Pellets -- Ribbed or Smooth -- What's the difference?

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airgunfun
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Pellets -- Ribbed or Smooth -- What's the difference?

#1 Post by airgunfun »

A question out of curiosity....smooth versus ribbed pellets?
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#2 Post by TCooper »

The ribbed design seems to be less common these days. The old Eley Wasps, Milbro Caledonian, and Beatalls had ribs. The current Ruko/Gamo pellets that I have are ribbed (Match + MagII). JSB doesn't seem to make a ribbed pellet and neither does Crosman. I still have not seem a H&N ribbed but apparently they exist in some types (not common).

Ribs are obviosuly part of a manufacturing process. Maybe it's an older thing that's "on the way out"? That's my guess anyway.

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#3 Post by airgunfun »

like the dimples on golf balls....would the ribbing on pellets help the airflow perhaps?
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#4 Post by TCooper »

If the ribs were beneficial to flight and accuracy then the match grade pellets from H&N, JSB, and RWS would all have them. I'm not sure there is any true benefit to the ribs... but that's only my guess.

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#5 Post by hotsky »

The old Eley Wasps, Milbro Caledonian, and Beatalls had ribs.
Milbro Caledonian pellets are still ribbed…they're cheap good pellets.

I always thought that it helps the pellet to rotate better in the barrel. :?
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#6 Post by sniper »

Sometimes I wonder if it's make any different between smooth and ribbed, when I started doing R&D on pellets from on a gun, thru chrono, that the ribbed one was for sure it's more accurate but then again the smooth one is also accurate and with a higher impact. Another strange thing also as an example on my D36 .177 using hobby 7.0 gr. with ribbed skirt gives nice result with high velocity but then I tried using beeman coated red 7.3 gr. with smooth skirt gives higher velocity with more accuracy and much bigger impact. I guess in general it's all depends on alot of things for sure which gun works the best with which pellet at certain condition.
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#7 Post by webstien »

I would think that the ribbed skirt would give the pellet skirt more "give" so it could fit the barrel easier, with less resistance.
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ETA
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#8 Post by ETA »

The ribs are a product of a manufacturing process. The ribbed pellets are produced by roll forming.
Where as the smooth ones are made by a swagging process. The smooth pellets have mold lines where as the ribbed ones don't.

Swagging usually produce pellets with better tolerances and finer finish.
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#9 Post by TCooper »

Hi ETA,

I guess that would mean the 10m target pellets such as the H&N Match pellets are swaged, the RWS R-10 Match are swaged, the JSB Match are swaged, Vogel Match are swaged. The popular Crosman Premiers, JSB Exact, H&N FTT, H&N Barracuda(Beeman Kodiak) are all smooth(swaged) and they are top field target pellets. Hmmm... if all the top competition pellets are swaged then maybe swaging produces a pellet that is somewhat more consistent and accurate? Hmmm...

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#10 Post by RM422 »

Daisy still makes some ribbed pellets. But I find smooth pellets are a lot more accurate than ribbed pellets. Maybe the ribs are supposed to act like rifling if they are it doesn't help much.
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Hotredwan
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RIBBED = MORE PLEASURE FOR HER...

#11 Post by Hotredwan »

nt
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