The Predator is a new design with a nylon tip to improve aerodynamic performance. Made by Bohumin of the Czech Republic, the new pellet is remarkably uniform in weight, a good thing.
Penetration was measured from the edge of the bar to the nose of the pellet. Deeper penetration doesn't mean better performance on this test. If the pellet deforms and slows penetration, it's expending its energy in the bar. Presumably it will do much the same in an animal.
Penetration and Deformation
The results of the deformation test were very surprising. Every shot moved the soap bar several inches.
The nose of the RWS Super-H-Point turned inside out! It penetrated 28mm with an entrance hole 9mm across. The lip of the hollow-point cup ripped off. The violence with which this pellet deformed made its wound channel the most erratic of the five pellets. Velocity was 559 fps.
The Beeman Silver Bear went straight in and didn't deform at all. It penetrated the deepest of the bunch at 31mm, which in this test is a bad thing. The entrance hole of 11mm was also the largest of all pellets. Velocity was 587 fps.
The Crow Magnum started to open up, which caused the pellet to begin tipping. A bubble of compressed air can be seen just in front of the cupped point. It penetrated 26mm into the bar. Surprisingly, it left the narrowest wound channel of all five pellets, with an entrance hole of 7mm. Velocity was 509 fps.
The JSB Predator penetrated the least of the five pellets tested-just 21mm, which means it transmitted its energy the fastest. The hollow-point had begun to spread and the red conical plastic tip was starting to fall away. The entrance hole measures 7mm across. Note the curious two-stage wound channel. Something more than hype is happening when this pellet transits the soap bar. I'd say this pellet met all of the manufacturer's claims for rapid expansion. Velocity was 542 fps.
The vintage Vortek Lamprey penetrated a smidgen farther than the Predator, at 22mm, and does show signs of expansion. In light of the Predator's performance, I would rate it second. The entrance hole is just 6mm-the smallest of all pellets. A large compression air bubble makes the nose look out of focus. Velocity was 526 fps This was once the best hollow-point pellet you could buy, but the Predator has now claimed that title.
Results
The Daisy 22SG I used for this test was faster than Daisy's rated maximum of 550 fps. Shooters often wonder whether quoted airgun velocities are inflated to help sales, but these results demonstrate Daisy's advertising is conservative. Also, the velocities I got were very consistent, which is expected in a multi-pump pneumatic like the 22SG. Guns will vary a bit, as all manufactured items do, but any gun you get should be very consistent within its own range of velocities.
The JSB Predator was the overall performance champion, but I'd give the RWS Super-H-Point an honorable mention for the dramatic way its head expanded. For very light game such as sparrows, wrens and mice, this is the one to choose!
One final comment: Expansion is only part of the equation. When selecting a hollow-point for hunting, you should also shoot groups at whatever your expected maximum range will be. Hollow-points are not noted for their long-range accuracy. I would limit my shooting to 30 yards or less, but you can experiment to find out the longest distance at which all your shots will hit an American quarter.
