Pellet calibers
In today's market, there are 4 main pellet sizes for the consumer to consider when purchasing their next airgun. They are the .177, .20, .22, and .25 caliber pellet. But how do they affect my decision as a shooter?
The .177 is by far the most common of pellet sizes in existence. It has ruled the target shooting scene for decades, and with good reason. It is the only pellet caliber allowed for competition in international circles, and gives a significant advantage in Field Trial applications, where the shooter must thread their projectile through a small hole in the target to make the target fall over. One interesting fact about the .177 pellet is that it is not the same size as the BB, though you see youth-market guns made to accomodate both rounds in the same gun. This is accomplished by using a barrel that compromises between the two sizes, shooting both of them adequately, if not superbly. Additional advantages to using this caliber are that it is cheaper, and you get more in each package that you purchase.
The next caliber up in size is the .20 caliber, also designated the 5mm. The .20 came about due to the Sheridan Airgun Company whose founder, Ed Wackerhagen, designed a proprietary caliber for use in his new airgun. It was a marketing ploy to cause buyers of his rifle to get their ammo from him since none other existed. It worked, but for years the Sheridan was the only gun to use that caliber. However, as time progressed, others picked it up, and you can find many more air rifles available today in this "middle" caliber. There still isn't as wide a variety of pellets in this caliber compared to the .177 and the .22, but it certainly has its following in the air gun world. And it does have an advantage over the .177 in hunting applications in my opinion, due to the larger wound channel it causes.
The .22 caliber pellet has been around for a long time, and actually owes some of its history to the .22 rimfire. Today, it isn't the same size, with the .22 rimfire projectile being larger than the pellet of the same designation. In America, the .22 pellet was more common than the .177, due I assume to the hunting applications it lended itself to. The .22 caliber makes a much larger wound channel as mentioned previously, and if you shoot a .177 and a .22 from the same type powerplant of a given model, the .22 will deliver more power due to the weight of the projectile. In America, I've noticed that it is easier to find the older model Crosman pellet guns in .22 than in .177. I've read that the .22 pellet gun was more popular than the .177 in this country until well into the latter half of the 20th century. The pellet selection from various makers is very good in this caliber, and for younger shooters, the .22 pellet is easier to handle and load when learning the basics of shooting and safety. They are more expensive, and you don't get as many, but they certainly have their advantages. This is one reason that the majority of my hunting airguns are in .22 caliber.
The "king of the hill" size-wise for the smallbore pellet gun is the .25 caliber. Shooting a 1/4" lead projectile certainly makes for excellent knock-down power in hunting applications if you can find a gun that will send the big pellet downrange with decent velocity. In modern times, this isn't a problem. There are several pneumatic guns on the market that will do a fine job with the .25, and there are a couple of spring-piston choices as well with the Beeman Kodiak/Webley Patriot, and Theoben offers the Crow Magnum as well. The trajectory of the .25 will be more range sensitive, requiring the shooter to learn how the bigger pellet drops as opposed to the flatter- shooting smaller calibers. But when you get it dialed in, you will certainly appreciate the terminal affect it has on small game, as well as medium game such as raccoons and possums.
What caliber you choose to buy is determined largely on the use you have in mind. Consider the advantages of each caliber, as well as availability. Then browse through the pellet selection here at Airgun Depot and grab the pellet of your choice for your application.
