Reply With QuoteWhy do you think .177 heavyweights are popular with vermin hunters? Same reason, higher speed, accuracy over longer range and hitting power!Originally Posted by countryboy
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Recently, as a totally committed .22 shooter for rabbits , I have been following several discussions, and watching u-tube experiments and interviews on pellet choice and calibre. Now, I have always used lightweight hobbys for close range barn , loft and rat work, using low powered guns with great success. But for distance I have always used the usual suspects, ie , superfields or Superdomes etc. After a day at the range to understand the lightweight hobby at full ( 11.6) power, I spent yesterday evening out rabbiting. Firstly I did not expect the hobbies to maintain accuracy at more than 25-30 yds. At the range accuracy was still good at 50. So what was the result ,??? . 6 rabbits, stopped with clean headshots, almost instantly . Max range 35yds. Could the the low weight, higher velocity, and flatter trajectory of the hobby, coupled with its soft flat head and .22 size be more of an ideal hunter. I don't feel this pellet would take the wind very well but so far .....quite impressive. Is the answer a ultralight domed ??.
Why do you think .177 heavyweights are popular with vermin hunters? Same reason, higher speed, accuracy over longer range and hitting power!
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That is why I decided to try hobbys. I have read and seen all the arguments, but tbe major factor for me is as clean a kill as possible. ..22 does more , but the main argument against it appears to be accurate shot placement over differing ranges. The .177 beingore forgiving. But ballistic tests have shown hobbies to be more destructive. Just never considered them as longer range option before.
Banned
I found out a long time ago, that fast light pellets - in both calibres - work best for me in the field. Softer lead mixes, such as that used by JSB/AA seem to be the icing on the cake when it comes to dropping quarry. This is why I prefer JSB RS - .177 and .22 - for hunting and I've found that they ride the wind a lot better than common knowledge says a lightweight pellet should.
I've always known just how effective wadcutters such as Hobby can be against quarry, but - like you - never considered them to be anything other than a close range (15 yard) proposition. I recently tested some JSB Match (Yellow) wadcutters and was surprised to find that they would group just as well or better than many r/n brands at 35 yards.
The biggest surprise however, came in the form of .177 RWS Super-H-Point. My pal and I were consistently connecting with bottle tops at 50+ yards. Not a wadcutter granted, but still a pellet that wouldn't normally be considered suitable for long range shooting...
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A high speed .177 lead pellet of the soft variety will kill these pests at your usual hunting distances with great efficiency. JSB RS and the Predator Polymags are the softest lead pellets that I know of. If your pellet of choice, the hobbies , have proven accurate in your rifle then that is the way to go.
Good Hunting,
A.G
Registered User
My .22 80 loves them. They fly flat and hit hard. Cheap too.
I always try and go for the lighter options for pellets - with .22 even more so.
PS. John Darling used to use them in his 80. Anyone want to say he was wrong?!
Registered User
I've always loved Hobby for ratting and target work at short to moderate ranges. However, I found i could not use them for longer distance work as accuracy would fall away at around the 20m mark, for me at least. They performed similarly in the Theoben Scirocco 2000 and various Dianas i had at the time. I had to switch to Superdome for longer range stuff.
The Hobbys still out-shot Superdome and pretty much everything else under 20m though. I still use them for short range paper punching/ plinking.
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