The Best Caliber for Hunting Small Game with an Air Rifle? 

For small game I prefer the .72 caliber AEA Zeus with the Mr. Hollow Point 1050 grain slug. One second it's a rabbit and a millisecond latter it's a pink mist and dander drifting in the breeze. It's a good multipurpose rifle because you can hunt everything from rabbits to elephants and polar bears.

Thank you for the MOST professional, intelligent & informative presentation on this subject that I have seen. Great job … Keep up the good work!

I'm a .25 man myself. I just like the extra surface area and larger avg pellet/slug mass. I enjoy my springer .22s for springer hunting, but the .25 out of a PCP is kind of my go to out past 35-40yds. A lot more forgiving and I think ethical hunting reuqires you to give yourself room for error with shots since you can't always bank on hitting hole-on-holke in the field, which the .25 is very forgiving for.

What an excellent breakdown! I have a 25 cal FX Impact and wasn't sure if that was going to end up too much gun for small game. Seems I made the right choice!

Boss, I appreciate your detailed explanation. Thank you.

Very knowledgeable thank you for the info I appreciate it

Thanks so much for your sage wisdom. I've been focussed on .25 cal with my FX Crown over the last few years and find it's met my needs. However, more recently I've purchased a FX Impact in .25 cal, but after your video I've invested a .30 cal change kit for it. I'm hoping for similar results across pellets and slugs with .30 as the .25, especially with the Impact's larger plenum, high flow transfer ports, slug pin probes and heavier hammers that are now available. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration Jim. Best regards, Chris

Nice Jim, I love my 30 cal. With the Fx Maverick, you have the power wheel so you can use different settings for small game and medium game. slugs or pellets on the fly. I wish all air guns came with a power wheel. I can go in a barn shooting low power for varmints and go outside crank it up and drop a pig. It's awesome. You should do more technical videos like this.

Great video, very informative, especially since I’m just getting started with air guns. Thanks, keep up the great work!!!!!!

Love your videos Jim, years of experience & wisdom imparted to others.

Thanks for the video.

Thank You

Love the video Jim and I definitely agree. I have been practicing with my Challenger .50 bull pup lately and have had most of the calibers in your video I also like 25 and 30 calibers for small game.

May have convinced me to keep my .25 Huben K1. Thanks for your insights!

Thanks , great Information Video !

I watched it all. Great talk. 💪

Well, most used, effectively, from my POV is the .22 cal. It's the one I have used with daisy or Crosman dome headed pellets. Slugs in .25 or .30 sound like strong possibility for an animal up to 80-100 pounds at 30-50 yrs based on videos from channels like AmericanAirgun Hunter.

Thank you for that information was berry helpful for me to buy my next rifle God bless

Awesome review 👍

You're the man!! Thanks for sharing my friend. 👍🇺🇲🤙🇺🇲✌

Sure wish I could afford one of these guns. Much more safer to work with. Your videos are very educated and on point..

Excellent video! Thank you!

Good job, Jim. Your theory is spot on.

Great info from a guy with loads of experience

I choose a .177 springer for pest and small game, which it excels at to proper ranges. Also for economy everything is less expensive. I can easily put thousands of pellets away, not to mention the pump bb guns that are also great for the pest/sg field also. Not that 22 is much more, but it is. In that case I have firearms. Do I love the hard shooting pcps- you bet I do. They are incredible engineering and plain fun to shoot at even firearm distances. I taught my kids to shoot, as I did, on bb/pellet guns and starting to get gkids to take out to learn. I believe the air rifle field has something for everybody these days and only getting better. *I was happy with fps of 400 ish w bb gun, then all the way up to 1,000fps with a spring and now my rather inexpensive springer can do 12-1400fps! And they are ALL still just a ball to shoot!!! great points and inclusion of calibers and power in your video. Thank you for the info and keep them coming my friend.

Agreed Jim.

I'm from Brazil I have a PCP custon 6.35(.25) I like it a lot it never lets me down a lot of power and precision

Thank you!

Me&my wife really due like this educational pellets video thank you god bless.

Great video for your choice of small game caliber. I like to go with a 22. Today's modern PCPs can swing a very heavy 30-40 gr projectile at 900-1000 fps. I get a larger selection of ammo types in 22, and of course cost of ammo (pellets or slugs). I just get more bang for the buck in 22

Good video man.

Thanks for a very informative video! While I would love to have a 25 or even a 30, for my conditions I think my .22s are a superior choice, and a .177 might be even better. And that condition is: back yard pest control. Even with a fairly big yard of 3/4 acre, I still have to be very careful regarding my neighbors, and jump thru various hoops to insure their safety. Like shooting down towards the ground rather than up into the trees, along with a back stop. I could still take these precautions with a 25 or 30, but it is just that much more power to be stopped. I would be more nervous about shooting a neighbor or damaging their property than I already am. And my 22 PCP has proven to be plenty for taking out about 20 of the rascals so far, no more have been seen for a while. So it might be all I need.

Thank you Sir, very good information

.25 cal is my favorite for hunting small game as well. Have a AEA HP SS, a Hatsan sortie and a Hatsan Jet all in .25 cal.

I ditched the .177 because my scoped .22 Stoeger S-4000-E works so well. I later bought a Hatsan Model 95,Vortex .25 air rifle. In my opinion, it doesn’t outperform the Stoeger .22,, far from it, but I keep the .25 around with iron sights just for blasting armadillos.

I'm generally using 44gr slugs in my FX Maverick .25. The greater energy at higher fps is hugely forgiving and very ethical. This is effective at 50 yards and beyond.

Great video Jim I also agree with everything discussed in the video, cant wait for some hog hunting videos ✌🤠

Great content and cadence! Goodonyas!

Great breakdown

Agree with everything you said. The .25!seems to be the perfect balance for small to medium size game.

I found very helpful. I’m just exploring the air gun universe since childhood and I don’t want to spend $200 or more several times before resting on a caliber and platform that with some homework, I can make a reasonable choice for my needs. This info was worthwhile. Thanks

Well done 👍

A thougherly enjoyable video. Your knowledge, experience and explanations came across very well. I'm a sub 12ft pounds shooter in the UK. Try to get a firearms licence (FAC, fire arms certificate) to be able to shoot above 12ft pounds here is almost impossible unless you own a farm or your own wood to shoot in. That's the problem of only being a small country that can easily fit into most of any one of your states.😕👍

Thank you.

I have the .25 avenger. I love it. Some day I'll get an FX or maybe the Skout Epoch, but so far my longest kill shot on a ground squirrel is 103 meters. I'm glad you included it in the mix (:

My FX Impact MKII .30 cal. is set up to run slugs. The gun is an absolute long range, high energy driller! That being said, the only pellets that I will ever be run through it are the JSB Hades.

Thank you for the presentation. I'm new to the air gunning program. With rifles getting so expensive I'm looking at other methods of hunting. My state is starting to relax the laws for air gunning just a bit. So, if this works for hunting in the future of my state then I'm in. It's a lot cheaper than the ammo we are buying now. I'm in Pennsylvania. If anyone has updates to our regulations on hunting with air rifles I'd like to hear them

I installed a Piney Lazer system on mine as well

Kudos for giving the conclusion upfront than subsequently elaborate on it.. Typo 6:20 (.322 you mean .22). I thought .22 had the best ballistic coefficient? For long range, I think that would favor a .22 if it's heavy enough that you can give it similar power while keeping it at ideal speed. Have you played with any of the high-powered .177 with heavier ammo? Daystate make some in HP but they are comically long.

Very nice video excellent information I think I learned a lot about calibers and projectory

He was spot on on all topics. He was not trying to down on the other tried and true calibers(.177, 22). I have let my 177 cal ammo levels get low because of lack of use. Just bought some hades first time in 22.

Those plastic tip pellets costs more but are effective on game. They penetrate about a half an inch then they start to turn and go backward. That tumbling effect makes a larger permanent would channel that makes them effective killers.

Awesome Jim great info on which caliber to choose I like 22 cal and 25 cal cus that all I got would love to try the 30 and 35 cal for my fx impact mk2 pp as always thanks for sharing bsafe buddy 👍

I just love the feeling of "tossing hammers" i get from a big hunk of lead. Even at range .30 holds very consistent, more arc at lower power but reliable.

Great video!! Appreciate your explanation on calibers, do you have a link so I can read more of your articles you’ve written over the years? Only seen them flash on the screen? No link ? Keep the videos coming and I always give them a thumbs up 👍🏻

Sir, great content in this vid. Thank you. I'm a newbie to the PCP airgun world, but not to firearms in general. Have you had a chance to fire the new JTS Airacuda? I'd like to get my feet wet with an entry level lower-budget platform...hone my PCP skills...then perhaps step up to a more expensive setup. I see you have experience with the AV Avenger models--a very capable gun. I hope to do some range/bench shooting to develop accuracy...but ultimately go to the field to hunt. Any suggestions you may have about a capable entry-level gun is truly appreciated. Thanks!!

Thanks brother. Your opinion is appreciated always. I love 177cal. With 16.2gr Beast I can get 33ft pounds with my Avenger. Yet turn it down to 16ft pounds for extreme high shot count and hunting squirrel/rabbits. Plus it's very cheap to operate. $11.49 for 10.5gr domed Crossman, per 500ct. 2,000 pellets shipped to my door from Pyramid Air for $50.00 This gives me alot of practice time. I shoot 200 rounds, or more any given week. Most of my hunting is in the woods, inside 50 yards. I feel the most important thing is shot placement. So trigger time allows me to know exactly where my rifle hits everytime. God bless you brother 🎯

Thanks for another informative video! I've been thinking of selling my .22s and getting a .25. I mainly hunt squirrels, and once a year go to Montana and pest ground squirrels and barn pigeons. I often thought a .177 for inside work on pigeons and hosps, and the .25 for everything else.

25cal is the perfect balance the perverbal sweet spot. Best balance between power, cost, wind and retain more power down range punch. With game up to 35lbs for most shooters. Cost is about 20% more than 22 and less choices in pellets and slugs more so. I do some times fear a through and through and hitting something I don't own. And ammo is not avaliable everywhere. In all other categories the 25cal shine out over all others. He was spot on in this video. HATSAN has 25cal around $100 in a springer vortex piston (600fps) and springer 30cal for under $200. Not worth spending any more for springer as pcp can be had for that price. But don't count out the break barrel ease of use with the least amount of exssive equipment required to operate the gun (tanks,pumps,cartridges,) the airadvenge has a on-board pump so on less thing to have to purchase or carry for PCP. So if backpacking very doable. Next it would be a 25cal vortex piston break barrel. Real simple when traveling (pellets, gun, service/cleaning kit. ).

Thank you for the video.I would like to see you do a video on the AEA terminator 357 and your thoughts on the new AEA 45 cal automatic.I have bin watching your videos for a long time and they are always enjoyable.

Appreciate.

And to think I have a sheridan air rifle.. I pump like crazy a bit and walla, were in business.. I didn't even know they made these fancy things.. lol.. It's called a model A made along time ago..Has alot of power and is accurate enough.. Happy shooting..

Awesome mr chapmen

Well put jim iam in the uk were most not all air gunners use sub 12ft pound, hunting is different than in the states, because of reduced power we realy on greater feild craft, most my shooting involves bringing the game to were i want them ie at close range, takes great skill to get a woodpigeon to land in static decoys and stay still long enough to take the shot, i dont use 177 it still overpenitrates even at sub 12 foot pound, i have shot hundreds of rabbits useing 22 sub 12 foot, i dont use shot guns or rimfires any more buy choice iam 60 years old and been hunting since i was 7, grandad let me use is four ten spread shot, he taught me almost everything, thanks for your great videos and god bless, Stuart from sunny Lancashire,

I’m a physics guy myself. The best reason for that hollow end of the slug is probably for 2 reasons. 1. It may create a better seal as it’s fired. Kind of like the minet ball. And to put more of the weight on the front end of the bullet, so that it will always fly front first. Same as a badminton shuttle.

Hi Jim thanks for the great video. I just want to know if a .177 fac rated airarms s410 will take black backed jackals at 70 to 90 meters? I struggle to get info on that and will appreciate your view on this!

Great video

Nice video 👍😉

Good vid. I don't agree with everything you said; but most. All of my PCP's are .25 and they are perfect for "me" and what I do. I have an M3 so I was thinking of going to get a .30 barrel kit. After shooting it, there is no need. A dead squirrel is a dead squirrel. For the most part accuracy is more important than cal size to me. Again, good vid man.

A lot of talking but extremely valuable & worth while information!! Good video! I'm thinking 30 Cal with the hades pellets! I do like the Edgun & the vixen, though a mixture of the two using the stock as regulator & tank with semi auto {as with the Edgun} with a snug fitting mag & spare mags in the pistil grip & more accurate longer 400mm CZ barrel {as in the vixen} this kind of combination in my opinion would be iconic! But we can all dream.

Very Informstive video. I bought the .25 but eishnimhad bought the .30 instead. My seneca eagle claw has a pr e tty impressive 70 fpe but even that doesn't seem enough to drop even Grey squirrels sometimes despite using barracuda hunter extreme hollowpoints if the shot isn't perfect. You would think the massive fpe and energy dump of the hollowpoint would,even if shot isnt perfect, but I've had a number drop, then get up,and run for cover. Red squirrels no problem, but the grays seem a lot tougher. Don't wanna get too graphic, but I domed one, (won't describe the damage) and it got up and ran up a tree. I think we have iron man squirrels around d us.

I'm very great with my Daisy Powerline 880 hunting with redfire pellets & BB

the more I watch this channel, the more I learn.

Just watched your video, very true on all said about the larger calipers. Your video brought to mind another question that your viewers have such as the one I have. But first, I currently I have a 25 cal Benjamin Marauder. Love it, but considering going to a 25 cal Daystate Wolverine or an Air Arms S510 SX. Something with a smoother action lever. I just went thru a challenge trying to find someone here in Maine to re-certify my portable 100 cu in/ 4500 psi Air-Venturi tank. Which made me think, what about the small bottle tanks on both of these that I am considering? I hear some SCUBA places don't like to re-certify small tanks. Heck, my local fill shop won't do a re-certication Hydro Test on my carbon fiber tank since it's not a SCUBA tank. Do you have an issue with any of your models after those small tank models, knowing you have a ton of PCPs. Assuming this might be an issue and something to consider when buying a PCP with a small attached bottle?

Great info on the subject! I have .17, .22 and .25. I almost never hunt with .177 and the .22 gets most use since my biggest game is rabbit. I have taken a few coons with my .25 marauder and the damage at 30 yards was no joke

I’m also like hunting and do that too for me .22 grain 18 JSB is the best for any pcp

I have the Hatsan Bullboss and Bully, both in .25 cal. So far, I am extremely happy with both. Bullboss with JSB Hades for up to 50 yds. Bully with JSB Exact King Heavies MK2 or NSA slugs for over 50 yds.

Excelente video, muy detallado! Para ud del RTI ó el Fx MK2-3 en cal.30 conjuga mejor la precisión y potencia ? Saludos cordiales desde Panamá 🇵🇦!!!

Been wanting a Daystate revere for a long while and was thinking along your lines. I think I'll go on up to .25 just in case I run into a little bigger game. The only drawback(if you call it that) is I'd have to order pellets instead of buying them anywhere.

Enjoyed the video and thanks for the info. What do you think about the beeman chief?

25 I have found out works best for myself.

Great video great information. Just wish you had talked about barrel length.

Just a quick review! SF!

What caliber and gun would you recommend for starlings at 100 yards I live in a high wind area😊

Nice selection of Air guns Just picked up the hammer last week it was delivered I will have a chance to shoot it up in the mountains coming up Next week I just got a box of Nielsen 388’s I’m using the ready air Compresser My wildcat 30 FX is an excellent upland game hunting air gun Fast action 13 rounds it really likes the Nielsen and the FX hybrid slugs could probably get two magazines from a fill with a fire breathing tune I wish I got the sniper version Just for the bigger tank but that’s OK I’m happy with my purchase Take Care As always good hunting

Great stuff sr, when are you going to do a video of that Hatsan factor in the background? What caliber is it?

HI Jim I am from over the pond and shoot 177 to great affect ,but have 22 in fac. I have just got a variation for the 25, for my maverick. I have shot all three ay sub twelve and all do the job but there is no such thing as to much gun,. Especially with an airgun and completely agree with you would of tried 30 but ammo choice is a bit limited and you also get a better shoots per fill with 25 but great article, forward to your next article in the Airgunner over here atb.

Here in my country .25 pellets are scarce. We use 177 and 22. For small game. We don't hunt coyotes they are restricted. I guess ranchers deal with them with firearms when Authorities are not looking. Today I tried to help a friend controlling the central American aoguti (cotuza) in his property with a .22 (polymags) with no luck. they are eating the coconut trees sprouts that he planted and leaving holes every were. Great day in the field though, I have a new apreciación of the content that you share, hours waiting to hear and see the game.

Good designed air gun ammo AIN'T gonna Hurt any. My First was the Wischo 55N in .177. from Air Rifle Headquarters back east. 500=fps rated but can Push 750+++ after break-in. Nice info. Considering a PCP for larger game. 25 caliber or larger. More Research REQUIRED. Rotsa Ruc in the field folks. FLEXIBLE use of larger caliber. Appreciate the video sir.

Shared

Was thinking that .22 pcp with slugs might be a choice to challenge the .25 with pellets? Better shot count but decent foot pounds and range?

.25 for me. I cast 2 different pellets and a slug, so ammo cast and availability isn't an issue.

Hey Jim I agree myself though I prefer either a 22 caliber or 25 caliber that i small game hunt with really you know bigger the caliber the pellets coast more and you get less so I have more 22cal air rifle that I small game hunt with I think the 177 cal has to much wind Drift for me thanks for the review

.25 for me. And my hatsan 125 chucks the .25 pellets out to 60-70yards very well, and I can accurately shoot 34.9gr slugs out to 25 yards. My origin pcp on the other hand is good out to 100yards easy.

I think this should have been divided according to the type of power plant And the intended use.. If limited to the spring or gas ram rifles and game limited to nothing larger than raccoon and the range limited to 50 yards and usually less. Of course it goes without saying that head shots are the preferred target. Then the choice might be 25 cal and under. My choice is the 22 in rifle and pistol. If you're talking about precharged Rifles then the sky is the limit and even big game is possible. The 357 is gaining in popularity here. When you say that you prefer the 25 and 30 are you using pre-charged rifles? If you were limited to a Springer or ram would it change your choice? Thanks for the video

Jim, I have a Hatsan 95, break barrow .25 cal Air Riffel for hunting, did you review it, is it good?

Great job Jim. My thoughts exactly! Got rid of my .177’s and 22’s. I own a 25 cal m3 impact and 30 cal mk2 impact. If I want to save air and plink I just use the 25.4 grain jsb pellets and get tons of shots and same great accuracy. I haven’t dedicated either gun to slugs, pellets give me incredible accuracy and I’m scared to switch. I’ve killed starlings out to 115 with the 30 cal using pellets(no wind), probably maxing out with pellets at that distance. In your opinion can i keep the superior liner (better for pellets) in to shoot slugs? I don’t really want to switch to a slug liner and lose what I’ve got with pellets. Should I just get another gun and make it a designated slug gun? If so which gun/caliber should I do it with. I’ve watched most of your hunting vids, you do a great job with those! Thank you for taking the time to make these videos to help inform/educate us!!

The .20 is a great compromise. Heavier and slightly bigger than .177 yet faster than .22 in same class springer. For short range rabbit and squirrel cant be beat.

I like my gladius 25.. I like it for the longer shooting out to 50yrds.. But for squirrel,i really adopted the British way.. Found a great accurate gamo swarm .22 (the Walmart one.. But)... Set up a feeder sit.. Lol.. Turns out better for an aging body

I never think there is too much gun 🔫...I think it is a more human kill....always enjoy your videos...keep up the good work 💪