H&N Hornet Vs. RWS Power Ball Pellets

It's no Secret I love testing different types of pellets, if there's something a bit different from the norm to test then I'll be straight down the local RFD to get a tin. So when i heard there was a new pellet doing the rounds that was designed for maximum penetration but without compromising accuracy it was no wonder a tin soon turned up in my locker. So with two tins of pellets both designed to do the same thing but with slightly different takes on how to achieve the ultimate goal i headed down the local shooting club for test one; Accuracy. but first off lets take a closer look at the two pellets and see exactly what they're about....

Ok so pellet number one is the H&N hornet pellet, a pellet I've been using on and off now for a while, and with devastating effect! for those that haven't seen the hornets before they can look a bit "blingy" and I've had people say "it's just a gimmick", but from actual day to day field testing and range testing I'm happy to say that having this brass tip that's designed to punch through the pellet and rapidly expand the soft lead skirt really does work, The quality of the pellets is exactly what you'd expect from anything that leaves the H&N factory, i'm yet to come across any imperfections or damaged pellets from any of the hornets tested. But this does come at a price, a quick Google search will find you a tin of 225 pellets for £15... and that's about the going rate! so they're certainly not cheap!

As you can see from this 10 shot group at around 25 yards they do perform to an acceptable level. For those looking for pellet on pellet accuracy then these aren't going to be for you, but if you are looking for a pellet that will take down your targets and be accurate out to 35 yards then I'd suggest picking up a tin to test. The group above was mostly through the central hole that you can see but two pellets did stray to the sides, making the grouping look bigger than it actually is. H&N rate these pellets out to 35 yards so I'll push the targets out a bit further next time and see exactly how far these pellets can remain accurate, as due to the point I'm expecting them to tumble a bit at longer ranges, but as i say, we'll see!

Now for the new kid on the block, the RWS Power Ball pellets. A very similar concept to the hornets with a metal object getting pushed back into the lead skirt to produce rapid expansion on impact, but this time in the form of a ball bearing... This i feel is important for two reasons. Firstly, when you look at the Hornets Dart you can see its just held in place with a pin so to speak, where as the Power Ball uses a spherical ball, so it will (in theory) expand evenly though the pellet giving quicker and unhindered expansion... that's my take on that theory anyway. Secondly is the fact the domed front end in theory should keep things steady for longer meaning you can reach out further, which is always a bonus as there's nothing worse than knowing you can make the shot but your pellet won't. Quality wise they seem well made, much like the H&N, but to be honest you can see the odd imperfection, just look at the slight blemish down the side of the skirt in the picture above for example, but this is me being really picky. With that said though these pellets come in a bit cheaper at around £9.50 for 200 pellets, which for what they are is a bargain! As you'll see from the 10 shot group above they do group really tightly. the left hand flier I think was just a one off and i've never been that gutted to hit dead centre but the 8 remaining shots may have gone through the same hole.

I have to say for pellets that aren't really designed to be match grade target rounds they are both reasonably accurate, or at least for what they're designed for. Of the two i have to say i think the RWS Power Ball pellets just out soot the Hornets. At a much cheaper price point but with the same expansion you can certainly see the appeal, that twinned with the fact that they performed better accuracy wise too makes them great value for money. If you are after a strong hunting pellet that will knock down targets with ease then these pellets really are worth a look!

I'm planning to continue the testing to see how they both perform at longer ranges and also to see exactly how much damage these two rounds will do at the business end. I'll also be doing some close up inspections of each pellet and review them each separately as at the end of the day; despite being very similar, they are different in their own right, If you want to check out the video review I'll post the link below.