Bird shot

[Doofy]

Any advice? I am wanting to make some .22 LR shotshells.
Since shotshell prices are so outrageous and I can't get any mailed to me, I'll just make my own.

Plans are to pull the lead bullet on a .22 shell and replace with some type of small shot or grit and seal with wax. These are for taking out Tree Rats (squirrels) from about 30 feet.

Reasoning behind this is to limit projectile distance and ricochets because of nearby homes and highways. Also, because I need bird shot to even hit the Damn things!

Since I have no small lead shot I will try some bead blasting beads or some coarse sand. What else could be used for grit? Not worried about barrel erosion or damage because I'll be using an old JC Higgins single shot rifle.

 

[RonD]

30ft won't happen, 10-15ft is a stretch
It spreads out very fast and loses velocity just as fast

Make a few and test spreads and penetration at 10ft and then 20ft

Think about a pellet gun, for that distance

 

[Doofy]

I've read the heavier the grains, the less the spread. Yep, I will test for spread at different distances. I did just buy a .177 pellet gun for this and it does well but I'm not a very good shot yet. Takes me from 1-10 shots to nail one!

 

[RonD]

The rifling in the .22 causes faster spread
Most shotguns are not rifled unless made to fire single slugs, so less distance spread with shot

Yes, give it a try, if you want to kill the tree rats then even the heavier shot will lose too much velocity past 15-20ft to kill unless you get luck, .22 just doesn't have the "kick" needed for this type of application

 

[Doofy]

RonD You have a very valid point. Even with the commercial CCI Shot shells, 20-25 feet is about the maximum distance for a kill. I'll make something work.

 

[telsar]

Perhaps you should get a kitten.

 

[Doofy]

Hahaha! We do have a wild red fox that has nailed several of these squirrels. The Fox is super fast and can also jump about 6 feet up in to the tree. Most amazing thing I have ever seen.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There are some pretty neat pellet rifles out now that may be worth checking into

 

[Doofy]

I probably will get a pellet rifle at some point. I do enjoy the quietness and the ability to practice in the garage. I've only ran just over 100 pellets through my new, cheap break-barrel pistol. I think my shots will improve once it is broken-in. Sure a hoot to shoot!

 

[91stranger]

yeah you can get really nice pellet guns for $100-200 and they are super accurate. like you said just do some target shooting and find the sweet spot. I have little pellet guns and most of them are dead on from 20-30 feet. some at 40-50 feet. the other advantage is they are quiet so no one will be alarmed at the guy shooting 30 rounds trying to kill one squirrel lol.

 

[Doofy]

Finally got some .22 crimped bird shot for my birthday. I'm ready now for those pesky squirrels! Oh, the sadness... The Wife took over my shooting duties. She says I'm wasting ammo. Her motto is "One Shot, One Kill"! I think she just likes shooting my new Ruger pistol.

 

[pjtoledo]

I think you better be wary of what she practices on

 

[pjtoledo]

try some Aguila .22 super colibri. its made in Mexico, 20 grains and about 700 fps. its a non-powder bullet, uses only the primer, and is very quiet. it will put an exit blister on 3/4" wood, usually won't completely punch thru.
I use it to take out rats at 60 ft. along the back fence. it doesn't have enough kick to cycle a semi-auto, but will fire in one.

do not get regular "colibri", its so slow I was able to run and catch the slug!!!

 

[Will]

I have a 250 yard rifle range out of my kitchen window. Above the window I have a .17 WSM Savage B-Mag and a .22 Benjamin pellet rifle. Every 25 yds I have a target you can hear when you hit it. The .22 air rifle with alloy pellets is good to 150yds hitting a 24" metal disk--very repeatable, but its turning into an artillery piece at that range. At 25 yards it will kill easily. It will kill a crow at 100 yds. It's sighted for 100 yards using a shotgun scope that cost more than the gun. It will punch through a drum cymbal about 10% of the hits at 50 yards. The wind doesn't bother it too much, unlike my .177 air rifles.

The .17 WSM is a laser anywhere. It has almost no drop out to 250yds and even at 250 yds knocks a hole in an old round barbecue lid that doesn't peel on the back side of the hole. Like a paper punch. A tiny fleck of a bullet but with so much muzzle velocity that it has the same muzzle energy as a 45 ACP, and carries it a long way down range.

A little loud in the kitchen, but you have to keep sharp in case the North Koreans invade through my hay field.

 

[Doofy]

Thanks, pjtoledo. I'd like to try those. I bought some subsonic but they are still to powerful for my needs.