Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Air Guns Pointed pellets versus domed for large pest birds?

I generally prefer wadcutter flat heads for general use, great for killing power on smaller birds in .177, had over penetration with the pointed type. The hollow points had accuracy problems at distance, have been hitting the larger pest birds with the wadcutters, not taking them down from what I can see. I suspect I could use improved penetration, which is better for hitting the vitals and shock, domed or pointed?

In the old days I used .22 cal. pellet, but have gone to the .177 as it has a flatter trajectory at distances and my hits have gone way up.

Use the most accurate pellet for your gun. Most are "gimmicks" to begging with. I've never seen a pointed pellet shoot a tight group beyond 40 yards, I've tried with several guns and different makers. Hollows can be hit and miss also as far as accuracy. Domes on the other hand are the most accurate I've shot through all of my guns. Co2, pump, springers and gas rams. Hitting what you aim at is the goal, use what hits, forgot everything else.

I use only one pellet in my air rifles and it is the heavier version of the Crosman Premier in both .177 and .22. Very accurate and they just kill stuff. I bought a number of boxes of them years ago. I assume they still make them.

I think it depends on how powerful your air rifle is. When I was a kid I shot a fair number of birds with my R7 which is a fairly mild 177. Flatpoint pellets had a serious lack of terminal performance. Going to the pointed pellets made a big difference in terminal performance.

I got a tin of Preadator Polymag .22 (hollow head design with sharp polymer tip) for $2-3 at a sale. Dead tree-rats weekly. I haven't done any tests but so far so good.

When I've used a .177 on starlings, the pointed pellets seemed to needle though and sometimes they'd fly off if a bone wasn't hit. Flat points seemed to impart more shock to them, but the velocity would fall off quicker. Domed seemed to be a good compromise. I've had mixed results with hollow points. My .25 cal knocks the crap out of them no matter what shape the pellet! I've heard good things about the Polymags, but haven't tried them yet. You got a good price on them.

If you get a good hit it won't matter what shape pellet you use
Pick the one most accurate in your gun

I use domed almost exclusively, I have never had much luck with pointed pellets in the accuracy department.

In the the .22 marauder I shoot the discovery pellet which is domed with a little HP

The 177 which is a detuned Gamo 440 I have used wadcutters in the barn to 50 feet or so on starlings with good results but have switched lately to JSB exacts for the option of shooting a little farther outside. Work just as well up close and work lots better at a distance.

800 fps enough power? 177 cal

for what?

Coons and rabbits

I ordered some RWS pointed and domed pellets yesterday, will try those in my airguns, my mult-pumpers and RWS 34 springer. I won't use the pointed on the small birds as it just seems to wound them and penetrate right through, my flat head wadcutters really kill the small birds, and occasionally go out the other side of their bodies.

I have the Benjamin NPS Gas Piston in 22 cal and the most accurate pellet so far is the JBS Exact Jumbo Heavy 18.13 gr Domed. My rifle is rated at 1000 fps , but i'm sure with this heavy pellet it is getting around maybe 700 fps. I will have to run it over the chronograph and see what the real number is .

Sure. Head shots on the coons but rabbits are pretty easy to kill

Personally i would use the heavies pellet you rifle will shoot well. The extra weight i believe kills better because it hits harder. Domed pellets seem to kill quicker than point ones in my experience

I haven't found a pellet more accurate than the RWS supermag , these have been top notch in a variety of rifles and one pistol.
Flat point pellets have what is known as more "tear" , pointed pellets tend to part and push flesh out and around the pellet where flat points tear/rip more.This causes more shock and damage.
I lived in Boise/Meridian for a couple of years and did A LOT of ground squirrel shooting with a Gamo CFX .177 ,it is the under lever cocking rifle not a break barrel ,and an RWS break barrel pistol. I had bought a number of pellets to shoot through them to find what each gun liked best ==both rws supermag pellets.
I shot up all the pellets that didn't make the accuracy cut Kodiaks -silver stings - etc.etc. pointed -semi pointed -hollow point -none of them killed nearly as well or consistent as the flat point pellets.
Unless a ground squirrel was hit in the head or through the shoulders it would run and make it down its hole if using pointed pellets.Flats -bang flop quiver.
One cold saturday morning a big crow started cawwing to the top of its lungs right outside my bedroom window -about 25yds away. One .177 Supermag through his neck and it quit making noise except for the sound of its last landing.
Over..

I agree 100% on heavy pellets ..

ol Mike...good advice on the Super Mag. they are really heavy at 9.3 gr. for .177. I will have to pick up some of those. My problem is that most of my pest hunting is done with my mult-pumps, and not my RWS 34 springer. The RWS is not as power adjustable or accurate as my Crosman 2100 or my Daisy 901, so I had to find some better pellets for the Daisy/Crosman.

I have hit a few of my targets with the RWS but I think I may have gone clean through them, and the springer tends to bounce around more, as well as being loud.

Advise the most accurate pellet at the distance you shoot.

I have found the Crosman Premier Heavys in BOXES to be the best in mine. Second was RWS superdomes. RWS superpoints did OK out to 20 yds, then the groups opened up. Kodiaks if you have a more powerful shooter. Domed pellets seem to provide best accuracy and velocity at longer ranges.

Predators seem accurate enough, but are expensive. Performance is said to be superior. I've not enough experience to judge.

Over the last 6 years I have killed close to a thousand rock chucks with air rifles. Most were killed with Crossman Premier Hollow points in .22 cal. At closer ranges the flat points are devastating on head shots but accuracy falls off at distance. The round points are the best compromise of trajectory and penetration with the hollow points adding a degree of whap on impact.