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15 May 2014, 20:35
There is a common misconception that the heavier .22 pellet is less affected by wind, but this is incorrect, the amount of deflection is related to the velocity and also the "loss of velocity in flight", which is another way of saying the "ballistic coefficient". A .177 will fly flatter and be less affected by the wind than a .22 at the same power level, this has been proven.
However, if you were to tune a .22 rifle over the legal power limit, so that the velocity approached that of the .177 then the greater sectional density of the .22 pellet would give you a windage and trajectory advantage. It's easier to increase the power of a .22 than a .177, the larger calibre is more efficient at converting stored energy into muzzle energy.
Question - how much power do you need ? Actually, for common UK quarry, not very much. A 12ft-lb power UK legal rifle will easily kill a rabbit at 50yds, the key is in the shot placement. At such low powers there is no "shock" to speak of, the shot behaves as if you were pushing a pellet sized steel rod through the rabbit, whether a .177 or .22 rod makes little difference, but where you push it through is crucial. At UK legal power, you will find it easier to hit the kill zone with a .177, this is proven every weekend in competition by the best shots in the country.
As for .20 cal, forget it, it was massively hyped after Theoben published some faulty data about it. I argued online with one of the founders that the data was impossible and he finally admitted that there had been a printing error. I enjoyed that one.
However, if you were to tune a .22 rifle over the legal power limit, so that the velocity approached that of the .177 then the greater sectional density of the .22 pellet would give you a windage and trajectory advantage. It's easier to increase the power of a .22 than a .177, the larger calibre is more efficient at converting stored energy into muzzle energy.
Question - how much power do you need ? Actually, for common UK quarry, not very much. A 12ft-lb power UK legal rifle will easily kill a rabbit at 50yds, the key is in the shot placement. At such low powers there is no "shock" to speak of, the shot behaves as if you were pushing a pellet sized steel rod through the rabbit, whether a .177 or .22 rod makes little difference, but where you push it through is crucial. At UK legal power, you will find it easier to hit the kill zone with a .177, this is proven every weekend in competition by the best shots in the country.
As for .20 cal, forget it, it was massively hyped after Theoben published some faulty data about it. I argued online with one of the founders that the data was impossible and he finally admitted that there had been a printing error. I enjoyed that one.