prosport hold sensitivity .177 vs .22

[where's it gone]

?..... as I've decided on a new Prosport for my next rifle too; just the decision on calibre to be made now...

I did decide and got a Prosport walnut in .22 What made my mind up ? On buying a Prosport, I wanted another springer to add to my collection. On calibre, I'm a .22 person, got a HW 100 in .177 already if I need a .177 Why I bought it now, last Saturday, the price. Why you are dilly dallying, the cost could, and more proberly will, go up.
Nice quality rifle, you won't be disappointed .

[Rapidnick]

I'm pretty sure both will be good to shoot, however I'm leaning towards one in .177 calibre after reading this despite knowing that .22 will likely be smoother to shoot out of the box. My HW80 (.22) is on ticket and at 20fpe is pretty lively anyway, so I think a Prosport in .177 shouldn't pose too many problems... (he thinks, hopefully)

Assuming your FAC HW80 is a bit like mine then the PS .177 will be fine. I like the firing cycle and handling of the PS very much and for right handed shooters the walnut stocked one is a really lovely gun. Is it as good as a lazaglided HW77/97? For my money not quite but it offers really good performance for price-and it is just SO pretty!!
Looking at the HW80 I am amazed that mine-a 22 ft lb springer -is no harder to cock than a legal limit .177. A tribute to the tuner's art methinks.
I've never found the PS to be hold sensitive-my fundamental objection to it is the fact that it is only a right handed gun. The stock can be changed but the loading port can't-I'm ruling out major metal working here- which means that the rifle can never be used with a shooting glove by a left handed shooter.

[clarky]

All spring powered rifles above 9ftlbs are nicer to shoot in .22 almost without exception. The trade off is more more curved tragectory for the long range stuff that you get in FT but if you were into FAC territory you would not even consider .177 at all.
If your hunting at sub 40yds and are familiar with your .22 you are not going to do better but the flatter tragectory of .177 is easier for field targets across a variety of ranges....thus it depends on what you are going to be doing with your Prosport.

Out of interest the only springer which i ever came across that was better in .177 (before tuning) was the Mercury S.
The charactersitics were perfectly set up for a new high power .177 at the time but BSA found they had to tweak back the 890fps that the first productions units returned. Even tweaked downwards, it still hit 870 fps in the Airgun world tests when this gun featured but with the little bit of downward tweaking that was not required for the .22.
The .22 was good but not better and im pretty sure the Mercury S .177 won a fairly major FT event at the time.

[Hellequin]

Assuming your FAC HW80 is a bit like mine then the PS .177 will be fine. I like the firing cycle and handling of the PS very much and for right handed shooters the walnut stocked one is a really lovely gun. Is it as good as a lazaglided HW77/97? For my money not quite but it offers really good performance for price-and it is just SO pretty!!
Looking at the HW80 I am amazed that mine-a 22 ft lb springer -is no harder to cock than a legal limit .177. A tribute to the tuner's art methinks.
I've never found the PS to be hold sensitive-my fundamental objection to it is the fact that it is only a right handed gun. The stock can be changed but the loading port can't-I'm ruling out major metal working here- which means that the rifle can never be used with a shooting glove by a left handed shooter.

All spring powered rifles above 9ftlbs are nicer to shoot in .22 almost without exception. The trade off is more more curved tragectory for the long range stuff that you get in FT but if you were into FAC territory you would not even consider .177 at all.
If your hunting at sub 40yds and are familiar with your .22 you are not going to do better but the flatter tragectory of .177 is easier for field targets across a variety of ranges....thus it depends on what you are going to be doing with your Prosport.

Out of interest the only springer which i ever came across that was better in .177 (before tuning) was the Mercury S.
The charactersitics were perfectly set up for a new high power .177 at the time but BSA found they had to tweak back the 890fps that the first productions units returned. Even tweaked downwards, it still hit 870 fps in the Airgun world tests when this gun featured but with the little bit of downward tweaking that was not required for the .22.
The .22 was good but not better and im pretty sure the Mercury S .177 won a fairly major FT event at the time.

Very useful comments there. I know what you mean about the smooth cocking on a tuned 80 Nick; mine is slightly lowered powered than yours but has a proper carbine barrel (it was one of the newer screw cut ones) so whilst it does need a little more effort than a 12fpe rifle, it is so smooth and quiet.

Back to the thread, calibre isn't really a major issue for me with regards to 'type' of shooting. All I do at the mo is hunting and a bit of plinking/paper punching for practice but I'm happy doing that with either .177 or .22 to be honest. With the Prosport I was more concerned with how that particular rifle shot, and if it was significantly smoother in .22 calibre. I do know my current rifle's trajectory well but whilst it's .22, at 20fpe it's closer to a 12fpe .177 trajectory wise so getting a rifle in .177 wouldn't be too much of an issue; to be honest I'd quite like to try some long range shooting with a 12fpe rifle (on paper/knock down targets only obviously) and who knows, maybe one day I will get around to joining a club, so it's looking like .177 is favourite for me at the moment.

[clarky]

Fair play for making the decision, im sure it will turn out to be right for you.
I actually picked .22 for the ease of handling on cold mornings, with all my rough shooting done before 9 am really, while i never take anything above 30 yrds or so, in an effort to try and follow humane guidelines. Thus im not so worried by the more loopy .22 save for a couple of very tempting sitters that i couldnt get closer to due to hedgerows etc.

[DNF]

Fair play for making the decision, im sure it will turn out to be right for you.
I actually picked .22 for the ease of handling on cold mornings, with all my rough shooting done before 9 am really, while i never take anything above 30 yrds or so, in an effort to try and follow humane guidelines. Thus im not so worried by the more loopy .22 save for a couple of very tempting sitters that i couldnt get closer to due to hedgerows etc.

Your use of .22 to keep humane ranges does you credit, if I had a hat I'd take it off to you.
I wish more hunters had the same attitude.

[clarky]

Thanks friend.....depending on the day or my mood i sometimes feel bad about actually taking the critters at all....least i can do is do my utmost for a clean kill

[Hellequin]

Your use of .22 to keep humane ranges does you credit, if I had a hat I'd take it off to you.
I wish more hunters had the same attitude.

I agree with that, though to be fair the vast majority of folk I've seen on here seem responsible with their humane hunting ranges whether legal limit or FAC. My FAC'd 80 still has plenty enough power to humanely despatch airgun quarry at 70 or 80 yards but there's no way I'd shoot at live quarry that far. I have shot rabbits at almost 50 yards with it in perfect conditions and am confident with the rifle at that range but most live quarry is shot well under 40yds, what you might call normal airgun range to be honest. FAC power in air rifles doesn't mean you have to automatically increase the range, for me it just means a flatter trajectory and a lot more clout at normal airgun ranges.

Paper and knock down targets are different entirely. I'm not in a club but I can still push the boundaries on paper/metal and it's one of my reasons for wanting a 12fpe Prosport and being interested in the question of which calibre to go for. I just want to have fun practising and seeing how far I can achieve groups with a 'bog standard' springer, without the pressure of competition. If it increases my ability in hunting then so much the better, though I don't envisage it increasing the maximum range I hunt at.

[mattycons59]

I have a .22 ProSport and a .177 TX200 and I find that the PS is definitely smoother to shoot than the TX but it is also a little hold sensitive. The TX is more front heavy but both feel well balanced on aim. If I had to choose one or the other I really don't think I could. Both calibre's have their advantages as do both guns. One is not better than the other, just different!

[PCPShooter]

I agree with that, though to be fair the vast majority of folk I've seen on here seem responsible with their humane hunting ranges whether legal limit or FAC. My FAC'd 80 still has plenty enough power to humanely despatch airgun quarry at 70 or 80 yards but there's no way I'd shoot at live quarry that far. I have shot rabbits at almost 50 yards with it in perfect conditions and am confident with the rifle at that range but most live quarry is shot well under 40yds, what you might call normal airgun range to be honest. FAC power in air rifles doesn't mean you have to automatically increase the range, for me it just means a flatter trajectory and a lot more clout at normal airgun ranges.

Paper and knock down targets are different entirely. I'm not in a club but I can still push the boundaries on paper/metal and it's one of my reasons for wanting a 12fpe Prosport and being interested in the question of which calibre to go for. I just want to have fun practising and seeing how far I can achieve groups with a 'bog standard' springer, without the pressure of competition. If it increases my ability in hunting then so much the better, though I don't envisage it increasing the maximum range I hunt at.

Just get a TX/HC in 177, I can't get on with Pro Sports like a lot of people on here, (though I know a lot like them too) or buy the new 77 ambi stock in 20 cal - You really need to try a PS, they do have a right 'odd balance' , 'lumpy' is my 'feeling on them' -