This report covers:
- The test
- RWS Superdome
- H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads
- JSB Exact Heavy
- Air Arms 8.4-grain domes
- H&N Sniper Magnum
- Discussion
- Summary
Ooops! That’s what I say when I do a test the second time, thinking it’s the first time. Today I tested the .177-caliber Seneca Dragonfly Mark 2 multi-pump pneumatic, thinking that Part 3 was the last test I wrote about. Only after I shot the whole test and did all the photography did I discover I had done this same test in Part 4. Too many holiday treats I suppose. But I did the test so that’s what I’m going to report today.
The test
I was working from Part 3, so I was so proud to use my +1.25 diopter reading glasses — AGAIN! I shot the targets off a sandbag rest at 10 meters. I shot five-shot groups so I could test more pellets and then proceeded to choose three of the same pellets as were used in Part 4 with just two new pellets.
And once more I pumped the rifle five times per shot. Well, at least I’m consistent!
RWS Superdome
First to be tested today were five RWS Superdomes. They were one of the two new pellets shot today. They gave me a nice 4-shot group at 10-meters that measures 0.194-inches between centers. Trime time perhaps? Not so fast. The fifth shot, and I don’t really know which shot it was, strayed out to the left to open the group to 0.594-inches. There was no called pull in today’s test, so this is no doubt a sighting inconsistency. Like most of the other pellets, the Superdome is a good one for this rifle.
Five RWS Superdomes went into 0.594-inches at 10 meters, with four clustered tightly in 0.194-inches.
H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads
The H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm head was a surprise. The first shot landed in the upper left of the bull. I know because I checked it through the spotting scope after the shot. But the next 4 pellets went low and right into a tight 0.165-inch group. Another trime wasted because this total group measures 0.912-inches between centers. This could have been the wrong pellet in the tin.
Five H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads went into 0.912-inches at 10 meters with four in 0.165-inches.
After examining this group I decided to shoot another five of the same pellets. I wanted to verify that the four that went low and right were correct and the one at the upper left was a fluke. And it apparently was, but this time I didn’t group nearly as well. Five Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads went into 0.508-inches at 10 meters.
The second time around I did both better and worse. Five Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads went into 0.508-inches at 10 meters with no exceptional groups within the main one. But at least they all went to the same place on the target.
At this point in the test it occurred to me that I need to mount a scope on this rifle. The open sights are okay but they are fiberoptic and therefore the front sight is very large not that precise.
JSB Exact Heavy
Next up was the 10.34-grain JSB Exact Heavy pellet. Five went into a 0.48-inch group at 10 meters. It’s good and, not remarkably, very close to the 0.493-inch five-shot group I shot with the same pellet in Part 4.
The Dragonfly put five JSB Exact Heavy pellets into a 0.48-inch group at 10 meters.
Air Arms 8.4-grain domes
Next up were five Air Arms 8.4-grain domes. Five of them went into a 0.71-inch group at 10 meters. That is quite a bit larger than the 0.363-inches that five of them went into in Part 4. This supports my thought that this rifle needs to be scoped soon.
Five Air Arms 8.4-grain domes went into a 0.71-inch group at 10 meters.
H&N Sniper Magnum
The last pellet I tested was the obsolete 15-grain H&N Sniper Magnum. Five of them made a 0.322-inch group at 10 meters. It’s the smallest group of today’s test. Too bad this pellet is no longer available.
Too bad H&N Sniper Magnums are no longer made. The Dragonfly Mark 2 put five of them into 0.322-inches at 10 meters.
Discussion
Almost any pellet you shoot in the .177-caliber Dragonfly Mark 2 rifle is accurate. Some are just better than others.
The open sights are okay for general plinking but if you want to be really accurate either a dot sight or a scope needs to be used. Since I have already tested a dot sight on the .22 Dragonfly I’m going to skip that step and go straight to a scope.
Summary
Sorry for a repeat test, but in my 19 years and 4,500-plus reports I guess I’m entitled to make a mistake once in awhile. The Dragonfly Mark 2 in .177 is still a winner.