DONE!!! - and with that, let me contribute further to this thread now. Some of what I have learned on my recent "rediscovering airguns journey" through research & some of my own observations is below:
- lighter pellets at close range can have as much or more FPE (& FPS) than heavier pellets of the same caliber, but more quickly lose power with distance compared to heavier pellets & can be less accurate in more powerful guns
- The higher velocity guns prefer heavier pellets for both accuracy & power (not necessarily the heaviest available though; only PCP guns are made for the true heavies). A good rule is lighter pellets for weaker guns, medium for medium guns & heavy for high-powered guns
- round-head pellets are generally superior to all others of the same grain weight when it comes to maintaining power (FPS & FPE) for longer shots
- .177 cal shoots flatter than .22 & more economical for pinking, but .22 more resistant to wind & of course has more power for hunting in most cases (some .177 can be comparable power for closer shots depending on what you are shooting it out of, and the weight of the ammo)
- if I was only going to own one caliber air gun, of course it would be .177 as it really can do it all for most people, especially if plinking is number one on the list. If you do use it to pest or hunt and have the right .177 rig for the job, and keep the shots at the right distance for you gun and the game size small, then I see no need for the .22 (I just had to have both though LOL)
- hollow point pellets won't expand unless they have plenty of velocity behind them, and they do not penetrate as well as other kinds of pellets of the same weight, especially at a distance
- HP & wad cutters still probably the best option for closer shots on smaller game for pesting & hunting because they won't over penetrate and expend more energy into the target
- I mainly kill cans & paper with air guns...I don't shoot animals just for fun (I am a hunter though), and I'd never shoot medium or larger game (coons, jackrabbits, etc.) with an airgun unless I had no other choice. Some of my research has been disturbing to say the least on people torturing animals because they don't have the right rig to take them humanely (big-bore hog hunters are not included; off soap box now, I feel better LOL)
