Picking the Right Airgun Caliber
Whether you’re a weekend plinker, a big-game hunter, or you need an airgun to shoot varmints and rodents, Crosman airguns come in a variety of calibers to meet your needs. Here’s a guide to help you pick the right caliber.
Crosman makes airguns in .177, .22, .25 and .357 calibers. Caliber is the measurement of the internal diameter of a gun’s barrel and is a shooting term for “inch.” So, a .25-caliber pellet would measure 1/4-inch in diameter. The larger the number, the larger the bore of the barrel and thus, the airgun pellet.
Generally speaking, smaller airgun pellets are used for target shooting while larger pellets lend themselves to hunting applications.
If target shooting is your primary endeavor, a .177-caliber airgun is a great choice. These airguns are common in competitions and are the most popular of the genre. The .177-caliber pellet can be fired at a high velocity and, because of its diminutive diameter, these high speeds result in a relatively flat trajectory, reducing the need to account for drop over distance. Target practice is not only practical but inexpensive. These attributes allow these airguns to be used for shooting rodents quite effectively.
Serious shooters can step up their game on pests as well as small game such as rabbits by upgrading to a .22-caliber air rifle, which carries the knock-down power you need along with the kinetic energy necessary for clean kill shots. The effective range of a .22-caliber airgun pellet reaches out to about 60 yards. The velocity of these airguns will be less than that of a .177-caliber gun, but the greater pellet size provides more foot pounds of energy — knockdown power — on target.
A slightly larger pellet, the .25-caliber maintains lethal power for shots out to about 50 yards on coyotes and other large varmints. Avid varmint hunters prefer this round because it requires the skill to entice animals into short range and can deliver as much as 30 foot pounds of energy.
For big-game hunters, a .357-caliber airgun can be used to kill coyotes, deer and even wild hogs. Big-bore airguns are gaining in popularity among hunters who revel in the challenge of stalking or drawing big-game animals for up-close shooting.
Your next consideration, then, is selecting a model. Once again, Crosman has you covered.
Challenger PCP Rifie .177
.177-caliber models:
Benjamin Marauder Rifle .177 Wood Stock – Learn More at Crosman.com
Challenger PCP Rifle with sights (for serious competition shooters) – Learn More at Crosman.com
Benjamin Discovery – Learn More at Crosman.com
Benjamin Trail NP Synthetic – Learn More at Crosman.com
Benjamin Titan NP – Learn More at Crosman.com
Nitro Venom Rifle .22
.22-caliber models:
Benjamin Trail NP XL 1100 – Learn More at Crosman.com
Benjamin Discovery & High Pressure Pump – Learn More at Crosman.com
Crosman Nitro Venom Rifle – Learn More at Crosman.com
Trail NP XL 725 .25
.25-caliber models:
Benjamin Marauder Rifle – Learn More at Crosman.com
Be sure to check out the Small Game Hunter’s Pack – Learn More at Crosman.com
Benjamin Trail NP XL 725 – Learn More at Crosman.com
.357-caliber model:
Bulldog (coming in January)
More models and information are always available at www.crosman.com.
Original Source: Sportsmans Lifestyle.com