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Slavia · Moderator

Does anyone use seating tools? Do you flare the pellet skirts? How deep do you seat? What results have you found?

I use the linear tool shown on barrel cockers, and the other one on my Marksman 2004. The round end of the linear tool is to flare and round skirts. I read somewhere that one shouldn't seat past 0.050" on springers so as to not reduce piston braking. The flat piece is a feeler gauge sanded down to 0.048" to calibrate the seating tool.

The parts are brass thumb nuts (and one dome nut) on a 8-32 screw. The handle of the right-angled tool is from a bicycle brake lever. Shaping was done by spinning the parts in a drill press and grinding with a Dremel Moto tool, followed by fine abrasive cloth.

My results have been variable, depending on the pellet/gun combination. Meisterkugelns in my Slavia are more accurate, but a touch slower. Superdomes in the same gun are a touch faster, with no difference in accuracy.

Comments?

cw · Banned

What advantage does this provide?

CW

Slavia · Moderator

It's supposed to promote consistency by seating the pellet to the same depth each time, thus removing one variable from each shot. Even the cheapest Crosmans do this automatically when the bolt comes forward.

Flaring the skirt is supposed to remove dings from rattling around in a tin. Then the action of seating the pellet sizes the skirt to the bore's dimensions.

This is, of course, not the same as running the pellets through a sizing die or buying match pellets that have been sorted or sized. It doesn't alter the head at all.

Like I said, it works in some gun/pellet combinations and not in others. In my Slavia 631 it means the difference between hitting toothpicks across the basement half the time vs. most (80%) of the time.

23ib0d0n · Moderator

This seater just consistantly starts the pellet into the bore so that the released air doesn't have to overcome forcing the lip of the skirt into the bore.

On low power springers it can be effective also.

With magnum+ springers, starting the pellet will usually cause piston slam due to the pellet moving before high enough 'compression' can occur . . . Shocked

sbtzc · Member

Interesting,...

It makes one wonder if a seating tool can be made to pick up the pellet, place it in the chamber and seat it without touching it. That would be nice for Crosman pellets that have a thick graphite coating.

Are there seating tools any commercially available?

Alstone · Moderator & Site Supporter

sbtzc
Try a hypodermic syringe with a spring behind the plunger, chop the needle down to about ½” and slide a piece of soft rubber tube over it, if you then push in the plunger and stick the rubber tube in the back of the pellet then release the plunger it should hold the pellet in place, put the pellet into the breach and press the plunger to release.

You may need some sort of a collar on the tube to set the insertion depth, but it should work, I would make one myself but I’m to busy at the moment, so the wife tells me. Laughing

Al

sbtzc · Member

Slavia · Moderator

craigfperry · Member

i use a tear drop shaped piece of metal from an earing that i found when the wife was cleaning out her jewerly box.
it is just the right size to seat the pellet about a 16th into the breech.
what i like is that it seats the pellet with a click or a snap and the pellet won't come out.
i don't believe it makes a difference in accuracy.

Storck-42 · Member

Mar · Veteran Member

I got a picture somewhere of my homemade one, part push-pin and a piece dowel.

Lost mine out in the wilds one day and haven't made another one...takes time to make one.

All kidding aside, I believe my shot were more consistent but I don't have a chronograph to prove that. Oh! and BTW...I call bull on piston slam for properly seating a pellet.

I just seat for target practice BTW. Plinking I just load, aim and shoot.

kanyon · Silver Status Member

Choke your barrel and it will size them for you