As you could expect the most typical topics on airgun forums would be the features and foibles of the dozens and a large number of different models, but following closely behind the model discussions is the chatter about airgun ammunition or pellets. You may not expect that a.177 caliber pellet from Manufacturer A would perform wildly different from a.177 caliber pellet from Manufacturer B in the same airgun, nevertheless they do. To create it even more difficult Manufacturer B's ammo may outperform Manufacturer A's in a different air rifle or pistol.

We will discuss a few of the different characteristics of airgun pellets and how you need to use this information to your advantage when selecting a pellet for your air rifle or pistol.

A lighter pellet will leave the barrel of an airgun faster when compared to a heavier pellet and it will also accelerate faster downrange. Which means less time to focus on and a flatter trajectory because there is less time for gravity to work its magic Rifle ammunition for sale. A heavier pellet will generally have a less flat trajectory not due to its weight but since it spends additional time to focus on providing gravity with an increase of time to pull it towards the earth.

The 2nd factor that many affects the flight of an airgun pellet is air resistance. Air resistance increases with the cube of speed. Whenever you double the speed of a pellet moving downrange you increase its air resistance by eight times. Really light.177 caliber pellets lose energy because of air resistance so rapidly that if a 35 yd. or so it will be moving slower when compared to a heavier pellet fired from the same gun. Air resistance might be irrelevant for target shooting out to 10 m but it'd play a large role in a shopping shot beyond that range. This is one of many reasons that you wish to hunt with the heaviest pellet your airgun are designed for effectively.

In addition to the weight of the pellet air resistance will change based on the model of the pellet. Wadcutters are flat nose pellets useful for paper target shooting. At the 10 m range the increase in air resistance is nearly negligible but just like with the aftereffect of weight beyond 35 yd. the flat nose begins working like an air brake.

Medium weight round nose pellets offer the very best compromise for both weight and shape for medium powered air rifles. For small caliber air rifles (.177 and.20) the very best hunting ammo is a circular nose hollowpoint. This pellet moves through the air along with a typical round nose and mushrooms on impact significantly increasing the force of the shot.

The best advice about air rifle ammo is to use several different brands, several different shapes, and several different weights. What you read inside the airgun forums may be true generally but might not benefit your air rifle. If you should be only a periodic shooter and still want the very best accuracy and range then choose a premium pellet from the same manufacturer that made your gun. It's typically best in order to avoid no-name bargains because there may be significant variability between pellets in the same package.