VFG pellets

[quartermaster]

Yes, in my searching, It seems to me that I have heard they are fired by air for cleaning purposes. Interesting. Wonder if they worked

 

[divingin]

I didn't get all that deep into airguns in the 80's, but I do recall that the fire-through felt pellets were the standard method of "cleaning" back then. Shoot a few of the pellets until they came out without smudging on them. Don't remember ever seeing anything imperial on whether they worked or not, but most people used them, especially since most airguns at the time had the breech inaccessible to cleaning rods. The pellets were considered less risky than sticking a rod down from the muzzle.

I've seen warnings recently that the felt fibers can cause problems with the air valves on PCP guns (though I personally don't see how the fibers would get back to the valves with 80ish psi blowing everything muzzleward; I've also never seen anyone have that problem.) I get around this by generally not cleaning my air pistol (other than wiping down the exterior.)

Those pellets are a bit different than the VFG system in use though: The VFG felts are more like a jag+patch alternative for firearms. I use the VFG pellets most times when working with Iosso or JB's. They work well for short-stroking the abrasive along the length of a rifle barrel. You need the threaded jag they fit on. And they're caliber specific: If you have a variety of guns, you'll need a variety of felts.

 

[quartermaster]

I didn't get all that deep into airguns in the 80's, but I do recall that the fire-through felt pellets were the standard method of "cleaning" back then. Shoot a few of the pellets until they came out without smudging on them. Don't remember ever seeing anything imperial on whether they worked or not, but most people used them, especially since most airguns at the time had the breech inaccessible to cleaning rods. The pellets were considered less risky than sticking a rod down from the muzzle.

I've seen warnings recently that the felt fibers can cause problems with the air valves on PCP guns (though I personally don't see how the fibers would get back to the valves with 80ish psi blowing everything muzzleward; I've also never seen anyone have that problem.) I get around this by generally not cleaning my air pistol (other than wiping down the exterior.)

Those pellets are a bit different than the VFG system in use though: The VFG felts are more like a jag+patch alternative for firearms. I use the VFG pellets most times when working with Iosso or JB's. They work well for short-stroking the abrasive along the length of a rifle barrel. You need the threaded jag they fit on. And they're caliber specific: If you have a variety of guns, you'll need a variety of felts.

I have 5 different size pellets coming along with the a few different jags. I will primarily be using them to scrub the bore after getting out what I can using patches. They are fairly expensive to use for just routine cleaning. I believe the most effective jag will be the one that has the retaining nut. Should work good for getting out the carbon and any left over copper.
looking forward to trying them. Ordered 500 of each size so should be good for a while

 

[Brians356]

I didn't get all that deep into airguns in the 80's, but I do recall that the fire-through felt pellets were the standard method of "cleaning" back then. Shoot a few of the pellets until they came out without smudging on them. ...
Those pellets are a bit different than the VFG system in use though: The VFG felts are more like a jag+patch alternative for firearms.

The VFG line are of course different, except that their bleached "quick clean" ones (without a hole) are identical to the old Beeman ones.
-

 

[Brians356]

They are fairly expensive to use for just routine cleaning.

At purchase price, agree, but they tout them as indefinitely reusable if "washed" after use. I wonder about the efficacy of that plan in practice, though.
-

 

[quartermaster]

At purchase price, agree, but they tout them as indefinitely reusable if "washed" after use. I wonder about the efficacy of that plan in practice, though.
-

when I get using some, I will try to wash them in a bag or something and see if it works.
Then if I remember, I will resurrect this thread and let you know

 

[divingin]

The VFG line are of course different, except that their bleached "quick clean" ones (without a hole) are identical to the old Beeman ones.
-

To continue the tangential part of the discussion, yes, the airgun pellets are different. But with an airgun, you're cleaning mostly pellet lubricant (PCP), plus maybe a bit of lubricating oil (springers and SSP's), and a very light amount of lead wiped onto the bore (not enough heat or velocity to deposit it like a firearm.)

As I recall, the airgun felt pellets weren't as tight a fit as the VFG felts in a firearm, either - probably because their main goal was to simply wipe the barrel as they passed through. The VFG's in a firearm require a little bit of a fight to get them started in the lands.

 

[carbon]

I have started to use these pellets. As noted, the quick clean airgun pellets have no hole, the other ones have holes for the jag (or Patchworm).

What I discovered is that VFG, for some dang reason, doesn’t make 17 WITH A HOLE. Ditto for the 20 cal pellet!

Tipton to the rescue (sort of). Tipton makes both 17 and 20 cal pellets with a hole. I didn’t like them with jags, but so far the 17 cal Tipton works well with a Patchworm; if I want a really tight pass I put two on the cord.

Haven’t tried the 20 cal Tipton yet on the Patchworm…again, it didn’t work well with their jag compared to the excellent VFG pellets.

As mentioned, I like using the pellets with a Patchworm, using a drinking straw at the bore end to protect it. Here’s what I do:

1. Thread pellet on Patchworm cord
2. Start threading cord into bore through ejection port
3. Soak pellet with cleaner
4. Wiggle pellet into chamber
5. Now at the bore, you slide the straw over the cord and part-way into bore. I cut the straw down to ~4”.
6. Pull cord while insuring the straw doesn’t slip out

I have a pile of Mike Lucas bore guides and proshot/dewey rods, but I often find it easier to clean this way. Less stuff, simpler to travel.

I got my stuff through that guy on eBay, but Brownells sells the stuff now.

I did try the VFG one-piece rifle rod and wasn’t impressed. Kind of pitted and not straight at all. The eBay seller kindly refunded me for that. Maybe I got a bad one that was bent via shipping?

I believe proshot and Dewey both make pellet jags too. Tipton’s jags come along with their pellet bags (I think).

Also, with the VFG jag, don’t push that through the bore with the little knurled “nut” on the front of the jag. I see some videos showing that and I cringe a little…it would be easy to abrade the bore. The nut is for large diameter bores like 12ga.

Here’s the VFG lingo on that topic:

It [the VFG jag] is designed to accommodate two felt cleaning elements. The first felt cleaner is screwed onto the thread and thus held fast on the adaptor. By working the cleaning rod to and fro, this can be used to polish, oil, degrease etc. the bore. ​

​

The second felt cleaner should only be pushed on, so that in soiled condition it is pulled off at the muzzle when the cleaning rod is drawn back into the barrel.​

​

The knurled nut is only ever used with large diameter felts such as 12 gauge to stop felts pulling off the adaptor inside the barrel.​

I know that’s not the VFG official site, but I can’t re-find it now?

You can also screw the pellet on tighter to expand it a little to make it fit tighter in the bore, if you wish.

Anyway, thought I’d share.

 

[carbon]

Forgot to mention if you’re going to try my drinking straw technique:

If your straws are too big in diameter, with a razor blade make a twisting/curling cut lengthwise over the straw’s whole length. This way you can sort of twist it to collapse the straw’s diameter down. The twisting cut limits the chance that the line will pop out of the straw and rub the crown.