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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: vandler on December 19, 2011, 02:16:50 AM

Title: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: vandler on December 19, 2011, 02:16:50 AM
Id like to gather info on these three rounds. Whats your favorite? whats best for plinking, whats better for hunting? How do they compare to each other? Everyone has there opinion and i welcome all. debates are welcome too ;D
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: 0351_Vet on December 19, 2011, 02:18:13 AM
.25
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: z28rod on December 19, 2011, 02:30:24 AM
The .25, excellent for hunting,  for small game to raccoon size including fox and bobcats as long as your rifle is setup to throw lead at 800fps or above, The .22 the most all around hunting caliber in 700fps to 900fps range, The .20 good for up to woodchuck size critters but your limited to rifles that chamber it and 700fps to 900fps. The .177 is the ultimate plinking caliber due to the inexpensive cost of the pellets and can be used for hunting smaller game such as squirrel's and rabbits, chipmunks and rats and most vermin, 650fps to 950fps. Almost all the fps I listed are for hunting, for plinking and target shooting almost any velocity is fine as long as its accurate in your rifle.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Tofazfou on December 19, 2011, 03:02:09 AM
I'm more of a hunter and where i shoot has a ton of range and wind.  So for me, my choice outta the 3 is the 22.  As stated above, all three have their place but to me, if i had to pick one, why not just get the 22 cause it can do what the other 2 can do but the other 2 can't duplicate the 22's entire package.  You can plink, hunt, and snipe with all three but the 22 has a vast pellet selection, it bucks the wind better than the other 2, is extremely accurate as a caliber, a bunch of guns are made for it (177 and 22 have the most) and it can be turned down in power (12 fpe or less) and can also be turned up to even higher fpe (40+) if you get a pcp.

Also, what do you do the most of?  Springer or PCP?  The 177 and the 20 can do a lot and are FANTASTIC calibers.  I have a 20 and i love it.  But when the winds are over 8+ mph, i leave it at home or if its with me, i keep it in the truck and i break out my 25.  You have to choose a caliber based on what you do the most.  For me, the 25 works best and gets the most use.  But if i only shot in my back yard or i had a small range limited to 50 yards or less, or i was into springers, the 177 or 20 are GREAT.

Just my .02
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: aack73 on December 19, 2011, 03:49:40 AM
i like the .177 best. cheaper, faster, flatter. ;D the heavier pellets will do better in the wind though.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Snaab9-2 on December 19, 2011, 08:56:58 AM
I have never shot a .20.... have had sevearl .177s, but now I am sold on .22.  

When looking to upgrade from a Crosman 2100 (about 650 fps in 177) for a "powerful" airgun that could do it all (target and small game), I didn't want 22 as I wanted the flatter trajectory of a 177 and at the time my budget was only around $200.  I got  a NPSS in 177 and if would have shot well I probably would have been happy enough.  I went back and forth 100 times and what I was struggling with is that with a 22 that only shot at around 700 fps - it would not have been ideal for my uses (lots of 50-70 yard shooting/harder to judge drop).  I liked the idea of having a 900 fps 177 over a 700 fps 22.

I returned my NPSS to Crosman and I got a Killer upgrade deal on a Disco and now that I own a Disco in 22 and it shoots fairly fast/flat (about like my NPSS did with a heavy pellet), I love it!  It hits SO much harder than the 177 NPSS did, is way more accurate and the pellets are only slightly more expensive than 177.  I have hit  animals with my Disco with poor shot placement and still was able to take them down... where as with 177 they probably would have got away.  I couldn't comprehend just how much bigger/more mass a 22 pellet has over a 177, and now that I have seen it first hand... 22 seems the way to go when you are around 20 fpe or more.  If I only had a 15 fpe gun or less, I may want 177 for the flatter trajectory.  I am getting ready to upgrade the hamer spring in the Disco and make it a 29 FPE gun... and at that power level there is no way I would want a 177... for high power, 22 (or 25) is the way to go.  25 is $$$ for ammo though.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: grizzlyadams on December 19, 2011, 09:30:55 AM
22 is my favorite as i mostly hunt. my experience in 20 is limited to an rws48 that i bought when they were discontinued but i only checked it for function then put it away. i also have an old sheridan but it needs resealed. i love the way 25 smacks a critter but prefer 22 due to ammo availability.i use 177 to hunt birds mostly and plinking in the yard. when i get into the predators (fox, coyote etc) i use the high energy pcps in 22 with 28-30+ grains, 25,357 calibers
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: daveshoot on December 19, 2011, 10:11:11 AM
I have used .177 for rabbits, and certainly squirrels. Works great (shot placement = everything) under the right conditions. It's  also better for lower-powered platforms that aren't suited to .22. Other than that, what aack said- cheaper, faster, flatter.

I have a couple of .20s and like it just fine. Wish there were more choices for the .20, especially in pistolas.

Mostly I shoot .22. Some of my favorite shooters are in that caliber, including the P-rod which is my primary pester. Massive overkill for birds and gophers but wind-resistant, and just what I happen to have in my hand most of the time.

I don't have a .25  >:( yet. Just a matter of time and the right deal. They are certainly expensive to plink with.
I wish someone would make a big bore in .280, as well.

Executive summary: There's no such thing as a bad caliber.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: EMrider on December 19, 2011, 10:56:31 AM
All my AG's are .177

The choice of pellets in .177 is endless and for target shooting and plinking I prefer the flatter trajectory and lower cost.

I'm not a frequent hunter.  That said, all of my hunting is small game at ranges of less than 40 yards.  At that distance, a 10.3gr pellet is plenty with good shot placement.

R
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Onebaddj on December 19, 2011, 12:38:03 PM
177 for targets and 22 for hunting. Pest control depends on the size, most birds get the 177 furry pest get the 22. My 350' are identicle is everyway but the caliber and the 22 puts out 5.5 fpe more. The 177 is cheaper for targets than 22. My 22 350 is the only zombie proof air rifle i have also. When you hit the target its over.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: jonnnyboy on December 19, 2011, 12:56:27 PM
My opinion:

.177 - great for plinking and bird hunting
.20 - don't like, too little choice for pellets
.22 - small to moderate plinking but more hunting, pesting
.25 - serious hunting for larger small-game

Almost all my 'bb' guns are .22 because for me it has the best balance between pellet availability, pellet cost, terminal ballistics and finally, they are big enough for my fumbly fingers to handle!

joe
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: MustangMike on December 19, 2011, 02:02:35 PM
im a .22 kind of guy, the extra power over 177 for me is why i use .22's

in all honesty the price difference between 177 and 22 pellets is so small i dont even pay attention to it..
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Mo on December 19, 2011, 02:42:13 PM
If you're not sure, go with .22!  Later, you won't regret that you don't have a lighter pellet.

I started with a .22 Gamo Whisper and love it.  Then wanted a pistol too and hemmed and hawed between the Crosman 1377 and 1322.  Cost won out for the 1377.  It's a very nice pistol.  And I now have a custom 1322 on order with Crooked Barn.  Should have just gone straight to the .22.

At least once the CB1322 is on hand, I won't have to be shy about taking the 1377 apart and learning how to modify it.  Looking at my wishlist of upgrade parts, by the time I'm done it will probably have total cost about the same as the 1322 ^,^
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Daisy-CrosmanBoy on December 19, 2011, 02:43:52 PM
177 all i have ever used, get the right gun and you can do it all, ive killed rats and squirrels in my house, dang vermin, to a racoon and opossum attacking my pets, looking for rabbit numbver 1 this year.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Mark 611 on December 19, 2011, 05:48:02 PM
I'm with jonnnyboy! .22cal all the way! most all my AG's are .22cal and I find for all around use the .22cal is hard to beat! :P
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: OldmanJunky on December 19, 2011, 06:35:33 PM
The .25 cal all the way for hunting.  It's not too much gun for most things worth hunting (squirrel and bigger).  Might be a bit big for birds, but it's fine for headshotting anything.

Gives you the most option for shooting, though it does cost more.

.22 caliber overall may make the most sense for most people, but I wanted one all around gun.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: Hotbrass on December 19, 2011, 07:35:35 PM
To me it all has to do with what the applicatiion is for. Plinking, I like 22, 20, and 177. I have owned all three.

.177 for general plinking, hunting, and it is cheep to shoot to a point. Cost? Eat at McDonalds or XYZ where a great burger will cost you $9-$10, you get filled at both places. You get what you pay for. Better taste.

.20, loved the guns. Sold them all, wish I had one or two back. Great cal, IMHO it is heavy for the cal, or was when I owned them.

.22, excellent cal, a do everything cal. Any and everything that you want to hunt the .22 in one weight or another will get the job done.

I have hunted small game with all three cals that you asked about. Do I have a preference? Yes.

For small game and all day shooting at farms I LOVE the .177. My gun shoots 7.9gr pellets at 920fps. I hit what I aim at. The gun is nuts accurate. Shoulder, head, and center chest shots are what I prefer to take. The most important thing to remember is shot placement. Shot placement over volocity. A well placed hit with a pellet leaving the bbl at 650fps is much better than a miss at 900fps. I carry 300 or more pellets with me, have I ever ran out of pellets? YES! I go to the truck and fill up again.

All of the .20 cals that I owned were spring or pumpers. I also carried 300 pellets or more when hunting with these guns. When I owned the .20 cals the available pellets were 14gr and up. IMHO they were just too heavy at the volocity that I could push them. I think an 11 or 12 gr pellet would have made the cal that much more versitile. Great cal by the way, the availabe pellet selection today is pretty darned good.

.22, the work horse. It is a plinker, target shooter, hunter, and just all around darn good cal to own. For its intended purpose, it shines and excells. It will take small game, mice, rats, small birds, etc with the best of them. Larger game such as ground squirrels, crows, racoons etc fall easily to the .22 with a well placed shot.

All cals will work, with a well placed shot. What ever cal you choose, shoot it until you can hit where you aim. As long as you know where the pellet will hit, I say choose your poison (cal), and enjoy it.

Good luck with your decission.
Title: Re: .22 vs .17 vs .20
Post by: yoshi800 on December 19, 2011, 08:38:43 PM
Im with hotbrass.  It depends on the application.  I can't think of any pest that's going to be a problem with a hole in it's head however, so don't get too hung up on caliber either.