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the Daily hi thread
Hunting .177 or .22 for pest control
- Thread starter deanhunt
- Start date
. One love 
Ali
Only have a .22 but wished I had a .177
Engraver
Super member
Oldest argument going but my take is this they all have a place, just another string to the bow.
Depends what your hunting and how far your going to be shooting and in what conditions.
A good man knows when he's best with what gun in what calibre it's a great excuse for more guns yes, a good carpenter doesn't own only one tool.
Depends what your hunting and how far your going to be shooting and in what conditions.
A good man knows when he's best with what gun in what calibre it's a great excuse for more guns yes, a good carpenter doesn't own only one tool.
Radlad
Super member
Indoor or outdoor? What pests? What ranges?
I favour .25 for farmyard rats and ferals. Same for indoor stuff. For general use up to 40 yard rabbits ( usually never go above 30 though) i tend to use .177. .20 and .22 get used when the mood takes me but .177 is my preferred all round calibre. The more I use it in my AA S410f, the more confident I am with it
I favour .25 for farmyard rats and ferals. Same for indoor stuff. For general use up to 40 yard rabbits ( usually never go above 30 though) i tend to use .177. .20 and .22 get used when the mood takes me but .177 is my preferred all round calibre. The more I use it in my AA S410f, the more confident I am with it
jesim1
Member Extraordinaire
.177 is easier to be accurate with, but can cause over penetration and carries a little less energy down field.
On the flip side, .22 has a more loopy trajectory, and is therefore more difficult to be accurate with due to larger differences in holdover in comparison to .177.
.22 carries a bit more energy down range and is less likely to over penetrate, but it’s all about balance, and what you will benefit from most given the trates of each calibre.
You also need to remember, for a lot of hunting, power is not the priority as your going to need a head shot for most clean kills, so perhaps your better with a calibre which is easier to achieve that accuracy?
Take your pick, for me I’d side with .177 due to the greater accuracy opportunities it presents considering over penetration on the head shots most people will need for a clean kill are more easily achieved by that calibre, and over penetration on those is not a problem
You can always use wadcutters for close in rats
On the flip side, .22 has a more loopy trajectory, and is therefore more difficult to be accurate with due to larger differences in holdover in comparison to .177.
.22 carries a bit more energy down range and is less likely to over penetrate, but it’s all about balance, and what you will benefit from most given the trates of each calibre.
You also need to remember, for a lot of hunting, power is not the priority as your going to need a head shot for most clean kills, so perhaps your better with a calibre which is easier to achieve that accuracy?
Take your pick, for me I’d side with .177 due to the greater accuracy opportunities it presents considering over penetration on the head shots most people will need for a clean kill are more easily achieved by that calibre, and over penetration on those is not a problem
You can always use wadcutters for close in rats
chouchin66
Top Tier member
I fail to understand the concept of " easier to be accurate with"...one is either a competent shot, or one isn't...simple shooting with a given caliber & knowing it.
I’ve just bought a .25 to go for the sledgehammer effect 
As has been mentioned previously, it’s all about accuracy.
Be 100% sure that you can deliver whichever pellet to where it needs to go .
Personal preference will always come in to play , but that’s fine .
Also any pest controller / Hunter that claims never to have had a runner is lying .
Do your job right but bear in mind a slight movement or gust of wind can give a different outcome to the one you set out for .
As has been mentioned previously, it’s all about accuracy.
Be 100% sure that you can deliver whichever pellet to where it needs to go .
Personal preference will always come in to play , but that’s fine .
Also any pest controller / Hunter that claims never to have had a runner is lying .
Do your job right but bear in mind a slight movement or gust of wind can give a different outcome to the one you set out for .
I think they are trying to say that it flies flatter , therefore holdover / under is not as much of an issue .
chouchin66
Top Tier member
Fully appreciate the concept - my .220 Swift is ' bout as flat as it gets, but one still needs to get their holdovers down...it may ( no offense intended) be better to state that .177 is better for those that can't be as bothered to practice as much ???
jesim1
Member Extraordinaire
It’s easy to say if you have loads of time and opportunities to shoot and be as competent as you can be, but unfortunately that is not real life for a lot of people, so it’s hard to accept your argument
Basically, with the low power you get for air guns in the UK at sub 12fpe levels, there is a big difference in trajectories of .177 and .22 pellets, and as the .177 has a flatter trajectory it is easier to be accurate with as there is less estimation of holdover for any given distance, but particularly in the 30m+ distances.
At no point have I ever said .22 is less accurate, it’s just more difficult to be accurate with, and many casual shooters would be better making things easier for themselves rather than more difficult
chouchin66
Top Tier member
Argument Flaw: ^^^^^ For equal " quality" time ( not chin wagging & messing about) spent at a range, in equal shooting conditions, all learning of one's personal rifle, should be equal, regardless of caliber used.It’s easy to say if you have loads of time and opportunities to shoot and be as competent as you can be, but unfortunately that is not real life for a lot of people, so it’s hard to accept your argument
Basically, with the low power you get for air guns in the UK at sub 12fpe levels, there is a big difference in trajectories of .177 and .22 pellets, and as the .177 has a flatter trajectory it is easier to be accurate with as there is less estimation of holdover for any given distance, but particularly in the 30m+ distances.
At no point have I ever said .22 is less accurate, it’s just more difficult to be accurate with, and many casual shooters would be better making things easier for themselves rather than more difficult
TD_boy
Member Extraordinaire
If we accept that competition represents what people can achieve with a level of competence - then we'd see people using .22 to a similar effect as .177 - but we don't.
So by your thoughts process you'd label all the .22 competitors as incompetent would you?
Outkastmike
Super member
I've just recently gone over to .22 for shooting ferel pigeon's.
I found my .177 wasn't dropping them sufficiently and i was getting a lot of pass through shots which could be an issue inside buildings.
As for rabbits I'll stick with .177 as i only go for head shots and ive never had a rabbit ive shot complain about the calibre.
I found my .177 wasn't dropping them sufficiently and i was getting a lot of pass through shots which could be an issue inside buildings.
As for rabbits I'll stick with .177 as i only go for head shots and ive never had a rabbit ive shot complain about the calibre.
chouchin66
Top Tier member
Not at all, but, we're not talking competitions here are we? Rather, hunting.... I will say that a practiced shot with a ,22 is as accurate as a practiced.177 shooter. In a hunting situation, good bracketing skills/ use of a rangefinder, gives each caliber equal footing. The difference is number of mildots put into use for holdover, So, like RF, CF, or shotty, it's about knowing your gun. Do you get a little more leeway on a bad read with .177 - possibly so, but this easier to be accurate doesn't really wash.
How do you find shot consistency at 30–40 yards with the S410f?
JohnnySweden
Busy member
I favor the 25, a shot like this at 115 meters is possible during perfect circumstances.
From a hiding point in a service stand, no wind.
The rifle, the separate barrel is in calibre 22
I get what you’re saying, but I’d argue that some calibres do feel easier to place consistently, especially at tricky ranges or on smaller quarry. Skill matters, but equipment choice can make a real difference.