Heavy .22 vs .25 What are your thoughts?!

[Danman]

Good day fellow Hamsters, calling all heavy .22 and .25 pcp shooters! Looking to up my power for my next pcp and a .25 shooting 34gr pellets/slugs seems to be a logical step up, shooting up to 100Y.
My current heavy hitter is my Ghost .22 shooting a diet of lubed Deep or original Mrds @ 53fpe. Nothing else I have tried comes close for group size. I intend to eventually get a .22 slug barrel on it and if it is shooting well enough, sell the pellet barrel, ditch Mrds and never look back. My other 22 pcp is my go-to <50Y pester shooting 30fpe and med weight (and much cheaper) pellets or light slugs.
The cost of heavy .22 pellets is pretty much on par with .25 pellets so cost/power ratio it makes sense.
Mrds are plenty accurate but that wild, random flier still makes me doubt them overall.

My questions to you: what are you seeing for differences between the two in pesting, plinking/penetration, paper, ammo cost/quality, steel smackage, air usage, backstop requirements, ballistics, etc. Lastly i would not be shooting light 25gr .25 ammo....that makes no sense for what im after!? I am at that power level already in .22.

 

[PasadenaMike]

I’ve noticed a real difference between calibers when shooting at 30 foot-pounds. The .177 and .22 tend to just poke holes, while the .30 and .357 feel like chucking boulders. But the .25 is my Goldilocks — it just hits right.

It hits harder than .22, flies flatter than the bigger calibers at my typical shooting distances, and overall just performs better in my experience. This isn’t based on scientific data — just what I’ve seen firsthand. Watching fur drop is all the proof I need.

 

[pan60]

I just cant make myself abandon the .22 cal plenty of heat ammo in .22 I mostly run 25g but theres heavier I have some .30g slugs but my guns drop pellets so nice I just have go a slug gun set up yet

if I was going to ababnded the .22 I would move straight to a .30

and for me ( because its on my list ) the new EVOL HPS MINI .30 and yes I see AoA as another round of them in stock

oh that dirty .30!

 

[Billm]

I’m not much help here. My .25 Ghost hits steel a lot harder than my .22 and has a more satisfying “Thwack” lol. Even the “little” Air Force TalonP is potent and accurate in .25. One of the better .25 pellets that I’ve tried is the JSB King Heavy MK2 .25 | 33.95 gr. . But in all honesty all of the .25s that I’ve tried shoot well.

 

[Danman]

I just cant make myself abandon the .22 cal plenty of heat ammo in .22 I mostly run 25g but theres heavier I have some .30g slugs but my guns drop pellets so nice I just have go a slug gun set up yet

if I was going to ababnded the .22 I would move straight to a .30

and for me ( because its on my list ) the new EVOL HPS MINI .30 and yes I see AoA as another round of them in stock

oh that dirty .30!

Ah the dirty .30, I dont discredit the caliber and was thinking to include it too in this discussion, but now you need a stronger backstop, air usage goes up a decent bit, ammo costs jump a fair bit too, but now that i have a compressor the door is open I'd say
Going from .177 to .22 was a VERY noticeable jump in power. I'm hoping for similar results here. Power level I'd be after is about 70ish fpe, gun itself is yet to be decided. Lastly...for this one....I'm after more penetration than smack, therefore my preference.
I do truly believe. 25 to be the biggest of the small caliber air shooters.

 

[PasadenaMike]

Oh yeah you get way less ammo in .30

 

[Billm]

Ah the dirty .30, I dont discredit the caliber and was thinking to include it too in this discussion, but now you need a stronger backstop, air usage goes up a decent bit, ammo costs jump a fair bit too, but now that i have a compressor the door is open I'd say
Going from .177 to .22 was a VERY noticeable jump in power. I'm hoping for similar results here. Power level I'd be after is about 70ish fpe, gun itself is yet to be decided. Lastly...for this one....I'm after more penetration than smack, therefore my preference.
I do truly believe. 25 to be the biggest of the small caliber air shooters.

I only owned .177 for around fifty years. They shot well and were cheap to shoot. I killed both starlings and squirrels with no issues. Last year I bought my first .22 and right away I thought: I should’ve bought a .25. The .25 seems to be a good all round airgun caliber.

 

[pan60]

the ammo cost on the .30 is the only thing that I see as a possible negative the doest concern me in he least since I have a compressor I dont worry about.

honestly I shoot the .22 the most because it is so cheap to shoot.

but I have popped more the a few tree rats with the .30 and I love it LOL but the .22 really gets most of the love these days.

 

[Solo1]

Why not buy a 25 barrel for the ghost so you can compare yourself?

 

[Solo1]

22 with 25 gr 960 fps drops 10” @ 100. 25 34 gr 900 fps drops 16” @100. 22 has 52 fpe muzzle 25 has 61 fpe muzzle.

 

[Solo1]

Why not take advantage of the 30 cal pellets being made for bench rest? If you’re looking for power 90 ish fpe in 30. You could buy 3 barrels for the price of another gun

 

[Billm]

Why not take advantage of the 30 cal pellets being made for bench rest? If you’re looking for power 90 ish fpe in 30. You could buy 3 barrels for the price of another gun

The performance of .30 caliber AEA and JSB pellets at 100yds is pretty impressive.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Good day fellow Hamsters, calling all heavy .22 and .25 pcp shooters! Looking to up my power for my next pcp and a .25 shooting 34gr pellets/slugs seems to be a logical step up, shooting up to 100Y.
My current heavy hitter is my Ghost .22 shooting a diet of lubed Deep or original Mrds @ 53fpe. Nothing else I have tried comes close for group size. I intend to eventually get a .22 slug barrel on it and if it is shooting well enough, sell the pellet barrel, ditch Mrds and never look back. My other 22 pcp is my go-to <50Y pester shooting 30fpe and med weight (and much cheaper) pellets or light slugs.
The cost of heavy .22 pellets is pretty much on par with .25 pellets so cost/power ratio it makes sense.
Mrds are plenty accurate but that wild, random flier still makes me doubt them overall.

My questions to you: what are you seeing for differences between the two in pesting, plinking/penetration, paper, ammo cost/quality, steel smackage, air usage, backstop requirements, ballistics, etc. Lastly i would not be shooting light 25gr .25 ammo....that makes no sense for what im after!? I am at that power level already in .22.

@Danman I don’t shoot steel targets. Air usage depends upon your setup and tune.


For hunting and pesting, I prefer a .25 over a .22 and a .30. I prefer .357 over .30. I have several .22s, multiple .25s, more .357s and one .30 caliber (Evol). I have shot squirrel sized animals up to a pig with a .25 call. The pig didn’t die all animals smaller than a good sized pig died when shot well. But I’ve taken a pleathora of animals with a .25. I’ve shot my .25 Brocock Bantam Sniper HR out beyond 100 yards shooting 34 grain Diabolo pellets at paper. I shot another .25 out to around 75 yards at birds. I’ve shot my .30 cal out beyond 100 yards at paper. Of the 3 the .30 shoots more consistently at distance.

Now between a .22 and .25 at 100 yards I’d choose a .25 all day. I like the .25 because if you get a decent .25, you should be shooting between 50 and 70 FPE if you tune for power. 45-55 FPE is a nice balance between power and shot count with my Bantam Sniper HR shooting 34 grain domed Diabolo pellets. .25 pellets give me a decent 300 350 ct tin of pellets for around $20. That works for me compared to 150 ct tins of .30, 44.75 grain domed Diabolo pellets for the same price. BUT if you need to shoot far, you need the most precision, and have a helluva .30 build with a great barrel, hey, use what works. If a .30 isn’t an option, go with the .25. Yea, there are many options for .22 caliber ammo, but your gun probably won’t shoot half of what’s available well enough to meet your requirements. I haven’t encountered nearly as many sizing issues in .25 caliber as I have in .22.

In .25, the worst penetration issue I encountered was shooting a wet, swimming beaver. For those of you who have read my lonnnng beaver hunting thread on AGN then you know how that went. Smacking thick, wet, dense fur in the dark on a swimming animal was challenging enough. Even more challenging after it exited the water and was falling and rolling around in the mud. After examining the carcass the penetration didn’t look so bad. I may have had a pass through on a head shot, but I shot that beaver about 5 times in the head with my .25 shooting pellets from about 40-45 yards away IIRC. Another I killed out of the water with a single head shot, same caliber, same gun/ammo combo. For penetration it really depends upon what you’re shooting, your ammo of choice, your tune, and where (on the body) you’re shooting your quarry. ’ve taken a 75 yard shot on a bird and stoned it with a .22 pellet from my Huben K1. When an animal dies, I don’t worry much about penetration. Dead is the goal.


It would really help us if you provided more specific information on what you’re trying to do.

Anyhow, that’s my perspective.

 

[Danman]

Why not buy a 25 barrel for the ghost so you can compare yourself?

That is one of the options indeed (next year problem) as I somewhat regret getting my ghost in .22... All the ammo my S510 uses and loves (15.89-20gr) is all but unusable in my ghost as-is. Detuning it is not an option, that's not what I bought it for. Im looking hard at a new gen AF Condor and regulating it or a .25 barrel for my Ghost in addition to a .22 slug barrel.
I want to blow through 2x lumber, dump coons stealing my , slap the crap outta some steel spinners, and compete against my brother and his rimfires. The 24" Condor route interests me as it needs detuning, not power modding .25 has a good amount of ammo options nowadays and air usage is negligible vs heavy. 22.

 

[Danman]

@Danman I don’t shoot steel targets. Air usage depends upon your setup and tune.


For hunting and pesting, I prefer a .25 over a .22 and a .30. I prefer .357 over .30. I have several .22s, multiple .25s, more .357s and one .30 caliber (Evol). I have shot squirrel sized animals up to a pig with a .25 call. The pig didn’t die all animals smaller than a good sized pig died when shot well. But I’ve taken a pleathora of animals with a .25. I’ve shot my .25 Brocock Bantam Sniper HR out beyond 100 yards shooting 34 grain Diabolo pellets at paper. I shot another .25 out to around 75 yards at birds. I’ve shot my .30 cal out beyond 100 yards at paper. Of the 3 the .30 shoots more consistently at distance.

Now between a .22 and .25 at 100 yards I’d choose a .25 all day. I like the .25 because if you get a decent .25, you should be shooting between 50 and 70 FPE if you tune for power. 45-55 FPE is a nice balance between power and shot count with my Bantam Sniper HR shooting 34 grain domed Diabolo pellets. .25 pellets give me a decent 300 ct tin of pellets for around $20. That works for me compared to 150 ct tins of .30, 44.75 grain domed Diabolo pellets for the same price. BUT if you need to shoot far, you need the most precision, and have a helluva .30 build with a great barrel, hey, use what works. If a .30 isn’t an option, go with the .25. Yea, there are many options for .22 caliber ammo, but your gun probably won’t shoot half of what’s available well enough to meet your requirements. I haven’t encountered nearly as many sizing issues in .25 caliber as I have in .22.

In .25, the worst penetration issue I encountered was shooting a wet, swimming beaver. For those of you who have read my lonnnng beaver hunting thread on AGN then you know how that went. Smacking thick, wet, dense fur in the dark on a swimming animal was challenging enough. Even more challenging after it exited the water and was falling and rolling around in the mud. After examining the carcass the penetration didn’t look so bad. I may have had a pass through on a head shoot, but I shot that beaver about 5 times in the head with my .25 shooting pellets from about 40-45 yards away IIRC. Another I killed out of the water with a single head shot, same caliber, same gun/ammo combo. For penetration it really depends upon what your shooting, your ammo of choice, your tune, and where (on the body) you’re shooting your quarry. ’ve taken a 75 yard shot on a bird and stoned it with a .22 pellet from my Huben K1. When an animal dies, I don’t worry much about penetration. Dead is the goal.


It would really help us if you provided more specific information on what you’re trying to do.

Anyhow, that’s my perspective.

Now that is information I'm after, thanks!! That is about the result I've had with my .22guns so far too....ammo options are insane and I for one am guilty of buying WAAAAAY to many different options to try when I got into pcps 2 years ago. With a well aimed shot, lights out up to coon sized pests.

Honestly $22cdn gets me a tin of 150Hades 25.39gr or $20cdn for 200 mrds. Not great!
$30 gets me 300 chunky 34gr .25 pellets in most flavors. Or $15 some Jts pellets @ 150 in a tin. Shooting heavy .22 is starting to look like a poor choice! Just strange things I'm noticing now that I'm looking at .25 ammo and guns lol.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Danman No problem.

 

[Cantona256]

I’ve noticed a real difference between calibers when shooting at 30 foot-pounds. The .177 and .22 tend to just poke holes, while the .30 and .357 feel like chucking boulders. But the .25 is my Goldilocks — it just hits right.

It hits harder than .22, flies flatter than the bigger calibers at my typical shooting distances, and overall just performs better in my experience. This isn’t based on scientific data — just what I’ve seen firsthand. Watching fur drop is all the proof I need.

I tend to agree with you. I just made my first foray into .30 cal and I LOVE the way they fly but dang 100+ foot pounds hits hard! I’m getting full pass throughs and not due to a lack of expansion… small home on one side and big one on the other haha.

.25 just seems to almost get sucked into the critters and rattle around in there real nice. Almost surgical in the penetration but the energy transfer in that 60-70fpe range is just devastating.

 

[Dogowski]

That is one of the options indeed (next year problem) as I somewhat regret getting my ghost in .22... All the ammo my S510 uses and loves (15.89-20gr) is all but unusable in my ghost as-is. Detuning it is not an option, that's not what I bought it for. Im looking hard at a new gen AF Condor and regulating it or a .25 barrel for my Ghost in addition to a .22 slug barrel.
I want to blow through 2x lumber, dump coons stealing my , slap the crap outta some steel spinners, and compete against my brother and his rimfires. The 24" Condor route interests me as it needs detuning, not power modding .25 has a good amount of ammo options nowadays and air usage is negligible vs heavy. 22.

25 caliber is definitely the sweet spot for me. 350 rounds for about twenty dollars. That does most of my pesting around here along with my target shooting. It just fits the bill for hitting hard and great accuracy depending on the rifle of course, and stays cost effective. I've got three thirty caliber rifles and i use them during hunting season but when you only get 150 pellets a tin they just don't get as much love if you know what i mean!

 

[Roamin Greco 1]

These discussions are always interesting to me. I appreciate the different perspectives and opinions, even the anecdotal "evidence." At the same time, it feels a bit frustrating. Like the debate about the "best" deer rifle caliber or cartridge. The real answer seems to be: "it depends...."

Used to be, the debate was about .177 vs. .20 vs. .22. Now we are debating .22 vs. .25 vs. .30.

 

[Danman]

25 caliber is definitely the sweet spot for me. 350 rounds for about twenty dollars. That does most of my pesting around here along with my target shooting. It just fits the bill for hitting hard and great accuracy depending on the rifle of course, and stays cost effective. I've got three thirty caliber rifles and i use them during hunting season but when you only get 150 pellets a tin they just don't get as much love if you know what i mean!

That's exactly it, my go to plinkers are the .177 springers...ammo cost is peanuts! .22 or .25 is more $$ but not bad. I'd cringe shooting an afternoon of paper & plinking with a .30, plus I'd have to air up halfway through...something I've never done (other than when tuning the ghost recently). If I run out of air, I usually grab another rifle. 2 tins of 300 .25 ammo would probably last me a year of testing, pesting, and plinking with some paper to boot.
Is just nice to have options