.177 or .22 for 12ft/lb air rifle UK.

[msc]

I've got a .177 air rifle already for target shooting in my garden etc. but I was thinking my 2nd air rifle should be in .22 for the occasional pest & hunting if needed. I'm limited to under 12ft/lb because of uk

Is it worth buying the pro sport in .22. I'm thinking to use the .22 at closer ranges under 40 yards. Do you think its worth it?
Which calibre is better? I know the .22 has more loopy trajectory and .177 shoots flatter but .22 would give me harder hitting power at close range

What do u prefer in sub 12 Ft power. A .177 or .22? Or should I forget the .22 pro sport and just use the .177 hw77k.

 

[Ranchibi]

Just my humble opinion but you would get a flatter trajectory with a .177 @ that power level. And, I think HW77/97 are some of the best springers...

 

[maxtrouble]

My Pro Sport is .22 caliber. Hawke 2-7x32 Airmax with BKL droop mount. Likes the JSB RS .22's the most. Shoots best with known distances. I zeroed the rifle for 50 yards. I use my mil dots for other distances. I have targets at 20, 30, 50 and 80 yards. Would take some practice to hunt with. I would recommend using bait to keep the pests at a known distance.

 

[EMrider]

IMHO, you'll appreciate the flatter trajectory for hunting at 12fpe with a .177.

All of my spring guns are .177 and 12fpe or under and I hunt often at distances out to 30-35 yards. A 12fpe in .22 would have about 4" of drop at 40 yards. Too much for me to take the shot with confidence.

R

 

[JimD]

I've hunted with my ~19 fpe 177, ~18 fpe 22 (Prod) and my ~32 fpe 22 (P35). None as low as you are forced to use. But the Prod and 177 have about the same power. I do not see a lot of difference in squirrels reaction between these guns. With good placement both take squirrels cleanly. They may take a step or two before dropping, however. My higher powered 22 drops them more like my 25s. DRT. Consistently.

You will get deeper penetration but a smaller hole with the 177. I would go for deeper penetration. Head shots with either would work great. But if you hit the shoulder you want enough penetration to go through it to something vital. I think a 12 fpe 22 would be a little bit iffy on body shots. It should work most of the time. But my Prod was originally tuned to about 13 fpe and I lost a couple after what I think were pretty well placed body shots. I do not know that a 177 would have worked better but it couldn't do any worse.

In addition, shot placement would be easier with the better trajectory of the 177 and putting the pellet in the right place is more important than caliber.

 

[elh0102]

At the sub-12 power level, the .22 has no real advantage in terms of tissue damage. Accurate shot placement is required with either one, and I think that is more easily achieved with the higher velocity and flatter shooting .177.

 

[JungleShooter]

Sherz,

here are just a few questions to consider to come to a decision that is best for you.
I have struggled long and hard with similar questions.


How important is a flatter trajectory (.177) really to you?
Specifically:

🅐 Using Chairgun (or another ballistic calculator) that gives you graphs to compare: Chart both options (.177 and .22) in the same diagram, adjust their respective zero distances to optimum, and decide:
➧ How much point blank range (PBR) do I really gain with the flatter .177 trajectory?
➧ Is the additional PBR necessary for your typical ranges that you shoot at?

🅑 Do you really not have the time or the equipment to range the animal before you shoot?
Because once you have the animal ranged, the flatter trajectory advantage disappears — as you simply apply the holdover or the turret adjustment necessary to compensate for the range.


How do the ballistic coefficients [BC] of the for your power level typical pellets compare between .177 and .22?

If you have a lot of wind on your rainy island, this might be important.


.22cal: As long as it reaches the vitals it should kill as good or better than .177cal

A .22cal JSB Express 14.35gr has a MV of 600fps (11.5FPE) [0.025BC].
At 40y it arrives with 8FPE (500fps) aprox.

➧ As long as the .22 has enough power to get to the vitals, I would assume it kills as good or better than a .177 — because it will make a bigger hole, more tissue destroyed, and more and quicker blood loss.

➧ You will have fewer pass-throughs than with .177. This might be important for urban hunting.


Cheers,

Matthias

 

[msc]

At the sub-12 power level, the .22 has no real advantage in terms of tissue damage. Accurate shot placement is required with either one, and I think that is more easily achieved with the higher velocity and flatter shooting .177.

Should I use a heavier 10.34 grain in .177

 

[elh0102]

Should I use a heavier 10.34 grain in .177

I don't know which pellet you normally shoot, but I doubt that you will notice a difference. The only .177 pellet I shoot is the 10.3, so I can't offer a comparison. None of the options discussed have much power, and that's a fact. The critical variable is that you hit your target. My suggestion is that you shoot the pellet in which you have the highest confidence of accuracy.

 

[bucketboy]

Get both