When it comes to delivering the shock energy required to ensure clean kills when airgun hunting, the hollow-point pellet design should be among the best. Its dum-dum nose is designed for maximum expansion, which in turn should equate to optimum energy transfer rather than passing straight through the target.
The design of hollow-point ammunition does have its downfalls. It is not the most aerodynamic profile, and increased drag can affected trajectory and precision.
We decided to put two popular hollow-point airgun pellets to the test: the H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme and Bisley pest control – both in .22 calibre. The review was carried out by shooting the pellets through a sub-12ft/lb Daystate Huntsman Revere Safari airgun. Shooting from the support of a bench, five-shot groups were shot at various ranges. Each pellet was also shot into a cube of plasticine at 15m in order to measure the depth of the wound channel and check recovered pellets for expansion and any other deformation.
Domed or roundhead pellets are the most popular ammunition choice for airgun shooting and are generally regarded as the most accurate. With that in mind, we also put a popular domed pellet, the H&N Baracuda 15, to the same test. Distributed in the UK by John Rothery Wholesale, this pellet currently retails at £7.95 for a tin of 250. It weighs 15.89 grains in .22 calibre and the ones used for this test had a 5.52mm head size.
Working from a 30m zero, the H&N Baracuda 15 produced a five-shot group measuring 16mm from centre to centre and striking about 13mm high at 20m. At 30m, the group was bang on zero and measured 18mm from centre to centre. At 40m, the group was just 19mm from centre to centre and dropped about 38mm from the 30m zero.
In our penetration test, the .22 H&N Baracuda 15 penetrated 38mm and the pellet retrieved from the plasticine did not show any signs of significant expansion or deformation.
Below: The .22 H&N Baracuda 15 control pellets delivered exceptional accuracy and substantial penetration
The H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme is a very neatly made pellet from H&N. Distributed in the UK by John Rothery Wholesale, it currently retails at £9.95 for a tin of 200. It weighs a hefty 18.52 grains in .22 calibre and the pellets in this test had a 5.52mm head size. Looking at the Baracuda Hunter Extreme’s elaborate nose designed, it is fair to assume that this pellet is intended to deform on impact.
Below top: The H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme appears to have been designed with expansion in mind
Below bottom: Accuracy was single-hole at 20m but groups were opening up at 30m.
The Baracuda Hunter Extreme was pleasingly accurate at 20m. The five-shot group measured just 11mm from centre to centre and was striking about 10mm high from the 30m zero. At the 30m zero range, the group really started to open up and measured 21mm from centre to centre. I couldn’t achieve a measurable group at 40m. No great surprise because, as previously mentioned, hollow-pint airgun pellets don’t usually perform well at longer ranges, especially when shooting with a sub-12ft/lb airgun.
Penetration results for the Baracuda Hunter Extreme were very surprising. It made a 41mm deep wound channel, penetrating deeper than the domed pellet. Furthermore, it only showed very subtle signs of expansion and certainly didn’t deform like a hollow-point round would be expected to.
Below: Penetration was deeper than expected with the H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme and expansion was minimal at sub-12ft/lb
Bisley Pest Control airgun pellets have been around a long time and I used to use them a lot for rat shooting in the past. In .22 calibre, they retail at £10.95 for a tin of 200. They weigh 18.2 grains, are 5.5mm head size and have a real cup of a dum-dum type hollow-point.
Below top: There is no mistaking the hollow-point design of Bisley Pest control ammo
Below bottom: Accuracy was more than sufficient for close range pest control
The Bisley Pest Control pellets were not great at long range through my Daystate Huntsman, and I couldn’t get them to group sufficiently for live quarry shooting at 30m. So I zeroed at 20m, at which they were still holding a decent group, measuring just 13mm from centre to centre. That level of precision is very acceptable for close-range pest control as this pellet’s name suggests.
The Bisley Pest Control also did what it should have in the penetration test. It only penetrated 27mm, which suggests a lot of energy transfer. Looking at the profile of these pellets before and after striking the plasticine, they also expanded quite significantly. That performance suggests that this pellet should really dump some energy when it hits home.
Below top: The reduced penetration of the Bisley Pest Control pellet is a result of good energy transfer
Below bottom: Significantly increased head size confirms great expansion from the Bisley Pest Control pellet
First of all, take our accuracy findings only as a guide because pellet performance can vary greatly from gun to gun.
What is conclusive is that these pellets all performed very differently in terms of penetration and shock delivery. I was quite surprised about the lack of expansion from the H&N Baracuda Hunter Extremes. However, they only struck plasticine and not the hard bones and tough muscle that would be encountered in a real hunting scenario. That could make a big difference, and I also think they would deform more if ran at faster speeds through an FAC rated airgun.
The Bisley Pest Control pellets were not as accurate through my Daystate Huntsman, but they really did expand. I know from past experience that they can be a great choice for farmyard rat shooting where you want a real wallop but don’t expect to be shooting over longer ranges. These are all good pellets, and are all worth experimenting with. For my money, though, I think I’ll still be sticking with domed pellets for the bulk of my shooting. Accuracy is the top priority when it comes choosing an effective round for airgun hunting – it doesn’t matter whether a pellet expands on impact if you can’t put it in the right place – and the H&N Baracuda 15 certainly delivered precise shot placement with a solid impact too.
Article first published 27th June 2025
