Move To .177

[Alan Holmes 11]

Hi all,

I read stuff on the forum most days and is it just me or are there more and more people moving to .177 from .22?

I have been reading up especially on springers and calibre threads, as having been out of airgun shooting for a while (just shotgun shooting instead) I decided I fancied it again. I have two young boys and I want to be able to take them out and teach them field craft when they are older. I also think its important that they see where their food comes from, not just meat out of a plastic packet. Anyway I digress!

 

Having read many threads and opinions on calibre, which is best and why....... (this is not to open that debate!). I decided myself to go with .177 due to all the positive comments on the calibre, flatter flight pattern and all the rest of it. This was until I saw her! A HW97k with an older version stock, a beautiful piece of wood with a top quality mechanism. The problem is she is in .22 and I had my heart set on .177. After much personal debate and showing my wife, who told me to just buy it as she is sick of me talking about it. I decided I would and i'm going up tomorrow to have a look, if she is as in the pictures I will be a happy man!

 

Anyway, it made me think that I was going to go for .177 as that seemed to be the calibre that most other people were turning to and using. Is this a fair observation?

 

Your thoughts

 

Al

 

[Fidgety 8]

35 years convinced .22 was best, bought .177 Pre charged Air Arms and never looked back or used .22 again

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

erm, about 8 years shooting just .22

then after 1 year of shooting both, i prefer my .177s anyday!

 

if you had your heart set on a .177 then to buy a .22 would be wrong, even if its a good deal, wait a bit longer im sure a good deal will show up in . 177 aswell

[albert64 1,882]

always used .22 then this year treated myself to a .177

i've took rabbits to 62yds upto now and they hit hard

[J Darcy 5,871]

.177 is the future...it's always been.......

[jandcguns 65]

You have made the right choice I can take rabbits out at 65m no problem

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

66 yard crow.

havent had a rabbit in the crosshairs for bloody ages

[Fidgety 8]

These massive yard kill claims are not exaggerations. When I first bought AA S410 in .177 (s/h) I hit a clean kill at 55yds! The pellet is flat, making less hassle at varied distances, and the increased accuracy means there are more reliable clean kills.

[fatjack 4]

Get the 97k I have one and I would neva get rid its a .22 ipersonally think its a great rifle

[RobJ 10]

I think both are equally as good. While I only shoot .177, I use a 30/30 ret and from experience have taken rabbit to 45 yards with a bit of holdover. But with the right reticle, a laser rangefinder and a properly calibrated set up it has been proven that much longer ranges are possible with both calibres (ala mr.pittaway and friends).

 

I don't think one is better than another if you master your particular set up.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

If you hanker after the past, and that's where. .22 served well, why change? So you have to be more judgemental on range! Creep a bit closer. It's sport, not pest control.

With progress we sometimes loose skills that made our experiences so much more memorable

[woodcote1 88]

In my experience the smaller calibre means a smaller kill zone. You really have to be bang on, especially difficult if your shots are unsupported. I used 177 for a year but switched back to 22 in January and have had more clean kills already.

[Mawders 595]

I've always used .22 since I was a kid and now at 31 I recently moved across to .177 and I'm laughing. Don't think I'll move back to .22 unless it were something very very special.

 

Unfortunately I grew up with air rifles in that ignorant time when .177 was seen as inferior for hunting and only appropriate for hitting paper targets.

 

All I can say is I wish I made the move over years ago! .177 is brilliant, cheaper pellets, flatter trajectory, and they travel really fast giving what your aiming at less chance of moving. If going for a spring rifle in .177 the recoil is slightly more punchy but it really is an awesome calibre!

 

I would hold off for .177 unless this gun really is a steal! You'll learn to shoot in a more forgiving way with .177 learning the flatter trajectory.

 

ATB

 

Mawders

[BenjaminCadd 109]

Like others i was bought up with .22 "mans caliber i was told along with 12 gauge instead of 20 gauge" but got a TX200 in .177 and have never looked back, much flatter trajectory and gets there faster, but saying that as a nipper with not a great amount of experience i could confidently hunt with the .22 right up till last year, so .22 is not the end of the world especially if its a bargain!

[fry 209]

yeah i am a 177 convert the flatter trajectory gives the edge for me less guessing hold over. but having said that 22 in the hands of some one more skilled than me (which would probably account for 70% of the people on here) is as good and for things that die hard (not bruce willis) like rats 22 is probably better. just my opinion.