. 177 Cal, ideal thinking VS. Reality.

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picture rotated on me but thats 5 at 100 with nsa 12.5’s around 1000fps. Its been FANTASTIC on ground squirrels at 100+. I wouldnt shoot anything bigger than squirrels at that range. Maybe a rabbit if I was starving lol. But yea the .177 is capable but if you already have one just go to .25!
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What gun is that out of? Great shooting!
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Tuned Air arms S500
 
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Okay....I will ask a question which is also kind of a statement. First, as we all know the BC of a smaller heavier projectile should be better than the same weight a caliber next size up, i.e. 177 to 22. BC and mass are a keep point to be more wind tolerant.

With HP .177 guns becoming available, in theory the heavier slugs should be able to withstand wind drift better than their similar weight 22 caliber brethren. Or am I miss understanding BC correctly? I know in firearms the 6 mm PPC is extremely popular because of the caliber / weight to BC ratio.


 
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I have killed out to 80+ yards with 11fpe power and more regular 65 yards of a bipod with sub12 airguns, power was 11fpe with 80+ yards and head shots only but all clean kills..

power isn’t as important when you are restricted to 12fpe! Accuracy is far more important (putting the pellet in the exact place. 


atb
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I shoot 11.5fpe with my field target gun, in WFTC competition. I have an AA S500 that shoots the old NSA 15g slugs well at 20-25fpe. I'm considering another S500 to be modded for 35+fpe with .177 slugs when time permits. And I certainly agree, accuracy before power, then power for fun😁
 
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Emu, 

Just shot this:

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Very good!

With no wind at all my Bantam .177 is "accurate".

I do not know if it is the rifle or the Cal. The point is that I do not feel as comfortable shooting it as it supposed to be being my cheapest to shot rifle.

Just do not feel the same emotion shooting it as of when shooting must of my other rifles.

Maybe is to quiet.... Maybe the hole it make in paper is so small that is difficult for me to gather the hitting point at the distance.

Maybe I have not have tunned the trigger adequately.

Maybe knowing that I will hit precisely at 50 yards but knowing that at 80 is a guessing....

I do not know....


 
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Shooting with 177's can make you a better all around shooter. If the wind is blowing, a shot or two and you can make quite a good correction. Look at the flags and adjust accordingly. It is a lot of fun that way.

They can be pushed over 900 FPS with an amazing degree of accuracy and as said before, cost less and get more.

Because of my back yard situation, all my guns are 177 and I don't regret that one bit.
 
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Punching paper is one thing. We only punch paper with rifles to check zero. We are using a Taipan Vet in 177 caliber for target practice, to hone skills; while reserving the 22 and 25 Taipan Veterans for hunting. Irregardless of what many will say, the heavier the round the more reliable- think humane- the shot.

Obviously, one can overdo things, as well. Selecting the right caliber for the job is crucial.

177 is best reserved for target practice and small vermin/birds.
 
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I don't know why you think the .177 isn't as good as the .22. You have to factor in a few things. The .177 shoots flatter, penetrates extremely well. I owned a lot of rifles in many calibers and the 22 hits hard but so does the .177. Most of my guns are .177 by choice. They just shoot like a laser. Caliber is not the end all be all but shot placement is and its paramount in both calibers. I have shot 5 woodchuck and every one was a one shot hit to the head with a .177. They didn’t run, they didn't move, they just rolled over. I use the H&N Barracuda extremes 9.57 and these expand to almost 30 caliber from my ballistic tests. Heavy weight pellets carry more momentum, so they hit hard, but so does a heavier .177 only with much better penetration in game. Its a balance between velocity and weight which gives great results. My HW110 in .177 is a lights out rifle. The 9.57 is doing 950 to 960 thats 20 fp’s of energy those hit hard and expand great. I also like the jsb’s 13.43 at about 820 to 830. I have shot game with both calibers including the .20 and haven't really noticed a drastic difference in taking game, they all wored if I did my part. This reminds me of the old 9mm v 45 debate. Guess what, they both work! Nothing wrong with .177. Its about shot placement in air guns or powder burners. It’s about picking the right pellet with velocity for the job. 
 
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I am fortunate in that I stumbled upon an almost magical combination between my AT44 and NSA 12.5 gn slugs in 177. I have a couple of threads showing just how far a 177 can go, with the last one showing how I hit a golf ball at 300 meters. That said the magic doesn't work very well if the wind is much above 2 mph. I have shot MOA and better at 100 meters when the wind is down and I have also completely missed a six inch plate multiple times in a row when the wind is up or swirling.

When the winds are up I usually putt my 177 away and grab my AT44 in 22. It shoots Crosman Premiere Domes quite well even when the wind is up, but even then there is a limit regarding wind, it can be quite challenging even at 50 yards especially if the winds are swirling. It can be humbling (and strangely fun) to completely miss a 6 inch plate at 50 yards when the winds are really up.
 
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Forget 177 if you have wind issues. I have a couple of the 177's and they are my most fun guns shot most often. I can shoot the heck out of them all day in the backyard for cheap with real high shot count per fill. At under 50yds a high power 22 or 25 caliber are barely stretching their legs at 50yds. 

Forget 22 that is under 50ftlbs that can't push a 25.39 pellet at 930fps. Go 25 and 65ftlbs for real wind issues. These guns tend to be more for range work or someone with land that has over 100yds with a backstop. I can get to the range maybe once a week tops so it is not practical to have more than one. 
 
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Out of the 7 guns I own 6 are 177 or configured with 177 barrels. They are forever my gun back yard pest control and training gun. If need to reach pass 100 for hunting purposes then the impact shooting .25 slugs with 0.11 BC will come out to play. To get 177 or even .22 slugs to have BC of 0.11 is too much work and just not worth it, right tool for the right job.


For punching paper it will be 177 even at 100 yards (slugs) because I don’t go to gym and find the lightest dumbbells. 
 
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