Purchase .177 or 22 Pump Air Rifle?

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whitedust

Well-known member
177 Pellets generally travel at 1,250 FPS and 22 pellets are 950 FPS. The hitting power is better with 22 but a lot more pump air rifle choices with .177.
Is it better for pest elimination for .177 at higher speed than 22 pellet that is slower or is higher speed .177 the way to go? Shooting range would be about 100 to 150 feet
just can't get closer. I have lots of experience with rim & center fire rifles & pistols so know what size bullet is best for various applications up to an including
my 44 mag Ruger but zip experience with pellet guns. What is best size pellet?
 
R

radsrh

New member
IMO go with the 177 a well placed shot will take out any pest and like you stated lots more choices in the 177 cal. The increased speed will help with jumpy pests my experience is the generally squat when they hear the shot and at that range the speed and lighter weight of the round will offer less drop.
 
S

skutr

New member
Agree that either one is a good choice. Last spring my son took out a racoon at 40 yards with his 177 air rifle. He hit him right between the eyes.
 
T

Tracker

Guest
whitedust said:
177 Pellets generally travel at 1,250 FPS and 22 pellets are 950 FPS. The hitting power is better with 22 but a lot more pump air rifle choices with .177.
Is it better for pest elimination for .177 at higher speed than 22 pellet that is slower or is higher speed .177 the way to go? Shooting range would be about 100 to 150 feet
just can't get closer. I have lots of experience with rim & center fire rifles & pistols so know what size bullet is best for various applications up to an including
my 44 mag Ruger but zip experience with pellet guns. What is best size pellet?
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ok but first you gotta tell us if its the next door CAT LADIES cats or the resident SQUIRRELS your after....LMAO...old lady nelson is gonna know one of here 17 cats is missing WHITEDUST and it aint gonna be pretty...she's gonna ask you...."have you seen my SABRA anywhere, she didn't come home last night and I see you set the garbage out 4 days early"?
 
M

mrbb

Well-known member
I think the advantage is to the .22,
the slower going heavier bullet might also not bounce off things/ ricochet and possibly hit other things by accident
but I think either one is pretty close
I have used both for many many yrs from about the late 70's up

there are tons of different designed pellets today too, so using better pellet will help you as well,
also, if your going to add a scope, and I assume you are
make sure its a scope for an AIR rifle and not a regular scope, believe it or not, a regular scope will fail faster from all the abuse a air rifle has on them
sounds silly, but its true air guns are harder on guns than bigger calibers are!

ran a gun shop for many many yrs

if you have a 22 rifle that shoot shorts, you can also try using CCI mini mags shorts, there about as quiet as a pellet gun, very soft on noise but will kill small critters if place the bullet right!
saving you the need to buy another gun(not that buying another gun is ever bad LOL)
 
W

whitedust

Well-known member
mrbb said:
I think the advantage is to the .22,
the slower going heavier bullet might also not bounce off things/ ricochet and possibly hit other things by accident
but I think either one is pretty close
I have used both for many many yrs from about the late 70's up

there are tons of different designed pellets today too, so using better pellet will help you as well,
also, if your going to add a scope, and I assume you are
make sure its a scope for an AIR rifle and not a regular scope, believe it or not, a regular scope will fail faster from all the abuse a air rifle has on them
sounds silly, but its true air guns are harder on guns than bigger calibers are!

ran a gun shop for many many yrs

if you have a 22 rifle that shoot shorts, you can also try using CCI mini mags shorts, there about as quiet as a pellet gun, very soft on noise but will kill small critters if place the bullet right!
saving you the need to buy another gun(not that buying another gun is ever bad LOL)
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My marlin 22 is scoped in with longs & is pinpoint accurate so I hate to mess with it for CCI mini mags. A pellet gun for me is more of a deterrent for poop producing yard varmits maybe better known as beach rats....can't really say here but when present yard can stink like an out house....lol... I want these pests to leave be stung & move on don't want to kill them that would not be be legal. I have been using slingshots with rocks & bbs but not accurate. All the single shot pumps I have seen come with scopes as combos. Quiet operation is important as well just want to plink then back in cabinet. Prolly order on internet no stores around here so best I can do is a photo & read specs & would like recomandations of actual use if someone wants to chime in. Seems very limited for 22 choices.
 
C

Cirrus_Driver

Guest
WD - I agree with prev poster - just go with 22 shorts and forget the pellet gun. It makes no difference in accuracy 22 short vs. longs within 25-50 yards. Original question - when military went to .223 caliper M16 vs. 30 caliper Springfield bolt action and M1 carbine, between WW2 and Vietnam they did so with ballistics saying .223 at higher velocity does more damage than lower vel 30.06 or 30 cal. If you have to go with pellet gun, .177 works fine unless you're talking very heavy hide varmints like woodchucks. I wouldn't waste my time with any more pellet guns. Been there, done that.
 
W

whitedust

Well-known member
XXX007 said:
WD - I agree with prev poster - just go with 22 shorts and forget the pellet gun. It makes no difference in accuracy 22 short vs. longs within 25-50 yards. Original question - when military went to .223 caliper M16 vs. 30 caliper Springfield bolt action and M1 carbine, between WW2 and Vietnam they did so with ballistics saying .223 at higher velocity does more damage than lower vel 30.06 or 30 cal. If you have to go with pellet gun, .177 works fine unless you're talking very heavy hide varmints like woodchucks. I wouldn't waste my time with any more pellet guns. Been there, done that.
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Can't use 22 rimfire short or long way too much range. Range is 200 feet or so then back stop is a single line of huge pines on shoreline then open water. Amo needs to hit sting & be done no skimming or bouncing around or carrying power over a long range. Took sling shot on pier measured range 50 feet in straight line or have to loop with elevation then 150 to 200 feet but more like shooting a cannonball or playing lawn darts...lol... 22 rim fire can be 2 miles useless for this application and why I'm considering air pellets .177 or 22.
 
mezz

mezz

Well-known member
Sheridan 177 caliber pump pellet rifle. No restrictions on discharging one in a residential area. I've taken out rabbits at 125'. I also no longer have pigeons visiting my yard, nasty bastages. Accurate, hard hitting & quiet. Can't go wrong.-Mezz
 
M

mrbb

Well-known member
more than likely either the 177 or 22 will kill the things your shooting at, IF you really don't wish to kill them, why not get a paint ball gun
they make some pretty good accurate one these days
?? and you will mark them in the process to see if they come back LOL
also should a ricochet happen, all that's needed is some soapy water! cheaper than buying windows ?? or?

 
C

Cirrus_Driver

Guest
Dude - you live on Spectacle Lake if memory serves - Phelps - the boonies....unless you have anal retentive neighbors, adjust your angle of shot, watch your background, and take care of them with the 22 shorts. If you hit them, it slows the bullet down too. One shot - one kill.
 
G

Grant Hoar

New member
XXX007 said:
Dude - you live on Spectacle Lake if memory serves - Phelps - the boonies....unless you have anal retentive neighbors, adjust your angle of shot, watch your background, and take care of them with the 22 shorts. If you hit them, it slows the bullet down too. One shot - one kill.
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Got to chime in here; "if you hit them it slows the bullet down". Yeah, and what if it misses? Safety first, always got to be 100% sure of where bullet could possibly go. Skip the 22 rimfire, go with the Gamo pellet gun
 
C

Cirrus_Driver

Guest
I don't miss. My rifle is dead on - I aim for the eye. Hollow points - they flatten out after they hit. One shot - one kill.
 
W

whitedust

Well-known member
Grant Hoar said:
Got to chime in here; "if you hit them it slows the bullet down". Yeah, and what if it misses? Safety first, always got to be 100% sure of where bullet could possibly go. Skip the 22 rimfire, go with the Gamo pellet gun
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Agree 100% not a rimfire applcation & Mezz is correct got to be legal if possible. Why give anti gun peeps reason to complain & respect for my neighbors is important to me. Rimfire too many hazards not going to happen.
 
W

whitedust

Well-known member
J

jebjk1

Member
whitedust said:
Good suggestion as I had my eyes on a Gamo pump this model is not a pump. The Gamo pump I was considering was one common model either 177 or 22 & I'm back to my orginal question .177 or 22? Also I never heard of Gamo until I started to search. Are they good air rifles?
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If you are truly shooting at cats, stick with your slingshot or get a dog.
 
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