Podium Basic Wadcutter.
This report covers:
- The test
- FWB 600
- Crosman Challenger 2009
- HW 30S
- Result?
- Webley Hurricane
- FWB P44
- Discussion
- Summary
I read your comments about testing pellets and tried to extract the ones that made the most sense. Almost everyone wants me to test a wadcutter at 10 meters and only at that range. Many want me to test them in 10 meter target airguns exclusively, but not everyone.
This is an odd test because I’m testing a pellet and not an airgun.
Today I’m testing the Podium Basic wadcutter from Podium Pellets. The tin says they weigh 8.4 grains and when I weighed 10 of them I saw this:
Weights
1 – 8.3 grains
1 – 8.4 grains
4 – 8.5 grains
2 – 8.6 grains
1 – 8.7 grains
1 – 9 grains
The test
I shot them from 10 meters in groups of five per airgun. I will tell you how things went when we discuss each airgun. I shot them straight from the tin which is how I test all pellets unless I tell you differently. Let’s get started.
I shot them in three air rifles and two air pistols. Two of the three rifles were 10-meter target rifles and the third was a sporting rifle. One air pistol was a target pistol and the other was a sporting pistol.
FWB 600
The FWB 600 target rifle is my most accurate target air rifle. It eclipses the FWB 300S by a small margin. At 10 meters it put five Podium Basic pellets into a group measuring 0.433-inches between centers. In previous tests the FWB 600’s best 10-meter group was 0.043-inches for 5 RWS R10 Match Heavy pellets and the worst group was 0.127-inches with Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets.
The FWB 600 put five Podium Basic Wadcutters into a 0.433-inch group. This rifle does not like this pellet!
Crosman Challenger 2009
I tried the Podium Basic in the Crosman Challenger target rifle next. It put five into a 0.401-inch group at 10 meters. The previous best 10-meter Challenger group was five JSB Simply wadcutters in 0.143-inches. The worst was H&N Finale Match High Speed, with five in 0.398-inches. So in this instance the Podium Basic was not far off the worst pellet.
The Crosman Challenger 2009 put five Podium Basic pellets into 0.401-inches at 10 meters.
HW 30S
The sporting rifle I tried the pellet in was the HW 30S that Pyramyd Air doesn’t sell. Our history has shown this rifle to be one of the best sporter-type spring piston air rifles on the market. The Beeman R7 that Pyramyd AIR does sell is this same rifle by a different name.
The trigger on my HW 30S is quite light and released before I was ready on the first shot. That was a called pull to the right. The other four pellets landed in a group measuring 0.502-inches between centers. The first shot opened the group to 1.101-inches between centers.
Shot one from the HW 30S went to the right in a called pull for 1.01-inches. The other four hung together in 0.52 inches.
Previously the best group at 10 meters was five JSB Exact 8.44-grain domes in 0.49-inches between centers and the worst group was five RWS Basics in 0.77-inches. I’d say the Podium Basic is about as accurate in the 30S as many premium pellets. That disregards the one called pull.
Result?
In my opinion the Podium Basic pellet is not a target pellet. It’s an average plinking pellet that may do well in some airguns, but in no way is it a competition pellet.
In the one sporter I tested, it seems to be about as accurate as the average premium pellet.
Webley Hurricane
For the sporting air pistol I chose the Webley Hurricane. It put five Podium Basics into 1.676-inches between centers. Previously the best Hurricane group was the H&N Baracuda with a 4.50mm head with five in 1.346-inches at 10 meters. The worst was the Gamo Match pellet with five in 2.215-inches at 10 meters. The Podium Basic is running about average in the Hurricane.
The Webley Hurricane put five Podium Basic pellets into a 1.676-inch group at 10 meters.
FWB P44
The target pistol I tested the Podium Basic in was the FWB P44. It put five in 0.547-inches at 10 meters. The previous best for the P44 was five Vogel pellets in 0.242-inches. The worst was five H&N Finale Match Pistol pellets in 0.815-inches at 10 meters. That puts the Podium Basic smack dab in the middle with this pistol.
The FWB P{44 put five Podium Basics into a 0.547-inche group at 10 meters
Discussion
Based on what I see here the Podium Basic wadcutter is an average plinking pellet. The weights vary a lot and could cause some dispersion downrange.
Summary
The Podium Basic pellet is an American-made wadcutter. It fluctuates in weight more than premium pellets but at 10 meters it’s still reasonably accurate.
The post Testing the Podium Basic wadcutter pellet first appeared on Pyramyd AIR.
