Why does .177 exist?

[Segata]

Even in the US theres older .177 Guns, they must've looked at the RR as the BBs are technically .177 and gone thats the first, Wiki is not infailible as it's written by the general public but on the brightside you can have that section removed and refuted providing you can cite a correct source.

[PCPShooter]

Genuine question.

We all know a .22 makes a bigger hole which is better for hunting, it is also less susceptible to pocket damage and latent homosexuality. The .177’s feeble efficiency means a significantly lower shot count in PCP’s and higher recoil for any given power in proper spring powered airguns, so why is .177 so popular?

The lack of a necessity for fieldcraft skill is an excuse in hunting, but surely target shooters should embrace the better final result of the larger pellet?

I’m not trying to start an argument, I use .20, but I sometimes look at .177 shooters and wonder if they were not loved enough as children?

Well yes, at UK power, for cross species hunting, we all know 20 cal is BEST !

[Dragonboy]

I moved over to .177 from .22 as I got older. Guess it was down to better accuracy. If you have an open class sub 12 competition, the top table will be all .177.

Again when it comes to hunting, a well placed head shot with.177 still results in a kill. Bigger hole size of .22 may help people with not good placement. I agree the level of fieldcraft skills needed for .22 is higher but when you are doing a bit of vermin control the longer shots that you can take with .177 gets the job done quicker.

I tried .20 but the availability of pellets was a let down. I do like mix pellets types (shape, weights) depending on the shooting scenario.

[TonyL]

I used .22 exclusively until the early 80s. Then added some .177s.

If I were to have only one gun (sub-12), it would be .177.

Apart from for short range rat shooting. I think. Where I've always championed the superlative .22 Hobby. I haven't shot a rat in donkeys' years.

[angrybear]

I believe that .177 is actually a descendent of C19th Flobert parlor or gallery rifles by way of Zimmerstutzen rifles.

The Flobert used what is essentially an empty rimfire cap with just the primer to shoot a 6mm BB a short range indoors, for training/entertainment.
This was refined in Germany where the size of BB was reduced to gain more accuracy eventually settling at 4.3-4.5mm as most popular in the Zimmerstutzen parlor rifle.
This smaller calibre was then adopted by BSA at the very start of the C20th in their first rifled airguns, as No1 bore, and became the accepted calibre for Olympic/World cup competition.

[Jesim1]

Genuine question.

We all know a .22 makes a bigger hole which is better for hunting, it is also less susceptible to pocket damage and latent homosexuality. The .177’s feeble efficiency means a significantly lower shot count in PCP’s and higher recoil for any given power in proper spring powered airguns, so why is .177 so popular?

The lack of a necessity for fieldcraft skill is an excuse in hunting, but surely target shooters should embrace the better final result of the larger pellet?

I’m not trying to start an argument, I use .20, but I sometimes look at .177 shooters and wonder if they were not loved enough as children?

Someone's feeling a bit insecure today

[Racing]

Bah.



.177" cal, 20 grain slugs. 1288fps, for a cool 100J (73fpe).



Jääääääz. Still accurate enough.

I believe that .177 is actually a descendent of C19th Flobert parlor or gallery rifles by way of Zimmerstutzen rifles.

The Flobert used what is essentially an empty rimfire cap with just the primer to shoot a 6mm BB a short range indoors, for training/entertainment.
This was refined in Germany where the size of BB was reduced to gain more accuracy eventually settling at 4.3-4.5mm as most popular in the Zimmerstutzen parlor rifle.
This smaller calibre was then adopted by BSA at the very start of the C20th in their first rifled airguns, as No1 bore, and became the accepted calibre for Olympic/World cup competition.

This is correct. To this day we see the use of so called "zimmer stützen", in 4mm+ caliber.

[flyingfish]

Talking of age my Mk1 Meteor is .177 and is 62 years old

[tinbum]

I believe that .177 is actually a descendent of C19th Flobert parlor or gallery rifles by way of Zimmerstutzen rifles.

The Flobert used what is essentially an empty rimfire cap with just the primer to shoot a 6mm BB a short range indoors, for training/entertainment.
This was refined in Germany where the size of BB was reduced to gain more accuracy eventually settling at 4.3-4.5mm as most popular in the Zimmerstutzen parlor rifle.
This smaller calibre was then adopted by BSA at the very start of the C20th in their first rifled airguns, as No1 bore, and became the accepted calibre for Olympic/World cup competition.

I have some flobert guns in 6mm and 9mm. I guess I have to find some smaller ones now

[Muskett]

So the .25 never caught on for Parlor Games

I suspect the .177 flew straight at energies and weight that didn't beat up the backstop like something bigger would have.
For 6m and 10m, or across the pub floor to the bell target, then flying true probably is the only thing that counts. Anyone have the power Olympic springers of old were shooting to?

[clipper]

I knew it.

.22 being eschewed in favour of .177, unleaded petrol, man buns, E Scooters, E Bikes, and more recently E cars and vans... we are slowly being emasculated, even when it comes down to calibre choice

Don't even get me started on PCP.

In light of this thread I am going to get everything I own bored out to .25 smoothbore, zero at 15m (or about 200 .177 owners willy lengths), and shoot from the hip

Don't try and talk me out of it with your fancy reduced lock time, flatter trajectory, tales of impossibly tight groups, and the ability to engage targets at 50m without the aid of a sextant

Nick, thank you for being brave and bringing this out into the open

Admit it all you .177 afficionados..... you have just used a calculator haven't you.......

[wobbly bob]

There is in Bell Target.

.177" pellets were invented to make Bell Target easier.

A chap at the range was relating to me the other day that he was away on business last month somewhere in the back country north of Watford and walked into a local pub to find them drinking pints of Owd Roger and shooting bell target at 6 yards in the bar. He didn't mention accuracy, but found it .. um … interesting

[Hsing-ee]

A chap at the range was relating to me the other day that he was away on business last month somewhere in the back country north of Watford and walked into a local pub to find them drinking pints of Owd Roger and shooting bell target at 6 yards in the bar. He didn't mention accuracy, but found it .. um … interesting

You can't give away even the approximate location of the 'Watford N' temporal portal on the Internet, thousands of older blokes will be piling into it trying to get back to the safety of 1957!

[Bunny-on-Bunnyr]

I knew it.

.22 being eschewed in favour of .177, unleaded petrol, man buns, E Scooters, E Bikes, and more recently E cars and vans... we are slowly being emasculated, even when it comes down to calibre choice

Don't even get me started on PCP.

In light of this thread I am going to get everything I own bored out to .25 smoothbore, zero at 15m (or about 200 .177 owners willy lengths), and shoot from the hip

Don't try and talk me out of it with your fancy reduced lock time, flatter trajectory, tales of impossibly tight groups, and the ability to engage targets at 50m without the aid of a sextant

Nick, thank you for being brave and bringing this out into the open

Admit it all you .177 afficionados..... you have just used a calculator haven't you.......

.25 needs fat-shaming, not acceptance.

[Hsing-ee]

.25 needs fat-shaming, not acceptance.

You can try.

Dustbin-bomb, Rainbow Warrior, Six-thirty-five Rats Still Alive .. people who love the .25 won't be shamed.

Even those that get their pellets returned by rats with ping-pong skills.