.20 cal pellets

[Steyr]

I have quite a bit of experience with .20 at legal limit and FAC power levels. Although it is true to say that there aren't many pellet types to choose from you would be exceptionally unlucky not to find one to suit your gun. My starting point is to use FTT at legal limit and JSB 13.7 grain at FAC levels. That usually works although things can work out perversely as my .20 Rapid legal limit definitely prefers JSB. OK they are heavier but that is easy to use-you just aim higher!! Whereas the FTT would requitre 2 mildots of elevation at 55 yards on my club range, the JSB needs 3. The advantage with the heavier pellet is that it is less affected by wind. My .20 springers prefer FTT. At FAC levels (a Rapid at 24 ft lb) I actually use Crosman Premier for no better reason than I inherited a load of them.The JSB is just as good.

OK that's a bit of a chestnut Nick.

I am a former archer and the same argument was used about faster shooting light weight carbon arrows versus the large diameter thick walled alloys.

The good shots with bow out to 100 yds or 90 Mtr almost to a man and woman went carbon. If you accept the argument that lighter shafts are affected by wind then you also need to accept that they are in that environment for much less time compared to large heavy alloys.

Either way, whatever calibre or whatever FPE or FPS is in use, you NEED to be able to read the wind for that combo or you are just - pardon the pun - pissing in the wind.

For sub 12 performance, I believe that flatter traj is AN ADVANTAGE to all shooters and that light fast soft lead placed on the right spot does the job.

If .177 has any real issue as a hunting round, it is over penetration and that is usually associated with certain quarry and closer range....pigeon being a good example. So I switch to hollows.

The .177 becomes better the longer the range to the target but in sub 12 for any cal, I feel if you cant plant it in the vital spot DONT SEND IT.

It is not a sound argument to say that a larger dia or heavier pellet is going to drop quarry if you don't nail the POI.

At the end of the day I prefer .177 light soft pellets for hunting. I have never felt the need to believe that a 15 grain pellet is going to drop a 40 yard rabbit better than a 7,9 JSB exact express and I have plenty of rabbits etc that agree.

Heavy pellets and larger dia pellets come at a cost of trajectory. For shooters who do not have an eye for range then they are just putting another obstacle in their way.

If I was barn clearing then I would argue a .25 is a good choice but other than very close work, .20 .22 or .25 just don't make sense unless your going FAC whereupon the power changes the argument.

At the end of the day, each shooter is free to choose their kit and the fewer guns and ammo choices you have the better one "should" be.

If you move the argument to centre fire, the 50 cal is a big heavy round yet the Cheytac and the .338 Lap Mag are choices also made for better ballistics.

Bottom line the .20 has less choice more traj and is not an "ideal" calibre as it is proclaimed to be.

It is not supported by manufacturers or pellet makers either as the demand is just not there.

[angrybear]

The demand is "catch 22"
very few rifles are made in .20 so how can people choose them, but they are not made because no one chooses them ??

I had that very same argument with Peter Martinaux (spelling ?) when he was with BSA, about .25cal when I met him about 10 years ago, he said they didn't make them because there was no demand,
I told him if they made them in true .25 they would sell, as they still make them & they still sell I'd say I was proved correct.

For Hunting at sub 12fpe .20 makes far better sense than any other calibre when you compare performance.

[Steyr]

The demand is "catch 22"
very few rifles are made in .20 so how can people choose them, but they are not made because no one chooses them ??

I had that very same argument with Peter Martinaux (spelling ?) when he was with BSA, about .25cal when I met him about 10 years ago, he said they didn't make them because there was no demand,
I told him if they made them in true .25 they would sell, as they still make them & they still sell I'd say I was proved correct.

For Hunting at sub 12fpe .20 makes far better sense than any other calibre when you compare performance.

There is very little poi nt in a .25 sub 12 unless your arevbarn clearing.
Yes....there may be sales but are you stating that the sales will justify the cost because I wouldnt put my money on that one.

[angrybear]

There is very little poi nt in a .25 sub 12 unless your arevbarn clearing.
Yes....there may be sales but are you stating that the sales will justify the cost because I wouldnt put my money on that one.

Yes that's exactly what I'm saying, there isn't much cost if the model already exists, just a case of fitting a barrel & tuning the power to suit, & a mag if it's multi shot.
If they didn't justify the cost they wouldn't still be in the model range

Sub 12 with a 20gn pellet has a PBR from about 8-28yds, so is a perfect ratting tool. Hardly "very little point"