Twenty Two... Really?

[Rez 4,961]

Now, Im a .22 chap. Always have been and always will be... and Im not trying to start a debate on calibers at all.

 

I know you all know this, but with respect of how a 177 pellets flight is so flat, in theory, we shouldn't miss... why the bloody hell do we prefer a certain caliber? Thought Id do some trajectory paper work this afternoon, being utterly bored out my mind and no car, dogsitting and only on the PCP's, and everytime I do this, looking at the results again, I dont know why I just dont stick to .177.

 

Its a killing shot from like 10 yards out to 40. Depending on the wind factor of course, no thinking, no real risk of wounding, no nothing. Trigger control, job done.

 

Left Rapid, right HM. Now thats a .20, so you know what I .22 would be like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rez 4,961]

It must be a cult thing... using twenty two I mean.

[pianoman 3,589]

ALL calibres have a trajectory my dear Jamie.

 

They need a bit of range work for what I call "Trajectory Mapping"! to give yourself a true picture of how your pellets from your rifle are performing over distance. That is basically, doing what you've done here. Set up a series of targets from 10 metres ( I always work in metres.) set apart every 5-metre increments to 35 or 40 metres or whatever you can comfortably manage depending on what you have for a range to work with. Zero at your preferred range. And then shoot 5 or 10 shots at each target to see exactly, where your pellets are going and hitting over the range distance to zero and beyond.

 

It doesn't therefore matter if you shoot .177 or .22 if you know exactly where your shot is predictably going to strike at any given distance. Because you will have a thorough grasp of your shot's accuracy in trajectory.

 

Bang on Target is always Bang on Target!

 

I shoot with both .177 and .22 calibres. Have done all my shooting years and I still cannot hand-on-heart say which one I prefer as an absolute finally-preferred choice.

 

One reason why I went to FAC for my .22 HW80. The higher speed and resulting flatter trajectory performs like a .177 with the bigger knock-out whack of .22.

 

But then, I have my Daystate Regal .177 rebuilt with an Airtech Regulator, set to about 11.5 ft/lbs which has improved shot-consistency no end; and switched from lightweight Air Arms Diablo Fields in 4.51mm headsize, to using heavier JSB HEAVY DIABLO 10+ grain pellets in same 4.51mm. The results are an amazing transformation with this heavier ammo. It knocks down rabbits and pigeons out to effective air gun ranges where once, it was a dead hopeless loss.

 

If my Regal was a .22 rifle performing with this level of trajectory and speed of its .177 format, it would need to go on ticket.

 

Apart from a flatter trajectory, .177 pellets are generally seen as a more accurate round than .22 pellets because, being smaller and faster in flight, they spend less time flying than a .22 pellet does fired from a rifle of about the same sub-12 foot pound/FPE. So they spend less time flying at the mercy of the breezes and prevailing winds than the bigger, heavier .22 and thus, are less likely to deviate off-course downrange.

 

But I've found with a lot of practice over the years and time well spent and invested on your shooting technique, you can produce groups with either .177 or .22 pellet size calibre that are as tight and single-hole precise as eachother.

 

Thus, either calibre is perfect for hunting. But you need greater accuracy with .177 to hit the brain area accurately of your quarry, because, being small and substantially lighter, it hasn't got the same level of percussive knock-out shock of the larger, heavier .22 which does more damage on impact and kills with a bit more room for error.

 

I know you will know all this, because you are a bloody fine shot. But some chaps reading this may be in need of a little more help. So another thing, stop calling .22 ammo and rifles as "Twenty Two". Bloody Americanisms!

 

I am an Englishman who starting to get old, too long in the shooting tooth to refer to ammo as anything but .22 or .177 and I get confused by your meanings sir!

[pianoman 3,589]

I can't edit my response here Jamie but, the best I can say further is use the heaviest ammo your rifle can shoot comfortably and accurately. Heavier pellets retain more velocity and foot/pounds energy downrange at the target-end than lighter pellets do. Lighter ammo leaves the muzzle faster but, over distance to target, they slow down significantly, can be influenced more by the winds and breezes and lose a fair bit of clout when they hit home.

[j j m 6,630]

nice read pianoman,even though ive shot and used air rifles for over 50 years i still found this interesting

[The one 8,598]

Very nice seeing it like a flow chart