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BACKGROUND
This is a very unusual Hard Air Magazine pellet test review. It’s the first time that we have ever re-reviewed a type of pellet that we have tested before. The purpose of this is to look at the product of a high-quality manufacturer – in this case H&N – and see if production quality is being maintained over time.
Originally, we tested the Baracuda FT .177 caliber pellets back in 2023. They were an easy Gold Award winner at that time. So how do they fare in 2026?
The answer is even better. The Baracuda FT is a HAM “Double Gold” winner. Congratulations to H&N for the company’s superb manufacturing and quality control standards!
And please remember that – like all Hard Air Magazine pellet test reviews – both tests were undertaken using HAM’s unique, rigorous test protocol.
We used the same measuring equipment – including a laboratory-grade Sartorius Milligram balance – in an identical fashion, all operated by HAM Tester Doug Wall with his lifetime’s experience in research laboratory testing. So the test data is as consistent as it can possibly be.
This second review was also a completely “blind test”. Doug had forgotten that he had tested these pellets before – and I hadn’t reminded him ;-)
VALUE FOR MONEY
At a price of 4.4 Cents each, German-manufactured H&N Baracuda FT 9.57 Grain .177 caliber pellets have increased by 10% since 2023. But this is no surprise and no more than the average rate of inflation over that period. They continue to be competitively priced for quality ammo in the current market.
The current price is $17.49 for a tin of 400 at Pyramyd. If you factor-in Pyramyd’s “buy three, get four” offer, then the FTs drop to just 3.3 Cents each.
BUY FROM PYRAMYD
H&N Baracuda FT .177 Cal, 4.51mm, 9.57 Grains, Round Nose, 400ct 0.177
COMPARISON TO PREVIOUS H&N BARACUDA FT TEST RESULTS
| Data Point | 2023 Results | 2026 Results |
|---|---|---|
| Price per Pellet | 4.00 cents | 4.4 cents |
| Most Common Weight | 9.66 and 9.69 Grains | 9.61 Grains |
| Pellets at That Common Weight | 14% | 30% |
| Variation in Pellet Weight | 1.77% | 1.04% |
| Most Common Head Diameter | 4.53 mm | 4.53 mm |
| Pellets At That Common Diameter | 72% | 82% |
| Variation in Diameter | 0.44% | 0.44% |
| Most Common Length | 6.41 mm | 6.44 mm |
| Pellets at That Common Length | 18% | 24% |
| Variation in Length | 3.17% | 1.56% |
| HAM Review Score | 69% | 78% |
As we can see, the test results show a definite overall improvement in consistency across the test period. Consistency is higher even than before. Well done H&N!!!
How do we know that these these pellets were from different manufacturing batches? Look at the differing labels on the bases of the tins. It’s the only visible difference.
Now let’s move on to this second test review of H&N Baracuda FT .177 caliber pellets…
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
Overall, the H&N Baracuda FT pellets tested by HAM were very close to the manufacturer’s specifications.
The average weight of the tested sample was 9.63 Grains – that’s just 0.6% greater than the specified weight of 9.57 Grains. But note that no individual pellet weighed the claimed 9.57 Grains. This is not an unusual finding in HAM pellet testing.
The average tested head diameter was again 4.53 mm. That’s 0.4% above the 4.51 mm specification. It’s also the same as the 2023 test results.
H&N gives a Ballistic Coefficient spec of 0.018, HAM testing showed 0.015. Again very similar values, with a small difference that – quite possibly in this case – could be due to the measurement technique.
H&N claims that the tin contains 400 pellets. This tin contained 399 pellets. The HAM Team is not going to argue about this, even though it’s unusual. As with most manufacturers, H&N usually aims to slightly exceed the claimed specification – as we have seen from other HAM reviews.
The manufacturer also claims that the Baracuda FT is optimized for competition in Field Target and Hunter Field Target disciplines, yet can be used for hunting small birds and game. The HAM Team agrees with these claims.
CONSISTENCY
There were no damaged or malformed pellets in the tin tested by HAM.
As mentioned above, the head diameters of the Baracuda FT 9.57 Grain pellets tested by HAM were very consistent. 82% had a head diameter of 4.53 mm.
With a smallest head diameter of 4.53 mm and the largest being 4.55 mm, the variation in head diameter in the pellets tested by HAM was just 0.44%. That’s outstanding consistency and an identical result to the 2023 test.
Consistency of weight was definitely better than average among the Baracuda FT pellets tested by HAM. The average weight measured was 9.63 Grains, with an impressive 30% of the pellets having that weight.
As can be seen from the chart below, the most common measured pellet weights was 9.61 Grains. 30% of the tested pellets had this weight.
The variation in weight between the lightest and heaviest pellets was 1.04%, from a lowest of 9.58 Grains to the heaviest at 9.68 Grains.
HAM testing usually shows length to have the largest variability in airgun pellet manufacture. This is reflected in the Baracuda FT measurements, as we see in the chart below.
The variation between shortest and longest – at 1.56% – is close to the average that we find in HAM’s structured measurement protocol. It was about twice as good as the previous test result.
DIRTINESS
A small amount of lead dust and particles is to be expected with any lead airgun pellets. The H&N FT 9.57 Grain .177 Caliber pellets tested by HAM included a total of 0.56 Grains of dirt in the tin. That’s very low and another slight – though worthwhile – improvement on the 2023 test results.
The photograph below shows what this looks like when washed onto our standard cloth. As you can see, all of this was dust. There were no semi-circular lead shavings, such as we often find when washing pellets.
DOWNRANGE PERFORMANCE
In HAM testing, we found a Ballistic Coefficient of 0.015. This is very close to the value published by the manufacturer and gives decent performance downrange.
Downrange performance has been charted using the ChairGun ballistics program.
With a muzzle velocity averaging 836.6 FPS in the standard “1,000 FPS” Beeman 1074 air rifle used for all pellets tests in .177 and .22 calibers, Muzzle Energy was 14.97 Ft/Lbs.
As we can see from the ChairGun graph above, if this “1,000 FPS” air rifle was sighted-in at 27.5 Yards, the H&N Field Target Trophy 8.64 Grain .177 Caliber pellets will have a point of impact within plus or minus half an inch from 11.6 to 42.4 Yards. That’s 31 Yards of effectively “flat” shooting.
HUNTING USE
When fired into the standard HAM ballistic soap test block using a Beeman 1074 air rifle, the Baracuda FT pellet penetrated a total of 61 mm into the target.
That was significantly more than the 2023 test figure of 52 mm. It was the result – we believe – of the 2026 test pellet being longer than the 2023 sample.
The entry wound was 8 mm in diameter in both tests.
When retrieved from the soap, it could be seen that the 4.53 mm head diameter had expanded only slightly to 4.57 mm after impact. The length was reduced from an un-fired 6.46 mm to 6.09 mm.
The fired pellet is shown on the right of the photograph below. If you look carefully you can see slight rifling marks in head and skirt.
So it’s clear that .177 caliber H&N Baracuda FT pellets are most suitable for hunting where penetration in the target is required, rather than expansion.
If we accept the general rule (proven by HAM) that best accuracy is achieved at 850 to 950 FPS, that means that the Baracuda FTs would be ideally-suited for hunting with air rifles having a Muzzle Energy between 15 and 19 Ft/Lbs at ranges out to about 40 Yards.
BUYING AND OWNING
Baracuda FT pellets are widely available online from the usual outlets such as Pyramyd Air.
H&N Baracuda FT 9.57 Grain .177 Caliber pellets ship in a screw top tin that works very well.
Unlike push top tins, there’s no concern that the top will somehow part from the bottom of the tin at an inconvenient moment. Nor are the tops screwed-on too tightly to be easily opened – as can happen with some other brands.
Unlike the 2023 test pellets, there was a thin sheet of foam padding in the tin. That’s another small but significant manufacturing improvement from H&N. Again, no damage from shipping was found in the pellets tested by HAM.
H&N recommends using Baracuda FT pellets in air rifles with a minimum Muzzle Energy of 12 Ft/Lbs. HAM test results confirm the validity of this.
Hunting and Field Target competition are thus ideal uses for these Baracuda pellets – as you would expect from the name!
TEST DATA
Chairgun is a product of Hawke Sports Optics LLC and is used with permission. Check out http://www.hawkeoptics.com
BUY FROM PYRAMYD
H&N Baracuda FT .177 Cal, 4.51mm, 9.57 Grains, Round Nose, 400ct 0.177
Understanding HAM Pellet Awards
HAM Pellet Awards come from the most rigorous, professional and comprehensive pellet testing by any independent publication. They are the result of much precise measurement and analysis using high precision measuring devices and highly-experienced testers.
Note that accuracy is a product of the complete “system” of airgun, scope, atmospheric conditions and shooter ability – not the pellet alone.
This means that no pellet test review can predict the accuracy of a particular pellet with YOUR individual air rifle. That’s why we do not measure accuracy in these pellet tests.
What HAM Pellet Awards do recognize is manufacturing consistency. Inconsistent pellets definitely will be inaccurate, consistent pellets are much more likely to be accurate.
HAM Awards also recognize value. There’s considerable variation in the price of airgun pellets. This means that an 8 cent pellet needs to score higher than a 2 cent pellet to achieve an award.
For full details of the HAM Pellet Award scoring methodology, please check out our Pellet Testing page.
For a full listing of HAM-tested Ballistic Coefficients, please see our Ballistic Coefficients page.
This entire article including scoring, data etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.
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