Aguila Colibri

[wingspar]

Somehow, I got the impression that these were very low powered bullets. About 375 fps, similar to a BB gun. I decided to give these a try on pesky barking dogs instead of spending a bunch of money on a pellet gun. They arrived today, and I took them out to the woods to try them out on cans to see how loud they are, and if they had the power to penetrate a tin can. I got a surprise. These shells contain no gun power, so I have to wonder what the heck propels these little 20 grain bullets? That is my question. What propels these things?

Out of a handgun (Sig Mosquito) they were quite loud. Borderline of needing hearing protection. They would not feed from the clip. Not something I want to use around the house. Too loud.

Out of a 10/22 they were about as loud as a low powered pellet gun. A little louder than I was expecting from what I’ve seen people say about these bullets. At 50-feet, the bullet went straight thru a baked beans tin can. It went straight thru a capped plastic root beer bottle full of water. It went thru a one pound coffee can, opening it like a sardine can, not a round hole, denting the other side, and landing inside the can.

Here is some info I dug up from the web. 500 fps, not the 375 fps I was expecting.

22LR 20gr Aguila Colibri

Bullet configuration Solid Point
Bullet Material Lead
Bullet Weight 20 grains (1.296 grams)
Velocity 500 fps (152 mps)
Energy Conical 11 Ft-Lb

After the great popularity achieved by our .22 Colibri, we decided to develop another cartridge, also without gun powder, providing it with a higher velocity. The .22 Super Colibri is a round for those wishing to have more power while still being able to discharge their firearms without bothering to wear ear protection.

The most relevant difference with the .22 Colibri is that this new round has almost 33% higher velocity!

It will not cycle the slide of semi automatics firearms.

WARNING: This cartridge is lethal at short and medium distances. All regular safety principles apply!

WARNING: These primer only loaded rounds must be fired only in handguns. When fired in long barreled firearms such as rifles, bullets may remain lodged inside the longer barrel. A subsequent firing of a regular .22 rimfire cartridge may result in injury or death to the user or other.

Here is a photo I just took. From left to right is the bullet I took from the coffee can. In the middle is an unfired Colibri, and on the right for comparison is a Mini-mag.

[Bindernut]

Basically, they're a priming-compound powered load similar to the old .22BB or .22CB Flobert parlor rifle load except in a .22LR sized case. The only thing powering them is the priming compound, but as you found, that's still a fairly healthy boost for that little 20gr bullet.

If you shoot them out of a bolt-action (or any non semi-auto) rifle they are much quieter than out of your 10/22.
I wouldn't shoot them through your 10/22 though, since you might lose a bit of the gas through a partially cycled action, resulting in a squib-load that will leave a bullet stuck in the barrel.
And Aguila specifically has that warning on the box too.
I fired them out of a Model 67 single-shot and my 77/22...but I checked the bore between shots to make sure it was clear. Yes, I know I didn't heed the warning but I just had to try em since I've fired CBs out of my 67 before.
The rest of the box I ran through my SP101 outdoors. They probably would have quite a sharp little bark if used indoors out of a pistol.

I really don't have a use for em since I've got a nice vintage Sheridan Silver Streak for pellet rifle size critters but I did have to try a box of Colibri out just for giggles.
The info you posted is for the Super Colibri...sort of a "Magnum" version of the first Colibri. They say it is still a no-powder round, so I suspect they just have a bit more priming compound in the case to give a little more fps.

Colibri:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=946854
Super Colobri:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=295321

[red14]

They seem to be more accurate for me, at short (21') distances. I have thought of 'carrying' them. I carry a NAA and they are very quiet. My wrists and ears appreciate it.

[rhaney2]

Originally Posted by wingspar

Somehow, I got the impression that these were very low powered bullets. About 375 fps, similar to a BB gun. I decided to give these a try on pesky barking dogs instead of spending a bunch of money on a pellet gun. They arrived today, and I took them out to the woods to try them out on cans to see how loud they are, and if they had the power to penetrate a tin can. I got a surprise. These shells contain no gun power, so I have to wonder what the heck propels these little 20 grain bullets? That is my question. What propels these things?

Out of a handgun (Sig Mosquito) they were quite loud. Borderline of needing hearing protection. They would not feed from the clip. Not something I want to use around the house. Too loud.

Out of a 10/22 they were about as loud as a low powered pellet gun. A little louder than I was expecting from what I’ve seen people say about these bullets. At 50-feet, the bullet went straight thru a baked beans tin can. It went straight thru a capped plastic root beer bottle full of water. It went thru a one pound coffee can, opening it like a sardine can, not a round hole, denting the other side, and landing inside the can.

Here is some info I dug up from the web. 500 fps, not the 375 fps I was expecting.

22LR 20gr Aguila Colibri

Bullet configuration Solid Point
Bullet Material Lead
Bullet Weight 20 grains (1.296 grams)
Velocity 500 fps (152 mps)
Energy Conical 11 Ft-Lb

After the great popularity achieved by our .22 Colibri, we decided to develop another cartridge, also without gun powder, providing it with a higher velocity. The .22 Super Colibri is a round for those wishing to have more power while still being able to discharge their firearms without bothering to wear ear protection.

The most relevant difference with the .22 Colibri is that this new round has almost 33% higher velocity!

It will not cycle the slide of semi automatics firearms.

WARNING: This cartridge is lethal at short and medium distances. All regular safety principles apply!

WARNING: These primer only loaded rounds must be fired only in handguns. When fired in long barreled firearms such as rifles, bullets may remain lodged inside the longer barrel. A subsequent firing of a regular .22 rimfire cartridge may result in injury or death to the user or other.

Here is a photo I just took. From left to right is the bullet I took from the coffee can. In the middle is an unfired Colibri, and on the right for comparison is a Mini-mag.

If you shoot a barking dog at close range,he won't bark anymore or breathe either.

[red14]

Yes, they are deadly at close range.

[wingspar]

Originally Posted by Bindernut

Basically, they're a priming-compound powered load similar to the old .22BB or .22CB Flobert parlor rifle load except in a .22LR sized case. The only thing powering them is the priming compound, but as you found, that's still a fairly healthy boost for that little 20gr bullet.

I do not have the “Super Colibri”. The info I dug up had the same info for the Super and non super, and I didn’t catch that when I pasted it into my first post. Actually, Midway USA seems to have the best info out there, and that is where I bought them. At $3.49 for a box of 50, it seemed much cheaper than a pellet gun, but these things have way too much power to use on a barking dog.

My accuracy with a sling shot doesn’t cut it, hence the search for something more accurate, and maybe a tad bit more potent, but not this potent. Maybe I need to consider a BB gun.

I wasn’t concerned at all about one of the bullets getting stuck in the barrel since tin cans at 50 feet were no match for the Colibri. Actually, I never thought about checking the barrel for obstructions. I chose the 10/22 over my bolt action cause it’s smaller, and might even have a little less velocity than it would from my bolt action.

[Alpo]

Actually it will have more. Because there is no powder charge, just a primer, the pushing stops at around 8 or 10 inches. After that it starts to slow down, from friction of the barrel. That's why they say not to run them through a rifle. Your bolt gun, with a (guessing)24" barrel will have 4 more inches of drag than your 10/22, with its 20" barrel, and will be slower because of that.

[wingspar]

Originally Posted by Alpo

Actually it will have more. Because there is no powder charge, just a primer, the pushing stops at around 8 or 10 inches. After that it starts to slow down, from friction of the barrel. That's why they say not to run them through a rifle. Your bolt gun, with a (guessing)24" barrel will have 4 more inches of drag than your 10/22, with its 20" barrel, and will be slower because of that.

That makes sense. Actually, the 10/22 has an 18-inch barrel, and the bolt action has a 24-inch barrel.

[BillM]

FWIW, a little Colibri experience. This is with standard, not super.


Ruger MkII 6 7/8". Fairly quiet, accurate. Can load 5 in mag and cycle
by hand.

S&W mdl. 34 2" revolver. Kind of loud. Accuracy OK.

Winchester mdl 1900 single shot, 16". Quiet, very accurate, fun little
gun.

Ruger 10-22, 20" Clerke barrel. Accuracy sucked. Bullets were so slow
I could see them in flight easily.

Marlin bolt action, micro-groove barrel, 24". Bullets stopped about 2"
from the muzzle.

I use a cardboard box with a couple of towels stuffed in it as a backstop.

[red14]

Out of a S&W 63, quite quiet, very accurate. I have really bad, Arthritic hands. You can barely feel it fire, like a cap gun. Makes it extremely accurate, for short distances.

[Alpo]

Out of a 1 7/8 S&W J frame, they sound like a cap pistol (Super Colibris - I don't have any Colibris). Out of an Ithaca 49 rifle, they sound like a BB gun. Out of my granddaughters Crickett (16"), at 20 feet, they are quite accurate. Out of my son-in-law's bolt gun (24") at 25 yards, we couldn't get a group at all. Looked more like a shotgun pattern.

[red14]

Originally Posted by Alpo

Out of a 1 7/8 S&W J frame, they sound like a cap pistol (Super Colibris - I don't have any Colibris). Out of an Ithaca 49 rifle, they sound like a BB gun. Out of my granddaughters Crickett (16"), at 20 feet, they are quite accurate. Out of my son-in-law's bolt gun (24") at 25 yards, we couldn't get a group at all. Looked more like a shotgun pattern.

I know of a person, via internet, who shoots (kills) feral cats with a small 22 rifle, on his property. Says he has been doing it for years, and no one ever hears, or is aware of him doing it.

I do not approve of these actions, just relaying information, they are deadly.

[Alpo]

When Colibri first came out - around '96? - I bought a box, and distributed them to several friends, to try (five or six rounds each). One guy told me that they would penetrate both sides of a cat's skull at 25 feet. Cured that "funny footprints on the truck every morning" problem he had.

[JLA]

sounds like you got ahold of the super colibri information online. They propel a 20 gr solid to 500 fps with primer only. The standard colibri rounds come in a girly rainbow colored box and propel a 20 gr solid to 325 fps. which is about 100 fps. faster than your average .22 cal pellet gun. They will hurt dogs but are unlikely to kill them unless you get them in the eye or ear.

[Alpo]

I was shooting pigeons in the hangar with the Supers. Pigeons are smart. Got a laser on my silenced 22 (through a silencer, all you hear is the hammer fall). Put red dot on pigeon, click, whap, pigeon falls to hangar floor. About 30 feet, and it would go through both sides and bounce off the hangar ceiling. After about the third one, when that red dot would hit a pigeon, it would fly off. I had not been aware that feathered rats were that intelligent.

[JLA]

kinda like cockroaches scrambling when the light comes on...

[wingspar]

My 10/22 has an 18-inch barrel, and those things went thru tin cans at 50-feet. I could not see the bullets at all. They seemed to get there almost as fast as a regular LR bullet.

Thanks everyone for the additional info on barrel length with Colibri. I’m glad I didn’t try them out of the bolt action. Might have stuck in the barrel, and I would never have known... till the next time I pulled the trigger.

Out of my Mosquito, they were very loud. Borderline needing hearing protection. They would not feed from the magazine in the Mosquito at all. When racking the slide forward, the rear of the bullet would exit the rails in the mag that hold it in long before reaching the feeding ramp, and the bullets would fly straight up in the air, never reaching the chamber. Only way I could get them to work in the Mosquito was to lock the slide open with an empty mag, and feed the bullet into the chamber. A tight fit for my fingers.

Originally Posted by Alpo

I was shooting pigeons in the hangar with the Supers. Pigeons are smart. Got a laser on my silenced 22 (through a silencer, all you hear is the hammer fall). Put red dot on pigeon, click, whap, pigeon falls to hangar floor. About 30 feet, and it would go through both sides and bounce off the hangar ceiling. After about the third one, when that red dot would hit a pigeon, it would fly off. I had not been aware that feathered rats were that intelligent.

Pigeons are rats with wings. When I first bought my hangar, it was a haven for pigeons. They crap and pee in their nests, and their nests are full of fleas. What a filthy dirty job that was getting rid of the nests, and closing that area in so they could no longer nest there. Fortunately, I did not have them inside. They were in the eves above the doors. Couldn’t use a pellet gun on them either. To many pigeon lovers around.