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Benchrest Caliber Choice

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E_Welch

Member
Dec 31, 2021
58
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PA, United States
Hello everyone , I am recently new to the PCP world and have really been interested in benchrest and long/longer range shooting . I started off with a Impact M3 in .22 cal but after a few months with it I realized that that kind of "tuning" really wasn't where my interest is. After being able to spend some time with a buddies Red Wolf I fell in love . I have a Red Wolf Safari in .22cal on order with AOA . The time waiting has gotten me thinking . Is .22cal a good or the "best" caliber for what my planned purpose (benchrest/long range) 

I see a lot of people shooting .30 cals in 100yard benchrest . Should I change my order with AOA? 
 
They’re both good calibers. What I’ll tell you is just about all the Pro’s that shot Daystate Red Wolf HP at RMAC and EBR shot .22 caliber. Specifically they shot sorted .22 JDB Redesigned Monster pellets 25.4 grain.
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Thank you Centercut , that is a good point . I had originally picked 22 mainly because of the pellet/slug selection. Other than a bigger hole in the paper I'm not convinced that .30 cal offers any benefits at this point other than maybe resistance to wind . 
 
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If you shoot in a 100 yard match that allows slugs, then the .22 has been pretty successful at the matches I've participated in. If only pellets are allowed, like EBR, then the .30 cal is best IMO.
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Do you see slugs being apart of more benchrest competitions ? 

I would think there will always be pellet only competitions but most of the people I know who have real experience in PCP say "slugs are the future" lol . 

I guess its always an excuse to buy another rifle....
 
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I favor the 22 but the 25 is pretty much as good. I feel the 30 is more of a challenge because of the lower bc.

Another aspect is what is allowed. At EBR, the 50 yard, and some other 25 and 50 yard Benchrest, a max of 22 cal is all that's allowed. You'll need to decide if you will be using the same rifle to shoot those or whether you might EVER shoot them.

22 is not a bad choice.

Bob
 
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This needs a trigger warning. I've suffered in the caliber wars for decades. Mainly as a spectator, hanging out with a number of firearms junkies that carry on for hours about 6, 6.5, 7, 7.62 at various ranges, conditions, loads, twist rates, etc, etc. It gets pretty stirred up. 

Maybe the PCP world is heading this way?
 
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This needs a trigger warning. I've suffered in the caliber wars for decades. Mainly as a spectator, hanging out with a number of firearms junkies that carry on for hours about 6, 6.5, 7, 7.62 at various ranges, conditions, loads, twist rates, etc, etc. It gets pretty stirred up. 

Maybe the PCP world is heading this way?
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Hahahahah , I was actually thinking about that as I posted . I am all to familiar with the caliber for defense argument . "9mm is better , no .40 cal , no be a real man and carry 45! "

And now they are adding 30 super carry to the mix lol 

I am not trying to start that debate here , but I am always grateful for the advice from many of the members on this board . As I get ready to spend 3K on an air gun I just need someone to tell me I'm making the right decision . How is that for funny ??
 
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Thank you Centercut , that is a good point . I had originally picked 22 mainly because of the pellet/slug selection. Other than a bigger hole in the paper I'm not convinced that .30 cal offers any benefits at this point other than maybe resistance to wind .
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Well, there are two benefits to .30 caliber that I can see, and I've also shot .30 at 100Y EBR type events. First is that the .30 caliber pellets rarely need sorted, and almost never produce flyers even straight from the tin. Second, they are easier to see both on the target, and flying to the target.

As far as the other myths about .30 cal. 44's compared to .22 RDMs they are just "old wives' tales". The RDMs when properly sorted are a very accurate pellet, and as seen at the most recent EBR (both 75 yard qualifiers), generally slightly more accurate overall than the .30 cal. 44.75 JSB. The .22 RDMs also have a better BC than the 44.75 JSB .30 cal. The BC of the .30 is approx. 0.042, and the .22 RDMs is about 0.053. So, contrary to popular belief, the .22 RDMs move less in the wind than the .30 Exact.

One thing that isn't apparent to me, and could be the reason that many shooters use the .30 caliber is "consistency". When you figure out the drift for a specific wind condition, and the condition remains constant, the drift of the .30 seems very consistent also. I have noted at times (and its just a feeling), the "drift" of the .22 RDMs can be inexplicably inconsistent at times compared to the .30 cal.

PS., the .25 King Heavy is another good choice, just haven't seen that many in competition the past couple of years.... But I think it is coming around again. If a world class shooter like Thayne Simmons and his dad Val are both shooting .25 Heavy, there must be something to it. ;)
 
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If you shoot in a 100 yard match that allows slugs, then the .22 has been pretty successful at the matches I've participated in. If only pellets are allowed, like EBR, then the .30 cal is best IMO.
Click to expand...

Do you see slugs being apart of more benchrest competitions ? 

I would think there will always be pellet only competitions but most of the people I know who have real experience in PCP say "slugs are the future" lol . 

I guess its always an excuse to buy another rifle....
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Slugs have a better BC and are not affected by the wind as much as pellets. However, the gun must be tuned to shoot them at higher speeds. In the case of 22s, approaching 1000 fps is good. If you change to pellets then you've got to tune the gun down to 880-920 fps. To shoot slugs will require some aftermarket parts to get the velocity up. In the case of FX Impacts, a slug kit with a heavier hammer spring, hammer and other stuff will be needed, as well as a dual transfer port and pin probe. I think the new M3s have the dual port. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think new guns out of the box can get the velocity that slugs are needed. You'll have to crank the regulator up to max near 170 bar. 
 
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Centercut , thank you for the insight . However now you have thrown .25 in the mix lol . That's what I thought would be great about the Impact , being able to change calibers easily . However I realized pretty quickly that I liked shooting more than I liked tuning so I'm off to try a Red Wolf . I have to say I am really intrigued by the .30 cal . however that might just be the "bigger is better mentality inside of me. 

jps2486, thank you for the input . Your are right about the Impact M3 having the dual ports . I never could get the gun to perform the way I expected it should . I don't blame the rifle, its an amazing piece of work . But I am no tuner and with 3 kids and life in the way I really prefer and enjoy just going out to shoot. Hopefully the Red Wolf will deliver on that . Of course the tuning capabilities exist there too. 
 
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My Impacts were accurate out of the box. How accurate is good enough is up to you. (Trigger alert, talking tuning an Impact here, lots and lots of opinions.). I like about 830fps for pellets. Haven't done much with slugs. I use a chrony to get to around 830 - 860 fps, then use the valve adjuster to tighten the groups. Doesn't take that long. Regulator on my .25, gen 1 (Power Plenum upgrade added) is around 110 bar, Power set to 3 and I'm getting 850 if I remember correctly. Then an afternoon at the range to tighten groups if it needs it. I don't touch it from there. for benchrest, I can shoot 1 moa at 75 yards without much work.

To be honest, I DO enjoy tuning, so there's a big difference, but even the Wolf will require a touch of work, the methods are just different.
 
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