whatever comes out of my pocket next. I got a handful of 10/20/30/40/50 year old LR and L rounds in there now, just hanging on a coat hook. all perform the same. I do like those LONGS. nice and quiet.
Retired Military Aviation Former Member, Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot NRA Certified Instructor/RSO
Thanks for all the replies.. Got some ideas for new ammo.. My ammo works, just like to try stuff.. For the guys popping squirrels in the head I understand the need for super accuracy..
My gopher shooting doesn’t require that super accuracy.. I need a good accurate shell, but one that causes damage.. When popping gophers the ranchers want as many killed as possible.. So I take quartering shots that would ruin a tree squirrel for eating.. I don’t want cripples, even well hit ones can make it to a hole if major damage doesn’t occur... To get as many gophers as I can in a day I take all kinds of shots that I would pass if I were hunting game.. I want dead gophers not suffering one.. Thanks for all the replies, I learned a lot.. Doubt I ever get to hunt many tree squirrels again, but I have great ideas for ammo if I do.
I just finished up the last of the orange box PMC Zappers. There are still a couple bricks of the red & white box Zappers in the closet. These have been my favorites for decades but are apparently no longer made. I only shoot squirrel size critters with them. Next size up around here is ground hogs which need a center-fire. Just because.
I'm trying some of the Aguila 38HPs while breaking in a brand new CZ455 along with Geco 40 gr solids & whatever else is in the closet from old white box Winchester to Remintgtom Match . There's 300 rounds thru the barrel so far. The Zappers shot best of everything, which was no surprise. Whatever happened to PMC? The Aguila 38s went into the same size, or smaller, groups at 100 yds. as they did at 50. It was a tad breezy that day too. Not sure why?
Sacred cows make good burgers when you know what temperature to cook them at.-Rev. Billy
Thanks for all the replies.. Got some ideas for new ammo.. My ammo works, just like to try stuff.. For the guys popping squirrels in the head I understand the need for super accuracy..
My gopher shooting doesn’t require that super accuracy.. I need a good accurate shell, but one that causes damage.. When popping gophers the ranchers want as many killed as possible.. So I take quartering shots that would ruin a tree squirrel for eating.. I don’t want cripples, even well hit ones can make it to a hole if major damage doesn’t occur... To get as many gophers as I can in a day I take all kinds of shots that I would pass if I were hunting game.. I want dead gophers not suffering one.. Thanks for all the replies, I learned a lot.. Doubt I ever get to hunt many tree squirrels again, but I have great ideas for ammo if I do.
I am in a greement with you on shooting ground squirrels, I do not want crawl-offs either. The best combination of accuracy and hard-hitting 22 LR ammo that I have found is CCI Mini-Mag hollow points. They hit with a hard distinct thump, it is very rare to have a crawl off using them. The CCI Mini-Mag round nose do not hit nearly as hard as the hollow points.
They are pricey and a bit difficult to find but are well worth it.
It has warmed up enough here that most of our squirrels are back underground now - it is a long time until next spring.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
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Drover, I agree with you.. Those mm hollow points are my std. round.. I stock up when ever I see. Them at a reasonable price.. Bought 10,000 20 years ago, just before I retired.. I also managed a case of Stingers and Yellowjackets shortly afterward.. I think all the yellowjackets are used up but one carton,, Still have some stingers , and bought 1000 more last winter.. They were my main round this year.. The only thing is they do not shoot well in all my .22’s.. Only my CZ and 513T.. Mini Mags shoot well in everything!! Lately I have been shooting my CZ 17hmr with 17 gr. Max!!! Just awesome.. But as you said, the gophers are going down.. Hope to get a couple hundred more this summer, but it doesn’t look good.. Thanks for the input everyone!!!
Used to use the Win Power Points for sage rat, squirrel , and critter hunting for many years until they stopped making them in Australia.. They were very accurate in my rifles and those hollow points on the PP's in particular really would pop when they hit something. The new PP ammo just doesn't shoot as well in my rifles and I only have a couple boxes of the old stuff left, so I'm kind of using it sparingly at the moment. Some of the new stuff is acceptable, but not as pinpoint accurate as some other ammo I use- Federal Gold Medal and SK Standard Plus, so I'm using what my rifles like so I can hit those little bastids while they stand still for a few seconds... once my small stash of PP is gone I won't be restocking unless there is some real improvement in the USA made product...
I would prefer to use hollow points, but other than the Win Power Points, I haven't seen all that much difference between the hollow points and round nose in terminal results....
Bob
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
My Norinco bolt action really likes Velocitors. Never had a running problem with squirrels or rabbits at 25 yds or so as long as I did my part. My old stocks are dwindling and who knows when anything will be readily available again, so I've switched to my hoard of WW Power Points. That rifle really likes those too. For skunks, possums, coons etc I learned a long time ago to just use my 30-30; got tired of smelling them decay in the woods.
WyoCoyoteHunter: Considering accuracy and lethality, in my best 22's, I use the 40 grain Winchester Power-Point hollow-points! These cartridges are (still!) very accurate, in my best heavy barrel 22's (Remington 40X, Kimber 82-G, Kimber Hunter/Silhouette, Sako P94-S, Ruger 77/22 V/T, 2 Ruger American Varmints and 2 Remington 541-T's). These are a bit pricey but in my experience they are worth it. Next behind that great cartridge and the ones I shoot in vast numbers every year I use the Federal 36 grain hollow-point bulk pack bullets. My batch of Ruger 10/22's, Remington 511's, 552's, Marlin 39-A's and my Browning BuckMark Varmint Rifle all use these Federal bullets with good results. Thank goodness the 22 rimfire ammunition "shortage" is over! Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
I like the old winchester power point hollow points. I have one brick left. I shot two groundhogs recently with federal 31 grain hyper velocity hollow points. No complaints.
+1, have 2 1/2 bricks left. Tried the new power points and no where near as accurate. Old 50 yards ~ 1/2", new 1 1/2" pattern. Rifle a Kimber huntsman.
Ed
A person who asks a question is a fool for 5 minutes the person who never asks is a fool forever.
The worst slaves are those that put the chains on themselves.
I read through the whole thread and didn’t see any mention of the CCI Small Game Bullet. Has anyone tried it. It shoots well in all my 22s but I haven’t had a chance to try it out on rabbits yet. Just curious how it performed if anyone has used it.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
Rifle dependent and I go for accuracy. One likes American Eagle HP's and the other Win Power Points. The Win Power Points seem to have vanished, but I did stock up back when Obama voiced distaste for middle America's fondness for church and firearms. Always use HP''s as they put a bit more hurt on ground squirrels. The high end target stuff is slightly better but I don't have the coin for a couple cases each spring.
I read through the whole thread and didn’t see any mention of the CCI Small Game Bullet. Has anyone tried it. It shoots well in all my 22s but I haven’t had a chance to try it out on rabbits yet. Just curious how it performed if anyone has used it.
It's accurate and reliable in all my rifles. Shoots flat, hits hard and tears up less meat than a hollowpoint. It is in the mid price range, not as inexpensive as Mini Mags, but less expensive than something from Eley.
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.