22LR Shotshells

From a smooth bore they work well. From a rifled barrel they really spread fast. They knock sparrows down well inside barns
I have some for 9mm as well. Horrible in my carbine but decent enough in my 1911 although they wont cycle

Henry has released a smooth bore garden gun. Nice looking piece but i have a 9mm flobert i use now. Much more effective and larger shot and slugs can be had

With a smooth bore 22lr the shotshells make great practise when shooting flying grasshoppers in a field. Really helps you focus on the target. Dragonflys are also challenging as well

Yeah I also realized while reading your post.

The CCI .22LR shotshell would not cycle your standard .22

Winchester .22LR shotshell fit in the mag and cycled in the 10/22. Pretty fun honestly. Still have half a box of both.

Frig off mice...
 
You have a couple years on me tho I was hunting mice in my grandmothers country store back in the '60's.
I wouldn't shoot these out of a gun that I respected , the steel shot wreaks havoc on rifling that is why smooth bore .22's were developed .

its lead not steel its usually number 12 shot. I should actually get some #12 lead for reloading would work great with 1/4oz in a .410.

ht tps://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Rimfire/Super-X/X22LRS
 
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The federal ones seem to work well on squirrels at close range around the yard close to the house and buildings. I shoot them out of a single shot model 67 Winchester I assume the Cooey/Any single shot you have buried in your closet will work just as well. Yes they are designed for smoothbore rifles but most people dont own them. The only issues I find with the federals is that they are a bit hard to eject because the case is so long due to the crimped end. Overall a safe alternative for pest control around buildings, not overly powerful but they do what they do.
 
I used them for very up close rat shooting, coupled with a night vision monocular taped on my squib. Try shooting at some cardboard, I never saw a doughnut pattern. Once I was boresighted and ranged it was some of the best carnival shooting I ever had, ridding my barn of rats. Fun!

I had fun setting up in our barn with a pellet gun and just waiting for the rats to come out of their holes. Taught some patience.
 
I had a buddy renting a old farmhouse and told me they work for mice or rats in the house, close range.
I also seen a article a while back in a Varmint Hunter magazine where kids were shooting grasshoppers with them,
Looked like fun
 
Has anybody tried the 45lc shotshells you can buy? Same idea as the .22 ones. Thought it might be fun in my revolver but don't want to damage it.

If you reload you can make your own easily enough. Leading can be a problem in some revolvers. My GP100 is terrible for leading, but if you want to impress people with your marksmanship on balloons it's a good cheat.
 
A couple years ago I picked up a NIB Savage Mk1 single shot, smooth bore, lefty! I patterned it with the Federal stuff at 5' increments to 25' and the shot density was impressive. I've used it wing shoot barn swallows that dive bomb me in my garage when I have the big door open. I don't shoot inside, I stand outside on the concrete, doesn't take long till they get the message.
 
I use it for pigeons in the quansat. They sit above the door so I throw a rock to get them to pop up and get them in the head. Works every time. I got some in .22 wmr also for the higher up birdies at the very top.
 
22 Bird Shot is not really for something as large as a gopher, unless maybe inside 2 feet.

Works great on mice and small birds at close range out to maybe 15 or 20 feet. The shot size is very small, so it does not carry very far.

As for barrel damage, I would not use it in a target rifle, but I would have no concerns about using it with your typical 1022 or something like that.

There are basically 2 different types.

The crimped style opens up and the shot rattles down the barrel impacting the rifling. This might affect the barrel, but probably not measurably.

There's another style with a plastic cup in front that encapsulates the shot as it leaves the barrel. My understanding is that this plastic cup is intended to protect the rifling.
 
I have used a lot of .22 shot shells. From a rifled bore, and if you are within 15' range inside a barn or such, they kill sparrows and rats OK. Because the rifling spins the shot into a donut and makes the pattern thin out very very quickly, they are useless any farther away. And not so good for pigeons pattern density is too thin. You can clean the lead out the rifling with a good wire bush and solvent. From a smoothbore they are actually very useful. I killed pigeons, magpies, and gophers at 30' or so with my old Remington target master smoothbore bolt action. FAR better patterns and longer range.
 
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