Just Got To Have A .22 Cal. Springer For Hunting

All the rifles I have in .22 cal. are c02 guns, a un-mod QB 78 and I'm getting a custom Crosman 2300 with 14.6" barrel tomorrow, all of my springers are .177 cal. I would like to have a springer in .22 cal. for hunting, it wouldn't have to be a magnum just something with good velocity in .22 cal. I saw a Beeman GH950 at Cabela's for $149.00 with a 3X9 40mm scope. I was thinking about putting a .22 cal. barrel on a  B30 that I have but that might be a lot of trouble.

Any thoughts on this, I don't want to spend a lot of money for a new .22.

Thanks Bill

[daved]

A B-26 would be in your price range, even the thumbhole stock version.  RWS 34 is also a possiblity, it's the plain jane little sister to the 350.  You might check the classifieds here and on the Yellow, there's usually something worth looking at on one or the other.  Can't help but wonder how much you'll gain with a mid-power .22 vs. .177, though.  HTH.

Dave

He'd gain from not haveing any over penetration.

eighty8fierogt - 1/22/2007  9:35 AM

He'd gain from not haveing any over penetration.

Personally, I can see PLENTY of advantages in having "too much" penetration but I cannot see ANY in having too little.

During the course of just over a quarter of a century of hunting with spring-piston air rifles, I cannot recall a single instance in my own field shooting where I found myself wishing that I had LESS penetration.  The more the merrier, as far as I am concerned.  I want all of my shots to be complete pass-throughs with an entrance and and exit wound.  I want that whether I am shooting little 9 ounce valley quail with my air rifles or big game with my firearms.

Given the choice between .177 or .22 on the same spring-piston powerplant, I'd rather shoot the .177.  I can work with "too much" penetration but I can't do a whole lot with too little.

I reckon it is a difference in basic philosophy, but I don't have a lot of faith in "energy transfer" or "hydrostatic shock" in terminal ballistics.  I have plenty of confidence in the combination of PLACEMENT and PENETRATION, however.

If you shoot a cottontail in the "magic spot" behind the eye and below the ear with any mid-magnum springer, regardless of caliber, out to 50 yards or so, the predictable and repeatable result is instant death of the rabbit who received the thump on the noggin.  The issue here is that you have to actually HIT the magic spot and with some classes of air rifle -particularly the mid-magnum springers that most air rifle hunters still rely upon in this country, hitting that spot is much easier with a .177 than it is with a .22.

How?

Because even a gutless little R-9 running at 13.5 to 14 ft/lbs will drive plenty of hunting style domed pellets with ballistic coeffecients (BC) of over .020 fast enough (850 ft/s+) to allow a point blank range of 50 yards.  A .22 caliber air rifle running at the same power level won't.

-JP
http://www.uplandhunter.net

lib7273 - 1/21/2007  11:11 PM

All the rifles I have in .22 cal. are c02 guns, a un-mod QB 78 and I'm getting a custom Crosman 2300 with 14.6" barrel tomorrow, all of my springers are .177 cal. I would like to have a springer in .22 cal. for hunting, it wouldn't have to be a magnum just something with good velocity in .22 cal. I saw a Beeman GH950 at Cabela's for $149.00 with a 3X9 40mm scope. I was thinking about putting a .22 cal. barrel on a  B30 that I have but that might be a lot of trouble.

Any thoughts on this, I don't want to spend a lot of money for a new .22.

Thanks Bill

Yeah, I've got a few thoughts on this.........

Here in California, we're blessed with some progrssive regulations which allow air rifles to be used to take all resident small game animals -including upland game birds- for which there is a general season.

I have absolutely no need or desire to own a .22 air rifle and will probably never own one as long as there is a .20 caliber alternative.

For quail in particular, I would rather shoot a .177 than a .22 version of the same rifle.  I can get along fine on cottontails with .177, as well.

Advances in pellet design have made .177 an effective field caliber.  I still use .177 when I know the shots are going to be longish.  Assuming that you're shooting pellets with a ballistic coeffecient of over .020 at a velocity of over 850 ft/s, a .177 air rifle in the 13 to 14 ft/lb class will have a maximum point blank range of right around 50 yards or so.  That isn't the case with a .22 running that the same power level.

In short, .177 works for me.  It's all about placement and penetration.

-JP
http://www.uplandhunter.net

[shadow]

I agree with JPShelton, all I do is hunt with my airrifles and I know that if I get good penetration even pass through, my game is'nt going to far. Im a head shot shooter, shut down the switch box and the rest will follow.Wounded game that get's away, maby into a hole etc. is'nt good. I'd rather hunt all day and see nothing then shoot something,wounding it then letting it get away.   hunting, Ed