about the .22 lr

[hoghunter2]

Why do people think that the .22 lr can't  take game up to a coyote. With all the ammo they  have now like the stinger and  the quik shock.  I think some people just underestimate it. want to know your opinion.

[JohnClif]

Hmmm... Karamojo Bell killed an elephant (!) using the .22 LR in a Colt Woodsman.  No one is pushing the .22 over the .458 for an elephant cartridge.

Sure... you can KILL a coyote with a .22 LR.  Any coyote you shoot through the chest with a .22 will almost certainly die.  The problem is, it might take a while.

If everything goes just right... if the coyote is close enough, if the bullet slips through the ribs, if the bullet or a bone fragment hits the aorta or the liver or the spine... sure, you'll stop it in it's tracks.   That's a lot of 'ifs.' A cartridge suitable for a varmint species will almost certainly drop it in its tracks with a broadside chest shot... and the .22 LR won't do that.

All of the Velociraptors, Quik Shots, etc., won't make a silk purse out of the .22 LR.  It just isn't powerful enough for consistent quick kills on coyote.

[Lawdog]

JohnClif,

You and I are on the same page on this.  Lawdog
 

[Glen1]

Definitely agree with first two replies.  Glen

[Arizona Jake]

A little over 20 years ago, (jeez, I'm getting old) I shot a called-in coyote with a .22 lr CCI Stinger HP round. The coyote was about 40 yards away, standing broadside. I was in the middle of a mesquite bush using makeshift shooting sticks. The scopes crosshairs were centered just behind his left shoulder when the shot rang out.

At the shot, I heard the "thump" of the bullet hitting. The coyote flinched and took off at a dead run. My hunting buddy and I followed the tracks across the desert sand for over 1 mile, until we lost then in an arroyo.
We never saw a drop of blood, and it never appeared the coyote ever slowed down. I re-checke my zero and the rifle was right-on at 50 yards.

Since that day, I use either a .223 Rem. or a .243 Win. rifle for varmints. :wink:

[S.S.]

The .22 rimfire was not designed to shoot medium game.
It was designed to shoot people, plain and simple!
The .22 short at that.
The Smith & Wesson Model 1 was designed for self
defence. It was a 7 shot .22 short.
Back in the mid 1800's things were just easier to kill I guess!

On a serious note,
There is no substitute for marksmanship!
More power means nothing if the bullet is not placed
right. I think people are becoming too "MAGNUMIZED".
I know folks around where I live that think
they need a .300 win-mag to hunt Georgia Whitetail!!!
I believe that too many shooters are trying to substitute
power for practice.    
Here is a question about killing power.
How many people in these forums have hunted with a shotgun?
If so, how many times have you shot something and found
only one pellet/hole in it when you clean it!
Well figure up what the energy was on that one tiny little pellet!
Not much!!
I have seen more deer fall to a single #4 buck pellet in the head or neck that I care to figure up.  Numerous Coyote to the same load.
Turkey will fall from a couple of #5 Birdshot pellets in the head or neck.
When you figure up some of the energy figures in these tiny
pieces of lead I am sure you will be shocked.
As I have said in other posts, Shot placement,  not power is the key
99% of the time.

[Fla Brian]

Try takin' out this feller (the one on the left) with a .22lr!



This be one heck of a lot of hassenpfeffer, y'all.

Ah garontee!

[Lawdog]

Fla Brian,

That rabbit is a breed of show rabbits that is called "English Giants".  You don't find many being raised here in the U.S. as they have to be raised on the ground and not in cages.  Cage wire tears up their feet ruining them for show.  Lawdog
 

[Keith L]

My guess is that the cat won't mess with them!

[Fla Brian]

Lawdog,

Thanks for the info. I learn something new every day - well, almost every day.


Keith,

I guess not - not unless they learn to hunt in packs like wild dogs and wolves.

[Lawdog]

Fla Brian,

Well here is some more information then.  The ARBA(American Rabbit Breeders Association - the origination that governs all show rabbits and rabbit breeders in the U.S.) does not recognize English Giants as they are believed to be nothing more than off shots of the Flemish Giant bred that is already recognized.  Although the Flemish Giant does not get as large as the English Giant they do reach a size of 35 - 40 pounds.  Still can you imagine taking your favorite Beagle and go rabbit hunting and come across a rabbit that is the size of one of those English Giants?  Just think of what would be going on in the dogs brain coming up against a 100+ pound bunny?  Lawdog
 

[WD45]

If I saw a rabbit that size coming through the woods I would 1st check to make sure that what I was drinking was really coffee.    
Then I would absolutly not shoot it with those #5 or #6 regular bunny loads. It may only make it mad enough to take the gun away from me and hit me with it :-D
Glue a couple of long sabre teeth on that thing and you would make a fortune selling pics to the tabloids. I can see the headlines now.........
THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT SABRE TOOTH RABBIT ATTACKS MAN IN HIS BACK YARD :-D  :-D  
That bunny is really somthing ... I never knew any bunny breed grew that big. Ya learn something new every day and now I can prove to my wife that GBO is educational

[Keith L]

Wasn't there a man killing rabbit in one of the Montie Python movies?  Maybe it was one of those sabre toothed thingies.

[Badnews Bob]

:shock: Yep they had to use the Royal Hand gernade to finish the beast off. :blaster:

[Fla Brian]

Fla Brian,

  Still can you imagine taking your favorite Beagle and go rabbit hunting and come across a rabbit that is the size of one of those English Giants?  Just think of what would be going on in the dogs brain coming up against a 100+ pound bunny?  Lawdog
 

Kinda would be something like those Sylvester the cat cartoons when he runs into a small kangaroo thinking he was going to encounter an ordinary mouse:



Thufferin' Thuckotash!

[Fla Brian]

If I saw a rabbit that size coming through the woods I would 1st check to make sure that what I was drinking was really coffee.    

If I encountered a bunny wabbit that size in the woods, I'd NEED something other than coffee!

[ratherbefishin]

don't ever underestimate what a 22 LR is capable of-up here the natives hunt with them and I have personally witnessed 20 bucks dropped right in their tracks.Shots were taken from a blind with a rest, no father than 50 yards and right behind the eye.Not one was lost, or even ran.However- those are the limitationsand conditions- any other shot could easily result in wounding a deer, or killing it a week later.
 I knew an old guy who would allow you to hunt his property- as long as you used a rifle and tooks nothing smaller than forks.You were supposed to be using shotguns and shot- but he wouldn't allow them on his property- too many lost deer

[glyn_canada]

I am a confirmed shotgun hunter. I have used an 870 Express on deer, Ranger 1300 on geese, ducks and my old 12 gauge break on sharp tails, roughed grouse and the like.

I have hardly had the meat runied by the shot. I think it is the shear force of the ammo in a confined space that takes them down and not usually lucky strays.

Maybe you can blame me for overkill, but when the whole head of a grouse comes off at 40 yards with a full choke, 12 gauge using number 8 shot - that works!

I have seen a poached white tail that we dug a 22 LR out of from behind the ear. There was no blood drips anywhere. So my best guess is that it fell where it was hit.

My thoughts are, that as it was out earlier a 22LR will kill most anything, but there are a lot of 'if's' on the way.