.22 Long Rifle Bird Shot???

eyebowhunt

eyebowhunt

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A fellow I work with asked me if and where someone can purchase .22 LR bird shot loads and what brand names are available. I didn't know, so I thought I'd check into this on CGN. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks... :confused:
 
Its called "rat shot" and it is the most useless ammo you can possibly buy. Its usually 3 times the price of normal .22 lr. If you fire it out of a rifled barrel, dont expect more than maybe 5-10 yards effective range out of it. You can find old smoothbore .22's which would pattern better, but still not good. the shot is #12, so its basically like metal sand. Speaking from exprience, dont waste your money. I bought a box 2 years ago and have used maybe 20 rounds just for fun at the range.

If you friend has to buy some Walmart usually sells Winchester brand stuff for like 7-8$ a box and I have seen Federal brand at Canadian Tire for 11$ a box.
 
cote_b said:
Its called "rat shot" and it is the most useless ammo you can possibly buy. Its usually 3 times the price of normal .22 lr. If you fire it out of a rifled barrel, dont expect more than maybe 5-10 yards effective range out of it. You can find old smoothbore .22's which would pattern better, but still not good. the shot is #12, so its basically like metal sand. Speaking from exprience, dont waste your money. I bought a box 2 years ago and have used maybe 20 rounds just for fun at the range.

If you friend has to buy some Walmart usually sells Winchester brand stuff for like 7-8$ a box and I have seen Federal brand at Canadian Tire for 11$ a box.
Click to expand...

That's the stuff alright. I let a few rounds out on a 2x4 - less then ten feet away and penetration was 1/8" at best... if any. With a 3"+ pattern. So picture anything over 20 feet there'd be nothing.

Might be fun for up close mouse popping.
 
I've used them in an attic when a mended window trapped some pigeons inside. At 10 feet, they worked.

It's a pretty small niche market.
 
Useless.

Wayyyy back in the day when I was shooting to supply a taxidermist student with various bodies, I shot a great horned owl with a .410. Bounced right off him though it made him right mad. I was actually out after grouse and had a 20 g for them.

This was well before the endagered species thing and I don't remember the size of shot.
 
.22 LR shot shells work very well out of a smoothbore gun especially made for them. Limited to birds pigeon size and smaller, rats and mice, etc. at "inside the barn" ranges. 15 yards is about max. If shooting out of a rifled barrel, all of the above disparaging comments apply. I have a smoothbore .22, and like it!
 
Plus limited to single shot rifle, or one at a time in a semi or repeater. I bought a box years ago for swallows in a barn, worked ok, but as you've said pretty limited. I had a magpie fly into my garage, worked good in there too.
 
Anything shot point blank is "painted" with lead mist. I can't see a use for this crap. I have had 70 or so rounds in my stock for years after experimenting with it.
 
"...useless from rifled..." Yep. Shot out of a rifled barrel flies in a spiral that produces patterns with big holes.
CCI loads .22 LR with 31 grains worth of No. 12 shot.
 
a fish net with a long handle works good for pigeons in the barn and birds in the garage, has a better kill rate than the rat shot. once they are in the net, smack m on something hard and the net is good for multiple uses. buy a fist net not the rat shot
 
The "bird shot" .22 ammo was never intended for anything but close range use on pests. They work very well inside buildings where you don't want to punch a hole through to the outside. I think anything more than 5 yds would be touch and go. We have Winchester #12 shot, 50 rds/$12 (it has the front of the casing crimped to hold the shot in). Phil.
 
Have used it for years in small quantities in situations where you dont want to punch a hole in the roof or wall but still take care of rats mice and small birds. Very effective but yes- very limited in range. Has a purpose and if used within its limits can be quite effective.

LSB
 
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