25 cal or 22 cal

For dual purpose work, 22 cal is much better since most guns in 22 cal will offer a higher shot count vs the 25 cal counterparts when it comes to plinking. For hunting, a 22 cal is almost the perfect caliber for small game. You already have a 25 cal Marauder which is perfect for hunting small and larger game. I think you'll be pleased with a 22 cal PCP as it's so versatile and offers the best of both worlds.

Whats the biggest critter you plan on hunting......and at what distance?

I'm more partial to my .25 cal just more accurate, it does cost more per shot and use more air but i have a air compressor.

The .25 handles the wind so much better than the .22. It makes a world of difference.

For me it really depends on the gun.

If you have both calibers, why do you need someone else's opinion? Anyways, the 25 is superior just look at the number...25 is great then 22!

To me its like going from 177 to the the 22. After shooting the 25 the 177 sucks and that's all I used to shoot. I skipped the 22 and got the 25, later got a 22 and only want to shoot the 25

Have had both, prefer 22. 

Oh, I would skip the 25 in favor of a 30 cal for my next gun.

I am not sure what the question is , Hunting 22 I think I got him. Hunting 25 yep I got him.
Mike

I have Wildcat .25 and a couple of Daystate .22s (Regal and Wolf MCT). 

I've been in the same place as you regarding these two calibers. My primary purpose is plinking on my home range (indoors and outside) and squirrel hunting in the woods outside my door where I deer hunt (archery). 

I'm sorry to say that I still haven't decided which is best for my purposes. I like them both, and at this point, for the same reasons.

--The Wildcat .25: 25.39 grains at 42-43-FPE. About 40 shots per 225 Bar fill. Accurate and very quiet but I haven't shot at distance yet. This one might end up in the tree stand with me on some bow hunts for deer. Very portable and with a synthetic stock durable. 

--The Air Wolf MCT. 22: 18 grains - 35-37 FPE. About 60 shots per 225 bar fill. Also accurate, more quiet. Looks big but doesn't feel big when shouldered. 

--Regal XL. .22: 18 grains (all JSB pellets by the way) - 26-28 FPE and 35-40 shots per 225 bar fill. Accurate and quiet. The most sporting look and feel of any of these air rifles. 

I also owned a Wolverine B Hi-Lite but my as of yesterday it is my son's rifle. It shoots harder (45 FPE) than the Wildcat but is also less quiet. Dead ringer for the Wolf without the electronics. Very accurate and I'm sure will be the antidote to a squirrel's gravity-defying skills. 

What I desperately need to do is get these rifles outdoors and shoot them at 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards.

All these I've listed are absolutely trouble free and a joy to operate. I still have a couple of rifles on my interest list; RAW and Cricket Rifles. Both in .25. I truly belief the Wolf has filled my .22 need and if the Regal didn't have such a beautiful walnut stock, I'd probably sell it. Oh, the fact that Daystate knocked $200 off the price of the Regals ( great for those who didn't own one yet), shortly after I bought mine, also hinders my willingness to part with it. Don't want to take that much of a beating on an essentially new rifle.

I have a .25 cal Cricket bullpup and a .22 cal FX Wildcat bullpup.

Some thoughts:
- .25 cal ammo is more expensive (in general). The JSB's I shoot are $16.99 per 350 in .25 cal vs. $16.99 per 500 in .22 cal.
- In general, .25 cal is going to use more air if that is a concern.
- In general, .22 cal will be quieter and more "backyard" friendly.
- .25 cal is going to carry more energy to the target
- .25 cal will handle cross-winds with less correction

Summary:
While I like both guns very much, I probably reach for the .25 cal more in a "need to put it down for sure" type situation. Squirrels, rabbits, crows - dead on the spot and the shot doesn't need to be "perfect". The Wildcat in .22 cal is lighter, quieter, and more ergonomic. It's my choice for casual plinking and those backyard shots where I really don't need to alert the neighborhood. Still *plenty* of power for virtually all small game and pesting - but a little less forgiveness in shot placement for that "dead right there" experience. Simple physics.

I get through at least 4 clips (48 rounds) with my Ernest Rowe tuned .25 Wildcat and it's shooting ~890 FPS. I get through at least 8 clips (64 rounds) with my .22 FX Wildcat.

Decisions decisions...

Good Luck!

Scott

Plug in a few numbers into Chairgun, and see if the results fit your specific case.

I have both a .22 and a .25 Marauder. With the .22, I limit my shots to about 50 yards, and not much bigger than pigeon-sized game. The .25 will easily stretch to 80 yards, if you holdover correctly. I've killed several coyotes with the .25, but for a clean kill, 40 yards is about it. Want something longer shooting or for bigger game? Buy a .30 or larger.

My P-Rod, Vulcan, and Leshiy are all in .22

- Cheaper ammo.
- More quiet.
- Less air consumption.
- Plenty of energy.

I hunt with my airguns. I only shoot paper when checking zero.
I have taken dozens of Armadillos, Skunks, Racoons, ect. of that size, and the .22 has been great.
I've shot hundreds of Squirrels, Sparrows, Grackles, Crows, Starlings, ect... the .22 is always plenty of power.
Just for curiosity, I "dispatched" a few feral pigs with my .22 Vulcan, and was surprised at the results.
Video Proof:
http://vid577.photobucket.com/albums/ss215/jfrazier30/Airguns/Vulcan/fullsizeoutput_3f81.mp4

Since you are building your airgun PCP collection, I would purchase a .22. You already own a .25 Marauder, which is a great hunting AG. I suspect most Airgun Nation members who own PCPs have at least one .22 caliber in their collection because of its versatility. It is a very accurate caliber with a multitude of choices that are always available and cheaper to shoot. A .22 will have a higher shot count, less air consumption, and will be quieter, making it more backyard friendly. As far as hunting a 30 fpe high end PCP .22 can surgically remove any squirrel on the planet with good optics. If you have a larger pest like a coon your .25 Marauder will drop it like a stone with a head shot behind the ear. I guess in the end define your mission, versatility vs a smaller specific need. 

This reminds me of the 9mm vs 40 discussion. Both have their strong points.
You have to narrow down what you'll be doing with the rifle the most or what its primary purpose will be. 
When I went from 177 to 22, it was an enjoyable and impressive improvement. The same thing happened when i went from 22 to 25. Now, I find myself gong back to 22.
It's a very hard decision to make when you've decided on a rifle to buy and can get it in either caliber. This is a decision that could take me weeks to make as I decide what the primary purpose of the rifle would be. 

Define "longer distances" for us please. This is a different number from shooter to shooter and cold help us help you. 
Tom

I started with a Benji .25 which came with a small leak but I got to shoot it
went back got a Benji .22 and liked how quiet was more shooTs per fill and good up to 50 yards
now I have a Bobact .25 and a Fx .22 I'll sell both and keep the impact .22

anyways
this comes down to a few factors
1Game size
2Distance you will shot me I shot under 100 yards
3 Price on air and pellets
4 How good of a shot are you
5 personal preference

I started with a .22 Mrod and .177 disco loved them both but wanted more got a .25 Mrod that was all modded up. I converted it to a .30. Had problems with airtube so parted it out and sold my .22 mrod. Got a few other .177s and .22s loved them all shot them alot. Got a .25 Mrod that I regulated never touched the .177s or .22s again. Now have a soon to be bottled .25 Mrod, bottled .30 Mrod and .30 HM1000X. I hunt greater than 50yds constantly so that's my choice. Won't go back to a .177 or .22 in a PCP but springer or pumper I would.