22 Cal. Low Velocity Small Varmint Failure

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linoww posted this 19 May 2008

Cleared a field of Sage Rats for a friend this weekend.Due to the close proximity to other farms and fields i took my quiet plinking load in my 22-250.It was the Lyman 225438 as cast lubed in Lee alox with 4.5 of WST(Winchester Super Target) The load is good for 1” or so at 50 yards and about 3” at 100 out of A Stevens 200 sporter.It is in the 22RF velocity range and noise level.Alot of the little guys made it back in their holes it took a pretty solid shot to stop them in their tracks.Most shooting was under 50 yards.My load with the RCBS 55FN at 2100 blew them up last year.I expected better with the 225438 load,but i guess really it is just like 22 RF solids.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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KenK posted this 19 May 2008

My 52 grain .22 bullet; cast of wheelweights, muzzle velocity of 1,375 fps, shot through 11 1/2” of wet newsprint at 50 yards.  There was no visible deformation of the bullet and the bore riding section would still fall into the bore.

I would not expect a rat to slow it down much, though I admit I have idea what a sage rat is.

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linoww posted this 19 May 2008

My 52 grain .22 bullet; cast of wheelweights, muzzle velocity of 1,375 fps, shot through 11 1/2” of wet newsprint at 50 yards. 

My bullets skimmed off of the soft dirt they were hiding in most of the time.I tried taking some shots at rats hiding behind their burrows and they didnt penetrate through the soft loam.

Anyway sage rats are a pretty small rodent about 6-8” long.Here is a internet picture i found of them.My shots were too graphic to post<G>

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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KenK posted this 19 May 2008

Cute little buggers.  Got any recipes?

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JeffinNZ posted this 19 May 2008

I'd use a 225415.  That FN does the job.

Cheers from New Zealand

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linoww posted this 19 May 2008

My RCBS FN is similar to the 225415 but with a bit larger flat.Works well at high velocity and shoots better than the 415 in my rifles.Although my friend shoots the Lyman 225462 at 2300 out of linotype and they are very destructive despite the RN profile.Maybe it's combination of velocity and nose shape??I will find out again at the end of week when i get out there again with the RCBS bullet.

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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gussy posted this 19 May 2008

I thought you said you only take head shots????:dude:

:coffeeGus

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jhalcott posted this 19 May 2008

George did not shoot those rats, he got the picture of the net!

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CB posted this 20 May 2008

Ken Sure I have a recipe!

Dig a hole about 12” deep, plant rats horizontally, cover well and plant something edible on top. Water well and harvest in the fall.../images/emoticons/134.gif

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PETE posted this 20 May 2008

 George,

  You didn't mention what your alloy was but if your MV is in the .22 RF range I'd go with a soft bullet. Say from pure Lead to about 1-30 Tin/Lead.

PETE

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linoww posted this 20 May 2008

PETE wrote:  George,

  You didn't mention what your alloy was but if your MV is in the .22 RF range I'd go with a soft bullet. Say from pure Lead to about 1-30 Tin/Lead.

PETE

Lino with scrap,BHN unkown,but hard.

Do you think the soft bulltes would help? When you shoot them with 22 RF the big step up is with hollowpoints.The 225438 bullets acted just like 22RF solids as far as (lack of)killing power. The 22RF bullets are already pretty soft.I'll give it a shot though.

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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linoww posted this 20 May 2008

gussy wrote: I thought you said you only take head shots????:dude:

:coffeeGus

Take them,but never hit them

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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gussy posted this 20 May 2008

linoww wrote: gussy wrote: I thought you said you only take head shots????:dude:

:coffeeGus

Take them,but never hit them

 

George

Yep, I've had that problem myself.>.>

:coffeeGus

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billwnr posted this 20 May 2008

linoww wrote: My 52 grain .22 bullet; cast of wheelweights, muzzle velocity of 1,375 fps, shot through 11 1/2” of wet newsprint at 50 yards. 

My bullets skimmed off of the soft dirt they were hiding in most of the time.I tried taking some shots at rats hiding behind their burrows and they didnt penetrate through the soft loam.

Anyway sage rats are a pretty small rodent about 6-8” long.Here is a internet picture i found of them.My shots were too graphic to post<G>

George somma 'em look like babies.:shock:

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linoww posted this 20 May 2008

billwnr wrote: linoww wrote: My 52 grain .22 bullet; cast of wheelweights, muzzle velocity of 1,375 fps, shot through 11 1/2” of wet newsprint at 50 yards. 

My bullets skimmed off of the soft dirt they were hiding in most of the time.I tried taking some shots at rats hiding behind their burrows and they didnt penetrate through the soft loam.

Anyway sage rats are a pretty small rodent about 6-8” long.Here is a internet picture i found of them.My shots were too graphic to post<G>

George somma 'em look like babies.:shock:

Here is a picture of one of  "my piles".The blown up one was shot at about 5 feet.I am heading out again thursday with my hi-vel cast loads.I am going to hold off for a trophy “buck squirell" rather than a doe or fawn.My best  to date  scores .01 Boone and Crockett .

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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PETE posted this 20 May 2008

 George,

  Well, I wouldn't want to guarantee that a softer bullet will improve the killing power, but if anything will it would have to be a softer bullet. From your posts I gather you don't want to increase the MV and that's the only thing I can think of would be to up the MV to about 1500 fps, and also use a softer bullet. I've found 1-25 & 1-30 expand a bit at that MV.

  Nothing says you can't hollow point a few softer bullets either to increase the chances of expansion.

  Not having shot any Sage Rats I'm not familiar with what kind of resistance a bullet meets up with on them. From your pictures there doesn't seem to be much to them so possibly nothing will give you instant kills all the time. Maybe head shots is all you'll be able to expect for that.

  With tongue firmly in cheek, maybe you need to anchor them with a shoulder shot, and then finish them with a second round. :) Ala dangerous game!

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linoww posted this 20 May 2008

  Nothing says you can't hollow point a few softer bullets either to increase the chances of expansion.

Veral Smith reccomends splitting the noses with foil betewwn cavities while casting.I may try that.I hollow pointing a few,but the resuklts were rather bad as far as accuracy.I held the loaded rounds in a Wilson  holder with a fixture to center them up,but the HP's were not consistantly centered.The nose would also crack with the hard alloy during the drilling process.

 I can think of would be to up the MV to about 1500 fps, and also use a softer bullet. I've found 1-25 & 1-30 expand a bit at that MV.

I think I  havea pot o' the soft stuff,'ill cast few up tonight to see how it goes.The 225438 is a 4 cavity so I can make a bunch pretty fast.

With tongue firmly in cheek, maybe you need to anchor them with a shoulder shot, and then finish them with a second round. :) Ala dangerous game!

I admit to taking two shots on more than one rodent to get the job done.

 

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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KenK posted this 20 May 2008

linoww wrote: billwnr wrote: linoww wrote:

was shot at about 5 feet George

Dammit, man; was he going for jugular?

I got side tracked on Gunbroker today and looked at some nice English double rifles.  Perhaps this would be the medicine for charging rats?

 

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linoww posted this 20 May 2008

I got side tracked on Gunbroker today and looked at some nice English double rifles.

  I once saw a .410 Stevens built into a 22 Hornet side by side.I would love to have one built someday.I am in the family raising stage of life and have to decide on my splurges carefully.Ed Harris talked me into this Bunny Gun deal and I have an H&R 28ga small frame from the 1920's I am having a barrel built for .32 Mag.

 

Perhaps this would be the medicine for charging rats?

Someday that "double rat gun" will grace my gun cabinet.....

 

George

 

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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argie1891 posted this 22 May 2008

i shot a few last year with the same 225438 bullet cast from wheel weight metal and 4.5 gr. of unique in my 218 bee. it seemed to anchor them pretty well. they are too stupid to know when they are dead. if you leave them in the field they will eat their own dead. argie1891

if you think you have it figured out then you just dont understand

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linoww posted this 22 May 2008

argie1891 wrote: i shot a few last year with the same 225438 bullet cast from wheel weight metal and 4.5 gr. of unique in my 218 bee. it seemed to anchor them pretty well. they are too stupid to know when they are dead. if you leave them in the field they will eat their own dead. argie1891

I am sure 90% of my hits eventually killed the things,but too many made it back in their holes.I didnt have a chance to get out today but plan a re-shoot saturday AM with the high velocity loading.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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