What Cal.?

[jimjam 0]

Hi,

 

I'm pretty sure that this question has been asked for before so feel free to direct me to that thread. My question is what cal. do you prefer and why?

 

I have a 22 spring and I am looking to get a PCP, would I be better getting the PCP in 177 so I have both cal. available? Bearing in mind that I am new to air rifle hunting so it may be some time before I have competent fieldcraft skills so most of my quarry will be further away (for a while at least). Accuracy is also something that I will work on a lot as I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times.

 

I have came across quite a few opinions on this subject online but its difficult to know whats bull, and whats genuine so it would be nice to hear from you.

[Roy Williamson 15]

Go on you little tinker, and yes this has been asked once or twice

For my penneth's worth,,

.22 is smoother in a springer, more energy downrange, less chance of over penetration, so safer if shooting pests indoors ( less chance of damage to rooves in barns)

.177 flatter trajectory so easier to estimate holdover, usual caliber used at ft/hft.

there are many many other reasons to choose a calibre, not to mention .20 and .25.

.20 may be the perfect choice as ammunition quality gets better.

Happy Christmas

[ghillies 209]

you've got to try a few guns in each cal, one will tickle yu buns more than the other.

[Bendover 67]

Neither calibre is more accurate, it's all down to which calibre you are mote accurate with.

I find .177 is perfect for me

[barrywhite 282]

177 has the edge at 12 ftlbs .800 to 850 ft per sec possible with light pellets.Shooting close to 850ft per sec has to be the best .In reality 820 ft per sec may be max speed of pellet .A fast light pellet when shooting rabbits ect has plenty of power down range to do the job also a fast pellet gets there quicker giving quarry less time to move after you have taken the shot.Some were on the net there is some one trying to shoot rats with a 12 ftlbs .25 pcp with little luck, they move when they hear the shot coming .Also 177 is cheaper .I shoot both 177 and 22 so it dosent matter to me .If I had to have one gun and one cal it would be 177 [at 12 ftlbs].

[Roy Williamson 15]

Also as you get older the larger ,22 ,25 pellets are easier to see

[reaper1064 285]

Horses for courses mate, this is a long and never ending subject, and like anything else it is usually down to individual preference.

[robwelsh 354]

every cal will kill, depends if you know how to put it there

[Acuspell 329]

I have said it before, but I don't apologise for saying it again. Having tried every calibre I have settled on .20 as being the most versatile and easiest to use - it has sufficient punch to make up for slight inaccuracies, flies flat enough to make shooting easy and carries plenty of downrange energy. I got my first .20 in 1996 - I have had .177 but there are far too many slow deaths with it for my liking - yes, IF you hit the button it will kill,but in a windy wood with things happenig fast you don't have the luxury of time that the target boys do....for target disciplines there is no argument, it has to be .177.

 

For real word hunting, you often have to shoot unbalanced, and fast - see, lift shoot - in about as lg as it has taken you to read that....read it again; see, lift, shoot. The target boys have something like 30 seconds to get their shot away....in the wood you have 3 so you cannot be so clinical, that is where the .20 comes into it s own. I now have got rid of ALL my .177 rifles and will not touch another one. I have THREE 20 cal rifles and two in .22 ( because they didn't make them in .20 at the time) Cost of ammunition is unimportant, it is so cheap as to be discounted - about £1 difference per tin. Even if you shot a tin a week that isn't enough to make a decision over - if it were £5 for .177 or £10 for the bigger ones, I would still go with the 20 cal.

 

If you don't like the idea of a .0, then go for a .22 and use lighter pellets, such as Accupell or RWS Superdomes (very cheap but good pellets) I actually like the Defiants, they go well in my barrels and are very efficient through the air- they don't suit all barrels.

[clubshot 22]

Depends on where and what you Shoot

 

If you Shoot @ a Air Gun Club - Most use .177 as targets are set out to further Distances

 

And a .22 will not reset targets @ 40 Metre Plus

 

Where a .177 can got out 60 Metres with a Experienced Shooter

 

BOB/R

[ghillies 209]

Acuspel, i've been tempted a few times to get a .20, two things i was iffy about were getting a good pellet/barrel combo and the velosity.. as in slower velosity, but then i realised the a light .20 would be doing similar to a heavy .177.

 

the reason for the velosity and pellet match is accuracy downrange, i've always though 50 yards isnt far basicaly.. 60's the start of far etc etc, so the further out it goes the faster it reach's the 600fps region where stuff starts nipping its head out the way, or in some cases a full body dodge with time to think about (as n .22 ratting).

 

 

about 38-40 yards in a 10.3 grain .177 s about 580-620fps..squirells and rabits do a fair daodgum if they see it. (lol 0.031 BC on that 10.3 pellet...)

[Alan Holmes 11]

Hi, just whilst on the subject of calibre. How significant is the difference in recoil between .177 and .22 when using a springer? Specifically HW95k.

Thanks

[Tron 173]

Theres slightly more recoil with a .177 springer compared to a .22 due to the extra energy required to produce near 12 FPE levels. for my part I believe that having to use legal FPE then a .177 calibre is more forgiving on holdover on rangy targets.

[storme37 9]

id have .177 in pcp or .22 in springer

[andyfr1968 772]

Hi, just whilst on the subject of calibre. How significant is the difference in recoil between .177 and .22 when using a springer? Specifically HW95k.

Thanks

 

If you had two identical combo's in the different calibers and shot them one after the other, unless you're very sensitive, you'd be hard pushed to tell them apart. Yes, .177 does need a tad more air pressure behind it to match .22 but not that much.

Edited December 28, 2012 by andyfr1968