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.177 Heavy vs Medium


Theskyfox
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I have a cold and my brain is not functioning too well but don't get confused about "energy".

 

A 12ftlbs air rifle is generating, broadly speaking, a fixed amount of energy and that amount of starting energy is constant irrespective of the pellet used, 12ft lbs. It is the amount of energy needed to raise a 1lb weight 12ft. Playing with the numbers as a bit of fun, there are 7000 grains in 1lb so your air rifle could theoretically fire a 10 grain pellet vertically about 8000ft - the catch is that it would have to be in a vacuum! In reality, of course, a pellet is unlikely to travel more than a couple of hundred yards on a good day with the wind behind you :)

 

Back to the real world.......

 

What actually happens is that if you have a light pellet, that fixed amount of energy will make it travel faster and flatter and if you have a heavy pellet that same fixed amount of energy will make it travel slower and a bit "loopier".

 

It is basic physics.

 

Your primary concern has to be accuracy and it can be argued that a fast light flat shooting pellet in a .177 will be the most accurate. Different makes / types of pellet will produce better or worse groups any any particular rifle so you must find what it "likes".

 

The next concern, however, is delivering the energy which is retained in the pellet as it flies through the air and hits the rabbit.

 

A small fast pointed pellet may pass straight through the rabbit and some of that energy has carried on through, effectively wasted.

 

A heavier, slower, or possibly hollow nosed pellet may expand when it hits the rabbit and not pass through. All the energy contained in the pellet is transferred to the rabbit, that may mean a more effective kill.

 

It is all about compromise. You have to pick a pellet that will reliably shoot accurately a tight group at your killing distance. Shot placement has to come first. Ideally the pellet should not pass through the quarry but deposit all of its retained energy for maximum effect.

 

That "ideal" pellet will be unique to your rifle and the only way to find it is to try lots of different ones. In my Rapid the difference from one pellet weight / shape / make to another is enormous in both accuracy and penetration.

 

The energy, however, is constant.

 

If the pellet is retained in the rabbit and does not pass through, a fast light pellet will hit the rabbit with exactly the same amount of energy as a slow heavy pellet when fired from the same rifle.

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I have a cold and my brain is not functioning too well but don't get confused about "energy".

 

A 12ftlbs air rifle is generating, broadly speaking, a fixed amount of energy and that amount of starting energy is constant irrespective of the pellet used, 12ft lbs.....

If the pellet is retained in the rabbit and does not pass through, a fast light pellet will hit the rabbit with exactly the same amount of energy as a slow heavy pellet when fired from the same rifle.

 

Which, along with the rest of the post, seems to make sense. Bearing in mind that we only actually NEED 4ft/lb of energy to kill a rabbit, does it really matter if it goes straight through?

 

I've not seen any brain shot rabbits get up and run away, regardless of whether there's one or two pellet holes in their head. I maintain that accuracy is the most important aspect. Hit the right spot, and a clean kill is the outcome.

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Which, along with the rest of the post, seems to make sense. Bearing in mind that we only actually NEED 4ft/lb of energy to kill a rabbit, does it really matter if it goes straight through?

 

I've not seen any brain shot rabbits get up and run away, regardless of whether there's one or two pellet holes in their head. I maintain that accuracy is the most important aspect. Hit the right spot, and a clean kill is the outcome.

 

I have heard 3-4ftlb to kill a rabbit!? Not sure where this comes from. :hmm::hmm:

 

What is the source of this information?

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I don't want to rock the boat on this, but I was playing with Chairgun earlier...it seemed to suggest that a 10.3grain .177 pellet leaving the muzzle at 11.3ftlbs will still have 5ftlbs of energy at 100 yards...though this is probably me misinterpreting the numbers...??

 

-Andrew

Even if it did, I would have no practical use for shooting live quarry.

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Maldon air rifle club used to have a old frying pan hanging on a fence 70 yards away. Used to be fun hitting that, the amount of drop was serious! but it used to make a nice ding noise and leave a fair dent considering. And then they tied up a small bell on the same fence, was much harder to hit but used to be good fun.

 

Wouldn't attempt that on a live animal though.

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I have heard 3-4ftlb to kill a rabbit!? Not sure where this comes from. :hmm::hmm:

 

What is the source of this information?

 

You know what...I don't know. ???

 

It's purely a figure I have heard mentioned on many occasions in various different places. Whether it is fact I don't know and Google throws up thousands of results on a search. Doesn't seem unfeasible though, I'm sure we've all seen pellets in and out and how rapidly that reduces with range.

 

Would be nice to see some solid corroboration though, even just so I know I'm not talking ******** again! Anyone?

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I get a very high percentage of instant kills out to 35 yards using .177 AA Diablo Fields. They fly fast, flat and are very accurate through my pcp. Maybe other lighter or heavier pellets would do the same but I can't see their benefits really. If I shoot a pigeon or rabbit within 20 yards and it passes straight through, it's still dead. I did think of trying RWS Superdomes as they are half the price but I only get through about a thousand pellets a year so it makes little difference. Zero'd at 33 yards, I only get around a 1/4" deviation from 12 yards to 38 so I haven't ever looked at needing a heavier pellet.

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