Which Caliber?

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crowski

crowski

Member
Dec 14, 2020
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On, Canada
Altogether I have springers in 5 calibres. Just recently I scored a R9 and a Hw97 both in .20. Makes your hair stand. I‘m not an expert like a lot here. But I know the difference when shooting.
I have to say the .20 has won my vote. Both these guns spit lead out with deadly accuracy on the range. The R9 eliminated a nutter with one choice shot not long ago.
I find it more stable than .177 in breezy conditions.
Which caliber springer do you prefer and for what?
Crow
 
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The bulk of my shooting is 30 yards or less and while I have guns in both .177 and .22 that get shot regularly and will do it just as easily, I most always reach for one of the 8 .20's I have here. They just "fit" and easily shoot targets/reactive stuff right along with chippers, squirrels and the pest birds I'm allowed to shoot.
Read this somewhere else but it does fit: There may not be much still made in .20, but what is made is the cream of the crop. All my guns back that up and shoot 3 or even 4 of them very well.
I want to shoot farther, faster, harder, I have a couple PCP's that fill that bill just fine. Other's mileage may very well vary, .20 works for me :)
 
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The HW97 .20 cal with a Beeman blue laminate stock is my designated shooter. The action is out of the box stock. Looks good and shoots ever better, astonishing to me how non hold sensitive it is. Shoots the H&N 13.58s and 11.42s at 14fpe. I have a hoar
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d of these pellets waiting for cooler weather here in sunny Florida.
20 caliber airguns just add a little extra satisfaction of ownership for me...and seem to all shoot well. The Crusader in .20 runs at
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18.5fpe and loves the 11.42...not a designated shooter though!
 
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RM100GUY said:
View attachment 287401The HW97 .20 cal with a Beeman blue laminate stock is my designated shooter. The action is out of the box stock. Looks good and shoots ever better, astonishing to me how non hold sensitive it is. Shoots the H&N 13.58s and 11.42s at 14fpe. I have a hoarView attachment 287399d of these pellets waiting for cooler weather here in sunny Florida.
20 caliber airguns just add a little extra satisfaction of ownership for me...and seem to all shoot well. The Crusader in .20 runs at View attachment 28740018.5fpe and loves the 11.42...not a designated shooter though!
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Oh Russell that Crusader is sublime!!!
 
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If I wanted one gun to do it all it would be in .20. I have R1's in .177, .20 and .22 and the .20 is the star. Crazy accurate! However, I don't hunt or pest with an air gun anymore so my .20 and .22 get little use. For me though, I think the .20 really shines when driven to R1/R9 power plant velocities. FWIW, I shoot hunter field target with a PCP in .20 generating around 19 fpe. It's a winning combination (thank you Motorhead!)
 
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Gotta love the .20 in a 97k. Definitely the go to gun when I want to just grab a gun and plink out the back door . Actually got it last year for squirrel season and I don’t regret that a bit. Thinking about trying it for FT, but gee it’s hard to justify when I spent a whole lot more on a Wolverine in .177 a couple years before as my dedicated FT gun.

But as an all around fun caliber, the .20 just seems almost perfect. Accurate, more mass than a .177, a little larger wound channel, of course a head shot just links them out.

Only drawback is pellet availability, but that seems to be the problem with about any caliber lately.
 
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ChuckHunter said:
I'm a .20 nut myself! 🎯
I always hear guys saying they stay away from .20 because of ammo selection but all the .20 pellets available today are spot on for accuracy!!! And any Springer guy knows that when you find the right pellet you just stick with it.
James from Michigan
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I agree. I just got into the .20 cal. I have H&N’s and JSB’s, both excellent and a life time supply. Crow
abslayer said:
Dam you guys stop talking about .20 you are going to cost me money
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abslayer there’s a 97 .20 at D@L, you snooze you lose. I was easily able to get .20 cal. ammo. They had 70 tins last week. Good luck Crow
maxtrouble said:
My new HW95 .20 stacked pellets today in swirly winds. Has less than 500 pellets through it. Shot and cocking cycle is smoothing out. My first .20 caliber, time will tell.
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I have it in a R9. Put 600 rounds through it so far. Shot like it had 5000. Crow
Lewis said:
Much love for the .20's
This is my RX-2 in the favorite caliber.

View attachment 287518
View attachment 287519


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You have a gorgeous collection. The R2 especially catches my eye. Enjoy Crow
AtlasAirguns said:
I used to shoot 177. Then I went to .22 and then .25. Now I am back to .22

As for the .20...not a fan. But that is subjective. For springers, I still like the 177 but I usually buy .22 because the ammo is everywhere
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I shoot all calibres as well. Most my guns are .177 and .22 so I shoot them the most. Crow
 
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I found the .177 pellets were harder to hold/load than the .22. I also had some .22 pellets available when I got my first pellet gun which was a Benjamin Trail NP .22 model. The HW95L .22 has been an excellent rifle so far and both my wife & I enjoy plinking from the back deck. I can recommend the .22 caliber for an air rifle as the pellets are readily available in a wide selection from most sources. https://www.airgunmegastore.com/0-22-1/
 
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The 20 is definitely a challenge to feed if you shoot often. I'm a fan of the caliber in 15+fpe springers. My Rx1 was a Lazer beam in 20 once I worked it out. After covid hit I couldn't afford to work out my R1 in 20 caliber so I converted the gun to 22. It's loopy but at least I can feed it.
Personally I think bigger calibers have better shot cycles but I prefer flat trajectory. I prefer the flatest trajectory possible while retaining good manners. My 20 caliber R9 is IMO the best blend of power, ballistics and manners.
Ymmv
 
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