I’ve got a bunch of Sheridans and this QB 78 with a .20 LW barrel. Super accurate out to 75m. Kept the barrel silver as an ode to the Sheridan SS.
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Anyone have a .20 calibre air rifle?
- Thread starter sherz
- Start date
Rapid mkl .20 cal Az full bull shroud. Jsb 15.9 heavy@ 900 fps. Most accurate in stable. Beeman R9 .20. Jsb 13.7 @ 710 fps. Nice trigger and also very accurate .
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I have a vintage Beeman R10 (mid 80's "made in West Germany") that is in .20. It was tuned by Russ Best - one of the great airgun tuners of the early-mid 2000's.
I used to shoot that gun all the time. It was my go-to competition springer. That gun has won me more medals than virtually anything else I have. The .20 cal is a fantastic choice. I only stopped competing with that gun because I found an Air Arms Pro Elite in .22 which is just way too good and substantially more powerful.
I wouldn't worry too much about ammo availability/selection. The JSB 13.7's, H&N FTT's, H&N 'Cudas and a few others should yield something that shoots extremely well.
I'd go with the .20 if you have that sort of itch. I don't think you'll regret it.
I used to shoot that gun all the time. It was my go-to competition springer. That gun has won me more medals than virtually anything else I have. The .20 cal is a fantastic choice. I only stopped competing with that gun because I found an Air Arms Pro Elite in .22 which is just way too good and substantially more powerful.
I wouldn't worry too much about ammo availability/selection. The JSB 13.7's, H&N FTT's, H&N 'Cudas and a few others should yield something that shoots extremely well.
I'd go with the .20 if you have that sort of itch. I don't think you'll regret it.
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I have two .20 calibers, HW97k and HW95. The .20 is a nice compromise and are less loopy than a .22 at 12 fpe. They are a little easier to load than a .177. Try it, you will like it.
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The waiting time is 6+ months to get a hw97k from weihruach. There is a .20 hw77k green laminate for sale but my mind is set on the hw97k due to the hype it has around it. What would you choose? I just sold my hw77k .177 which was tuned.
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To answer, I have five .20cal air rifles, and a 97K BlueLab on order at AoA.
So I guess that would suggests that I have a fondness for the 5mm.
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Most recent acqusition is a TM 1000 HFT pistol - this things a SHOOTER! H&N 11.4 at 688 fps
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I wouldn't sweat the difference between the 77 and 97. It's more a visual difference than a mechanical difference. The 77 is internally the same rifle. The 97 just looks cleaner with a scope.
If the green laminate 77 is an older one with the earlier traditional lower comb stock with the darker green laminate, it's a real find. I'd jump on that.
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They are basically the same rifle. The HW97k has a cleaner look with the pickle and no sights. I would give the green laminate a lot of consideration. This rifle is a laser at 18 fpe, one of my hottest springers.
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Eighteen fpe is really honking for that platform. Nice job. Goes to show accuracy can still be had at full power when done right. I like my guns full power.
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That its in between and probably gives you more fps but similar hitting power of a .22. Only problem is there's only 5 choices of pellets for .20 and only 1 of them is a 11.42 grain which is think would give the best trajectory and power but the rest of them are 13.58 with heaviest .20 pellet 15.89 but those pellets you can find on .22 calibre so I don't see the benefit there. So really only 1 pellet is probably good on .20.
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The draw and often referenced, "hits harder than a .177 and shoots flatter than a .22" It can easily be spun into, does not hit as hard as a .22 and does not shoot as flat as a .177! Either way it's a viable caliber and another choice for shooters. I can't vote too hard against it though having won 2 different Hunter piston class state championships with my custom Beeman R9 .20 @15+fpe
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Its a long story.
In 71 I had a benjamin that took a bunch of hits to kill a squirrel, or the butt of the stock.
In 72 I bought a Bluestreak.
My first hunt, found a grey squirrel in the top of a White Oak. I took the shot hitting it in the back leg breaking its hip, cutting its back in two, then exiting the shoulder, leaving the arm dangling.
I couldn't beleive the mess that the made on that squirrel, and concentrated on head shots thereafter.
My Sheridan out performed all the competition of the day amongst our local group., in accuracy and penitration.
And so the lil 5mm just stuck with me.
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I think that for a few decades when the overwhelming majority of airguns produced were between 10 and 16 foot pounds that the .20 just happened to occupy a sweet spot for that power level. Once PCP's came out and springers became more powerful, "flatter shooting than a .22 and harder hitting than a .177" didn't really apply so much anymore.
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Many to most to this day who enjoy the .20 still cite what I mentioned above. Very little searching will show that line used again and again and it's not at all incorrect regardless of PCP or springer.
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I currently have 2 .air rifles 20cal.
My old Sheridan Blue streak, which I got when I was 16 years old, it’s killed plenty of starlings back in the day lol.
& I Just got a Benjamin Marauder in.20cal few months ago, it’s deadly accurate.
5 shots same hole - @20yards
I like .20cal- definitely will get more in my collection down the road.
My old Sheridan Blue streak, which I got when I was 16 years old, it’s killed plenty of starlings back in the day lol.
& I Just got a Benjamin Marauder in.20cal few months ago, it’s deadly accurate.
5 shots same hole - @20yards
I like .20cal- definitely will get more in my collection down the road.
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I still have my .20 Blue Streak I got for my 13th birthday. Also have my .20 R10 that I won a lot of FT matches with back in the early 90s.
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You are WAY over thinking this....Get on the waiting list and count the days just as many other members have done...and in the mean time stock up on H&N 11.42's...dollars (pounds) to doughnuts that's all you'll need for an HW97 in .20 caliber...mines been spot on for three years now...shot this a few weeks ago box stock action at 30 yards off my knee...Yours will do the same.
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True.
My most powerful and accurate air rifle is a .30 cal FX Crown.
It out performs my powder burners.
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