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22lr rimfire pistol for hunting

9K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  carver 
#1 ·
I am interested in small game hunting with handguns now and would love to see pics of what others here are using. Especially dedicated hunting rigs that utilize cans and or optics. Holsters would be interesting as well.
 
#2 ·
I don't have a camera right now because I loaned it to a friend so he could take pictures of his sons basketball game. But I like my Browning Buckmark, it's accurate and fun to shoot.
 
#7 ·
Hand gun hunting for small game is a real challenge. I use an old Colt Woodsman that was my dad's gun. It's still as accurate as it ever was. You won't have to worry about filling your limit, because you simply will not get that done.
 
#8 ·
Carver, are those Norway Rats? Good shooting by the way! I use an old S&W K-22 target masterpiece for rabbits and Tree rats. I used to use my 6" Colt DiamondBack until I became aware of how much they're worth these days. For big game, Elk/Deer/Antelope I use a RugerSRH in .454 Casull with a red dot sight.
 
#10 ·
They are what we call field mice down here. If you have tall grass, you got mice! If you have tall grass next to your house, you got mice in the house! I've shoot em in the house, as well as out in the pasture, and yard. I've hunted with a .22 for years now, and I know how hard it is to put a squirrel in the pot with a pistol!
 
#12 ·
Carver,have you ever used snake shot out of your revolver on those rats/mice when they are close to the house from out of those fields.I've wondered if those 22 shot shells really work.I have a couple of boxes of them but have never used them.
I've used them in the house, and outside the house. I like them a lot, and highly recommend them for snake, or mouse problems. I'll tell you straight up front, CCI works better in semi-auto pistols, than in revolvers. It's that jump from cylinder to forcing cone that's the problem. They break up well before the shot leaves the barrel, and this causes the range to be shorter. The semi-auto doesn't have this problem, and holds a better pattern for a longer range than the revolver. Both work, and the revolver can be shot as fast as you can pull the trigger, while the semi-auto has to have the slide operated by hand for each shot.
 
#13 ·
Hand gun hunting for small game is a real challenge. I use an old Colt Woodsman that was my dad's gun. It's still as accurate as it ever was. You won't have to worry about filling your limit, because you simply will not get that done. View attachment 91743
Carver, are you fighting Misis or Misil there?
 
#16 ·
Huh? What is Misis, or Misil?
 
#14 ·
Here I was thinking I was the only one with a rat problem. Darn things. Been thinking of crawling under the house with a Henry Minibolt that I have. Now Carver has me strongly considering 22 shot.
 

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#15 ·
Bad news, Firpo; the PRC has had a rat infestation since long before I left over twenty years ago, and they've been trying hard to keep it quiet. LA and Orange counties are especially bad because of the excellent climate and abundance of palm trees. There were reports back when I was in college of a 'super rat' of enormous size, bred from a mix of Norwegian and normal tree rats. Have you had your Bubonic plague shots? ;)
 
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#32 ·
It's not just the palm trees. Everybody has avocados and oranges, figs, loquats, every kind of fruit in every back yard, even bananas. The place is crawling with rats, squirrels, opossums and crows and there's not a dang thing you can do. The pests just eat next door.
 
#23 ·
Carver,have you ever used snake shot out of your revolver on those rats/mice when they are close to the house from out of those fields.I've wondered if those 22 shot shells really work.I have a couple of boxes of them but have never used them.
the .22lr ones I feel kinda suck.
they'll knock a field mouse goofy & stun them, but usually have to finish 'em off with a real .22lr round.

Now the .22WMR ones work quite nicely :)
 
#26 ·
This rig has not been hunting but it is sure capable of getting the job done. Jim (one of the Old Guys) has been doing a lot of shooting with his completely stock S&W 22A and last year I sold him my Burris 4x scope. He has found that his pistol really prefers CCI Std. Vel. Target ammo. Here is his pistol with the results of well rested shots at a 4 inch steel plate at 100 yards. That is rifle accuracy in my mind.
Gun Firearm Trigger Air gun Airsoft gun
 
#27 ·
That is indeed rifle accuracy, and I would be proud to own any .22 rifle that could produce such groups at 100 yards. Saying nothing about a pistol! That's awesome shooting!
 
#28 ·
Been in retirement for the most part since the .22lr shortage hit but this is my small game rimfire. No optics though. It's an early SP101 .22lr, 4" full underlug. Deadly out to around 50yds on little critters if I do my part. It really likes Federal HV hollow points but it does pretty good with pretty much any of the plated HV loads that I've ran through it.


Todd, A friend of mine has a 22A and yep, they're great small game pistols. That's a good group there!
 

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#31 ·
Although my preferred handgun of choice used to be a 6" S&W mod-17, I've fallen back on my '70 Browning Nomad for my .22 hunting pistol duties since parting with the 17. The Nomad does a fine job but I'm a revolver guy at heart.

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