What kind or range would one get shooting factory shot shells pilot of a .22 smooth bore rifle. I have shot some out of my .22 and the shot pretty much scatters past 8-10 yards, how far can a smooth bore take out yard pests?

I've found my range is about doubled with a smooth bore. I actually saw my dad drop a sparrow out of the air with his smooth bore Remington. The bird was flying just over head, but I was still impressed with the shot. You're still limited to very small pests, but at least you get more of a true shotgun like pattern with the smooth bore.

When Remington marketed the 580 smooth bore with the special trap that was made for or by Remington to throw little clay birds. The clay birds would travel about 25 yards off a table, they would reach max height around 15 or so yards and were easy to break at that range. You couldn't dust them but they broke with a hit. I shoot black wood boring bees off my deck and have knocked them down at 20 yards.

Fred Routledge developed a back bored .22 smooth bore, with the last 12"-17" of the barrel around 3/8" bore, to give the shot charge sort of a "jug choke" effect. The Mo-Skeet-0 was a mini skeet set up for .22 shot rounds.

Not many Routledge bores were made. I've been looking for one, so far, no luck. There were a few Rem 141 pumps so equipped. They had a small bead, no rifle sight.

I've been contemplating shooting boring (carpenter) bees at my house with an 8 3/8" K-22 and shot ctgs. I've been knocking them down with a swatter I made, but shooting them will be more fun.

DF

I've killed the hell out of carpenter bees with my 2" Ruger LCR 22LR.


That said, my carpenter bee trap does much better. I had 5 in there today.

I use a cutoff carbon arrow and airsoft pellets to whack stinkbugs on my front porch. A solid hit makes them disappear.

Just don't inhale!

Thanks for the idea. I've played with blowguns since my childhood, and several years ago also bought a .625 caliber Cold Steel Big Bore.............VERY impressive.

My smallest pea-shooter was made from a brass ink pen cartridge, and shot #9 shot (great on the school bus), but I hadn't considered making one to shoot cheap airsoft ammo. My son and I will have fun with this.

1/2" conduit, a brad, wrap a cone out of packing tape....WHEEE!

anyone asking why a smoothbore 22 is better has never shot one. To the OP at 15 yds you have a good pattern

I bought one of the new savage garden guns and really like it. I use a lot more then I ever though. The range is about double, but the pattern is true and doesn't doughnut like it does with a rifled barrel.

I'd recommend it and buy another if I lost this one.

Informative thread. I'd never given a smoothbore .22 a first thought.

What's the effective range of the actual shot load? It seems like the #12 shot is better for handgun use at close range. Obviously such a small load needs pellet count, but where does such light shot quit penetrating? I know rats are at LOT harder to kill than tweety.

I would love to have a 16" Contender .22 LR smooth bore barrel, don't know if they ever made them.

One with a Routledge set up would be even better.

Any info or ideas would be appreciated.

DF

I don't know about rats, but mice at 30' are goners. I couldn't kill mice across my garage with a rifled barrel, but the smooth bore will. That's my expience anyways.

I use mine to shoot grasshoppers at 2-6 feet. Not the cheapest way to kill grasshoppers, but drinking a beer or two and blasting grasshoppers sure does help a guy blow off some steam after a $hitty day at work