Why Can’t JSB Leave A Good Thing Alone?
I got 12 tins of JSB 25.4 grain pellets from PA a few weeks back. I thought that I would weigh sort a few tins. When I opened them up, I noticed that JSB has changed the shape of the cavity inside of the skirt. On the new ones, the rim of the skirt is fatter, first angle in the skirt is lower and the second angle goes much deeper into the pellet. The old style’s cavity doesn’t go as deep into the skirt and the base is much wider.
The new style pellet is on the left. The OD on both skirts were the same, around .257″ using my Starrett calipers. In the pic, the new JSB’s skirt looks like it has a smaller diameter. The observed difference must be due to the angle of the camera when I took the pic.
I still have a few tins of the old style JSB left so; I weighed out around 300 of the old and new style each. Both the new and old style pellets were from the new red top tins. I sort pellets by 1/10 grain and I took around 300 pellets that weighed 25.4 grains, in both the new and old style to the range.
I started shooting at the lower right hand target and worked right to left and then started the next row from the right. I shot 5 shots with the old style and the next 5 shots were with the new. I kept alternating the 5 shot groups to try to lessen the effects of the varying wind speeds. Each 5 shot group is numbered the order shot. I was shooting at 100 yards with light and varying wind conditions. The winds started to pick up some as the day continued.
I threw out the worst 5 shot group for each. The new pellet’s worst group was #18 at 4.125” and had one very bad flier that tumbled and really opened up the group. The worst 5 shot group, for the old style pellets was #13 at 2.143”
After averaging the remaining 9, 5 shot groups for each:
The old style averaged 1.436”
The new averaged 1.808”
I got 4 sub 1 inch groups with the old style pellets and 2 with the new style.
Anybody have any red top tins of the old style JSB 25.4 grain pellets that they are willing to sell me?
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Ted thanks for your observation. I’m planning on ordering a sleeve of pellets but in .22 cal. I’m still using the old grey tin and concerned that I may notice a differce in accuracy between the old grey tins and the new red tins. Only in time will I know. As to your dilemma, new skirts being of thicker rim, I would be interested in knowing if shooting these pellets a little faster fps would reinstate the accuracy.
kind regards, mike
Difficult to tell, – but my guess is you’re talking .25 and NOT .22….???
The JSB 25.4 grains comes in both calibers and yours look a bit like the .22 ones:
Click on image to enlarge…… !
The .22 ones were never good in any of my guns. If JSb has changed the .25 to the same shape as the .22, – they may have shot themselves in the foot….. 😥
That said I am NOT an expert on .25 things….
Not on anything else either for that matter…… 😳
😀
That doesn’t sound too promising for me 🙁
I’ll keep you updated mate on the JSB’s here in EU!
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Trygve, of course these were 25 cal pellets! I try to include all of the info that I can, I missed that one!
I very much prefer the 25 cal over the 22. When both of them are shot at the same speed, the 25 is at least as accurate, in my findings, it has a better BC, so it shoots flatter at long range and, at long range shooting ground squirrels, the 25 gives a satisfying “splat” that the 22 never gave me when I was shooting it.
I tried to do some ground squirrel hunting yesterday. I got one at 67 yards and one at 119. Due to operator error, the camera didn’t pick up the 119 yard head shot.
I did record 2, 157 yard shots, on a GS and starling, I didn’t compensate quite enough for the wind from the right and I missed both shots 1” to the left. The gun camera picked up both of the pellet’s impacts and I am really pissed that I couldn’t connect with either one! They would have been my personal best recorded long range shots. I will post the video this week.
I got a R3 22 long version a couple of months ago. I took it to the range to see how it chronied and to see how accurate it was. It shot excellent and gave a butt load of shots per fill. I put probably put 500 shots thru it that day and then put it in my gun safe. I’m waiting for Tony to email me that my R3 25 standard is in. When it comes in, I think that I will sell my 2, 22 cal Matadors.
I like to kill pests and the 25 does a much better job than the 22 ever did.
I don’t think that the new JSB pellet is an improvement. My initial tests show it to be a couple steps backward! I really hope that I am wrong! I don’t want to pay out of the ass for the older style 25 cal JSB Exact Heavy 25.4 grain 25 cal pellets.
I am willing to buy ANY red top old style JSBs that you guys have out there. Please let me know as I am down to 5 tins of the old style. 😥