Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires .22 shotshells in pistol?

has anyone tried shotshells in a pistol - I will be using them for mink in traps.

jim

I've found that .22 shotshells work well on snakes but suck on porcupines.

I wouldn't recommend them for mink.

a long cb cap could be the way to go .....

I've used them. They are not very effective in real life. I would not use them for shooting mink. I would go with a bulleted round-- CB caps might work (I've killed small game and birds up to duck size with them in a pinch), but 22 LR would be best. CBs are quiet, but shorts might not be much louder and would be better.

Shot shells for mink? Out of a pistol? I wouldn't use a 22 shot shell on anything bigger than a barn swallow. And then only out of a rifle at very short range, say 7' and under.

It's not difficult to drown a mink in the trap. Less than 12" of water is all it takes and they will dead when you get there. Just make sure you have enough chain or wire so it can reach deep enough water. I think I've had one mink alive in a trap in my life. Give any live ones a rap with an ax handle and they will be as dead as needed and lots less mess and cheaper to boot. Shot shells? I don't think so.

CB

I have killed lot of big field rats with .22 LR shotshells out of a .22 revolver, all from 10 to 20 feet, one-shot kills.

Try a CB Short or Long via the pistol. MUCH better.

The shotshells mostly, but not always, work on snakes, but not much else.

It deserves better than that.Snakes are the only living thing I would shoot with them from a pistol. Cans at 10 or 15 feet are not hit that hard. Use a bullet.

I've used them out of my Single-six for several snakes and 1 bat that I had just knocked senseless with a broom. I have no complaints in those situations.

Dave.

PS, you can also impress the heck out of your buddies with your from the hip shots if they don't know that your loaded with shot. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi James,

Don't know what kind of pistol you finally managed to get but you will find that you need at least a standard velocity LR to cycle a semi-auto. Not a problem with a revolver however. I would stick with a bullet for the little weasels myself, shot shells are really not all that good IMHO.

Logstove - The CCI CB Long will penetrate a raccoon or possum skull at short distance from pistol. In trap, I usually approach as close as possible without getting bitten, and put through brain area. Would think mink skull would be more fragile than above critters. This is nuisance wildlife, and don't recall ever shooting mink, usually take to ditch or waterway for some real trapper to put up as fur. See no reason why a CB Long would not work on mink confined by trap.

A CB Cap round, is much weaker in power than CB Long. Been told CB Cap is propelled only by primer compound, the CB Long has small charge of powder with the primer for powder charge

If using a Ruger Auto pistol, the CB longs will cycle through the clip working action manually, at least mine does work that way.

Hope this helps!

CB Shorts have killed a PILE of squirrels for me, and a few cats, so I have no doubts as to their effectiveness on a trapped mink.

should have mentioned the mink will be in cage traps so range is point blank - I though shot would reduce chance of richochet....

CB shorts go in, but don't come out. Use a bullet.

Alternatively, standard or hi-vel short HPs would work VERY well.

No way would a mink be killed by a .22 shotshell. You'd just piss off an already pissed off mink. .22 short hp.

I would stick with a 22 CB Long as I seriously doubt that shot will do the job quickly or humanly.

I've killed a fair number of woodchucks and other varmints with CCI CB shorts fired from a rifle, some out to about 60 feet or so. I have no doubt one would off a weasel at close range, used in a revolver.

Never have figured out what 22 shot shells are good for, other than maybe close range rats in chicken coops or the like. They do a dandy job of peelin' skin though, according to one ol' buzzard I know that shot hisself in the thigh with a WW shotshell while drawing his pistol in the henhouse one night.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

We used to shoot rats on the woodpile at night. Throw some cracker crumbs out, wait a minute, then turn on a flashlight and blast 'em. They were deadly at 20-30 feet. I have also used them to kill rattlesnakes at up to 10 feet.

I also load my own shotshells for .38, .44 and .45 Colt with the Speer capsules filled with #12 shot. the small shot seems to kill snakes - bang, flop - better than the larger shot sizes.

Biologists use .22 shot shells to gather bird specimens, too.

I found that not all 22 shotshells are created equal. Winchester shot shells are far and away more deadly than CCI's.
FWIW..

Don