Precihole's new custom pellets - a test report
Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:24 am
Here is a first review of Precihole's new custom 0.22 pellets made for Precihole rifles
I first need to thank Brihaji for taking the trouble to have these pellets sent to me. The package was like his posts. Comprehensive with attention to detail, packed with care so that they would not get damaged and distorted.
APPEARANCE:
Here is an image Dull gray as would be expected with a high proportion of lead. No scoring/marks or bleimishes of any sort. Among Indian pellets, only GSmith pellets are comparable in this regard
CALIBER:
Image: The Vernier shows a diameter of 5.75 mm. This is remarkably constant from pellet to pellet. Compared to this, GSmith round head pellets gave me a caliber measurement of 5.6 mm. This difference has an important effect on loading each pellet. On my Orion, Gsmith pellets are a slightly loose fit. Precihole's custom pellets are a palpably closer fit. They slot in snugly with a gentle push rather than the way GSmith pellets "fall in". GSmith pellets are already a bit tight on my IHP 35 so Precihole's pellets are slightly more tigh on the IHP 35.Clearly Precihole has custome built these pellets for their air rifles. I did not bother trying it on my SDB which admits GSmith pellets only by distorting them.
WEIGHT:
Image: Each pellet is exactly 1 gram (15.43 grain). This compares with 1.1 grams (16.97) of Gsmith round head (high impact). For the velocity Nazis this is an important difference.
ACCURACY:
A couple of weeks ago I had posted results of accuracy tests of 5 types of pellets on four diffeerent rifles. I used the same method. Bench rest. Target at 10 meters. But I tested the pellets only on the Orion and IHP 35.
The results with the Orion is in the image below - which speaks for itself. These are actually the best grouping I got compared to all 5 other brands of pellet and 4 makes of rifle In my test I enclosed every 5 shot group in a rectangle drawn around the 5 holes and measured the area of the rectangle. The previous best "record" score was my IHP 35 using GSmith pellets. Precihole's pellets from the Orion betterd that score with a 5 shot grouping in a 2.5 x 2 cm area. I am afraid my own ability to shoot does not get better than that even with a bench rest.
Briha had been generous in sending me several dozen pellets so I had a few left over to try accuracy at longer ranges. I got first shot hits using the Orion with Precihole pellets on tin cans at ranges of 16 meters and 25 meters in the standing artillery position. I did not bother checking velocity, but the snug fit and lighter weight seems to be sqeezing out a higher velocity (and therefore a flatter trajectory). I did not adjust the open sight for longer range shooting. Howevere the tighter fit on the IHP 35 seems to have some effect on the velocity.
I am more pleased than I expected to be with the results, particularly because there seems to be at least one air rifle manufacturer in India who really cares about shooters and is not trying to palm off the trash that one often ends up buying in India. If these pellets come on to the market, I will use only these pellets with my Orion. Precihole seem to have done a great job here.
I first need to thank Brihaji for taking the trouble to have these pellets sent to me. The package was like his posts. Comprehensive with attention to detail, packed with care so that they would not get damaged and distorted.
APPEARANCE:
Here is an image Dull gray as would be expected with a high proportion of lead. No scoring/marks or bleimishes of any sort. Among Indian pellets, only GSmith pellets are comparable in this regard
CALIBER:
Image: The Vernier shows a diameter of 5.75 mm. This is remarkably constant from pellet to pellet. Compared to this, GSmith round head pellets gave me a caliber measurement of 5.6 mm. This difference has an important effect on loading each pellet. On my Orion, Gsmith pellets are a slightly loose fit. Precihole's custom pellets are a palpably closer fit. They slot in snugly with a gentle push rather than the way GSmith pellets "fall in". GSmith pellets are already a bit tight on my IHP 35 so Precihole's pellets are slightly more tigh on the IHP 35.Clearly Precihole has custome built these pellets for their air rifles. I did not bother trying it on my SDB which admits GSmith pellets only by distorting them.
WEIGHT:
Image: Each pellet is exactly 1 gram (15.43 grain). This compares with 1.1 grams (16.97) of Gsmith round head (high impact). For the velocity Nazis this is an important difference.
ACCURACY:
A couple of weeks ago I had posted results of accuracy tests of 5 types of pellets on four diffeerent rifles. I used the same method. Bench rest. Target at 10 meters. But I tested the pellets only on the Orion and IHP 35.
The results with the Orion is in the image below - which speaks for itself. These are actually the best grouping I got compared to all 5 other brands of pellet and 4 makes of rifle In my test I enclosed every 5 shot group in a rectangle drawn around the 5 holes and measured the area of the rectangle. The previous best "record" score was my IHP 35 using GSmith pellets. Precihole's pellets from the Orion betterd that score with a 5 shot grouping in a 2.5 x 2 cm area. I am afraid my own ability to shoot does not get better than that even with a bench rest.
Briha had been generous in sending me several dozen pellets so I had a few left over to try accuracy at longer ranges. I got first shot hits using the Orion with Precihole pellets on tin cans at ranges of 16 meters and 25 meters in the standing artillery position. I did not bother checking velocity, but the snug fit and lighter weight seems to be sqeezing out a higher velocity (and therefore a flatter trajectory). I did not adjust the open sight for longer range shooting. Howevere the tighter fit on the IHP 35 seems to have some effect on the velocity.
I am more pleased than I expected to be with the results, particularly because there seems to be at least one air rifle manufacturer in India who really cares about shooters and is not trying to palm off the trash that one often ends up buying in India. If these pellets come on to the market, I will use only these pellets with my Orion. Precihole seem to have done a great job here.
