The Science Of Size

Eddie Jones resurrects the age-old debate of whether .177 or .22 is best for hunting

For as long as I can remember I have seen so many people falling out on forums and social media platforms over what is best for hunting. Firstly, let’s get one thing straight; when it comes to killing quarry, no calibre is best. If you place the pellet to the brain on whatever pest animal you are shooting at, it will die. The main argument is that one is better for fur, the other for feather, but his is as far from the truth as you can get. When killing the animal, you are shooting through the least dense part of the body, and the skull is not very hard either, so any legal limit rifle will have no problem penetrating it to kill the animal instantly.

When you hear of the odd rabbit or squirrel running off when it was hit in the head with a .177, it’s because you have missed the brain. Over-penetration is the excuse most often offered for the hate brigade of the .177, but this is a myth and an excuse for poor shot placement. Don’t get me wrong, I am not perfect and I have had this happen, but I do not blame the tools I am using.

PEACE OF MIND

When using .22 to shoot your quarry, you still need to be shooting the animal in the same place as a .177. The only benefit you get with a .22 pellet is its size. you have a bigger shock factor and that extra size will help to kill the animal if you are very slightly off target. No one can say they shoot .22 because they kill everything they shoot at. It is impossible to go through your hunting life and not make a human error.