Heart/ Lung Shots With .22 Cal V .177 Cal On Wood Pigeons.

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

I've shot them through the chest with a .22LR and some still fly off. The only thing you can apply rules to is ballistic jelly, living creatures at different angles / states of alert etc will always try to find a way to make themselves an exception to the norm.

Me too Matt, I've hit them hard with subsonic hp's and knocked them over with a loud smack, only for them to fly off in a cloud of feathers.

[Del1810 5]

I hit a woody at 25 yards in the boiler room , massive ploom of feathers come off it, straight into flight then drop like a bomb 30 yards away. It's just the natural reaction animals have to being shot, they fly bunnies hop then kick unless they're at complete rest.

[rossi_j 99]

A lot of times things carry themselves away only to fall yards away when the body realises it's already dead, a lung shot will nearly Allways result in this I find.

 

 

You can see the shot placement on this fox that I had not quite given enough winage..... The ballistic round will have shredded the lungs, this fox flipped and ran 10-20yds then dropped stone dead, a perfect placement will result in them just flopping over like someone turned off a light. Every situation is different. I would just assume the vital organs ie brain and heart were missed and on this occasion the pigeon and as with the fox it quickly shut down from a lung shot.

 

As clinical as we try to be with our shooting it's not allways to be.

 

Nice shooting by the way

 

Y.i.s

Rossi

 

Edited to answer your original question, as with any calibre discussion, for me it's all about placement when it comes to air rifles, my preference is the 177. For no other reason than I feel more confident with the flatter trajectory, therefor giving me better accuracy. Calibre is just a personal preference, both will do the job as we all know, it's down to the man behind the trigger.

Edited November 15, 2015 by rossi_j

[jocky 198]

i use my s410 in 22 for roost shooting pigeons up to about 20 yards. and my s410 classic 177 over decoys out to 40 yards. i find the 22 gives more of a clout than the 177. The 177 just goes straight threw them and close range, and they fly off and then drop . But the 177 penetrates better at the longer range and give a clean kill.

[Del1810 5]

I think that what ever calibre you hit them with it's going to kill them. If it's a head shot it's game over almost instantly but if it's a boiler room shot it may die within 30 seconds. 177/22 on a small animal is like a human being hit with an artillery shell.!!!

[Rez 4,961]

I think that what ever calibre you hit them with it's going to kill them. If it's a head shot it's game over almost instantly but if it's a boiler room shot it may die within 30 seconds. 177/22 on a small animal is like a human being hit with an artillery shell.!!!

Well... It's not really is it? there in one piece as they hit the deck

[Del1810 5]

Lol In one piece just about. I remember a lecture when I was I the forces about comparable velocity damage. It basically equated size of objects to the ammunition that hits into it. Some gory pictures shown of how different rounds hit into the body/object. Entry wound is quite neat but the exit wounds are a dam sight bigger. The rounds can cause a vacuum type effect and sucks bits out. The worst I saw was a .50 cal exit wound there wasn't much left of the guys back!

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

From a side on 'boiler room' shot at 30 yards with my .22 hw97 and hw100 everytime the bird just drops like a stone. Never had one fly.. not even take off. Just spread wings on the way down. And 9/10 times the pellet had gone all the way through and out of the other side. 11.1-11.4 ftlb at the muzzle using jsb exacts.

 

Never tried with .177 Personally.

 

Just waiting for some decent bloody weather so i can get out on the woodys myself!

[bigmac 97kt 13,796]

From a side on 'boiler room' shot at 30 yards with my .22 hw97 and hw100 everytime the bird just drops like a stone. Never had one fly.. not even take off. Just spread wings on the way down. And 9/10 times the pellet had gone all the way through and out of the other side. 11.1-11.4 ftlb at the muzzle using jsb exacts.

 

Never tried with .177 Personally.

 

Just waiting for some decent bloody weather so i can get out on the woodys myself!

Feck the woody's them squizzers need sorting on your perm

 

are you sure you no your way back to it you will not get lost will you

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[mark williams 7,557]

Originally posted this in the middle of August and now Christmas is nearly here and "still" instant despatch every single time with boiler room shots and 8.4 grain .177 A Arms Fields.

 

 

Just saying like

[bigmac 97kt 13,796]

Originally posted this in the middle of August and now Christmas is nearly here and "still" instant despatch every single time with boiler room shots and 8.4 grain .177 A Arms Fields.

 

 

Just saying like

What happened to the webly viper 22 you were going to get mister 177 man

 

just saying like

[mark williams 7,557]

Never got back to me, either of them.

My preferred calibre is .177 Mac as you know but after 40 years of .22 i can still "just about" hit a target with them, once in a while "you know"

 

 

atb

[charlie caller 3,654]

But its no good if they fly off though Mark

[j j m 6,539]

i like 22 for feather puts there light out every time

[charlie caller 3,654]

Maybe, but not quite in the light switch turning off way a .177 does