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

[Danman]

@Danman what .25 Airguns are available to purchase in Canada?

Taipan isn’t, what about Kalibr or Karma?

Yeah none of those brands here. Basically anything British, FX, AirForce, and Chinese pcps (but no AEA)
Edgun off and on but no real interest for me for the cost.

 

[FL22]

Yeah none of those brands here. Basically anything British, FX, AirForce, and Chinese pcps (but no AEA)
Edgun off and on but no real interest for me for the cost.

I can see why you’re leaning towards AirForce.

 

[Cantona256]

Idk something about Air Force just seems like a rite of passage. If you’re in this hobby long enough you’ll end up playing with one eventually…. Mine will probably be a .257 Texan.

 

[Hvacguy]

Idk something about Air Force just seems like a rite of passage. If you’re in this hobby long enough you’ll end up playing with one eventually…. Mine will probably be a .257 Texan.

When I got into airguns i despised them for how ugly they were. My first gun was a notos which I still have and love but soon learned Umarex doesn't provide spare parts or fix stuff. And the only oring kit available was from Bagnall & Kirk (or something like that) in the UK. Enter @PasadenaMike proselytizing about his TalonP with only 4 o-rings. I switched to AirForce and havent looked back. Single shot is plenty for all my shooting.

 

[Chief55]

Airforce Escape SS .25 with Zulus day/night scope, range finder, bullet drop compensator. Total weight 6 pounds ready to hunt. Quiet and deadly, day or night.

 

[Hvacguy]

Airforce Escape SS .25 with Zulus day/night scope, range finder, bullet drop compensator. Total weight 6 pounds ready to hunt.

View attachment 15472

Looks great. With a height over bore like that you're gonna need a bullet drop compensator . What's the process for calibrating for airgun projectiles?

 

[Chief55]

No coons in my chicken coop. .25 Eagle Claws also have internal baffles like an SS to help tone them down a little.

 

[Chief55]

Looks great. With a height over bore like that you're gonna need a bullet drop compensator . What's the process for calibrating for airgun projectiles?

On the phone app you program in the scope height above the bore, bullet weight, caliber, muzzle velocity, zero range, wind speed and direction. It plots a ballistic chart on your phone and links the phone app to the scope sending the data to the scope. When using the range finder, it gives you the correct point of aim for your range. Yes, it is better with a regulated gun but still works great for the first10 shots from an unregulated gun. It can give you 2 points of aim in the scope, being your zero and the compensated point of aim or just put your point of aim where you need it to be. I like just using the single point of aim. It is amazing. The scope is crisp and clear and amazing at night. Not to mention HD video and sound. There is no need for a dope chart. You push one button on the back of the range finder to turn it on and it gives you the correct place to aim right where you stand, no guess work.

 

[Xindaris]

I do a lot of pesting and limit my shots to 50 yards. The 25 is good for squirrels on down if you want quick one shot kills. The 30 is my go to for fox, raccoon and skunk. I only use pellets to limit range when shooting around buildings. The 35 is a good killer but uses a lot of air and is a lot louder which limits where you can use it.

 

[Pumacarl]

The question put forth in this thread is the exact question that I have been asking myself lately. We all have our own opinions on what caliber can do what. My experience doesn't seem to mirror others in relation to using what for what. In my case I found that .22 under 35fpe is for plinking and max animal is a squirrel, but when you get up to 45fpe it starts to become a whole other animal, a threshold is crossed. The same thing happens with .25 when you go from 25gr to 34gr pellets. What seems like a marginal increase becomes seeming twice as effective to me. You didn't ask about .30 but my initial shots with it on woodchucks was not impressing me at all. After much more use, and a lot of dead porcupines, I'll concede that it has longer legs than a .25, but under 75y my 58fpe .25 will kill anything my 90fpe .30 will, with a head shot.

With all that said, I don't think there is much terminal difference between a heavy .22 compared to a .25. The new ZAN ELR .22 slugs are getting a B.C. of .23, that's astounding! So, if there is no big difference in performance why bother with one over another? Several reasons that I can think of: laws, efficiency, capable platforms, ease of tuning, ammo availability. Some people have to use .22, done. It is much harder to get power from a .22 bore than a .25, requiring longer barrels, and even then few .22 come from the factory doing 75fpe. If the RAW did, I would have had one by now. I am actually considering an FX Leopard because It can do 75fpe at under a 43" length, with a 6" suppressor attached, without any modifications needed. There are a lot more choices in .25 and you can get by with a 600mm barrel length. You can also get a lot heavier ammo that you can stabilize for the .25 too. Of course, .22 has the most ammo choices and the magazines hold more shots. Trade offs for everything. However, if you are just talking about the advantages of a 34gr .25 pellet over a .22 MRD, I would say easier to handle and load, more guns available that that can shoot them at +60fpe, easier to see fly in your scope, no weird flyer stuff.

 

[Solo1]

The ghost can do 75 fpe in 22. But the ghost 25 @ 950 with 33.9 is only 68 my tiapan vet only does 69 @ 970 and that is about it. There is a you tube vid from Pyramyds partner cant think of the name but they said 25 was better than 30 for performance on game but then a 75 fpe 22 probably does a good job too! Im of the belief that we have finally reached Matt Dubbers goal of a 22 Airgun that beats the 22 lr not necessarily in power but accuracy.

 

[Ezana4CE]

The question put forth in this thread is the exact question that I have been asking myself lately. We all have our own opinions on what caliber can do what. My experience doesn't seem to mirror others in relation to using what for what. In my case I found that .22 under 35fpe is for plinking and max animal is a squirrel, but when you get up to 45fpe it starts to become a whole other animal, a threshold is crossed. The same thing happens with .25 when you go from 25gr to 34gr pellets. What seems like a marginal increase becomes seeming twice as effective to me. You didn't ask about .30 but my initial shots with it on woodchucks was not impressing me at all. After much more use, and a lot of dead porcupines, I'll concede that it has longer legs than a .25, but under 75y my 58fpe .25 will kill anything my 90fpe .30 will, with a head shot.

With all that said, I don't think there is much terminal difference between a heavy .22 compared to a .25. The new ZAN ELR .22 slugs are getting a B.C. of .23, that's astounding! So, if there is no big difference in performance why bother with one over another? Several reasons that I can think of: laws, efficiency, capable platforms, ease of tuning, ammo availability. Some people have to use .22, done. It is much harder to get power from a .22 bore than a .25, requiring longer barrels, and even then few .22 come from the factory doing 75fpe. If the RAW did, I would have had one by now. I am actually considering an FX Leopard because It can do 75fpe at under a 43" length, with a 6" suppressor attached, without any modifications needed. There are a lot more choices in .25 and you can get by with a 600mm barrel length. You can also get a lot heavier ammo that you can stabilize for the .25 too. Of course, .22 has the most ammo choices and the magazines hold more shots. Trade offs for everything. However, if you are just talking about the advantages of a 34gr .25 pellet over a .22 MRD, I would say easier to handle and load, more guns available that that can shoot them at +60fpe, easier to see fly in your scope, no weird flyer stuff.

The ghost can do 75 fpe in 22. But the ghost 25 @ 950 with 33.9 is only 68 my tiapan vet only does 69 @ 970 and that is about it. There is a you tube vid from Pyramyds partner cant think of the name but they said 25 was better than 30 for performance on game but then a 75 fpe 22 probably does a good job too! Im of the belief that we have finally reached Matt Dubbers goal of a 22 Airgun that beats the 22 lr!

If you’re hunting, let the death process of your target species tell the tale. If you’re shooting competitively the metric should differ greatly. I imagine that BC should be a primary factor. I’m more into what happens as opposed to what some app tells me.

 

[PasadenaMike]

Low and slow is devastating. I’ve shot ground squirrels dead in their tracks with my old .25 Leishy Classic at 700 fps consistently. Sometimes too fast just zips through

 

[Chief55]

I am pretty sure shot placement has more to do with it than speed. But you do need enough speed to hit your target and penetrate into the vitals. Bad shots give bad results at any speed.

 

[Danman]

The amount of back and forth going on in my head about this topic is intense, so I'd thought I'd share some of the madness with you guys. What im struggling with myself is AF new Slug barreled condor in .22 and .25 (on paper) has the EXACT same Fpe ratings! I was gonna get a condor in .25 and shoot the 34gr Jsbs or heavier. Now....im not sure!
All the slugs that wouldn't shoot well outta my (future) slug barreled ghost could be used in the Condor or vise versa....gahhh
@Solo1 I remember that video .25 held its own! I do believe for most small game a .25 is gonna be better than a .30.... I've seen what an Accurate Mrd can do above 950fps but the rando fliers are really annoying me. @Ezana4CE that's exactly my intended uses....pesting on fur bearing critters inside 75Y, and the results others have seen interests me the most. Regardless .22 will always remain my go to for squirrel, rabbit, and anything with feathers.

 

[Ezana4CE]

The amount of back and forth going on in my head about this topic is intense, so I'd thought I'd share some of the madness with you guys...I was gonna get a condor in .25 and shoot the 34gr Jsbs or heavier. Now....im not sure!
All the slugs that wouldn't shoot well outta my (future) slug barreled ghost could be used in the Condor or vise versa....gahhh
@Pumacarl I remember that video, .25 held its own! I do believe for most small game a .25 is gonna be better than a .30.... I've seen what an Accurate Mrd can do above 950fps but the rando fliers are really annoying me. @Ezana4CE that's exactly my intended uses....pesting on fur bearing critters inside 75Y, and the results others have seen interests me the most. Regardless .22 will always remain my go to for squirrel, rabbit, and anything with feathers.

@Danman I can say that in my 4 years of shooting .25s, they're a killer for small to small-medium sized game. As you were responding I was sitting here thinking about how I am less and less influenced by YouTubers and reviewers. I let my experience talk (to me) and I communicate with others of the same or similar interests about their experiences. Some of the things I read on forums don't add up to what I see. Some may be complete BS and other things I think really just boils down to differing environmental factors, tunes, barrels, projectiles, etc. This is where I value DOPE and personal experiences. I stopped looking for instant kills, especially when pesting. Now small animals that don't run far and die within two minutes I can live with. For large animals I'd like them to die within 30 minutes. To me this is acceptable as I will take a lung shot confidently without much, if any, hesitation. It may not meet the standards of others, but I have to live with my decisions. Some things that occur aren't worth discussing with everyone. As long I can learn from less than ideal situations and not repeat them, I have learned to live with that as well.

Whatever you decide, get your practice in and observe the performance of your ammo/scope/gun combo. If you base you long-term decision making on these sorts of experiences, your airgun journey will hopefully be more fulfilling to you.

 

[Xindaris]

If you are doing pesting for people your shot has to take them down and keep them down right where you hit them. They don’t want them dying on a neighbor’s property. I use my 30 caliber most of the time since most of the pests I am asked to get rid of are skunks and raccoons. I have 22 and 25 caliber but only use them on smaller game. Nobody wants to see an animal suffering for 30 minutes. As far as accuracy quality Airguns will match top quality 22 rifles out to 50 yards. And Airguns cost less to shoot.

 

[Cantona256]

I have purchased a .22 a .25 and a .30 this calendar year. I have also hunted small game with all 3.

The .22 was the lowest powered at like 26fpe and I only used 15.6gr, 17gr and 18.1gr pellets out of it.

The .25 is at 65-68fpe shooting exclusively slugs… 30-35gr

The .30 is the newest but I shot a squirrel at 86y today with a 62gr slug doing 920fps for like 116fpe….

I agree with what’s said above in that shot placement is the most important.

Ammo style, not size, is the second most important thing. The more energy you transfer to the target the more effective it will be in my opinion.

My preference for small game is the .25 cal… My gun is tuned to shoot very flat, very fast and the ammo I use gets insane expansion.

Is it better than other options? YES…. But only because it’s the one I’m most comfortable with, the one I’ve shot the most and the one I trust the most.

So my advice is that regardless of what you pick… practice, practice, practice. The tool is less important than the skill of the person wielding it.

 

[Ezana4CE]

If you are doing pesting for people your shot has to take them down and keep them down right where you hit them. They don’t want them dying on a neighbor’s property. I use my 30 caliber most of the time since most of the pests I am asked to get rid of are skunks and raccoons. I have 22 and 25 caliber but only use them on smaller game. Nobody wants to see an animal suffering for 30 minutes. As far as accuracy quality Airguns will match top quality 22 rifles out to 50 yards. And Airguns cost less to shoot.

@Xindaris Maybe I missed something. Who in this thread is discussing pesting for other people? Who says that your shot has to keep a pest down where you hit them? Beside's you, who's talking about neighbors and their property?

 

[Danman]

If you are doing pesting for pesring with a .30 shot has to take them down and keep them down right where you hit them. They don’t want them dying on a neighbor’s property. I use my 30 caliber most of the time since most of the pests I am asked to get rid of are skunks and raccoons. I have 22 and 25 caliber but only use them on smaller game. Nobody wants to see an animal suffering for 30 minutes. As far as accuracy quality Airguns will match top quality 22 rifles out to 50 yards. And Airguns cost less to shoot.

That's about my situation. I need it dead first shot with Drt being ideal, safety is also a concern, my situation I would say no to shooting a .30cal or slugs on my property for pesting usage. Shooting paper on my big steel pellet trap, it's not a problem. many people's shooting situation may be different. As far as accuracy vs rimfires I intend to push that when I have my slug gun (s)....will be up against my brothers .22lr and HMR shooting up to 150Y is the plan. My longest kill is 98Y with Ghost his IIRC was 118Y with Hmr.