How Instantly Lethal is .22?

[kbm6893]

Nobody but a mental case shoots animals just for grins. A lot of
people have had no hunting experience, or farming. I guess it
is culture clash. We have Varmits, which cause damage to crops
machinery, and live stock. They are shot for a reason. Then we
kill and process our own Steers and hogs, instead of buying at
the store. Every once in a while we have to shot a animal because of sickness or injury, instead of hauling to vet and paying
him to do it. Then we hunt, never shot anything you don't intend
to eat. All this has been accomplished with the lowly 22, for a
100years. I find it weird that all of a sudden a 22 won't do its
job. Not to PC, but it is fact. The late Jack O'connor said that
anyone who went in woods with a 30/30 and couldn't kill one,
had no business in the woods- same with 22, if you have to
shoot a squirrel 3 times, maybe someone else should be doing
the shooting.

Did you not read my post? I don't kill anything for grins. The first shot to the squirrel was mid section on his right side just because I figured that would do it and I didn't want to blow the brains out of an innocent creature. Once I saw he wasn't dead, I shot higher, and I'm sure he would have died in seconds, but I didn't want him to suffer anymore so I head shot him

Maybe it was the Thunderbolt, but it wasn't a lack of marksmanship that made those first 2 hits. IF I ever have to put an animal down with a .22, I'll aim for the head. Not because I enjoy it, but to end it quick.

If you're insinuating I couldn't hit a head of a squirrel at 6 feet with a scoped rifle, I assure you you're wrong. It wasn't a miss of what I was aiming for, it was me aiming for the wrong spot due to my inexperience in shooting squirrels. I have shot exactly 3 animals in the last 25 years, and those were the two animals mentioned and a pissed off pitbull who was trying to bite me. All of them needed the bullets they took, and I took no joy in any of them. Matter of fact, my kids made me bury the groundhog and they made a little cross for the hole.

 

[Drm50]

You misunderstood my post, I was not thinking you shot it for
fun, I was not saying you were a bad shot. To put it down it
should have been shot in the head. I could tell by the way you described the squirrel that you are a soft hearted guy, and would
not like to shoot it at all. I have had to shoot deer that have been
hit by vehicles, the deer is suffering with its guts hanging out.
It's not something you like to do, but it is best for the animal to
end its suffering.

 

[Texas Star]

I know it all depends on the bullet, and I am not a hunter, but last year I had to dispatch a pesky groundhog and I put a squirrel out of its misery thst must have been hit by a car. It's eye was hanging out and flies were already on it. It was sitting on my lawn staring at me.

So the groundhog was shot from about 60 feet with my 10/22. I was using Remington Thunderbolts that I was trying to get rid of. Rifle was zeroed st 100 yards so I had to hold low. First shot to the neck and it dropped into its hole. I was putting the rifle away and my son said "dad, he's back". So I shot him again and saw the head shot. Went to look at him to make sure and he was still breathing, but died a minute later.

Squirrel was very weird. Same ammo. Shot from about 6 feet. I'm squeamish about a close up head shot so I shot him in the side. Jumped but didn't die. Second shot underneath his armpit. Curled up and was surely dying, but still breathing. 3rd shot to the head and he was done.

So I got a brick of the new CCI Quiet ammo. Man, is it quiet! Sounds like a BB gun. I was reading the new John Sandford Prey novel. He's usually very meticulous about his gun details. One of the villains used the CCI Quiets to dispatch another bad guy. Took 4 head shots and the bad guy commented to his partner that the ammo wasn't as powerful as he hoped.

So do I need a head shot on a critter to put them down fast? I'm not looking for anything to suffer. And I know Thunderbolts suck, but they're still a .22 bullet and I figured would be enough to put a groundhog and a squirrel down with one shot. They're all shot up by now, but he majority of my shooting is the bulk pack stuff.

Thanks for the info on the Sandford book. I enjoy those. What's the title of this one? Is it a Lucas Davenport book or about Vrgil Flowers?

Have you read Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm series of spy thrillers? Matt liked a prewar Colt Woodsman .22 for killing people until his agency told him to start carrying S&W snub .38's. Initially a Bodyguard, then a Model 60. Matt did still sometimes use a Hi-Standard on rarer occasions. But he was usually tying to assassinate enemy spies, not doing defensive shooting. He said once that it took awhile for a man who was knifed to die, so you had to stay out of reach.

The author was also a writer for gun and hunting title, inc., "Gun Digest." He knew more about guns than did almost all other thriller writers. But Sandford hunts and knows some things about guns, despite being a MN liberal journalist before becoming an author.

Thomas Harris also knows guns, based on his books.

An unsuspecting, non-adrenalized man can often be dropped easily with a .22. Witness Hinckley's shooting of Reagan and James Baker. Similar hits on a violent felon who may be on drugs may not work as well.

I favor HP's and head shots with .22's, even on squirrels. I think the .22 is marginal on woodchucks, porcupines, and even big jackrabbits, certainly on coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons.

I liked the idea of S&W's M-34 Kit Gun .22, but sold mine after it exhibited VERY poor extraction. On reflection, I decided that it lacked power for the intended role, and replaced it with a M-60-4 .38.

The late gun writer Don Zutz chronographed some .22 ammo out of a Kit Gun, and the velocity was much lower than expected. Autos lack the barrel/cylinder gap and give better velocity. But a .22 is marginal on animals of any size. Jeff Cooper found his .38 Super okay on western marmots, but I think he used JHP bullets, and he also used a .357 a lot. I doubt that he'd have relied on a .22 in that role.

I would certainly have head-shot that injured squirrel, especially with solid bullets. The body hits just prolonged its agony.

 

[kbm6893]

You misunderstood my post, I was not thinking you shot it for
fun, I was not saying you were a bad shot. To put it down it
should have been shot in the head. I could tell by the way you described the squirrel that you are a soft hearted guy, and would
not like to shoot it at all. I have had to shoot deer that have been
hit by vehicles, the deer is suffering with its guts hanging out.
It's not something you like to do, but it is best for the animal to
end its suffering.

Ah. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I agree shooting animals for fun is sick. If they gotta go for a good reason, that's one thing. If I wanna shoot something for fun it doesn't need to be breathing.

I shot a deer a long time ago. We hit it with our car and it's guts were hanging out. Pressed the barrel of my gun to its head and looked away as I shot it.

 

[kbm6893]

Thanks for the info on the Sandford book. I enjoy those. What's the title of this one? Is it a Lucas Davenport book or about Vrgil Flowers?

Have you read Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm series of spy thrillers? Matt liked a prewar Colt Woodsman .22 for killing people until his agency told him to start carrying S&W snub .38's. Initially a Bodyguard, then a Model 60. Matt did still sometimes use a Hi-Standard on rarer occasions. But he was usually tying to assassinate enemy spies, not doing defensive shooting. He said once that it took awhile for a man who was knifed to die, so you had to stay out of reach.

The author was also a writer for gun and hunting title, inc., "Gun Digest." He knew more about guns than did almost all other thriller writers. But Sandford hunts and knows some things about guns, despite being a MN liberal journalist before becoming an author.

Thomas Harris also knows guns, based on his books.

An unsuspecting, adrenalized man can often be dropped easily with a .22. Witness Hinckley's shooting of Reagan and James Baker. Similar hits on a violent felon who may be on drugs amy not work as well.

I favor HP's and head shots with .22's, even on squirrels. I think the .22 is marginal on woodchucks, porcupines, and even big jackrabbits, certainly on coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons.

I liked the idea of S&W's M-34 Kit Gun .22, but sold mine after it exhibited VERY poor extraction. On reflection, I decided that it lacked power for the intended role, and replaced it with a M-60-4 .38.

The late gun writer Don Zutz chronographed some .22 ammo out of a Kit Gun, and the velocity was much lower than expected. Autos lack the barrel/cylinder gap and give better velocity. But a .22 is marginal on animals of any size. Jeff Cooper found his .38 Super okay on western marmots, but I think he used JHP bullets, and he also used a .357 a lot. I doubt that he'd have relied on a .22 in that role.

Lucas Davenport. The latest Prey novel. I mix up the titles since they all have Prey in them. It's about a hit on a presidential nominee. Sandford is great. The Virgil Flowers books are great, but Lucas Davenport has gotta be the coolest cop there ever was. He was much cooler before he married Weather, but he's still got it. I used to work with this retired FBI guy who reminds me of Davenport.

 

[oldfart64]

I was considering an air rifle for these tasks, but sophisticated ones are as loud as a .22. With the new .22 ammo, noise in places where they don't want shooting is much less of a problem. I used to have a basic .22 cal variable pump that would do a very good job but a relative 'borrowed it' and when it was returned......

I have a critter problem but it's worse at night and these things show themselves at intervals so it would be hard to catch them. SOMETHING killed a very large possum that has been running across our roof about every night. It was like he just knelt down and croaked like he went to sleep.

when I was a teenager (about 50 years ago) I used to have a marlin single shot bolt action. I shot CB caps out of it and had a baby bottle nipple on the muzzle. Mom's fig tree was right outside her kitchen window and if the window was not open too much, you could not hear the shot. I shot many a squirrel one shot to the head with that setup and no one ever called the cops.

 

[susieqz]

sometimes, when a 22 hits a bunny in the body, he leaps in the air n falls to the ground n spasms.
i'm sure he is dead at this point but i tend to shoot again out of kindness.

 

[rwsmith]

I don't hunt anymore....

I don't even like killing anything. Something has to be destructive in some way for me to consider shooting it. That old possum could have run across my roof for years, but he wasn't hurting me. SOMETHING hurt him though. Not a mark on him. His head was lying on top of a 2X4 garden frame like he used it for a pillow. My wife thinks he choked on something, but he looked awfully placid for that or for being poisoned.

As far as hunting goes I would consider doing in some wild pigs because I've seen how destructive they are. If I thought a coyote was being too threatening, I'd shoot that. I hardly see them here, but NE of the Great Lakes apparently they have bred with wolves and act more like wolves than coyotes. I take into consideration that we are crowding animals out of their habitats and just 'being there' isn't a cause for killing.

 

[686-380]

I dispatched a squirrel last week. I used a .22 Gamo pellet gun. It took one shot, to the chest. I take no pleasure from it, although I'm relieved it's not pestering us anyore.

I wish people wouldn't feed them...

 

[41]

I like the Stinger ammo and seems to be most effect on raccoons.

Gary Reeder makes a 22 LR die to cut the bullet nose off for a blunt bullet which is more effect and has greater shocking power. Does any have one of his 22 LR dies?

 

[kbm6893]

I dispatched a squirrel last week. I used a .22 Gamo pellet gun. It took one shot, to the chest. I take no pleasure from it, although I'm relieved it's not pestering us anyore.

I wish people wouldn't feed them...

I'm sure my first shot would have killed it, but I wanted instant kill. As for the feeding them, my wife used to throw bread to a squirrel that was on our deck. I told her to stop but she kept doing it. One day, I come into the kitchen and the squirrel is on my screen. I popped it with an Airsoft gun at point blank range. It ran off and never came back.

 

[raljr1]

Seems to me that plenty of mobsters have died from one behind the ear

 

[kbm6893]

Seems to me that plenty of mobsters have died from one behind the ear

But did they die instantly?

 

[allthumbs]

Funny, I seen this thread and really had nothing to offer but yesterday I was talking to a Sheriff who was a former cop in Chicago and he was saying every cop he knows fears the 22 more than anything, he said the can hit you anywhere and just travel all through your body tearing a lot up. Me, I don't even want to get hit with a BB if possible.

 

[garyez]

How Deadly? Lethal for Humans Too

In my state there have been two accidental firearms deaths this summer--both by a single shot from a 22lr.

One was a national news story about a 14 year-old boy accidentally killed by his father at a local gun range with an SR22. The boy was sitting 3' behind the firing position. Coroner said the bullet entered the side of the neck at a downward angle and pierced an artery near the heart and lodged in the abdomen. The boy died from internal bleeding 1 hour later despite paramedics arriving quickly at the scene.

The other involved a man in his mid-50s who was found dead in his driveway and the coroner decided a .22 bullet lodged in his spine at the base of his skull was the cause of death. Police investigation found that the bullet traveled 2 city blocks from the backyard of a person who was target shooting with a .22 handgun and using a wooden fence as a backstop.

So I'd say the .22lr does not get the respect it deserves.

 

[Drm50]

If you are putting down a suffering animal or shooting a Varmit
38, 44, ect it really doesn't matter. If you are hunting small game
For the table or for fur, you don't want to shoot it with a gun that
blows it apart. A serious Hunter picks his shot, rabbits and
squirrels aren't very big animals, any decent shot with a 22 will
fetch them. There used to be a lot of practical guns for small game. 25rf, 32rf, 32, 32/20, 25/20 just to name a few. Gun
companies since WW2 have dropped them and magnumtized
every thing. I wonder If anyone has done a study of 22 LR ammo
killing power vs the weight of these small game animals? I would
guess the the ratio would be higher than some accepted deer
calibres vs weight of deer. I remember reading articles on cals
such as the 357 revolver ,author would claim it a lightning killer on deer.
Then you would read a article about a 357 carbine, author would
claim it marginal deer gun. You have to take what you read with
a grain of salt. I know guys who have shot thousands of rounds
more than I have, on a range. Never hunted in their lives. What
do guys like this know about shooting squirrels? Nothing...

 

[susieqz]

lots of deer taken with 22s. that's supposed to be the weapon of choice for poachers.
i could take a deer with my 22/45 pistol, because it is i my precision gun. a bullet in the ear at 50 yards would be no problem.
you can't say that about most center fires.

 

[G.T. Smith]

exactly!

Put it between the eye and ear

I shot a deer from about 50 yards one time. I was aiming between the eye and the ear, which for my old ranger .22 rifle, that is not very far. I was using CCI mini mag hollow points. The deer looked away right when I pulled the trigger. The bullet went in behind it's ear and exited out between the eyes. The deer dropped where it was standing with brains on its face. Since I was a kid I've killed many deer by placing the bullet between the eye and ear. I don't deer hunt with a .22 anymore, but if I had to, I would not hesitate. I have never had to shoot one more than once.
Peace,
Gordon

 

[G.T. Smith]

Talking about killing things for fun, a friend of mine that moved here from upstate NY shot a ground hog one time. I told him that people have been known to eat them so since he killed it, then we should clean it and eat it. We cleaned it and put it in the freezer. Later that winter we took it out and put on to boil atop the pot bellied stove in the living room. When we came back from hunting it was done. Tender and tasted great. Later on I found out we had cooked a tame rabbit that my Wifes Grandmother had given us. I did cook the ground hog later and it was so tough you could drive nails with it and tasted rough. I wonder how many ground hogs that guy tried to eat not knowing the one we had was tame rabbit.
Peace,
Gordon

 

[M E Morrison]

Talking about killing things for fun, a friend of mine that moved here from upstate NY shot a ground hog one time. I told him that people have been known to eat them so since he killed it, then we should clean it and eat it. We cleaned it and put it in the freezer. Later that winter we took it out and put on to boil atop the pot bellied stove in the living room. When we came back from hunting it was done. Tender and tasted great. Later on I found out we had cooked a tame rabbit that my Wifes Grandmother had given us. I did cook the ground hog later and it was so tough you could drive nails with it and tasted rough. I wonder how many ground hogs that guy tried to eat not knowing the one we had was tame rabbit.
Peace,
Gordon

Young ones are tender & the best eating.
Old ones need to spend some time in a crock pot to soften up.