The .177 for hunting ?

[bear air]

I have found that at closer distances (under40) yards my 17 cal does an awesome job on squirrels and rabbits. Of course its producing around 30 fpe with piledrivers but I have found that most of the 22 cal shots have passed through the animal where the 17 cal dumps its energy and drops them right there.

[nervoustrigger]

.177 cal is very effective on small game, and in fact is my preferred caliber for this purpose.  But any advantage it holds over .22 in any particular situation is because of shot placement.  It can’t dump more energy than the larger caliber because it has a smaller frontal area with which to plow through flesh and bone.  The only way the .177 pellet can deliver more energy is by way of expanding and/or having a blunt head (e.g. wadcutter).  But to give that advantage to the smaller caliber and deprive it of the larger caliber would be to make it a rigged game.

[BackStop]

Because of the risk of pass through and the fact that I use the harder CPUM 10.5 pellets, I shoot my .177 Freedoms on low power (~730fps/~12 fpe) for pesting in my back yard.

Usually from 15 to 35 yards with 25 yards being the most frequent shot.   However, I have been practicing shooting out to 55 yards on low power and according to ChairGun, I would still have plenty of energy at that distance for a clean kill if I place the shot precisely.

On high power (~940fps/~20+fpe) the pass through and ricochet probabilities are just too great.

[Bryan Heimann]

All I know is that since before I joined the forum, this debate has resurfaced regularly.  Call it 8 or 10 years since I started lurking this forum and I bet you can find threads on it older than that.

And in this time frame people have been posting an aweful lot of kills with both of the most common calibers.

I have come to the conclusion that if the airgun is powerful enough and accurate enough, the caliber is purely a matter of personal preference.  There are tradeoffs in trajectory for a bigger pellet at the low end of the power spectrum, but as the power increases you lose accuracy in smaller calibers driven supersonic.

Other that that, just use what you like.

[BackStop]

All I know is that since before I joined the forum, this debate has resurfaced regularly.  Call it 8 or 10 years since I started lurking this forum and I bet you can find threads on it older than that.

And in this time frame people have been posting an aweful lot of kills with both of the most common calibers.

I have come to the conclusion that if the airgun is powerful enough and accurate enough, the caliber is purely a matter of personal preference.  There are tradeoffs in trajectory for a bigger pellet at the low end of the power spectrum, but as the power increases you lose accuracy in smaller calibers driven supersonic.

Other that that, just use what you like.

I agree with you.   Most of my shooting is @ 25 yards give or take 10 yards.   .177 works fine for the pesting I need to do.

My *extreme* distance is 55 yards and I am beginning to be competent and confident enough with .177 to start trying at that range for pests... if I ever have a chance for a shot.

I don't even put the Freedoms on high power any more.   730fps MV is plenty for what I do, even at 55 yards.

[Chouchin66]

I've hunted to 35 yards w/ .177 R7... Plenty effective on rabbits &  squirrels. .177 R9 , same quarry , good to 50-60+ with heavier pellets. I prefer a 11.5 grain .20 caliber in a Springer for longer distances however... more efficient & smoother shot cycle... Accuracy is king.

[Jason E]

In my country we are only allowed .177 smoothe bore air rifles, no power restrictions though, and i've taken agouti, iguana, peccary and opossum all with humane kills. You just need to know your gun, know your distances and practice... practice... practice. I use Eun Jin 16 grain and 20 grain piledrivers. That said, given the opportunity i'd definitely up my calibre lol.

[Nomadic Pirate]

What is a smoothe bore air rifle ?

[nervoustrigger]

Smooth bore means unrifled.

[Chouchin66]

@ Jason E... Peccary w/a .177... Nice !

[Nomadic Pirate]

Smooth bore means unrifled.

I figured that, but I'm confused, so Jason has a hatsan galatian and a Diana 350 with smooth bore barrels ?

[nervoustrigger]

Yeah I haven’t researched it but my guess is the manufacturers offer a smooth bore version to be able to sell into that market. 

[Jason E]

Yeah guys you heard that right, smoothe bore. Its the law over here that you cant have a regular rifled barrel for air rifles unless you are the holder of an FUL . So all of the air rifles sold here are custom smoothe bore and are insane expensive.. about the peccary shot i actually read a lot of posts from Manny on another forum and here ,saw his placements  and i practiced, practiced, practiced. Took me two years to get the confidence to attempt it and I let it pass me by twice because the shot was not there. MOD is from my country so his air rifles will be smoothe as well unless he has a Firearms Users License. My usual quarry are Agouti, Paca and Opossum. The shot on the peccary is buried here somewhere i think lol.