Pet Peeve

What is it about some pellet manufacturers and their apparent lack of familiarity with the screw top lid?:confused:

Take Beeman. Their pellet tins have a friction fit lid. They have this BS piece of red tape you're supposed to save and reuse each time you open it up. After a few shooting sessions, that red tape is a mess and gets thrown out. Then you have to scrounge around for a rubber band to keep lid on.

Has it not occurred to Beeman that it only takes one spill to totally piss the consumer off? (Customer: Hmmm, another package of Beeman pellets in the easy-spill container or the competitor's product in a boring screw top tin? Beeman executive: But picking up 437 pellets off a grass lawn is so much FUN! :lol::laugh:)

You can't tell me it takes a marketing genius to predict that if you put 100 airgunners into a focus group and asked them what ONE THING would improve the pellet packaging, that all 100 of them would say SCREW TOP LID, DUH!

You know, I see that in pellet reviews all the time. I actually prefer the friction fit or a ridged design like the tin of JSB's I just got. I have dumped tins of pellets with both types, all of which happened when I didn't have the lid on. My preference comes by way of having several tins of pellets with the screw on lids becoming so tight (through shipping I guess?) that I had to use big channel lock pliers to get them opened. I have never had that problem with the non-screw.
So 99 out of 100. :)

MH If you know someone who has to use meds. for the drug store, maybe you could get some pill bottles (some ar pretty large) put some sort of label. Hope this might help. Just trying to help. good luck and good shooting .

Treat tins of pellets like a beer, if you open it dont quit till they're gone :D Problem solved :thumb:

That too Lampy, will work

The only screw top lids I've ever seen are the Crosman tins. Does someone else make them? I save my crosman's and just relabel.

I got a tin of H&N Finale Match Rifles in one of my orders. Friction top, but the darn thing is so tight, trying to get the lid off I've darn near dumped the whole tin.

The only screw top lids I've ever seen are the Crosman tins. Does someone else make them? I save my crosman's and just relabel.

I'm still a newbie, so the only pellet brands I've tried so far are Crosman, Cabela's (which are just rebranded Crosmans) Daisy, Beeman and RWS. All but Beeman and RWS come in screw top tins.

Here's how I look at it: a tin of 500 pellets is essentially a quarter pound of lead shot stuffed into a small metal can. How any company can think that a friction fit lid is an acceptable way to package this product is completely beyond me.

I mean, honestly: even breath mints come in a better metal container.

But I can understand how diarmadhim's experience with screw top lids gave him a different perspective. But the only screw tops I have ever had trouble with were a few really large pickle jars and (it pains a guy to admit this) the occasional twist off bottle cap.:wave:

But the only screw tops I have ever had trouble with were a few really large pickle jars and (it pains a guy to admit this) the occasional twist off bottle cap.:wave:

haha!

A pellet that smells minty as it's entering the braincase of some critter. "The curiously strong death mint" hehe

Good point. Curious that light weight breath mints are in a more formidable container than lead shot.

I forgot, I have a couple Gamo containers that are screwtops.

I got a sampler of RWS pellets that are in a flimsy plastic compartmentalized container. I kept finding loose pellets in my ammo box and couldn't figure out where they were coming from. Yet the Gamo sampler comes in sturdy screwtops.

Benjamin, cometa, daisy, gamo are four that i have that are screw-top lids

Press on lids are a sore spot for many shooters. I have several cheap fabric pellet pouches that I got from ARH many years ago for about two bucks each. I just open the tins and dump the pellets in. The pouch clips to your belt and the pellets are right there as you need them. No muss no fuss. Different colors for different pellets. If your spouse or significant other can sew, one can be made out of denum, from old worn out blue jeans. I have one of those also. It's real nice.

Agreed 100% on the screw top. I bought some Polymags a couple months back and before having a chance to shoot any walked up my porch steps, reached for the door, they slid out of my grip and dumped in the crevase between the porch and the foundation of the house. Needless to say a lot were unrecoverable.

12 bucks for 150 pellets in a crappy container? Would you strap a baby into a cardboard box in the back of your car? Or try to trap a wild animal in a cage with a friction close door?

Would you strap a baby into a cardboard box in the back of your car?
Not in a car as there is no point, but in the back of the pickup, yes. Wouldn't want the little one climbing around back there. Don't judge me.:D



I distinctly remember standing on the seat in my dad's old Ford pickup as a toddler. Times sure have changed.


Back to topic, that sucks! I would be P.O.'d if I spilled a tin of those and lost a bunch those are too expensive to not be sent through a critter.

Why keep your pellets in the tin?
When I open a tin it gets emptied into a grenade pouch with a shoulder strap.
I can grab the pouch, shoulder it, and get a pellet with one hand.
Leaving the other hand free to carry my rifle.
I'm cocked and loaded by the time I get to the door.
I hate starlings with a passion and living in the country makes convenient shooting.

Why keep your pellets in the tin?
When I open a tin it gets emptied into a grenade pouch with a shoulder strap.

Good point; it sounds like you and GBertolet have a similar approach. I'll have to look for grenade pouches in my local surplus store.

My point was: given that the manufacturer has to package their product in *something*, why not make it something useful, reliable and suited for the purpose?

Putting it in a spill-o-matc container just tempts the customer into using it in situations where they wind up playing 500 pellet pickup instead of having fun reducing the local starling popularion.

12 bucks for 150 pellets in a crappy container?

My point was: given that the manufacturer has to package their product in *something*, why not make it something useful, reliable and suited for the purpose?

Putting it in a spill-o-matc container just tempts the customer into using it in situations where they wind up playing 500 pellet pickup instead of having fun reducing the local starling popularion.

I'm not much on conspiracy theories, but maybe spilling pellets = having to buy more pellets = more $ for the pellet manufactures... hmm...?? :twitch:

I think part of the problem is ROI. Yes, a lot of people have said "make a screw top lid", but changing the packaging cost money, and a lot of the same people mention "cheaper" in reviews on PA. So investment in new tooling for packaging will be more expensive to make, at least initially, then they are supposed to do something at the same time to reduce their costs on the actual pellets, so they can pass the savings on to us. When all along, you are still going to buy JSB Exacts anyway with the current tin, because they are a quality pellet and they do their job very well. It just doesn't make sense for the manufacturer to make changes, and have to charge more or take forever to recoup their cost for little or no gain in market share.

Just using JSB as an example btw, its not an endorsement.
I'm just saying, if they produced the same pellets and could get them to me undamaged in a ziplock bag and it could save me some coin, I'd tell them to do it. I will come up with an acceptable, reusable container on my own.

I don’t think it so much the method of coupling the lid to the tin as it is the design and quality of the method used. For example: probably the most trouble free tin I have is the one the H & N Field Target pellets came in. It actually has a press on lid that has 3 tiny indentations and they engage a small groove around the top of the tin – stays securely closed, opens very easily. The other end of the spectrum are the Crosman Premiers, which take 2 large Channel-Locks to open; and the RWS tins, who’s lids are so loose they almost rattle.

Speaking of RWS tins – I cut 2 very narrow strips, less that 1/8 in., of 320 grit sandpaper about ½ in long and superglued them on opposite sides of the inside rim of the lid. This kept the lid secure – very secure – too secure! I went back and scraped the sandpaper down some with a knife, and now it does a decent job. Not perfect by any means, but definitely better than what it was. And a very, VERY light coating of petroleum jelly on the threads and the lip of the lid on the Crosman tins also helps.

Rubber bands. the ones the kind mail carrier leaves on all my mail.

Or duct tape and WD40.... someone once said with these two items you can rule the world; one keeps it together, the other rips it apart..... :D

Rubber bands. the ones the kind mail carrier leaves on all my mail.

Or duct tape and WD40.... someone once said with these two items you can rule the world; one keeps it together, the other rips it apart..... :D
The version I heard was:
If it moves and it shouldn't: Duct Tape

If it doesn't move and it should: WD-40.

:rockon:

Treat tins of pellets like a beer, if you open it dont quit till they're gone :D Problem solved :thumb:


thats no good to me....
Would just end up blocking the drain with lead...

I make nice wide rubber bands out of bicycle inner tubes. 27" works well on the RWS-sized tins.

Everyone can just order these.... Custom Tin (http://cgi.ebay.com/Pellcan-Made-USA-AirGun-Burnt-Orange-Ammo-Container-/260669158590?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb117b4be)

Everyone can just order these.... Custom Tin (http://cgi.ebay.com/Pellcan-Made-USA-AirGun-Burnt-Orange-Ammo-Container-/260669158590?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb117b4be)

I wonder what other colors they have? :confused:
For $50 I'll deal with the occasional spill.....

That's what I was thinking. :) Did you notice they pitch, handing it down to future airgunners? haha
I think they only have them in the burnt orange. For $50 you should get any color you want!

I'm not sure how it prevents skirt damage any more than a regular tin..... the pellets are still rattling around inside ....:confused:

Must be the o-rings on the outside :)

I just ran across something new on the PA web site -- might have to give them a try:

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Pyramyd_Air_Bands_3ct_Fits_Most_Pellet_Tins/3071#productDescription

I might use a dollar store rubber bracelet my daughter's got... have to see how big it is.

Got out the shovel on this one, Reg!

I do miss the older Daisy pellet containers.
Black plastic boxes with a snap-top lid and clips to latch to your belt.
Anyone here old enough to remember them?
I've not seen them for maybe 15-20 years.

I've seen the Daisy pellets in the black box at Walmart and Runnings (farm&home store) not sure if they have the belt clip but sure sounds like what you are talking about.

I have black and white Daisy flip top belt clip pellet holders.The only problem is that they are noisy unless you put something soft in them to stop the pellets from hitting the sides.
One I got with my Crosman .357 cylinders I bought seperately to do quick reloads.lol This was back in the 80's