I give up... what's it made of?

[Gussy]

Santa brought me a high performance air rifle, under lever cocking type not barrel break. It came with PBA ammo. What are the pellets made of??

Says they are lead free and coated with 18K gold (really!!). They are not magnetic. Wt is about 6 gr vs 8 gr for regular pellets. Bismouth? tin? Zinc? Box says the gold coating protects the barrel.

With regular pellets it shoots very well. With the PBA, it cracks and sounds like a .22. Also shoots very well with them. It's been snowing every day so I haven't been able to really give it a work out, but it sure is fun to shoot.

[Ricochet]

Maybe we ought to start gold plating our boolits?

[44man]

My friend got one of those Gamo's too. I don't know what the pellets are made from but they are very accurate. They were going through 1/2" plywood like butter.
The only thing I found wrong with the kit he got was the scope rings are junk. They are so crude I had to shim the front one a lot to move the scope on the centerline of the gun.
The gun does not make a lot of noise at the muzzle but you can hear a loud report way down in the woods across his back yard.
I like it! :Fire:

[Scrounger]

From AirGunDepot...

Gamo has recently released a new pellet called PBA (http://www.airgundepot.com/gamo-raptor-pellets.html) (performance ballistic alloy) which is made of a lightweight ballistic alloy material. PBA ammo (http://www.airgundepot.com/gamo-raptor-pellets.html) is very lightweight which allows it to achieve 20 - 25% increase in speed over lead pellets. You do lose some accuracy with PBA ammo because it tends to wobble at supersonic speeds but at short range this pellet can be a highly effective pellet for hunting. Gamo has even taken down a 200 lb wild boar with 3 shots using the Gamo Hunter Extreme and PBA ammo.


And from PyramidAir...

At October 19, 2006 3:06 PM, HB said...

I just saw that Gamo Hog hunting video. I was looking at the free hunting shows on Pay-Per-View and saw it. First the show, Featured on OLN, starts off with 45 yard praire dog airgun hunting. The praire dogs are shot dead, but a closer look reveals that they are only crippled.
Next was the Feral hog hunt. Dogs cornner the hogs (which is common practice) and he walks up with a Gamo rifle. He is shooting a 1600 fps rifle with pba ammo. He puts 1 shot into the head. It makes me sick. It instantly killed the hog but 1 inch right or left, the hog would just run off. The PBA ammo even pentrated a 2x4. Is that PBA ammo made of steel. It's like amor piercing ammo.
This might seem impressive, but just because you can, doen't mean you should. You could use a screw driver to hunt if you were that sadistic.

If any one wants to know the show so they won't watch it, it's Steve Scott's hunting adventures. By the way, there was a gamo rep present.

-HB

[Gussy]

What ever it is, it is hard and non magnetic. Maybe someone has found a use for zinc!!

Gold plated for sure, as in expensive too.

[doc25]

Maybe we should send all our zinc wheel weights to Gamo?

[shotstring]

If I remember correctly, it is a zinc alloy. IT IS SUPPOSEDLY NOT GOOD AT ALL FOR AIRGUNS! I know that Beeman would not warrantee any of their guns if these pellets were shot in them.
This is based on information that I have read, so I don't know how valid it is. I know that I decided to not use those pellets in my Beeman due to that information however.

In any event, they supposedly do not work well, either for velocity or accuracy. They weigh less than lead pellets, so lose velocity quickly, much like steel shot vs lead shot in a shotgun. So while the muzzle velocity looks good on paper, it doesn't hold up and accuracy suffers as the velocity rapidly decreases downrange.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I can't believe an air gun pellet would kill a hog. For a few years, I raised hogs for meat, and before we'd stick them, we'd shoot them in the forehead between and a bit above the eyes with a .22LR. This would only knock them out, allowing the heart to pump the blood out when we'd stick them cutting the arteries above the heart. Don't know if they'd come to if we didn't stick them, but it was the bleeding out that killed them, not the bullet. Never did check to see if the bullet penetrated the skull or deflected, even though we boiled it to get meat for liverwurst.
Morgan

[mtgrs737]

Might be Bismith, or a clay epoxy mix, who know could be anything!

[Gussy]

For what it's worth, I shot a few groups this morning. These were not off of a bench, only leaning against the garage post, shot at about 50'.

5 shots with regular lead pellets were grouping almost in one ragged hole. The PBA were slightly larger, still all easily covered with a dime. The PBA group was about 2.5-3" higher on the target. I think this thing would put them all in one hole at that distance off of a good bench.

The birds in my cherry trees are in trouble this year!!

[carpetman]

Gussy--Shooting birds,especially smaller birds like sparrows,if you hit them you usually kill them. Accuracy is the consideration. I would try several types of pellets to find the most accurate. On my spring air RWS lighter pellets didnt do too well---even more expensive ones. The cheaper Crosman Premiers that Wal Mart carried did better than any---in .17 cal they weigh 10.5 grains. I can usually get a one hole group on the very first shot.

[Scrounger]

Gussy--Shooting birds,especially smaller birds like sparrows,if you hit them you usually kill them. Accuracy is the consideration. I would try several types of pellets to find the most accurate. On my spring air RWS lighter pellets didnt do too well---even more expensive ones. The cheaper Crosman Premiers that Wal Mart carried did better than any---in .17 cal they weigh 10.5 grains. I can usually get a one hole group on the very first shot.

Ray, that is what we call a StarMetal Group... I still have my .177 RWS but I know where there is a great deal on a RWS .22 Model 52. How much of an upgrade in performance is it to go to .22 caliber? The velocity is supposed to be 900 FPS.

[Leftoverdj]

I can't believe an air gun pellet would kill a hog. For a few years, I raised hogs for meat, and before we'd stick them, we'd shoot them in the forehead between and a bit above the eyes with a .22LR. This would only knock them out, allowing the heart to pump the blood out when we'd stick them cutting the arteries above the heart. Don't know if they'd come to if we didn't stick them, but it was the bleeding out that killed them, not the bullet. Never did check to see if the bullet penetrated the skull or deflected, even though we boiled it to get meat for liverwurst.
Morgan

Yup, they can come to. I've seen it happen and the guy doing the sticking took a wild ride.

[Larry Gibson]

Scrounger

The 52 in .22 cal will definately be an upgrade. While they advertise 900 fps that is got with only the very lightest pellets. I've a M54 (same as the 52 only with the recoiless feature) .22 cal and have done considerable experimentation with it along with some varmint, squirrel and rabbit shooting. Best accuracy (mine shoots quite well out to 90 yards) will come with quality domed pellets of 14-15 gr. The twist is right for the heavyier pellets much past 35-40 yards. I generally use Crosman CPs which run 14.3 gr. These run right at 800 fps out of my M54. They definately "thump" critters a lot harder than .117 cals offering 1,000+ fps (again those are only with the very lightest pellets. The M52 would be a good buy.

Larry Gibson

[buck1]

WOW! More of us casters/airgunners here than I thought!
Thats COOL!

[John F.]

I've been shooting "adult" airguns since about 1980. I would be very leery of using ultra-light pellets in a high velocity spring piston air rifle, as they offer less resistance for the piston as it slams forward to compress air for the shot. It may be that the Gamo rifle that was supplied with those PBA pellets has taken this into account, but I would never shoot them in a standard, high velocity springer.

Hope this helps,
John

[Gussy]

Carpet man, I've been shooting some old Crossman "wad cutters" that I've had for years. I got 2 boxes and never used them. They should work great for birds. 8gr and they do cut a clean hole in paper and should put a lot of shock in a hit.

I can see where this thing is going to get some use. It will probably be sitting near the patio, overlooking the cherry trees.

I plan on hitting one of the bigger sporting goods stores as soon as possible and will get a variety of pellets to try.

All, what has been your most accurate?? This is a Gammo rifle, 1000fps (or so they claim, haven't chrono'd), underlever cocking type.

[carpetman]

Scrounger---If you look at your model 48 it will be stamped mod 48/52. The only difference between the two is that the 52 comes with a stamped checkered stock and the 52 stock is ever so slightly longer. I would not pay the new price difference for those features. The .17 is said to be more accurate than the .22 but some believe that really isnt an inherent thing,but a matter of more research has gone into the .17 as it is used in olympic events. With my older Benjamin .22 I can see the pellet. I dont see the pellet in my 5mm(.20 cal) Sheridan or in my Daisy .177. I doubt you would see it at 52 velocity. The .22 being heavier carries further---which is contrary to my needs and wants. If you are shooting critters like skunks etc the extra whammy of the .22 would be good. I dont normally do that---except some burrowing black squirrels that took up residence under my shed. So in my case it would not be an upgrade. The .17 has plenty for sparrows which is my prime target. The .17 will also easily kill snakes to include large rattlers. All said the 5mm is my pick of the litter. Dep Al has a RWS in .25 cal which he really likes but wouldnt have much purpose for me. When I leave the house for shooting it is a place where I can use my centerfires. I have not shot the recoiless mod 54 that Larry Gibson mentioned----but I'd like to try it. It seems to be one that people either love or hate--most reports I have heard have been favorable.
Gussy--I pretty much keep an air rifle by the back door of my sun room year around. We have sparrows here all year and they nest in the martin houses even when the martins are in South America. I do have the RWS 52(.177) with Leupold scope but I'm more likely to grab my pump up Sheridan Blue Streak(5mm) with peep sight. I do about as well with it as the RWS. I do get a few starlings and possibly the 5mm Sheridan is better on them than the .17. I also get some grackels and they can be hard to kill.