what calibers best

[ghillies 209]

the question isnt what calibers best, it's what can you use to the best of your ability.. at 12 foot pounds legal limit with an airgun the whole game is about accuracy, doesnt matter what caliber, what gun... or even how much you spent on the new camo gun bag and scope.

 

i've used .177 for over 20 years, in that time i've tried a couple of .22's... both have their use but yet again it depends on what you like. I've hunted mainly.. my freinds all hunted with .22 because .177 for feather and .22 for fur, or .177 wont kill as efectively... etc etc etc.. it's all bumf!

the .22 freinds never had a problem, the .177 guys never had a problem... both 'prefered' their own caliber and both exseled because they got on with the one THAT SUITED THEM.

 

 

in FAC thing's change, you have much more velosity so larger lumps of lead start to do diferent things on impact, but, again it's what you know,what your used to... and what suits you for your purpose best, again they all have a use.

 

heres the bigest thing you'll need to know... if the pellet passes through a vital organ it die's. if you miss it it runs off!!

 

the two calibers ARE DIFERENT.

the pellets travel up and then down, so theyre traveling in TWO directions(and changing speed at every point along the way), forwards and up/or down(apart from one point at the top of the 'arc'), a .22's tragectory is steeper than a .177, so on impact there's a slight diference, the velocity in a .22 is much slower but the pellet is bigger than .177 so a second diference is 'how its hitting' and that's just on impact.

with the diference in velocities theres a diference in timeing the shot...so in total there's an imidiate three diferences.

i've had rats move their heads or jump clear out of the way of a .22 at the ten yard mark, then again the other day a squirrel cringed out the way of a heavey .177 pellet at 43-45 yards...(but thats for the way i shoot, your way may differ).

 

each person has diferent types of perseption, diferent 'beleif's' in what they need...so a 'best caliber' issue isnt the real question. (not unill you go FAC, and then there's still 'prefered for a 'specific task' based on what/who you are and how you go about things).

 

the issue your addressing is need and nessaty. the quary you'll hunt (or pest control as it's called now) with legal limit guns will be dealt with in any of the calibers, if, and only if, YOU CAN HIT the vitals.

 

 

 

.177 does overpenatrate near too... but .22 will also over penatrate if the targets nearer.(velosity and weight/mass/size relaited).

 

.177 has a flatter tragectory, it offer's 'more on the cross hair' when set up in that fasion.

.22 drop's at distance a lot faster but retains slightly more energy downrange.

 

BOTH calibers you need to learn your tragectory, your distance, then actualy hit the mark.(non of this oh a .22 is 0.3 percent bigger thus giving a better chance of? a .177 goes through more material there for? you've got to place both shots in the right place full stop, it's not untill your into bullets and big sonic exsploidong tips that acuracy isnt as important, a rimfire will wound if you miss a vital).

 

 

the right caliber is the one that you 'take to' or the one that allows YOU to be at YOUR BEST... the rest is practace and exsperience, which then leeds you to the one you prefer for the peticular task you have in mind.

THE TRUTH IS BETWEEN YOU....AND YOU...CAN YOU HIT IT??? if you miss then no you can't hit it.

 

the time in practace and exsperience dictates what you can do.. that and 'natural skill levals'...

 

i've dropped rabbits to 72 yards in .177 at 11.4 fp's, i've taken many a rabbit out to 55 regularly at 10.5 fp's, with the odd accidental 60 yarders STANDING! after too much practacing on plenking... i've seen the same in .22.

i've witnessed wounding in both calibers...... wounding means YOU MISSED! yes YOU missed.(what can you do on the day? if it's a hot on day...or your having a bad day? you need to know yourself.. not the tabloid).

 

30 yards is a typical stated maximum hunting distance, in all fairness it takes a long time and a hell of a lot of practace to hit stuff past the 40 yard mark, and even more in actual exsperience.(does you have the balls to stick it out? or the patients to keep it up? only to find your not the best in world? or indeed better than the average? or do you just enjoy what you can do?)

so, it dont matter what your freind sais, or the papers, or the guy at the shop with all best at heart's intrests, the real question here is WHAT CAN YOU DO with THAT GUN? (not caliber) ON THE DAY!.

when you squeze that trigger it's your fault if it goes rong, you choose what distance YOU CAN SHOOT with whatever caliber.

 

IN THE HEAD ITS DEAD end of... unless YOU miss.

 

a crap gun,barrel,pellet what ever is indeed crap full stop.(or crap shooter!) so there are 'practicle' limits.. your self is one of them.

Edited October 31, 2008 by ghillies