Haendler & Natermann H&N Hunting Sampler, 6 Different Pellets .177 Caliber/Assorted Grains (215 Count)

OVERVIEWThis is a fantastic sampler pack, I was searching for the perfect pellet for my HW97K and was getting frustrated with trying all of the different ammunition that other reviewers said should work the best with my particular air rifle. I figured out what many others before me has figured out; no two air rifles are alike even if they are the same model. So I started trying entire tins of ammunition until I found this sampler pack. The first two I tried were the Air Arms Diabolo Field and the Crossman Premier pellets, both performed terribly in my rifle. The POI seemed to shift with every shot and I was playing the guessing game on where each shot would land next. I shot 2,000 rounds that way before discovering this sample pack.BACKGROUNDI am by no means a professional air rifle shooter. This is strictly a backyard hobby for me, but lately I decided to get more serious about it. So I ditched my Gamos got an HW97K and an Aztec Emerald scope. Fast forward a few weeks later and I still could barely hit the side of a barn with my setup. I knew there was no way it was the scope or the rifle so I knew I was not going to be able to skip the right of passage every serious air gunner must take; finding that ever elusive "perfect" ammo for my rifle.With that being said, what follows is a decidedly unscientific review of the different types of pellets contained in the H&N Hunting Sampler pack and how they performed with my air rifle. I need to state once again that there is no guarantee that your results will mirror mine even with the exact same setup. All shots in the attached pictures were taken from 20yds and I was standing. For support I was leaning against the door jamb to steady my forward arm.In all of the attached pictures you will see some scattered shots because I both sighted in the scope and tested the pellet's consistency with each bullseye. I only had about 30 pellets per tin so I did not change targets after sighting in the scope.H&N Silver PointThis is a very thick, long, heavy, tight fitting pellet that was so tight I thought it might get stuck in the barrel. To my surprise it turned out to be very accurate. If you see the attached picture, 5 pellets went through the bullseye center. The picture is a bit deceiving though, you will see a large group in this picture because I had to zero my scope after shooting the Diabolo Fields. In reality this pellet performed very well it also punched through the backing board the fastest. This was not my favorite though because it was so heavy that some major hold over and hold under would be needed at any range other than the zeroed range. If all of your targets are at 20yds though or you are ok with the hold over/under adjustments then this might work for you.H&N Crow MagnumsThese quickly became my one of my favorite pellets out of the pack. They were lighter than the Silver Points but still fit pretty nicely in the barrel. They were also very consistent and accurate. The few scattered shots in the picture was from me sighting in the scope. Punch through was very nice and they were pretty quiet while traveling through the air. I did not need a holdover to switch from a 20yd target to a 30yd target, but I did need a mil dot holdover to hit a 40yd 2" target which is to be expected. The consistency was great after the scope was sighted in.H&N Baracuda PowerThese pellets were nothing short of amazing. I had never shot anything but lead pellets before and I had some misgivings, but they outperformed my expectations. These are big heavy pellets and were the loudest of the sample pack when hitting the target. These also have the added benefit of the copper coating which reduces lead exposure. I think also because of the copper coating these might even keep your barrel cleaner than the lead variety. In the picture all of the outliers were due to me sighting in the scope after shooting the Crow Magnums. These were so much fun taht after shooting out the bullseye I started shooting the edge of it just to make the center shootout bigger. These were in my opinion the second most accurate pellets in the sampler pack.H&N Hunter ExtremeThese were the worst of the group. These pellets did the same things that the Crossman Premiers and Diabolo Fields did; the POI jumped to the left right in the middle of testing. You can see that in the picture as well. I got the scope zeroed in for this pellet within a few shots, then the POI suddenly shifted left. I shot a few more waiting to see if it would return to zero and it did not. Eventually I adjusted the scope, but that ruined it for me. I have a feeling these pellets would be all over the place.H&N Field Target TrophyThese pellets are truly amazing and are my favorite pick. Within 3 shots I knew this was the ammo for me. If you look at the pictures, it took 1 shot to zero the scope after shooting the Hunter Extremes then they were so consistent any variance was due to me; not the pellet. These pellets are also relatively quiet, and seemed to be the least sensitive to how the gun was held. Shot after shot these kept exceeding my expectations with perfect consistency and accuracy. They are also one of the lightest of the group which means they shot very flat at 30yds and 40yds.H&N Field Target Trophy GreenI did not test these pellets. They are lighter than I would like which means they will probably be louder.CONCLUSIONThe H&N FTT was the clear winner for me. Unfortunately they are also one of the most expensive if not the most expensive of the pack but after spending so much on the gun and scope, it would be wasted if I did not use ammunition that matched the equipment. I also discovered that my HW97K likes tight fitting ammunition. The Diabolo Field and Crossman Premier pellets felt pretty loose in the barrel and I think that was why I could not get consistent groups.

EDIT (2020-12-13): I retract my derisive statements below about the aluminum (actually, an alloy-- mainly tin) pellets. I decided against my better judgement to start firing them after using up every other pellet. WOW. Less than 1/2" grouping at 10yd out of an unmodified Crosman 2100 and no flyers. I just wish it would fire lead pellets this well, since these alloy ones are extremely light and don't expand making them less suitable for hunting.----------------------------This package is great to help pair an H&N pellet with your airgun. These are undoubtedly some of the best pellets available: the skirts are smooth and round, they are clean and there are no burrs or deformities. Obviously H&N has a very good grip on quality control and a top notch manufacturing process.Some of the included packs are what I usually think of as "gimmick" ammo: a lead pellet with a pointy copper tip? Aluminum pellets (for your safety!)?? Copper coated lead??!?! Actually these bring something to the table: - The pointy copper tip would likely be very helpful for folks in Florida that use them to pick off invasive iguanas (Normal domed lead or wad cutters have a habit of bouncing off their thick skulls). - The copper coated pellets are surprisingly accurate and hard hitting. They tend to bounce off wood and are barely deformed from the impact. The downside here is for hunting: I'd worry that these would fly right through some smaller critters, wasting a lot of energy that could have been delivered to the animal if the pellet had expanded and slowed down instead. Apparently the accuracy is the result of the copper better engaging the rifling to create a tighter seal and imparting better spin. - Aluminum pellets are junk IMO. I suspect that they foul up a barrels rifling and they are not particularly accurate, certainly no more so than regular lead. They are so hard, they ricochet like crazy and when you pick one up after being fired at a hard surface, it is barely deformed at all.Notice though that I sad these are great for selecting an H&N pellet. If you want to compare other brands, you'll need to buy more sample packs. Not anyone's fault, but something to keep in mind. I personally found that as good as some of these pellets are (especially the Crow Magnum and Field Target Trophy), for my airgun they are still no match for the Crosman Destroyer pellets. After firing dozens of these H&N's with mixed results, I proceeded to fire several of the Crosman pellets right through the same hole in my target.

i originally ordered this in .22 and liked it well enough i ordered the .177 too. some pellets work better than others--but that's why samplers exist. The brass coated ones are pretty hard and i didn't have much luck with those in wither size. Some of the heavier pellets will work best in a PCP style device rather than a pump or break-barrel. regardless, great assortment and amazing quality control from the manufacturer.

I have just broken in a new GAMO Varmint with a few hundred rounds, so now I am in the “try a bunch of different types of ammo and see what your rifle likes best” stage. This little variety pack is a nice way to get a few different types of pellets to test out. I will say that there are not very many pellets in each tube, but that is as advertised (or at least described in the other reviews and buyer questions). I haven’t fired them yet, but will update accordingly. So far, so good. They seem to be of very high quality.

I love these. They work great in my rirfle. You can hunt with no problem with these. These are not a toy. I love the mixed rounds because if you want to align your scope you can with some of these with out feeling like you wasted your money. Best value for a great item.

I recently purchased a new pellet gun and thought this assortment would be great to determine which pellets shot best in my rifle. Out of all of them, there were 2 that shot most accurately without having to adjust my scope. This is a great deal to help you with testing your gun. Fast shipping and good quality pellets.

Glad I bought these, every pellet gun seems to like different pellets. This is out of a 177 m-rod at 15yds.

This is an excellent idea by H&N. With a new pellet gun, it was nice to be able to try different types of pellets to see what works best in the gun. Narrows down what type of pellet would be best to order in larger quantities.

H&N is the way to go.

Buenos perdigones, bien equilibrados, agrupan bien, el surtido es genial para poder saber cuál se adapta mejor a tú arma y tus gustos. Recomendable.

SIMPATICAMENTE CONFEZIONATI IN MANIERA MOLTO COMODA E PRATICA. ASSOLUTAMENTE NIENTE DA RIDIRE. fORSE POTREBBE ESSERE BENE FARNE UNA CONFEZIONE PIù GRANDE, TIPO IL DOPPIO

Eins haben diese verschiedenen Kugeln gemeinsam: Sie sind alle gut verarbeitet und es lässt sich sehr genau damit schießen. Allgemein eine sehr gute Idee so ein Set zusammenzustellen, sodass man viel verschiedene Kugeln hat.