Introduction to Air Gun : Pellet Caliber – Gun without pellet just like car without fuel. Every air gunner knows this very well, your gun is just metal without pellets. Today there are a lot of pellet calibers with different forms and also prices.
Air Gun Pellet Caliber
.177 (4.5 mm)
This is one of most common calibers used in air gun. .177 or 4.5 mm usually used in small game hunting and competition. .177 (4.5 mm) offers a pretty straight trajectory due to its lightweight.
.20 (5 mm)
.20 is as common as .177 or .22 since not many air guns use it anymore. They are heavier than with a curved trajectory.
.22 (5.5 mm)
This caliber is usually used for hunting since it has good weight. Curve trajectory due to its weight, .22 offers better power on impact than the former two. It is good for medium game hunting.
.25 (6.35 mm)
.30 (7.62 mm)
.35 (8.89 mm)
.45 (11.43 mm)
.50 (12.7 mm)
.25 to .50 caliber usually used in big game hunting due to its weight and power.
Which One to Choose?
So which one? Again it really depends on your need and your situation (law etc). If you need to plink or small game hunting like rats or birds .177 (4.5 mm) caliber is enough. When you need more power or want to do medium game hunting like rabbits will need to switch to larger caliber like .22 (5.5 mm). If you plan to do big game hunting you will likely need a bigger caliber like .25 or bigger.
Another thing to consider when choosing caliber is legality. In America you probably don’t need a special license to own and use a big caliber air gun but in other countries like the UK you need to lower your power into sub 12 fpe (foot pound of energy) otherwise you need to obtain a license or you will get into trouble. Other countries apply different rules like restricting caliber etc. Follow rules in your country and avoid problems.
Image source:
PyramidAir
