Best small caliber for hunting 177 Vs 20 vs 22

[High Pressure]

What is, in your opinion the best small caliber for hunting and why?

177 is the original we all know and love. 20 though flat shooting and good power just doesn't seem to be very popular any more. 22 has become a fan favorite with tons of options for ammo very much like 177.

At the end of the day we all have a favorite whats yours?

 

[MileHighAirGunner]

There isn’t a “best”. All are plenty capable when you put it where it counts.
I have rifles in all three calibers. I even have the same model rifle in all three calibers. I'm an equal opportunity small caliber shooter. I don't favor any one over another.

 

[pan60]

I am on the .22 band wagon
I never had a lot of luck with .17 because it seemed if it was a crap windy day I could never hit anything and if you didnt get a good vitals shot thee wasnt enough mass to to make a kill.

I loved the .20 but but it was and has been a challenged around here getting them now days with the internet not so much but the choices are not as broad
now I would like to try a .20 slug gun but realistically I would not invest in fear of again not finding ammo

for me the .22 is what works lots of weight options I shoot a heavey pellet the jsb pellets up around 920 if I recall and its a lazer as they say

I have looked past the .25 because the cost of the pellets seems to high for my taste?
I do shoot .30 but thats really over kill and again costly but I do like it since most of what I dod is pesting its not practical

 

[pan60]

There isn’t a “best”. All are plenty capable when you put it where it counts.
I have rifles in all three calibers. I even have the same model rifle in all three calibers. I'm an equal opportunity small caliber shooter. I don't favor any one over another.

I think he is surveying what individual us like and why?
for me cost and avalabilty are bigger factors for the most part except in .177 and for me its just and not go. maybe if I was popping rats in a barn but thats about it

 

[JimT66]

22. Then .20, lastly 177. Love the speed of the. 177, but it seems to punch tiny goin in and tiny coming out, unless you hit bone. 20 and 22 seem to give more punch and knockdown. Just my 2 cents anyway.

 

[Solo1]

A big part of the decision here is quary , distance and available guns ( power level). I have a ghost 177 28” barrel that will shoot very accurately with slugs to 100 yds. I also have a pathfinder 22 that shoots very accurately to 50-60 yds same for my 22 revere. I also have a 22 barrel for the ghost that shoots 22 mrds as well as they can be shot @100. So i think its all up to what you have and how far you plan to shoot. If i really want to stretch it i grab the tiapan in 25 shooting 34 gr nsa

 

[pan60]

also to be fair my experiance with .17 lies outside pcp's so?

 

[Florida_Man]

All depending on the size of the game. but I prefer
177 out to 25 yards
22 out to 50
25 out to 100

 

[PapaT]

Having more success with this controversial question of the week than the last.

I prefer 22, because I do. It is my favorite small caliber, but I haven't tried 20, and 177 is limited to bbs or pumpers for me. But I'm a simple Papa, who simply loves his 22s.

 

[MileHighAirGunner]

I think he is surveying what individual us like and why?
for me cost and avalabilty are bigger factors for the most part except in .177 and for me its just and not go. maybe if I was popping rats in a barn but thats about it

I understand the survey question just fine. My answer was fitting to MY personal experiences and for MY personal and specific applications.

Here's a longer answer to clear it up for you

I don’t discriminate against any of these calibers given the applications in which I personally use my air guns for. I personally have only used air guns for backyard plinking and close range indoor/outdoor pesting situations. Pigeons, starlings, sparrows, rodents etc... When it comes to hunting, I use shotguns, rimfire, centerfire and bows for the game I take. I don't hunt game with air guns. In MY personal experiences, there is no “best” caliber for ME personally, and there is no "best" caliber for MY specific type of close range indoor/outdoor pesting applications in which I have or would consider deploying any of my air guns for. As long as I’m confident in my ability to put the lead where it counts the most, any one of these calibers in any one of my air guns will do for ME and for MY specific type of indoor/outdoor pesting applications in which I have or would consider using my air guns for.

 

[Franklink]

Ballistic coefficient is king.

For apples to apples (fpe) the two weights of JSB .20s and the .20/18.9 slug from NSA have the highest BC. And because of that, those three projectiles are what I shoot the most.

In other words...
the JSB .20/13.73, with a BC of 0.042-0.044ish @ 805fps, is my favorite sub20 projectile.
the JSB. 20.15.89, with a BC of 0.046-0.5ish @ 915-920fps, is my favorite 30fpe projectile.
the NSA .20/18.9, with a BC of 0.090-0.1ish @ 910-915fps, is my favorite 35fpe projectile.

 

[RatSmacker]

I like em all but for me .22 Is perfect for anything out to 50 yards. Lately I'm really enjoying
the .177 15-25 yards! I'm getting great accuracy and expansion with JSB Hades Diablo's 10.34grs In my pumpers and PCP's In .177!

 

[Dogowski]

There isn’t a “best”. All are plenty capable when you put it where it counts.
I have rifles in all three calibers. I even have the same model rifle in all three calibers. I'm an equal opportunity small caliber shooter. I don't favor any one over another.

Me too i also have all the calibers including 30 cal. It's nice to be able to pick the right tool for the job rather than not having it!

 

[Luis Leon]

I prefer the .22 for my pesting, plinking and target shooting wants. If I need more power? My .22 rimfires offer a broad range of options. No need for me to chase more power with an airgun. Simply transition to another tool. In my misguided youth I devastated many pigeons, squirrels and rabbits with CCI CB Shorts. 29 grains at 710 FPS…

 

[Danman]

.22 all the way out to 100Y.
My experience has been; I used .177 exclusively for 20+yrs out of sub-6 fpe rifles ...It was a dark, naive time
F-Fwd 2 years ago, I finally got my PAL and purchased an S510 @32fpe in .22. No comparison, a ton more knock down power on pests. To experiment I then purchased a 13fpe .177 springer. Not a whole lot more K.O. power than the Sub6 rifles I had for the task. Then lastly my .22 Ghost with a massively overkill 53fpe, shooting Mrds. After all that I'd say a .177 from 13-20fpe or a .22 with 18-32fpe is just perfect for small game with the .22 being more humane, aka DRT. Would love to play with a .20 some day...

 

[RatSmacker]

Dana any restrictions or Govt Regs regarding Air Rifles In Canada?

 

[Danman]

Dana any restrictions or Govt Regs regarding Air Rifles In Canada?

Its Dan, actually... we can shoot any caliber without a gun license, but speed is limited to under 500fps. Most of these airguns clock in at about 495fps. You can literally buy a .25 pcp here that only shoots 495fps. Useless. Once you get you FAC (Firearms Acquisition Card) the world of high power is unlocked. Air rifles above 500fps fall in with firearms.

 

[RatSmacker]

My Bad Sorry Dan! I see, I was reading something about the Brits being limited to Air Guns having to be under 12FPE?

 

[PapaT]

My Bad Sorry Dan! I see I was reading something about the Brits being limited to Air Guns having to be under 12FPE?

Yes, UK is 12 FPE in rifle, or 6 FPE in pistol, without a license.

 

[Florida_Man]

Nothing feels better than threading a 177 pellet through a 3mm circle , or a squirrel head