Pic left to right 25.4 gr JSB Exact .25 cal King (the ones with which I shot the recent 300 yard target); 26 gr Predator Polymag .25, Crosman Benjamin .25 27.8 gr.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u62/ ... G_3131.jpg
The .22 Predator has proven itself the most accurate expanding pellet over 50+ yards and the most destructive for me. So I have been hanging out for these .25 Predators and hoping they would prove to be a very accurate and even more destructive big brother.
Contacted my mate Rob Moffitt - yes he was going to his farm out of Jindabyne to work cattle - be ready at 5:00 pm rain and wind expected. 5 1/2 hr drive arrived 10:30 pm spitting rain. Up at 7:00 am, windy and rain scuds, grass on our range thigh deep. Rob mows a strip to the 50 yard mark, I put the sandwich board target stand out get the gear together under the verandah and we do some jobs, check the new 4 m prop wind charger and I wait for a break in the weather. The wind has the charger howling and switching this way and that. The rain stops later in the morning things dry out and I ready the gear on the bench under the trees - wind drops to a breeze but still switching about 9:00 to 11:00 O'clock .
50 yards: The BSA Hornet .25 barrel is pulled-through once as is my custom. Breeze drops a little - First 5 shot group laid down with JSB 25.4 gr Exact KIngs with hold-off half way from cross to right bar, 5 shots .. 0.375" ctc. Very good.
Switch to .25 Predators and shoot 3 shots into clover leaf, same hold off. Wind moves them right a little less than half inch more than Kings. ... wind switches to 11:00 O'clock and strengthens, I wait, wait, wait decide to aim up a tad, left a tad more and shoot; wind stronger than I thought and impact tad low at 5:30. re-load and aim a tad higher when wind seems the same, impact 4:00. Group measures 0.45" ctc and impacts a little lower than Kings. They are 1/2 gr heavier. Very good. Shoot one of each over the chrony, 888 fps 44.5 fpe for King, 883fps 45 fpe for Predator.
Starts to spit rain - wrap it up and get the rifle and gear under cover inside.
More rain, we retreat to the shed to do some welding and metal work; new fabricated lift for the tractor power take-off. Wind freshens and rain squalls come and go .. no more shooting Saturday.
Sunday dawns pretty fine, no rain, wind down. Up at 6:50 am, look out and see a white fallow deer and three dark ones; take a couple of pics:
We round up 20 head of dry cattle and needle drench them in the stockyard. I get the rifle out with KIngs and Benjamin 27.8 gr .25 cal domes sent me last year.
Shoot two groups with Kings around 1/2" ctc with some lateral spread in a light breeze. Wait and the breeze sags right off. Switch to a new target and shoot one group with Exact Kings .. WOW, .25 inch ctc.
Quick swap to Crosman's Benjamins sized down to exactly .25 / 6.35 mm, shoot five and get 0.45".
Shoot a Benjamin over the Chrony, 863 fps about 46 fpe.
Rob calls for a hand to put the trailer away and time to tidy, have lunch and pack up. I wrap up the shooting.
Five and a half hr drive back from the mountains, much air rifle talk. Rob would like a .308 air rifle that would shoot like the BSA but 875 fps with 120 gr pellet !!!
I understand that the JSB factory has already gone ahead with production ( these were prototypes ) as they were satisfied with the development at this point. They should hit the market soon some time in the months to come.
Thanks for sharing our weekend, ... Kind regards, Yrrah.
