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Thread: 20 cal in U.K. and Europe?

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    20 cal in U.K. and Europe?

    For years in the US Sheridan and Robert Beeman made the 20 cal. pellet pretty common over here. Now there is not a gun made in the US that is 20 cal. Only about 5 types of pellets you can buy? Is it all but dead over there as well? I’ve been shooting my 1998 Benjamin- Sheridan rifle and rather like this pellet?
    Last edited by 45flint; 21-09-2018 at 06:21 AM.

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    Its true you do not see as many rifles and pistols around in .20, but they are still available to buy. Two of my most accurate rifles are in .20, a Daystate XLR PCP, and a Weihrauch HW 95 springer. Also my RFD and friends do get quite a few Sheridans pass through their hands. The pellets I see on the shelves are H&N, Bisley, Kaiser, JSB. The .20 has quite a flatter trajectory compared to the .22 at extended ranges as it averages 100 f.p.s. more at our legal energy limit.

    Baz
    BE AN INDEPENDENT THINKER, DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD

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    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    For years in the US Sheridan and Robert Beeman made the 20 cal. pellet pretty common over here. Now there is not a gun made in the US that is 20 cal. Only about 5 types of pellets you can buy? Is it all but dead over there as well? I’ve been shooting my 1998 Benjamin- Sheridan rifle and rather like this pellet?
    Interesting your legal limits add a interesting twist?

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    I’ve got Sheridan rifles and pistols in .20.
    Plus an HW 77 and an HW95.

    I like the calibre and use H&N ftt mostly.

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    I've got a BSA Firebird with interchangeable barrels, one of which is in .20. And a Titan Bearcat in .20. Both very nice pcp's designed by John Bowkett. I also have a Sheridan Blue Streak and a Model F in .20. Although I like them, I find it very difficult to shoot accurately with the Sheridans using the open sights. I much prefer my Crosman 180. But that's another story haha.

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    Dont think you can compare a Sheridan vs other .20 rifles like Theoben etc. Its a different beast.
    In the Netherlands, therer isnt much .20 either.
    Theoben was the first to really make those calibers for our market I believe. Now you can get HW in .20 too but why should you.
    Most find their caliber of choice in either .177 or .22. Not much pellet choice either.
    I wouldnt buy any .20 or I should be a rare Webley for collecting or anything
    ATB,
    yana

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    I am a huge fan of the CO2 Sheridan F and use Beeman Silver Jets (when I can find them) and Crosman Premiers in mine.

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    Gareth W-B's Avatar
    Gareth W-B is offline Retired Mod & Airgun Anorak Extraordinaire
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    .
    The first UK .20 of note was the AIRGUNAID SP-5 .20 Hunter circa 1979. This was developed by Eddie Barber of 1970s/1980s Air Gun World fame, alongside a chap called Don Grey, who produced and marketed his own version of the very same -- both using Lothar Walthar barrels, finely fettled Milbro Diana G80 actions, and specific HW35 styled finger grooved stocks.

    Early AIRGUNAID stock examples were hand waxed and hand finished. Later variants -- and all the Don Grey derrivatives -- had their stocks mechanically mass laquered for reason of production cost economics. By today's standards, as I have been forced to admit in the past, the AIRGUNAID and DG .20s in question are left wanting in many areas, but I for one love them.

    Do a BBS collector's section search for AIRGUNAID and see what comes up -- I think you will be very pleasantly surprised. Hope this helps and offers an insight into the quirkiness of the 1970s/1980s British domestic sub 12ft.lbs air gun scene.
    _______________________________________________

    Done my bit for the BBS: http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....-being-a-mod-… now I’m a game-keeper turned poacher.

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    20. Cal

    I own...Webley Stingray, Longbow, Tomahawk, 80 and 95 in .20 cal. Great fun. Mach 1.5

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    My only .20 cal is an Original 45 bought on here. Upon researching pellet options I found there was very little available. While awaiting some FTT'S s by post, I happened upon a selection NOS pellets in a local dealers back shop. Some of them no longer available as far as I can ascertain. Luckily, the 45 shot them all well, especially Daystates and RWS Super H Points. Went back and bought a pile more for a very reasonable price. Very, very few people ever asked him for 20 cal pellets, he said.
    If ever I run out of the oldies, I'll switch to FTTs, which go well in the 45 also.
    Last edited by Drew451; 21-09-2018 at 10:13 PM.

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    Hsing-ee's Avatar
    Hsing-ee is offline may also be employed in conjunction with a drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration
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    Always thought the 5mm calibre was a shameful way of Sheridan making profits on the dustbin pellets they sold to match their odd-calibre rifle.

    Jack of all trades, master of none, the .177 and .22 are better for specific purposes, while the .20 does nothing well.

    Daystate used to make a sizer to take a .22 pellet down to .20, that could be a way of widening choice, althout most pellets would be a bit on the heavy side.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hsing-ee View Post
    Always thought the 5mm calibre was a shameful way of Sheridan making profits on the dustbin pellets they sold to match their odd-calibre rifle.

    Jack of all trades, master of none, the .177 and .22 are better for specific purposes, while the .20 does nothing well.

    Daystate used to make a sizer to take a .22 pellet down to .20, that could be a way of widening choice, althout most pellets would be a bit on the heavy side.
    I’m sure there was profit to be made in pellets since they are consumed on a regular basis. But there is some logic to the 20 cal. The basic Crosman 22’s and the Benjamin 20’s are the same weight 14.3 so the slimmer 20 would seem better in flight? They certainly are less fiddly than .177?

    “Master of none” could be turned to the best of both worlds? Adjust the pellet weight to the task with one gun? But impossible to buck a 100 years of tradition.

    But the lack of pellet choice kills them. Bottom line is there is so little difference that the companies can’t justify a similar line of pellets to a narrow market.
    Last edited by 45flint; 22-09-2018 at 12:49 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mach 1.5 View Post
    I own...Webley Stingray, Longbow, Tomahawk, 80 and 95 in .20 cal. Great fun. Mach 1.5
    Factory .20” Webleys? Or later conversion?

  14. #14
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    .20” was basically unknown in the U.K. until Sheridans were imported in small numbers in the early 60s.

    The introduction of the 12 ft-lbs limit impeded imports of US pumpers.

    In the 70s, outfits like Sussex Armoury started bringing in Sheridans modified (pretty crudely at first) to be sub-12.

    Then you had the Airgunaids, which Gareth has covered.

    There was an early 80s .20” fad based on the Diana/Original 45 being offered in the calibre.

    Theoben had a go in the late 90s or so pushing the Rapid in .20”.

    .20” remains a niche enthusiast calibre, as it always has been. I’d wager that most airgun owners (the ones who don’t read mags or visit forums) don’t even know it exists.

    My take on pellet choice is that it’s a bit of a red herring. Yes, there are, say, a hundred (probably more) different types of pellet made in .177”, but 90 of them will be cheap plinking stuff or specialised 10M match, etc. Most serious shooters will end up with a choice of a few types from JSB, AA, FTTs and such, all in standard round head form.

    I count the following pellets readily available in .20”: Bisley Pest Control, JSB Exact, H&N Baracuda, H&N FTT, HW FT Exact, Daystate Soveriegn and Kaiser. And you can still find the recently discontinued Crosman Premiers (including if you look in my ammo drawer: I stocked up when they were on sale ). So, one cheap hollow point (for rats?) and six very high quality brands in production and one recently out of production, at least one of which should work very well in any .20”.

  15. #15
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    H&N ftt are 11.42 grain.
    Which IMO is right for a .20.

    Others eg JSB and Sovereign are over 13 grain and playing into the hands of those who say .20 is a pointless calibre.

    Same with .25.
    Again I use H&N which are around 20 grain.
    Other pellets can be pushing 30 grain playing into the hands of those who say sub 12 ft lbs .25 is hopeless.

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