.22 bird shot - rifle or pistol?

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Getting tired of the critters who are too close to the house. I need to dispatch a few of them. I have an old Stevens single shot .22 rifle that I haven't fired in 40 years, but doing research on .22 bird shot everyone is using it in a pistol. Should I buy a pistol, or would it work in my rifle.

legion · 05-31-2018, 08:12 AM

It will work in your rifle.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Your rifle is fine. CCI quiet works well too if you aren't shooting into the air or at the house.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

You may be able to shoot 22 shorts out of your single shot, will be whisper quiet. Those little shot shells won't reach very far at all.

fred cook · fred cook's Garage

Yep, .22 short or long CB Caps are whisper quiet and will dispatch most critters within about 25 yds or so. Out of a rifle, they should be quieter than an air rifle!

Arizona_928 · 05-31-2018, 09:52 AM

I wonder if you'll have feeding problems in a semi spoon

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

single shot rifle though

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

You will, but he said his is a single shot Stevens.

RKDinOKC · RKDinOKC's Garage

Alway just use the old Red Ryder BB gun I grew up with. After a couple of weeks all I have to do is move the gun so you can hear the BBs roll down the barrel and the birds all fly off. Also my golden retriever watched me shooting bird and started chasing them away. Just say "Is that a bird," open the door and she would go all around the yard chasing the birds from the trees and phone wires. Don't know why they would all fly off? Maybe she was telling them I was gonna get my gun?

vash · vash's Garage

i shot a bird with .22 birdshot once when i was a kid. it flew off unharmed. i saw that pattern all around him, so i know i didnt miss.

IIRC,, the shot was about 15 feet away.

gtc · gtc's Garage

I tried out the 45 colt shot shells in a ~5" revolver a few years ago. The spread was pretty wide... i wouldn't expect to hit a robin-size bird from more than 15 or 20 feet away.
I think a pellet gun would be more effective.

KFC911 · 05-31-2018, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtc

I tried out the 45 colt shot shells in a ~5" revolver a few years ago. The spread was pretty wide... i wouldn't expect to hit a robin-size bird from more than 15 or 20 feet away.
I think a pellet gun would be more effective.

A nice pellet gun rocks! Forget the shot shells out of a .22....go shorts or subsonic imo.

Rapewta · 05-31-2018, 02:53 PM

Believe me... bird shot doesn't do much except destroy the grooves in the barrel of your nice
.22 rifle. Me... I got a .22 pump pellet rifle and a green dot sight.
No rat stands a chance with four pumps, the simple lead pellet a flash light and the green dot.
Forget worrying about .22 caliber rimfire noise and it's long distance.

Man...me and my doggie have taken down so many fence runners and tree rats with just a
cheap .22 pump with good green dot sight and four pumps.

You can, if you live in an Urban, tight housing tract like me and don't want any complaints...
Practice in the garage with a big wax candle at 15 feet.

I don't kill anything anymore but rats in my wood pile, garage and attic is not allowed.

Good luck

Jeff Higgins · 05-31-2018, 03:31 PM

I agree with Rapewta - bird shot is almost completely ineffective and will just muck up your fine old .22. One of the "CB cap" style .22 rounds will be effective and not hurt the gun.

I've reported here on my antics with the air rifles and pistols many times. They are extremely effective on backyard pests. While I've only shot rats with mine, they can be used on any similar size of pest with no danger to the neighbors and very little noise. You can go big and get a really nice German or English made gun, or just get a cheap, practical, Chinese made example. Either is just as effective.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I agree with Rapewta - bird shot is almost completely ineffective and will just muck up your fine old .22.

LOL! It's a Stevens. I think my dad paid $29 for it in 1964.
Then again, I paid $3000 for my Speedster in 1974. Maybe I should check the market on collectible Stevens rifles.

Jeff Higgins · 05-31-2018, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

LOL! It's a Stevens. I think my dad paid $29 for it in 1964.
Then again, I paid $3000 for my Speedster in 1974. Maybe I should check the market on collectible Stevens rifles.

You might be surprised... Then again, it might be worth all of $29 today. It's completely unpredictable as to what becomes "collectable" these days, be it cars, guns, or whatever.

Even if it turns out to be a $29 rifle, birdshot still isn't going to be effective in it. Treat yourself to something new and fun in your retirement - you worked hard all of your life, you deserve it.