.20 Caliber Question

[454 Big Block Chevy]

what advantages do .20 caliber AG's have over .177 or .22?  i have .177 and .22 and am curious at the other 2 common cal's of AG's... i'd like at least one gun in each caliber... until i become a Gene and have 30.... :-D

[s10gto]

I have never owned a .20 ,but I have heard it is a happy med. Little flatter trajectory then .22 ,but a little more lbs of energy.

I'm interested in what other members think as I was looking @ a .20  

[gene_sc]

You have the advantage of both worlds. .177 and .22.. You can find a great read on it on Beeman's site. Check the library and I think there is a link at bottom left side.

[daved]

I've tried the .20 a couple of times, in both PCP's and springers.  To me, it just seems kind of redundant, especially with PCP's.  With those, there's enough overlap between the higher powered .177's and the lower powered .22's that the .20 really serves no purpose IMO.  In springers, I've only ever tried one, a Diana 48, a gun that just didn't work for me, so I sold it rather quickly.  BTW, there was one of those for sale on the Yellow as of last night.  In theory, the .20 is supposed to fall in between the .177 and .22 for power and velocity, but I really haven't seen it in my limited experience with the caliber. 

My other issue with the .20 is pellet selection, there just aren't as many options out there.  And one of the most popular pellets, the Crosman Premier, weighs the same in .20 as it does in .22.  Since most springer models share the same power plant regardless of caliber, you don't net anything.  Now all that said, the .20 has a lot of fans, so maybe I'm missing something :-).  And if your goal is to have (at least!) one gun in each caliber, then go for it.  I've heard one of the best springers in .20 is the R9, and I almost went that route when I got mine.  Decided to stick with .177 and don't regret it, my R9 is right near the top of my all time favorite list.  But maybe some day ;-).  Later.

Dave 

[airgunandy]

I have a nice old Sheridan Blue Streak. It is my only .20 cal airgun. Honestly, I can't say it's the caliber or the gun itself that makes it such a sweet shooter. I have a .22 Benjamin that is almost as accurate.
I think the main down side of .20 is the heavy Crosman pellets. If you use pellets that are in between normal .177 and .22 pellets in weight, then .20 shines. When using Crosman pellets that weigh the same as the .22s you get the worst of both worlds. A smaller bore means less air to push the pellet, so a .20 cal Crosman pellet shoots slower than a .22 if the guns are equal except caliber. That means an even loopier trajectory. Plinking at 12 to 15 yards with the Sheridan I don't see much difference between lighter JSBs and Benji Cylindricals, but punching paper at 20 to 25, the nod goes to the JSBs.

[454 Big Block Chevy]

Oh i'd love to pick up a blue streak in .20... my dad has one, and its the greatest gun ever.

[JonnyReb]

 I was thinking how much i liked these guns to, in .20. Till i saw the factory refurbs at D&L air for $100.00 in .177 or .22.

  Think i'll settle... J

[airgunandy]

D&L? Who dat?

[JonnyReb]

 Google D&L airguns. Another thread on here spoke of them and i checked them out. Had some great prices.   Jeff

  ** AW Heck   They are in Canada.. Not sure what that does to shipping or if they can even ship one of those over here.