Hunter PGP Nozzle Chart: Radius & GPM by Nozzle

Hunter PGP / PGP Ultra

Hunter PGP nozzle chart: radius, flow, and trajectory

Hunter's published radius and GPM per nozzle, plus how to read the numbers and swap a nozzle in three steps.

The Hunter PGP and PGP Ultra are gear-driven 3/4-inch rotors with a 40 to 360 degree adjustable arc. Hunter has shipped the PGP since 1982; the Ultra is the current production body, with a redesigned gear drive and a 4-inch pop-up height. Both share the same nozzle interface, so any of Hunter's three PGP nozzle racks fits any PGP rotor, including original 1982-spec heads.

Nozzle choice is the single biggest lever for matching the rotor to a zone. It sets both the wetted radius and the flow drawn from the manifold. Shopping the rotor body itself? Browse the full Hunter lineup on the Hunter category, or the broader Rotors category covering every brand.

Nozzle chart

PGP Blue Standard nozzles at 45 PSI (25 degree trajectory)

Source: Hunter PGP Blue Standard Nozzle Performance Data, publication LIT-408, P/N 703300, 4/07. The Blue rack carries eight nozzles, numbered by their nominal flow at 45 PSI: the nozzle number equals the GPM at the design pressure. This is Hunter's modern identification system, replacing the older 1-through-12 Red ordinal scheme.

Nozzle #	Color	Trajectory	Radius @ 45 PSI (ft)	Flow @ 45 PSI (GPM)	Best for
1.5	Blue	25°	31	1.5	Small residential zones, low-flow manifolds
2.0	Blue	25°	34	2.0	Small-to-mid residential zones; tight side yards
2.5	Blue	25°	35	2.5	Standard small residential; 30+ ft spacing
3.0	Blue	25°	38	3.0	Standard mid residential; 35-ft head spacing
4.0	Blue	25°	40	4.0	Mid residential; the most common drop-in choice
5.0	Blue	25°	42	5.0	Large residential, light commercial
6.0	Blue	25°	43	6.0	Long-throw residential; commercial open turf
8.0	Blue	25°	44	8.0	Maximum-radius commercial; high-flow zones

The chart above is Hunter's published performance data at 45 PSI, the standard reference pressure for residential rotor sizing.

Nozzle chart

PGP Red Standard nozzles at 50 PSI (25 degree trajectory, legacy numbering)

Source: same Hunter LIT-408 publication. Red is Hunter's original PGP nozzle numbering system. The Red rack carries twelve nozzles, numbered 1 through 12; the number is an ordinal, not a flow rate. Every PGP-ADJ rotor ships from the factory with a Red Standard nozzle pre-installed. Values are Hunter's published 50 PSI column; Hunter does not publish a 45 PSI column for Red, the Red chart runs at 30, 40, 50, and 60 PSI.

Nozzle #	Color	Trajectory	Radius @ 50 PSI (ft)	Flow @ 50 PSI (GPM)
#1	Red	25°	29	0.7
#2	Red	25°	30	0.9
#3	Red	25°	31	1.2
#4	Red	25°	34	1.6
#5	Red	25°	38	2.0
#6	Red	25°	38	2.7
#7 (common factory pre-install)	Red	25°	40	3.4
#8	Red	25°	41	3.9
#9	Red	25°	44	5.2
#10	Red	25°	46	6.8
#11	Red	25°	48	8.9
#12	Red	25°	48	11.9

Use the Red table when servicing a head whose rack predates the Blue redesign, or when you need a finer step between sizes than the Blue rack offers.

Pressure ranges differ by rack

The Blue Standard chart runs from 25 to 65 PSI; the Red Standard chart runs from 30 to 60 PSI. Across the Blue range, radius gain runs about 1 to 2 ft per 10 PSI step until the stream loses pattern past 65 PSI. Below 30 PSI the rotor still throws but loses radius (Blue #4.0 reaches 37 ft at 25 PSI vs 40 ft at 45 PSI). For supply pressures above 65 PSI, run the PGP-PR pressure-regulated body, which holds the head to a fixed pressure regardless of incoming supply.

How to read the chart

The PGP is engineered for matched precipitation across nozzles when arc is held constant. Per Hunter's data, Blue Standard precipitation rates run from 0.30 in/hr (#1.5) to 0.80 in/hr (#8.0) at 45 PSI. A 180 degree corner head with a #3.0 nozzle and a 180 degree edge head with a #4.0 nozzle deliver close to the same depth of water per hour to their respective footprints. Mix nozzle sizes within a zone freely as long as arc is consistent; halve the published precipitation values for 360 degree heads, since Hunter calculates them for 180 degree operation.

Do not mix rotors with fixed sprays

Never mix PGP rotors with fixed-spray nozzles in the same zone. Fixed sprays have a substantially higher precipitation rate than a PGP rotor, so a mixed zone will dry-spot under the rotors before the sprays finish.

Gray Low-Angle rack (12 degree trajectory)

The third PGP nozzle family is the Gray Low-Angle rack: seven nozzles with a 12 degree trajectory instead of the standard 25 degrees. Low-angle streams resist wind better and clear low overhead obstructions (fences, hedges, parked vehicles) at the cost of some radius. It is the right pick for coastal and other persistently-windy installs, and for any zone where the standard 25 degree trajectory would overspray a fence line.

The per-nozzle Gray Low-Angle radius and flow values are not in the LIT-408 publication this article cites. Hunter publishes them on a separate PGP Gray Low-Angle Nozzle Performance Data sheet; consult that sheet directly for radius and flow per gray nozzle size. The rack ships pre-installed on PGP-ADJ-LA factory variants and is also sold as a standalone retrofit pack.

How to swap a PGP nozzle (3 steps)

Tool required: the Hunter adjustment key, the small flat-blade tool that ships with every PGP rotor. The same key sets the arc, so do not lose it.

Back out the nozzle retention screw. The screw sits on top of the nozzle turret, directly above the orifice. Turn it counter-clockwise with the flat blade until it stops; this releases the nozzle and also opens the break-up screen used for close-in coverage.
Pull up the riser and pop the old nozzle out. Pull the spring-loaded riser up by hand and hold it. Pinch the nozzle by its plastic tabs and pull it straight out of the socket. Needle-nose pliers help on old, scaled heads.
Press the new nozzle in and re-seat the screw. Press the new nozzle into the socket with its identifying number facing up. Turn the retention screw clockwise until it is snug against the nozzle face, finger-tight, not torque-tight. Release the riser; the spring pulls it back down. Run the zone to confirm pattern and flow.

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