22 cb caps, shorts, or what?

[Gary in NH]

I am looking at using an old Savage bolt action 22, model 4C Deluxe, to dispatch critters(red squirrels, starlings, chipmunks) near the house. This rifle can take shorts, long, long rifle and can single feed other 22s. What is the quietest ammo available that will get the job done? Is there any ammo that I should definetly stay away from? TIA

[Terry N.]

I'm no expert by any means, but the Aquila SSS ammo (powderless, powered by primer only) might be worth a look.

Here's an article by Paco Kelly on .22 specialty ammo that might prove useful: http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/specialty22.htm

Another thought might be to look into buying a suppressor ("silencer") and having a barrel threaded for it. They can be had for just slightly over $100 on up to 'how much do you want to spend,' plus the $200 transfer tax.

[Bambob]

The Aguila SSS is not a primer powered round. It's sub-sonic but it is pretty loud. Stay away from the standard Aguila "Colibri" as they are likely to not make it out the muzzle of a rifle barrel. They're made for handguns. The quietest reliable round will be the Aguila "Super Colibri". It chronographs 500 fps from my rifles. The next up the line would be the CCI "CB Long" at about 700 fps. Most modern "shorts" go over 1000 fps and are not quiet. If you get a "hollow pointer" and use it on any of these they will be a lot more effective and probably more accurate too.

Bob

[woodchuckchucker]

At normal back yard distances, the CB line of CCI does a very good job of pest elimination. My lot is 250 feet deep with my house situated more to the front of the property. I shot my rifle in for about 30 yds and the little CBs just plain work. CCI is said to use the same charge in the shorts as do in the longs, but if you use the longs you have to orient the powder in the case before pulling the trigger, to gain consistant results. I've used em both and just opt to use the shorts and deal with the carbon ring in the chamber. If you only fire a few shots, the carbon ring at the end of the case is minor. If you fire a bunch of shorts you may have trouble chambering a long after a shootin session of shorts. A chamber brushing fixes any build-up. BTW, the people on either side of me are "shooting" families and understand ole Bill popping a CB from time to time, if they even hear the shot. The CB from my Ruger 22 rifle sounds like a Red Ryder launching a BB. Its that quiet! I've also tried the Remington CB shorts, but I haven't seen any of them for several years. Chances are that CCI made them for Remington anyway. Good Luck, Bill............................

[joez]

Gary,
I have the Rem and CCI mini caps, and if I remember the Rems are a tad quieter, like Bill said if you didn't know what it was you wouldn't pay them any mind.
Joe

[kid]

I've tried most and find CCI CB Longs to be most accurate and most deadly. I've repeatedly read that Colibri's won't make it out of a rifle barrel but have never had that happen to me with barrel lengths from 16" to 24". That said, the accuracy I get with them is equal to a Red Rider BB gun beyond about 20'. I assume part of the problem is freebore since the projectile is so short and the variance of priming compound from shell to shell.
SSS are not quiet at all, you just don't get the "crack" of them breaking the sound barrier, and accuracy isn't that great. CB Longs are by no means match ammo but out to about 20 yds. head shots on squirrels are pretty easy.
Hope this helps.
Paul

[TXNinVA]

Aquila SSS ammo


+1, A guy at the range was braggin on them, so he let me shoot one. I heard the hammer fall and that was it. Good thing I hit the target, I didn't belive it went off at first.

[Larry in VA]

Just about every manufacturer of rimfire ammo makes a subsonic 22 Long Rifle, most with a 40 HP or Round Nose. Don’t have to worry about jump or carbon ring. Some brands are more accurate and noisier than others naturally and only your rifle can tell you what it likes. I purchased a 500 round carton of Remington 40gr Subsonic HP and can’t be happier with them. The 40gr bullet smacks with authority, Yes you can hear it hitting them and the report from any of my 24” barrels is not unlike from .177cal RWS air rifle.
I live in a community that IS NOT gun friendly and neighbors are none the wiser. Tree squirrels like to chew the wiring under all my vehicles so I’m constantly popin the little B@$T@&DS.
Of course as always, your mileage may vary…;)

[Rhys]

I've tried Super Colibri, and while very quiet and accurate, to about 30 feet or so out of my rifle, they were underpowered for a clean kill. At 10 feet it stuned a squirel enough for me to be able to get up an make a contact shot on him to finish him. Another shot on a squirel resulted in breaking a front shoulder and that was it. My choice would be to go to the sub sonics if possible.

[Gary in NH]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have looked at the couple of gun shops within reasonable driving range of my home and none of them carry any subsonic or cb caps or their equivalent. Your suggestions/advice will be used to help me sort out the many different brands and types of ammo when I place an order online.

[AndyM]

I have used CCI Short Match rounds before, they are listed at about 800 fps Not as quite as the Super Colibri but generally more accurate.

[vmthtr in green bay]

I am using the CCI CB Long. Is accurate in my yard and the neighbors don't hear it.

Mike

[ptownhunter]

I have shot the cci cb shorts and they are very quiet and fun for tin cans but do not have enough energy and speed for clean kills on squirrels .The remington make some called cbees and they will kill cleanly and are just a tad louder .

[Monkeyman]

CCI0037 Match Shorts. 40 ft/lbs of energy like a Theoben air rifle.

[T.D.C.]

I have found them at Gander Mtn on occasion. Also at Bills's Guns in Conneaut Lake, PA.

[Markbo]

Well don't buy a whole bunch of any one! I got a couple boxes of just about all of them to test in one of my 10/22's. I can definitely hear the crack of the round with every single one. NONE are as quiet as a BB gun. None ever got stuck in the 18" barrel (I think that is an old wives tale) and none were worth a darn accuracy wise beyond about 20 yards. Stretch that distance to 40-45 yards and you are lucky to find a hole in a target at all.... not even considering bullet drop was over 12". Keep your ranges short... get a ghillie suit and stalk right up next to those varmints.

Keep your stalking skills up! :D

[Bambob]

I have had the standard Aguila "Colibri" get stuck in a rifle barrel. They are really "wimpy". The Super Colibri are better but the CCI CBs are much better. Better, in these cases also means louder and more powerful.

Bob