Best small caliber for hunting 177 Vs 20 vs 22

[Jaabaa]

.22 common, easy to get. More ethical.

 

[RatSmacker]

I bought a Crosman 2240 with an 18" bbl and shoulder stock from the Custom Shop a few years ago, Im thinking about using It for close range (10-20yds) Rat Culling. The Brits use them and I believe they call them Rat-Catchers, anyone have any thoughts about that?

 

[dunz]

I always felt that 177 was too small. I really like the 20 caliber, but the lack of .20 ammo choices has me surprised.

 

[Pumacarl]

Dr. Beeman and Franklink are right, .20 is demonstrably the best*. No, it's not the most popular, or the most available, or have much of a selection, but it is the best. If you enjoy ballistics and studying this stuff, it becomes pretty apparent, pretty fast. So does the fact that nobody seems to care for some reason.

edit: * "For pellets", now that high BC .22 slugs have shown up, with 120fpe guns to shoot them, I would have to give them the win.

 

[PapaT]

I always felt that 177 was too small. I really like the 20 caliber, but the lack of .20 ammo choices has me surprised.

Because the caliber never caught on for mainstream.

 

[Solo1]

I think you guys concerned with bc 15 gr nsa bc .75, 12.5 nsa .70 10 gr ko slugs .047 and 13 gr ko slugs .66. Those aren’t bad numbers!

 

[Pumacarl]

Because the caliber never caught on for mainstream.

And that is what really surpises me. And what's up with this, " I need more choices! " crap, when the few choices available have the best performance anyway? I just don't get the whole thing. Never did, never will. And don't forget, that in the 80's there wasn't that many choices in the other calibers either, almost nobody had ever shot a PCP, and the shooting revolved around springers that if you were buying from Beeman were expensive ones. He really pushed .20, and gave good reasons why, but just about none of his high end customers listened either. Really strange. He just missed the internet, and I believe that would have made a big difference.

 

[Pumacarl]

I think you guys concerned with bc 15 gr nsa bc .75, 12.5 nsa .70 10 gr ko slugs .047 and 13 gr ko slugs .66. Those aren’t bad numbers!

They are pretty bad compared to Ataros 31gr at B.C. of .15!, 40 gr B.C. .21!!. The new Zan .22 is supposedly right there or better.

 

[larry069]

Hi everyone , after reading all the posts and thinking about it alot I would have to say .22 is going to offer a better range of power and distance , you can shoot it at 10 foot pounds or 80+ , I have shot alot of small game at 100y to 115y with no problem and getting dime size groups that far out with pellets and I can turn the power way down if I need too for close shooting , with 177 you dont have that big of a range and 25 at close range may be too much no matter how much you lower the power , as for longer range 100y+ I think the 22 can keep up with the 25 till about 150/200y , I only shoot 22 now its the best over all for my needs so you have to figure out how big/small the game is and how far/where you are shooting

 

[jlowe]

I started out with a .20cal R-1 Carbine, a really cool springer for squirrels. First real airgun and never seen anyrthing like it. Loved the .20cal idea back then. Then went to a RX-1 .20cal shoot almost right at 20 foot pounds. Then bought an FX-2000 .22cal and have been mostly 22cal ever since. I have several calibers these days, but shoot squirrel mostly 2ith 22cal .25.39's or 25cal 33.49's.

 

[Solo1]

They are pretty bad compared to Ataros 31gr at B.C. of .15!, 40 gr B.C. .21!!. The new Zan .22 is supposedly right there or better.

Excuse me but your not suggesting atatos has 40 gr 177 are you? I was talking all 177 to compare to 20 cal.

 

[pan60]

Dr. Beeman and Franklink are right, .20 is demonstrably the best*. No, it's not the most popular, or the most available, or have much of a selection, but it is the best. If you enjoy ballistics and studying this stuff, it becomes pretty apparent, pretty fast. So does the fact that nobody seems to care for some reason.

edit: * "For pellets", now that high BC .22 slugs have shown up, with 120fpe guns to shoot them, I would have to give them the win.

I really beleave the demise was centered around not being able to get ammo if you shot .20
the only way around here was ordering it but if you shot .17 or .22 you could pick pellets up about anywhere.
I had a couple friends with Sheridans that had to barrow a pellet gun to go out with the rest of the crowd because of no pellets they later bought Benjamin daisy or crossman's so they would have a gun to shoot.
one reason I dont shoot chips is because the only one I ever see around here are .17 and I look all the time.

 

[Franklink]

I think you guys concerned with bc 15 gr nsa bc .75, 12.5 nsa .70 10 gr ko slugs .047 and 13 gr ko slugs .66. Those aren’t bad numbers!

Excuse me but your not suggesting atatos has 40 gr 177 are you? I was talking all 177 to compare to 20 cal.

Good BCs yes, but all less than what the 0.20/18.9gr NSA does. Which was the point I was making when I shared my favorites and that NOTHING in the < 20fpe pellet class, < 30 fpe pellet class, or < 35 slug class has as good of a BC as those three .20 projectiles I listed.

Where I live, I've got wind and long shots. So I can do the same thing with 30-35fpe and a 0.09-0.1BC slug that many others are using .30s at 100fpe to do. And by same thing I'm talking long range shots. I'd estimate that most of my prairie dog shots are 75-150 yards. My personal witnessed record was a head shot on a prairie dog @ 221 yards, with a 34fpe .20 slug. But out to 175 is typical.

As others pointed out, lots and lots of .22 weights, none of which will give as good of a BC in a head to head FPE comparison to the .20s I listed. But if your criteria is how many weights are available, then the .22 is good. I tend to stick with one projectile for each gun/tune and care much less about availability of lots of weights, and more about performance.

Another point was made about rimfire level fpe. Yep, when I need 75+ fpe, it's rimfire time.

 

[Pumacarl]

Excuse me but your not suggesting atatos has 40 gr 177 are you? I was talking all 177 to compare to 20 cal.

I was answering the question asked of what is the best between the three calibers, not which one I liked, used, or thought was good enough, or how they compared to each other, or rimfires.

 

[Solo1]

Good BCs yes, but all less than what the 0.20/18.9gr NSA does. Which was the point I was making when I shared my favorites and that NOTHING in the < 20fpe pellet class, < 30 fpe pellet class, or < 35 slug class has as good of a BC as those three .20 projectiles I listed.

Where I live, I've got wind and long shots. So I can do the same thing with 30-35fpe and a 0.09-0.1BC slug that many others are using .30s at 100fpe to do. And by same thing I'm talking long range shots. I'd estimate that most of my prairie dog shots are 75-150 yards. My personal witnessed record was a head shot on a prairie dog @ 221 yards, with a 34fpe .20 slug. But out to 175 is typical.

As others pointed out, lots and lots of .22 weights, none of which will give as good of a BC in a head to head FPE comparison to the .20s I listed. But if your criteria is how many weights are available, then the .22 is good. I tend to stick with one projectile for each gun/tune and care much less about availability of lots of weights, and more about performance.

Another point was made about rimfire level fpe. Yep, when I need 75+ fpe, it's rimfire time.

You have no sense of humor anymore

 

[ranchonodinero]

Depends on what you are hunting and where. If you have to worry about where the pellet lands or comes down, then perhaps a .177. I know that when I was shooting starlings and english house sparrows off the purple martin houses, the .177 was more than enough. Even at 40 yards. Squirrels with the .177 took shot placement-either head or heart/lung. The .22 I used was more than enough for the starlings and sparrows-usually the pellet went through them and dinged up the house or gourd. And I had to be careful that if I missed everything, the pellet wouldn't come down on a neighbors house or out building. The .22 was deadly with squirrels and usually only one shot. So, to answer your question, it depends.

 

[Danman]

Depends on what you are hunting and where. If you have to worry about where the pellet lands or comes down, then perhaps a .177. I know that when I was shooting starlings and english house sparrows off the purple martin houses, the .177 was more than enough. Even at 40 yards. Squirrels with the .177 took shot placement-either head or heart/lung. The .22 I used was more than enough for the starlings and sparrows-usually the pellet went through them and dinged up the house or gourd. And I had to be careful that if I missed everything, the pellet wouldn't come down on a neighbors house or out building. The .22 was deadly with squirrels and usually only one shot. So, to answer your question, it depends.

And that is why I will never get rid of my .177 springers! And I second using certain ammo for certain guns exclusively. My Ghost it's Mrds, S510 is 16-18.13gr, and TX is 7.87-8.44. I play with other stuff, (who doesn't! )but when I'm learning holdovers, pesting, etc it's these ammo options 99% of the time.

 

[Beanflip]

Primarily .22 for me!

 

[kcender]

I pest ground squirrels and it's all about an ethical kill for me. I no longer use .177 for that reason. Anything else is fine imo, but if you are making a sweeping/lead shot on the move, you will end up shooting more than once even if you hit it. Maybe that is contradictory, but how it works ntl and a quick follow up is necessary. If only one, then it would be .22, especially with so many options on projectile weight. I don't think cost factor is really that relevant, considering availability and buying 350 count tins is pretty equalizing from my experience.

 

[Fishing 43]

22 is my pick from those 3 choices but have good success with all 3 caliber’s. Add 25 caliber and that’s my preferred caliber.