Hi freom Taranaki

Wow just spotted an original BSA super sport made by BSA in the Uk… I always fancied one of those…

177 vs 22….
Hummm, now you’re opening a can of worms 😂
If u ask 10 different people, you’ll get 10 different answers.
Basically they can both do the job, but as always shot placement is critical.
I’ve shot thousands of rabbits with both calibers using PCP’s, but I’ve also shot a bunch with springers in both calibers too.
For me it’s not a question of can the caliber do the job, it’s more a question of can the rifle and shooter combination get their pellet to the right place. If you can put the pellet in the right place, it will do its job regardless of caliber.
The rifles that have been talked about in this thread are all capable of excellent accuracy out to 30meters (and some beyond) and they could all do the job, in either caliber.
So it comes down to the shooter and what distance you can maintain accuracy out to.
The bottle top test is a great way to guage that distance.
At what ever distance you can hit 10 bottle caps with 10 shots, that’s the distance you should limit your shots too.

Having said that, there are pros and cons to each caliber, as has been mentioned by other members above.
177s shoot lighter (about 50% lighter) pellets, so usually have faster and flatter trajectory’s.
177 projectiles often go stright through rabbits and pigeons (ice picks).
22s shoot heavier and usually (but not always, depends on the rifle’s power output) slower pellets so usually (but not always) have more curved trajectories. That’s not a problem out to 20 or 25, but the further out you are shooting the more important correct distance judging and knowing your drops becomes.
22s heavier pellets can carry more energy (depending on the rifle’s power out put) and can therefor potentially hit harder.
But if your pellet is not in the right place, all the power in the world means nothing.
A 50BMG to the back foot isn’t going to kill a bunnie 😂 shot placement is critical 😉