with them, once at 760 fps, and once at 840. Both of these pellets fully penetrated the water filter, and were not recovered. The exit holes in the test media were painfully tiny. They would have been difficult to find if the lead had not "bumped up" the test media.



I shot twice with the predators as well, at roughly the same power levels. Both pellets stopped in the test media due to expansion.
I realize the grouse and rabbits I hunt are no where near as hard as the materials I've been doing my informal testing with. I'm fairly certain that at least I'll impart a bit more static shock, and create a slightly larger wound channel with these.

From what I've seen so far, the metal mags seem to expand a bit more reliably than the poly mag version....

D.S.

_________________
"Ain't no half-way"
-S.R.V.

I recently did a soup can test too.... Just because I cooked the soup again since long time ago ~

The major discovering I found this time is the Crosman pellets, .22 domed and HP are a bit harder than my JSBs, purple pointed mainly ( forget about the other wadcutters as the flat nose is not working well on soup cans ~).

The Crosman can penetrate both side of the soup can and left a small hole on the other side in my 9meter range and my sub 500 HW35... And the Straton can only make a dent (a big dent but still can't go through) on the other side and the pellet head deformed obviously...

Sent from my S8 via Tapatalk

_________________
~Plinkers~
FX-M3-22 Compact#PP700-Carbine#Diana48-177#XS28M-25@26fpe#HW45 Beast#AW-Custom Z-Killer DE
~Competitors~
FWB300SU#Tau-7#IZH-46M#FWB-65#CP88-C
~Target~
HW 30s/35e/97k/40+Extender/P3+Scope/70#CZ200s Laminated@10fpe#AA ProSport-177@12fpe

Hi,
I just had to chime in on this example of my new favorite pellet. I was testing pellet expansion at different distances. I was using the JSB Predator Metalmags .22cal 17grs.
At first I took a shot at a full Libbey's bean can from 20 yards out with my Daystate Huntsman Regal and it was a total ice pick.
Then I tried my BSA SS GRT .22cal and the most Airgun nervana moment was experienced ... I hit the can dead center on the non hole side and it made a very satisfying smack and the can flew up in the air off my log , wow . I measured the smile on my face before it was gone at 7" across lol.
The .22 Predator Metalmag shot from my 15 fpe BSA still went through the bean can but bigger exit hole.
The Huntsman shoots a healthy 32 fpe . I'm going to try the Straton Jumbo Monsters 25.39 grs. next.
Captain Air

I shoot at pests,mostly tree & ground rats.I recently got my hands on some Hades 22 cal 15.89 gr.These performed,imo exceptionally on the pests.Polymags were my 1st chioce.Not anymore,.The hades excelled at the longer yardages/accuracy .Was much better than the Polymags.Just a tad bit cheaper . AAS510