Mythbuster: Araldite and Steel tipped pellets

[bennedose]

WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: Araldite in your rifle barrel can kill your rifle forever with no hope of recovery. DO NOT do this if you don't know what you are doing. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Source of myth:
I have an old signboard made of 1mm thick steel which 0.22 pellets from my air rifles will not penetrate. But the same plate has holes where a carpenter has used nails to nail the steel plate to a wooden frame (now rotted away).

The myth is that lead pellets are soft metal. If I could make the tip harder, it would penetrate the plate

Experiment 1: Araldite tipped pellet: Flat head pellets. Single small blob of Araldite pladed on head ensuring that it did not spread beyond the edges. Allowed to set for 24 hours. Pellet diameter measured using a Vernier Caliper to ensure that the diameter was less than 0.22 inches

Experiment 2: Steel nail tipped pellet: 2 mm steel nails cut off near base using cutting pliers leaving only about 2 mm of shaft and the nail head. Blob of fast curing epoxy placed on head of flat pellet and cut nail stump placed on and allowed to set. Spill of adhesive across the side prevented. Vernier Caliper used to ensure that the diameter was less than 0.22 inches

Results:
Araldite tip - fail. Did not penetrate. Araldite remained stuck on squashed pellet (inset in photo)
Steel Nail tip: Bingo!! Success!! The nail tip punched a hole both times (2 out of 2) in the steel plate.

tipped-pellets2.jpg

[shooter]

I tried the steel nail tip experiment as a child.
Though the penentration increased, it was at the cost of accuracy and range. So didnt repeat it.

[brihacharan]

I tried the steel nail tip experiment as a child.
Though the penentration increased, it was at the cost of accuracy and range. So didnt repeat it.

> Using Araldite to fix steel pointed tips to pellets could be a novel experiment - but over a period of time small quantities of the epoxy around the steel points can foul the barrel by attaching itself to the grooves in the barrel & ruin it. Not worth it.
> GSmith offers steel ball tipped pellets in 22cal - I have used these but with compromise in accuracy although penetration is commendable.
Briha

[Skyman]

Brihaji, you must post your experience with the various kinds of pellets you have used.It can be made a reference sticky.

[bennedose]

> GSmith offers steel ball tipped pellets in 22cal - I have used these but with compromise in accuracy although penetration is commendable.
Briha

In fact I wanted to use small bearings for this but did not have the gumption to visit a shop two days after the Boston and Bangalore blasts and ask for a packet of 2-3 mm sized ball bearings. In any case accuracy is guaranteed to be bad with such an experiment because the extra weight will definitely be off center and the only target one can hit is a foot square steel plate at less than 10 meters. Useful if I want go out in the jungle and pounce on a startled 1 foot square steel plate.

[bennedose]

> GSmith offers steel ball tipped pellets in 22cal - I have used these but with compromise in accuracy although penetration is commendable.
Briha

Thank you for this litle bit of info. Today I bought a box of 100 GSmith steel ball tipped pellets. Need to see what damage I can do to assorted everyday items that were thumbing their noses at me with regular pellets.

[snIPer]

Try Gsmith Steel head pellets they are good, I say good cos they perform very well in my crosman and accuracy has not been compromised.
/S

[dr.jayakumar]

I think over a period of time how ever careful you are,you'll spoil the barrel.
next when you fix it with araldite the metal tip can lean in anyway by the time it dries.
looking at the picture posted,the pellet with metal tip is penetrative,(but why do we need such penetration?)
regards
dr.jk

[bennedose]

I think over a period of time how ever careful you are,you'll spoil the barrel.
next when you fix it with araldite the metal tip can lean in anyway by the time it dries.
looking at the picture posted,the pellet with metal tip is penetrative,(but why do we need such penetration?)
regards
dr.jk

Absolutely. That is why I created about 6 or 7 and fired two each from 3 different guns after over 24 hours of drying, powdering the dried araldite and then washing the pellet and drying it. I am paranoid.

I tried GSmith steel ball tip too. Guess what? They are no better than my crude ones for penetration. Accuracy is better.

My verdict - if you want to transfer energy to a target, round head or flat head are good enough. If the target is not punctured with that energy, steel tips ain't gonna cut it.

[brihacharan]

I think over a period of time how ever careful you are,you'll spoil the barrel.
next when you fix it with araldite the metal tip can lean in anyway by the time it dries.
looking at the picture posted,the pellet with metal tip is penetrative,(but why do we need such penetration?)
regards
dr.jk

Absolutely. That is why I created about 6 or 7 and fired two each from 3 different guns after over 24 hours of drying, powdering the dried araldite and then washing the pellet and drying it. I am paranoid.

I tried GSmith steel ball tip too. Guess what? They are no better than my crude ones for penetration. Accuracy is better.

My verdict - if you want to transfer energy to a target, round head or flat head are good enough. If the target is not punctured with that energy, steel tips ain't gonna cut it.

> Ha Ha Bennedose - You learned it the hard way - GOOD
> If you have "Accuracy" what else do you need?????
> Finally it boils down to > "What Do You Want To Do With Your Air Rifle Anyway"???
> Enjoy your shooting with a smooth firing AR that gives you good accuracy - No More / No Less
Briha