From the left — .177, .20, .22 and .25. All are domed pellets made by Crosman.
This report covers:
- Smallbores
- 25 caliber
- History
- Modern day
- How many pellets?
- Why mention it?
- Should you care?
- Slugs
- Summary
Today we look at the fastest-growing airgun caliber—the .25!
Smallbores
When I talk about smallbore pellets I always refer to the four smallest sizes—.177, .20, .22 and .25. Of these .177 is by far the most popular pellet worldwide for several reasons. One is because the rules of some competitions mandate it—namely all 10-meter target shooting.
There used to be an Action Air Pistol competition in the Olympics and also at the World Cup level, but it has been gone for decades. The goal was to shoot 5 shots in 5 seconds or less at targets that presented themselves electronically for the timed interval and then hid again. That sport was also .177.
And of course the sport of field target favors the .177, though it is not mandated. So .177 is the leader of the smallbores.
The next most popular is the .22 that’s primarily a hunting pellet or a plinker in some of the older airguns. The .20 caliber exists because Sheridan brought it to the marketplace, and it currently sits in last place, from the standpoint of popularity, among these four calibers.
.25 caliber
Then comes the subject of today’s report—the .25 caliber, or as Americans sometimes refer to it—the quarter-inch bore. When I was a kid in the 1950s I never heard of this caliber in reference to airguns. But those readers living in the United Kingdom know it well. That’s because it was around almost at the very beginning, when BSA first brought what we call pellet rifles that shoot diabolo (NOT diablo!) pellets into the marketplace.
History
The .25 caliber diabolo pellet came into being a few years after the .177 and .22 — around 1908, or so. Yes, there were smoothbore airguns in the late 1800s in both .22 and .25, with the Gem being one of the more notable ones.
Many dart guns were also made in .25 caliber. But it was George Lincoln Jeffries’ “H. The LINCOLN” air rifle of 1905 that started smallbore airguns in a big way. In a few years BSA, who produced the Jeffries rifles, had taken over, and the BSA rifle that reader RidgeRunner talks about all the time is a direct descendant.
In the UK pellet calibers were initially also referred to as Number One bore (.177), Number Two bore (.22) and Number Three bore (.25). The early airguns were often marked that way.
The markings of a Number 3 (.25 caliber) BSA underlever. Image was taken from a 2017 posting by Garvin on the Vintage Airguns Gallery.
The .25 caliber diabolo was introduced as early as 1908 (?), but took several years to catch on. In the early years .25-caliber wasn’t much of a competitor and never caught on in the United States, where .22 caliber soon rose to the top. The .25 went too slow and produced an arched trajectory that was apparently too difficult to deal with.
Modern day
Today all that has changed. With precharged pneumatics (PCP) in the lead .25 caliber rifles are exceeding the sound barrier with ease. That is perhaps the biggest advantage they have over the .22 round. The AirForce Escape, for example, lists a velocity of 1,145 f.p.s. in .25 caliber. This is a rifle that’s so powerful that it isn’t even offered in .177. Sure, you can fit a .177 barrel to an Escape but the valve won’t be optimized for it.
The Escape is an all-out PCP for hunting. Plinking with it is like plinking with a .454 Casull Magnum. Sure it can be done, but that wasn’t the reason it was created.
How many pellets?
A key to the popularity of any caliber is how many different pellets are being sold. I did a 4-part report on airgun calibers and the .25 caliber was in Part 4. That was in 2021. At that time I found 19 different pellets available on the Pyramyd AIR website. They don’t show things that aren’t in stock so there could have been a few that were overlooked, but 19 was the number. That includes sampler packs and cleaning pellets.
Today that number is 42, with the same caveats in place. So just about double the number in four years. Folks, that means the .25 caliber is red hot and rising!
Why mention it?
Why do I mention it—especially as I wrote a report just four years ago? I do because when I get around other airgunners these days I hear .25 caliber mentioned a lot! At the recent Pyramyd AIR Cup .25 caliber was a big deal in the long-range benchrest competition. Since the wind was reasonably calm all the days shooters competed, there was a real chance for .25 to do well. More than 30 percent of the competitors used it! Yes .30 caliber dominates in that sport, but .25 caliber runs second.
Should you care?
Is .25 caliber something you need to look into? Well let’s look at the facts:
.177 —hands-down the most popular caliber.
.20—because of fewer numbers of premium pellets (6 at Pyramyd AIR when this is published) not a popular caliber.
.22—number one hunting pellet, though .25 is catching up.
.25—as mentioned, 42 pellet types at Pyramyd AIR on date of publication.
Look into .25 caliber if you hunt, or are considering benchrest competition. Thirty caliber does dominate in benchrest but .25 runs second.
Twenty years ago when new airguns hit the market they were usually offered in .177 and .22. Today the .25 has joined them.
Slugs
Slugs are also ideal for .25 caliber. In fact this is where .25 caliber steps out of the smallbore ranks and into the ranks of the big bores. Sure it’s at the bottom but I see .257 coming along more and more. Expect to see a lot more growth in that part of the .25 caliber market.
Summary
Twenty-five caliber is on a red-hot growth spurt at present. And new pellets and slugs are going to make that happen even faster. This is a sector of the market we can not overlook.
Howdy everyone,
I slept in this morning so WP decided it would be a good time to act up.
Actually this post was scheduled to publish at 10:49 am today so I probably scheduled it and then forgot to save my final changes.
BB
Withdrawals have now ceased.
https://diabolodb.com/the-history-of-diabolo/
B.B.
Up next should be the .30 caliber. As you mentioned it is the preferred choice in long distance airgun shooting. This is where the growth will be!
Have a nice weekend everybody,
-Yogi
The HW90 I obtained from Fawlty Manuel is .25. I have not shot it much, but it is likely not going anywhere in a big hurry, so I expect I will be typing about my experiences with it for some time to come. I may also change it to .22 or even .177. We will see what the future holds.
I had a .25 Armada for a bit. I was not impressed with it. Of course, I did not spend a small fortune on it, so it was not up to competition level. I quit hunting a loooong time ago, so something like this is too much for me. Should I decide I need to put meat on the table again, I think I have that covered quite nicely.
Do I think .25 is right for you? If you are planning on being a serious competitor, you might give it some thought. Do you think you are going to hunt small game on a regular basis? This caliber just might be what you need. Are you stalking feral soda cans or flipping spinners? This caliber is probably a bit much.
“…I expect I will be typing about my experiences with it for some time to come.”
RidgeRunner, I’m looking forward to that. 😉
Dave,
You may rest assured I will be sharing my experiences with this very awesome sproinger. Some of the “old gals” may end up getting jealous. 😉
Got it, LOL! 🙂
Thanks for another fine report BB!
I have one .25 caliber air gun. It’s a Barra 250Z. I bought it thinking it might be something to get started with for shooting longer distance targets. It is one of my most accurate rifles at shorter distance targets with JTS Dead Center pellets. I have yet to do any shooting with it at the longer distances. But I do have hopes that it will perform well for that purpose.
Elmer,
I have given very serious consideration to that air rifle. Please keep us updated on its performance.
BB,
I was going into withdrawal. Only getting a dose of you three times a week is bad enough.
Went to the blog first thing this lovely FL morning and lo! – the website findeth not! The Casa FM Tech Support Lady called it – “probably something wrong on their end.” Glad to see all is well.
Timely article in the wake of FM passing on his .25 HW90; in his Fawlty opinion, not the ideal caliber for “sproingers,” more so if one is shooting a target at over 25 yards’ distance. Might have done better shooting with lighter-weight .25 pellets but the rifle has gone to someone who will be able to wring out more and better performance out of it. It is now RR’s blank canvas to work with and he’s already started “painting.”
Nothing says there won’t be a .25 PCP at Casa FM in the future, more so if he can find a venue that allows for longer-distance shooting or if there is a renewed iguana invasion down here.
FM, at least you’re not one of the idiots who bought a .30 sproinger! (Guilty!)
Off topic. I just bought a Crosman Mark 1 pistol. Most likely it will need seals. So I searched through BB’s archives and found the information I will need for this. One article was by 45Brovo and the pistol he was working on had a low serial number. It was 000659 and mine is 000738.
So mechanically they should be the same.
sw1917,
Yes and 45 Bravo reads this blog all the time, so if you encounter and issues he is hear to listen.
BB
I followed the same path. It’s so cool to bring one of these classics back to life. They are great guns. Once you get the barrel out, find an article from BB on cleaning barrels with JB Non embedding bore paste. Polish up that barrel real good. Hopefully, you’ll get great results like I did.
Off topic,
Shootski, Tactical Carbine Conversio Kit for the ,177 BB Select Fire Cybergun Desert Eagle came in today.
I took a gamble on it, being made for the slightly different airsoft models and sure enough the pistol is about 1/2″ short of sliding into it and preventing the folding stock from fitting.
Need to dig out the hacksaw and files. Suspect the additional weaver rail on the bottom.
Bob M,
Hope you can make it fit…suspect you will.
Thank you. Now it all makes a bit more sense. That is very likely about the only way most folks could shoot a Desert Eagle inside of a barn and hit something in the barn. ;^)
Looks very tacticool. Perfect for a gamer’s wall art.
shootski
Shooski,
Got it fixed. Took it apart to find the hang up problem. After a few hours of checking and rechecking I found nothing. Popped a couple of springs out of place in the cocking lever and a pressure block in front of the pistol trigger housing. Patience and dexterity absolutely required.
Had a first in my life event. Lost one of those very small assembly screws. After a half hour of looking over every inch of space around the area, in my shoes and under furniture I gave up, totally frustrated. Then I found it by accident, stuck to the magnet on the rear cap of my flashlight.
OK, had another first one yesterday. Signed my old shipmate over to Hospice to pass away. Doc and Neurologist decided he had less than 6 months to live and could not do it without medical equipment hooked up to him or being able to eat. Time to let him go. He would never recover from dementia and major cognizant disorder bringing him down.
The carbine kit fix? … Just had to loosen up all the carbine assembly screws to install the Desert Eagle. The pistol fit was just too tight. Not really a problem because it is a good tight fit when installed and the screws are retightened. A very well-made synthetic fiber kit with folding stock.
Call of Duty, Modern Warfare is my great escape time to forget life’s problems. The better I get the harder AI or whatever makes it.
Bob, sorry to hear about your shipmate. Those hospice folks are angels on earth, providing care and comfort.
Your story about the spring is just like something that happened to me last week. I was cleaned up an old Diana 24. I was taking apart the rear sight, and under the big elevation adjustment wheel is a little steel cup that holds a tiny spring and a ball bearing, scarcely 1mm wide, if that. Although I used shootski’s big bag technique, the little cup seemed to be holding the ball bearing in, so I figured it was like the large ball bearing that keeps the break barrel closed. I figured the steel cup was somehow clamping the ball and spring inside of it. I set it on a piece of tape on my bench. Then I started cleaning a spare rear sight I had that was almost identical. On the second one, I went without the big plastic bag. I removed that elevation knob, then out came that little steel cup. After about a 5 second delay, though, that ball bearing and the spring shot out into the 5th dimension! I found the spring on the floor by getting my face on the floor and looking around at the lowest angle possible. I went over the entire area on my hands and knees but no ball bearing. So I got out the vacuum cleaner, emptied the dirt cup and started vacuuming. By some stroke of luck, I heard a little metallic clinking and the ball bearing was found! So I got that rear sight back together. BUT, when I looked for the other elevation detent, it was gone from my workbench, ball, spring, cup, and tape…gone! Yet to be found. I am hoping I will find it inside of a stray sock when they one re-appears in the laundry.
Roamin Greco,
We all know better now, but the unexpected has a way of jumping up and driving us crazy.
Who would expect a spring-loaded detent ball to be in a AR pistol grip?
If I did this sort of work for a living, I would have a sealed, forced air white blow-up room.
Those sight springs are hard enough to see right in front of you. On a carpet only a clean hand vac will do unless it happens to reflect light.
Yes, hospice has removed one of the loads I carry these days. At least my ex can still eat some food by herself. Not much more. Can’t get out of bed on her own. Too weak.
Bob M,
Hang in here!
shootski
Shootski,
Working on plan for my oldest daughter to take over. May have time for shooting airguns someday.
B.B. and Readership,
I have been happily shooting .25 caliber airguns for decades. I do find the search for accuracy has become far easier with the selection of .25 caliber projectiles available today.
The Quackenbush .25 caliber CO² pistols and uppers with bulk fill modifications in the early ’90s were able to get into the 800+ fps range with some very good hunting accuracy. They were closely followed by the .25 PCP Outlaws that are able to do 1,000+ fps with .27 grain pellets and could be easily tuned to shoot 40 grain bullets (Sugs) at the same MV and were even more accurate to boot.
I totally agree that unless you hunt or have the cash, want (have a safe place) to shoot long range .25 and .30 caliber are not needed to have FUN with airguns. The recoil alone will surprise most airgun folks not to mention the typical (without a proper suppressor) muzzle report.
All that said, i do hope the progress on improving the .25 and larger airgun projectiles continues.
shootski
shootski,
I personally would like to see further advancements in the realm of .457 cast bullets (slugs for the unwashed). It would certainly be nice to go to the range and print some sub-MOA (minute of angle) targets at one hundred yards for the powder burner crowd.
RidgeRunner,
“It would certainly be nice to go to the range and print some sub-MOA (minute of angle) targets at one hundred yards for the powder burner crowd.”
It is fun to do that!
My DAQ Outlaws (.308, .458, & .575) shooting Robert Vogel’s mrhollowpoint bullets https://mrhollowpoint.com/index.html have all done the deed at 100 yards. :^)
The DAQ .575 Short Rifle even did it shooting Lead Balls.
To shoot groups takes knowing your gun really well since thy are not regulated, barrel harmonics, as well as pressure tube and receiver flex all come into play…but you know that.
shootski
shootski,
Yeah, I need to get this Texan LSS out to the range more. So many airguns and other irons in the fire. Nobody told me how busy I would be when I retired.
Hey B.B.,
There is one more reason to still like the old .177 caliber for low-powered air pistols: they can be made to shoot at a useful velocity even with a very moderate cocking effort.
Witness the air pistol you tested here:
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2012/08/brownings-buck-mark-urx-pellet-pistol-part-3/
Lately, I have been having a lot of issues with my left wrist due to osteoarthritis; I cannot cock my Tempest, and my Crosman 1322 is difficult to pump without causing me pain. Hence, since you mentioned the low effort needed to cock it, I bought a Buck Mark to try it out.
Even with my bad left wrist, I can easily cock this pistol.
I went out on the back deck and set up a paper target at 15 feet just to check it out.
My first group with JSB RS pellets was 7/8″ of an inch, but high and to the left.
My next group, using H&N Excite (wadcutter) plinking pellets made one ragged hole, dead center.
(note: perhaps I just lucked out with a really good one)
After that, I walked over to the 15-yard range and shot at a can that was half full of water.
I aimed near the top to see if I could knock it over.
The first shot hit dead center for windage, but the can was still standing.
The next shot, I aimed right at the top of the can and toppled it.
Yes, as you noted, the trigger pull is a bit heavy.
But for a $50 air pistol, I am well-pleased with the performance of this little gun; thank you! 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
Dave,
Unless you have specific plans for it, I think I may be able to find a place for that Tempest.
If you can scrape up the loose change and even find one, an Izzy (Baikal 46M) is a superb shooting air pistol, although it does not seem you are doing too bad with that thing.
Yes, the .177 will always have a home around here.
“Unless you have specific plans for it, I think I may be able to find a place for that Tempest.”
LOL! I hear you, man, but this was my Dad’s pistol so I promised it to my nephews. 😉
Dave,
My rememberer remembers where you got it now. Family first. My grandson is going to end up with quite a collection.
“My grandson is going to end up with quite a collection.”
I hear you, man!
My two nephews are the only shooters in the family (so far).
Hence, all my knives and guns have been slowly getting passed on to them. 😉
I love your story. And the best part was that the cheapest pellets were the mist accurate. You are looking at $0.017 per shot (before the 4 for 3 discount, taxes, or shipping).
“And the best part was that the cheapest pellets were the most accurate.”
Roger that, Roamin Greco; I had brought out a pile of different pellets from my bottom drawer, but those Excites shot so well that I decided it would be hard to top them. And yes, they make for cheap shooting, which is always a bonus. 😉
Dave, for your osteoarthritis, you might consider taking glucosamine with MSM and fish oil – FM takes both, so far the joints are still “loose enough for government work.” Mrs. FM’s brother, an internal medicine physician does not believe glucosamine does anything – maybe it works just as a placebo but if it helps…
Bear in mind FM is not trained as a physician, shaman, witch doctor and such and lacks even a PhD in Quackery so before diving into these homemade treatments, consult a real doctor. Keep shooting – that’s good therapy.
I sure have eaten a lot of Glucosamine and Ring ease in my life .I do not think these supplements did any harm but joints still SORE and ears still ring. I thank God for what I have and go on.
“joints still SORE”
singleshotcajun, that’s a condition with which I am well familiar; however, as you said, we’re still alive and still shooting so we should thank the Lord for that. 😉
AMEN
“you might consider taking glucosamine with MSM and fish oil”
FM, that stuff is all natural and can’t hurt; I’ll try some; thank you. 🙂
Dave,
Strychnine is natural.
“Strychnine is natural.”
Holy cheeseballs; I just looked it up…scary!!! X_X
So is arsenic…
So is arsenic….
thedavemyster,
They really created a user-friendly brake barrel pistol with this one and the Ruger Mk-IV. They have effectively eliminated the dred associated with pellet loading with a linkage designed to use the force of your thumb as well. Needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise.
Yeah Bob, this thing is user-friendly for sure.
And that’s a good thing because I bought is mainly to teach my daughter-in-law to shoot.
She will be able to cock this pistol on her own. 🙂
I finally got a chance to check the velocity today.
1st shot = 331 fps; 2nd shot = 332 fps; 3rd shot = 332 fps
No wonder this thing has good accuracy. 🙂
Just don’t use it for pesting. (Don’t ask how I know. Or how it will stun, but not kill a feedbunk rat.)
I’ve thought for awhile now that there really ought to be 275 and 325 calibers, or something thereabouts. The exact number isn’t important. The difference between .25 and .30 and .35 is massive and there ought to be something in between. Counting the .35 or 9mm we only have 6 common calibers anyway and even if we throw in all the commonly available slug calibers it’s still under twenty.
Contrast that to the firearms world where there are literally hundreds of available chamberings, probably thousands in total and they bring out new ones every year.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a .14 or .15 either, but I’m not really sure what advantages they would bring to the table.
SB,
The powder burners are bringing out new calibers all the time because they can. Really, it is a waste of time and money. The powder burner companies also have to sell “the latest and greatest”.
Do not sweat it though, the airgun world is coming on fast. The airgun manufacturers have to bring out their “latest and greatest” every year now also.
Now as for airgun calibers, there has to be a demand for a specific caliber before the ammunition companies make pellets for such. There are not very many choices for .20 pellets these days. The main reason for such is there have been vast improvements in both .177 and .22 pellets. I do hope that .20 pellets are available for many years to come, but each year there seems to be fewer choices.
If you want some oddball caliber, you will have to start a demand for that caliber. Start your own airgun company manufacturing airguns in the caliber you want and work with one of the ammunition companies to manufacture pellets for your airguns. You also have to convince us airgunners that the new calibers are of some advantage over what is available now and to buy your products.
Or you can just hang around a bit and see what somebody else comes up with. 😉
You got to get you some 6.3 SWELL it is the best ever until we come out with 6.3 SWOL.
Huh? What’s that?
Sarcasm , got to give these new wiz bang snake oil calibers a name like .277 Fury.
Every thinking shooter knows 6.33 SWEL is better!
If you put a 6.3 asWEL in a 6.33 SEL barrel you get a 6.3 LEWS…. ;o)
Oh darn it. Spellcheck spoiled my joke. Let me try again:
If you put a 6.3 SWEL pellet backwards down a 6.33 SWEL barrel, then you get a 6.3 LEWS…. ;o)
Interestingly, and B.B. and blogmates, please correct me, but airgun calibers are a bit different from powder burners. Looking just at AirGun slugs vs. Powder Burner bullets:
.177 seems to be between .177 to .178, while the PB version is .172.
Similarly, in AGs, .22 caliber is from .217 to .218, but PB is .224
In AGs .25 caliber could be between .249 to .251, but PB are .257.
Then, you might be able to have future AG calibers in 6mm, which convert to 0.2362 inches, or 6.5mm, which converts to 0.2559 inches.
I think one of the reasons for so many PB calibers and cartridges is to keep similar cartridges from being chambered in the wrong firearm. Also the latest offerings are pushing new limits in efficiency and long range performance.
RG,
When I was a teenager, my dad would put five shots in a one inch circle at three hundred yards with his Remington 700 in .25-06. Quite frankly, I am not easily impressed with the new stuff the powder burners are bringing out these days.
To be honest, I am not easily impressed with the “New, Latest and Greatest” airguns either.
RidgeRunner,
I was recently impressed by .416 Barrett: https://www.recoilweb.com/416-barrett-mrad-elr-putting-the-extreme-in-long-range-187005.html
shootski
PS: Show the Linked information to spouse(s) and say, See how reasonable my pellet costs are compared to shooting $10 US Dollars each time i pull the trigger ;^)
Perhaps, my friend, you are simply not easily impressed.
Totally stock, Rem 700 with factory ammo? Probably not. You should see some of the results from today’s crop of production guns and ammo. I’ll find you a link if you are interested. But in reality, taking long shots from a hunting perspective seems a bit impractical to me. Game hardly ever sits still that long, for me anyways.
Roamin Greco,
A great place to visit if you ever venture to Wyoming:
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
720 Sheridan Avenue
Cody, Wyoming 82414
centerofthewest.org
Or on line: https://centerofthewest.org/2015/10/05/firearms-resources-at-the-mccracken-research-library/
Another resource: https://bullet-blog.com/firearm-cartridge-library/
And, Wyoming is a Constitutional Carry State unlike the Federal Republic of Germany!
You can however almost have fun in Germany by getting one of these: https://www.stuttgart.de/en/organigramm/leistungen/kleiner-waffenschein-beantragen?form=translationDisclaimer-NTk3NjkwNDE2&action=submit#translationDisclaimer-NTk3NjkwNDE2
shootski
Thanks, shootski.
My next big trip will be back to Greece. Haven’t been back since 2019 (pre-Covid) and now the kids’ summer activities are keeping us closer to home.
BB,
As I gaze into my crystal ball, I foresee the growth of .30 and eventually .35 share of the market. Every year there are more and more .30 caliber airguns on the market. With the advent of higher air pressures to push those big chunks of lead at higher speeds and longer ranges, the benchrest crowd is catching on quick.
I used to have a .35 here myself. That was before John took over RAW and they stopped making that caliber, but I think it will catch on again, most especially with the benchresters. The pellet choices will have to increase, but it will.
I often wonder if a .25 BB gun would be significantly more accurate than a .177bb gun.
Ricochets of a .25 steel ball would be a bigger issue, but I guess the .25 bb’s lager mass would delay the bb’s rotation that leads to it deviating from course.
I’m wondering if it would carry enough energy and be accurate enough to replace .177 lead-free pellets for pesting/ hunting.
https://diabolodb.com/the-history-of-diabolo/
Further off topic………………I experimented this morning and cooked my Palmetto farms grits in my little rice cooker. To quote the character Aldo Raine “This just might be my Masterpiece “.
Anyone have a handle .257 molds for air gun slugs ? I was looking at NEO but they are out of business now.
Let water come to boil in rice cooker then stir in grits , butter and salt to your liking then slow cook using the warm feature on the rice cooker.This is how I’m doing it from now on.
As a transplanted northerner (loving the Southern lifestyle),
I’m a big fan of grits…as well as biscuits and gravy! 🙂
singleshotcajun,
WHAT A LOSS! They still have some inventory at N.O.E. : https://noebulletmolds.com/site/
I’m shocked! Seems that the last few years have been rough ones for bullet mold makers: https://lbtmolds.com
I haven’t ordered from them in years but they were a good outfit.
Check out this outfit. The smallest they have in their Catalog is .27 : https://accuratemolds.com/index.php But they should be able to do a custom .257 for you. The FAQ section is worth a look…proves these folks are knowledgeable about their casting and business.
The Rice Cooker for grits is pure genius ;^)
shootski
Thanks. Using the rice cooker requires some experimentation to get your desired texture , I need to to watch and let the grits boil a little longer to make grits and not soup.
I saw the slug molds still in stock at NOE but I am hesitant to buy a mold from a company that will not be there anymore. For now I will stick to pellets in the .25 Origin.
B.B. and Readership,
OFF TOPIC!
For those of you with sore joints:
The Synovial fluid is the bodies joint lube. Swimming, walking, Tai Chi, and LIGHT stretching are all great to get it spread around and increasing.
Dehydration – drink lots of water to flush your body of toxins and keep the natural lube levels up.
Vitamin D, C, and the things other folks, like Doc FM, have already covered.
I also supplement with Taurine but as with most things there are a few recent mixed reviews (my guess researchers looking for more money to do studies or it really works and Pharma wants to cut off its use.) so far none say it causes problems so i will keep using it until it kills me or they conclude the earlier research is proven accurate
Lately i have been hearing about refined sugar in processed foods being a suspect for joint soreness.
shootski
As FM’s cardio doc sez, “sugar is Enemy Number 1” in the diet. He’s also learned the importance of hydration this summer. One of the pleasant outcomes about increasing water intake has been the total disappearance of the little bit of ankle swelling he’d been experiencing.
Stay healthy so you can keep on shootin’! Build up strength so you can “break” the barrels of those powerful gas springers. 🙂