Agreed.
I've debated him at length on the topic and just gave up. I even created a video discussing addition points to consider about airgun knockdown power, which is not the same as lethality:
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Is more better where caliber is concerned?
- Thread starter MathewC
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I've debated him at length on the topic and just gave up. I even created a video discussing addition points to consider about airgun knockdown power, which is not the same as lethality:
Kind of projectile, weight of projectile and The Rifle you are shooting with, all have a lot to tell in getting long range accuracy.
It is not just one of them.
It is not just one of them.
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The .30 cal is my favorite caliber as of late. But tuned to 85 fpe forces you to be more aware of your backstop. I've shot slugs into groundhogs at 66 yards, and even with massive expansion, I still got a full passthrough.
FX Hybrid Slugs from left to right: A new .30 cal, .30 cal recovered after full passthrough on groundhog, and a new .357 cal for comparison.
This also calls for me to switch to JSB Hades for squirrel season with a reduced hammer spring setting on my FX Maverick VP.
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man heavy 22 pellets do rock.. i have a 22 prophet spitting 25.4gr @ 955 ...and out to a 100 yards it holds its own quiet well..a shooting buddy has a impact mk2 30 cal... on a low to no wind day one can't out shoot the other... now throw in a breezy/windy day and the 30 can/does and will tear the 22 a new one..
(that's both of us shooting pellets)
(that's both of us shooting pellets)
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I don't have a 30 but I have a 177, two 22s and two 25s. Right now I enjoy the 177 a lot and it or the more accurate 22 the most. Both are more accurate than either 25 I have. That's a big factor. All my 5 PCPs are very capable of taking small game. The 25s seem to kill a little quicker but I need to shoot the 177 more to have a handle on the difference. The key things I like about my 177 are it's accuracy, the lower cost of it's ammo, and the greater number of shots per fill.
A 30 could be very accurate but the reduced variety of ammo offered lowers your odds of finding something it really likes. It won't have a long shot count and it's ammo will be relatively expensive. It will have more power but I don't need that for what I use an airgun for. But we do not all have the same needs or the same likes and dislikes. If a 30 fits you better go for it.
I'm waiting on delivery of some new slugs to try in my favorite guns, my P35s in 177 and 22. They are also my newest guns, I will probably decide I like one of the others better at some point. All my P35s shoot slugs well but I haven't found any yet that they shoot better than their favorite pellet.
A 30 could be very accurate but the reduced variety of ammo offered lowers your odds of finding something it really likes. It won't have a long shot count and it's ammo will be relatively expensive. It will have more power but I don't need that for what I use an airgun for. But we do not all have the same needs or the same likes and dislikes. If a 30 fits you better go for it.
I'm waiting on delivery of some new slugs to try in my favorite guns, my P35s in 177 and 22. They are also my newest guns, I will probably decide I like one of the others better at some point. All my P35s shoot slugs well but I haven't found any yet that they shoot better than their favorite pellet.
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IMO it just depends on what you're using it for. I have an FX Dreamline Tactical in 22 cal and recently built up an FX Impact in 30 cal. After shooting a couple of squirrels and a few pesky birds in my back yard I have concluded that in my backyard, for small game, I'm better off using the 22 cal for safety purposes. I hit a squirrel the other day in my yard with the 30 cal and the Hades pellet went through the squirrel and cracked the cinder block behind it. In residential area's there definitely is a such thing as too much power and you really do have to be careful and pick your shot wisely, making sure there is a good backstop behind your target.
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With the Diana's .177 we passthrou many doves that flied away and needed a second shot.
We learned that with a wider caliber the energy is absorbed better by the target in a more damaging manner.
So it is not just a matter of penetration but of damage you cause to vitals. And wider calibers cause more diameter of wound.
We learned that with a wider caliber the energy is absorbed better by the target in a more damaging manner.
So it is not just a matter of penetration but of damage you cause to vitals. And wider calibers cause more diameter of wound.
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I've done pesting in both .22 and .25, and my goto caliber is pretty much the .25 now. I don't have to shoot very long distances (generally under 30 yards), and given equal pellet weights, the energy dump on the broader .25 pellet is better, and that's translated into better knockdown power in my experience.
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Mass times velocity determine impact and so a heavier pellet is more of a factor then its caliber or diameter. The heavier pellet if the gun can provide the pressure to propel it is going to be less subject to wind shift but more likely to drop over distance. With my switch to 19.9 grain lead free pellets I also changed to a .25 caliber airgun. I ran 18.52 lead pellets in my .22 rifle.
But there are too many variables to make a firm conclusion one way or the other. A rifle may be more accurate at 900-1000 fps and so a heavier pellet might improve accuracy by reducing the velocity.
My only targets are feral cats and squirrels as they the main problems other than the occasional flock of wild turkeys or the resident deer.
But there are too many variables to make a firm conclusion one way or the other. A rifle may be more accurate at 900-1000 fps and so a heavier pellet might improve accuracy by reducing the velocity.
My only targets are feral cats and squirrels as they the main problems other than the occasional flock of wild turkeys or the resident deer.
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That's why foot pounds is a lousy way to compare projectiles of different diameters. It's mass times velocity SQUARED. Meaning foot pounds as a measurement highly overrates velocity and downplays all other factors. In fact downplays mass and excludes diameter completely.
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