Which calibre air rifle is best .22 or .177?

Question

What conditions would suit each of them?

Answer 1

There are very nice rifles made in each caliber, so it's more dependant on what you're going to use it for.. My personal favorite is the Feinwerkbau Model 124D .177 . It's very accurate, on good days(mine) I can put 10 rounds through the same hole at 10 meters on a paper target. That said, it does not have the velocity of some of the new breed of hyper velocity air rifles..The FWB 124D is around 850FPS there are some .177s in 1000-1250FPS range..

When I lived in up in the Ozark Mountains of Northern Arkansas I would target practice on steel cans, place one inside of another inside of another filling the inside can(3rd) with sand at ranges up to 50 meters.. The .177 would penetrate all three out to 35-40 meters and 2 at 50. So it was very effective on Rabbits out to those ranges. Sorry, I have only used .177s I have no practical knowledge of 22cal air rifles..Just know what I have read.

The most important thing is get the best air rifle you can afford, make sure it's "spring piston" and buy high quality pellets. Try several different types of pellets with your rifle before you buy a large store of them, as your rifle may prefer one type over another.

I don't know how much you know about air rifles but there is an interesting history to air rifles and you can read some of it on Beeman.com . For one I had no idea that air rifles have been around since the 1500's . A place to check out a large number of air guns for sale is Airgunwarehouse.com ...

Hope you find what you're looking for.

Answer 2

The .22 pellet is wider than the .177. .177 shoots flatter, .22 is less affected by wind. a .22 caliber pellet going at the same speed as a .177 pellet has more energy/knock down power, so say a .22 pellet going at 500 fps has more energy than a .177 caliber pellet going at 500 fps Also, .22 pellets are a bit more expensive, but not that much. A .22 pellet shot with the same powerplant as a .177 pellet gains about 30% of energy, so If you would change the barrel on a .177 rifle to a .22 barrel, but kept the powerplant as is, the .22 pellet would hit harder.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Which calibre air rifle is best .22 or .177?
What conditions would suit each of them?

Answer 4

it depends on what you are shooting ..
.22 good for rabbits ....177 good for pigeons ..
A .177 has a flatter flight path and spins faster so can penetrate deeper ..a .22 has a bit more "Thump"....
For target shooting a .177 is better ( slightly more accurate )

If it was me i would have a nice Pre-charged .177 and use heavy ammo like Crossman premier..
Hope this helps a bit ...

Ps...Both have a legal power limit of 12Ib in the UK ..a .22 is no more powerful than a .177.
Good shooting .

Answer 5

It depends what you are using it for. .22 are known for their power and .177 are known for their accuracy. If you are planning to actually use it for hunting a .22 would be the better choice as it is more likely to penetrate skin and organs. A .177 would be a better choice for sport shooting and target practice. Having said that, either with a half decent scope (around £40) will be pretty good.
The shot you use will also obviously have a great effect, round points for normal, hollow points for maximum destructive power.

Answer 6

Best Air Rifle Caliber

Answer 7

I prefer a 177 but is just a personal preference.

Answer 8

.177 is best for range shots, but if its thump (ie whatever you hit will hurt more than the .177) your after you want the .22, also it depends what ammo your using to start with ie ballpoint, flatheads, etc
Happy hunting

Answer 9

.22s are awesome! I love shooting at stuff with it(not humans) then for deer hunting I used a 30 30. Got 2 a buck and a dough

Answer 10

.22