Advice needed on caliber selection

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dasenahk

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Feb 22, 2025
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I am looking to get back into airguns (loved them as a kid). My main use will be shooting paper on my own property. To keep all the neighbors happy, I will almost certainly need to use lead free ammo (it's a wetland area).

My question is, should I go up in Caliber to compensate for the lighter lead free ammo? If so, how much should I go up if I was originally planning on a 22 caliber? 30 cal or 25 cal?

Would appreciate any advice
 
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Scotay42 said:
Just use a few pellet traps, then it doesnt matter what pellet. Lead is always cheaper than the lead free.
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I’m with him on this. A cardboard box filled with old clothing is the cheapest. I use rubber mulch in storage containers. I’ve been know to fill Amazon boxes with rubber mulch and repeatedly duct tape thre box when it wears out. 5” tape makes for a quick refresh.


I’d do this. I’ve tried @HN Sport and JSB GTO’s in all the rifles I’ve owned, and that’s over twenty now, and I can say two of those rifles shot them acceptable for my use (dime size at 20 yards repeatedly)
And in those rifles there was a lead pellet that grouped better.
There are a lot of recommendations about entry rifles. You really can’t go wrong with a Notos and a couple Maple or Carm 12 round mags. I keep a Notos to loan out to friends interested in PCP. I can hand them a Notos, a hand pump, and a tin of pellets. The last guy bought his own Notos 😂
 
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If you're just target shooting .22 caliber pellets are economical and practical to shoot out to 75-80 yards without a problem, 100 yards is doable in good conditions.

If most of your shooting is out to 100-150 yards then I'd lean towards the .25, beyond that, .30.

As others have suggested, setup a target box and recycle the lead. I make fishing jig and sinkers from my scrap lead.

Cheers!
 
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While trying to find a preferred .22 pellet for a nitro-piston break barrel bought an H&N Sampler pack. All going well until lead-free, loud sonic crack (like a .22 long rifle) pellet disappearing into the unknown. Since firearm discharge prohibited in neighborhood, a few came to their windows to investigate. Needless to say, last I ever used lead-free. WM
 
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Thank you for all the replies. When I compare weights of lead pellets and lead free pellets, it seems that going up by one in caliber gets you the same mass. For example, lead free 0.25 pellets are as heavy as 0.22 lead pellets. So I think I'll go for a 0.25 cal, since my original plan was to shoot 0.22. This way, hopefully, even if I go lead free, the weight of the pellet will be the same as that of a normal lead 0.22 pellet. That's my noobie level analysis - let's hope it works !
 
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dasenahk said:
Thank you for all the replies. When I compare weights of lead pellets and lead free pellets, it seems that going up by one in caliber gets you the same mass. For example, lead free 0.25 pellets are as heavy as 0.22 lead pellets. So I think I'll go for a 0.25 cal, since my original plan was to shoot 0.22. This way, hopefully, even if I go lead free, the weight of the pellet will be the same as that of a normal lead 0.22 pellet. That's my noobie level analysis - let's hope it works !
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As you go up in caliber, airgun designs ramp up power to handle heavier projectiles. My .25 is more powerful than my .22, .30 caliber more powerful than .25. A pump style airgun (Crosman 760) that offers various power levels depending on pumps or an English power-restricted 12 FPE airgun would be ones I'd consider for sub-sonic use of lead-free ammo. WM
 
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As long you don't care about accuracy you can go lead free. Less mess and less fuss, a Big Bang Pellet trap will work fine and are quite well, not the cheapest thing in town but, quiet and no need of rubber mulch, easy disposal of the lead. You didn't give the distance you want to shoot, that is going to really give you the caliber, you can do 100 yards with a .22, but IMHO a .25 is a bit easier.
 
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HogKiller said:
As long you don't care about accuracy you can go lead free. Less mess and less fuss, a Big Bang Pellet trap will work fine and are quite well, not the cheapest thing in town but, quiet and no need of rubber mulch, easy disposal of the lead. You didn't give the distance you want to shoot, that is going to really give you the caliber, you can do 100 yards with a .22, but IMHO a .25 is a bit easier.
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Distance will be 100 yards. Thank you.
 
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