Subsonic .22 loads

utahpredator_7

utahpredator_7

New member
I am going to buy some subsonic .22 loads, probably super coliberi, and want to use them in town. They shoot about 800 fps, and how would they do on jacks, and a couple of the neighbors 100 house cats? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Anyone know what the city regs would be on them, and how loud and recognizable as a .22 are they? Thanks for any info!
 
I use the Remington Sub-sonic for prairie dogs. It seems to take them a while to realize they are being shot at. The cartridge bang is about the same as any other .22lr because of super-sonic discharge of escaping gases. The bullet is just not traveling as fast and making a sonic boom. A pistol will obviously be louder than a rifle as the gas has time to slow down a bit.

Picture shooting a 9mm with 147 grain bullets or a .38 special with cast bullets; most of these are sub-sonic and they have a pretty good crack to them too. Obviously there is more powder in these rounds so they are louder than any .22lr even the super-sonic ones.

The most quiet .22 is a short rather than a sub-sonic .22lr....because there is less powder.

As far as laws, in Colorado most towns/cities have ordinances that prohibit discharging firearms in city limits..which includes any weapon that uses powder.

Keep in mind that you can get air rifles that shoots .177, .20 or .22 cal and enough velocity to usually do the job. My .177 cal pellet rifle shoots 1010ft/sec. It drops rabbits, although I have not tried jacks. You might also want to check your local game laws as in some areas smaller than .22 is illegal.

Dispatching pets in most areas of the country is illegal unless there is an active threat of bodily harm being done at the time. In cats this is a lot harder to prove than a vicious dog.

Before you jump right in...make sure your legal there.
 
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you should check with your local DNR office about the cats. Some states have passed laws will allow you to harvest the cats if there is an over population. BUT you have to be sure that the cats are feral and not someones pet out to kill a few birds. I use my .177 chinese made air rifle and it does a wonderfull job on the feral cats that we have in town around here. I would love to get a better rifle though. The one I use will leak off some of its air pressure if I dont fire it right away after cocking. Any one have any suggestions as to a good 177 or 22 cal air rifle? Need to keep it under 100 bucks tho...
 
sounds good, i get about 900 fps out of my airgun, and it won't kill a darn thing!! Good pellets, shot placement, etc and it is really frustrating! I saw one sub sonic that didn't use powder; some type of special cap. I'll look till i find 'em agian. thanx for the info!
 
I've been using CCI .22CBs for squirrels, cats, etc in town. It's honestly quieter than my crossman air rifle and I know its a light load but I popped a crow at 75 yards with it and open sites and killed it. It's hard to take a cat down without good placement. I've discovered as of late I like the "between the eyes" target, takes them out nicely.
 
I have used 22shorts and I know they are very quite but if you get cought using anything like that in a town that has the no firearms ordanance then you would be in just as much trouble as if you shot a 308 in town. My advice get a good high quality air rifle and practice with it just as you would anyother firearm.

AND YES it is very hard to bang flop a cat with just an air rifle you realy need to place it in the right spot for maximum effect.

and yes I know some people are going to complain that cats shouldnt be shot but dang it how many people have noticed the song bird population going down or have come across a nest of young rabbits that have all been killed by a cat that was just out to hunt/kill anything it came across. Cats are not a natural predator they are man made. OK enough of my ranting on cats in the wild.
 
utahpredator_7;

I use the CCI .22 Short CB loads, as well as a remaining stock of the Rem. and Winchester CB Short loads, too, for "in town duty".

They are about airgun quiet out of my old Winchester single-shot .22, and kill way out of proportion to their ballistics.

Last year, they accounted for 4 groundhogs, between 6 and 12 pounds, and between 35 and 52 yards. Headshots, except one top-of-shoulder-spine shot, and none moved anywhere.

50 yards is about max for the little CBs, and you HAVE to make a CNS shot, but a good .22 bolt-action that shoots them well makes that no problem, IMHO.

And, no, if you clean the chamber well, with something like a .243 brush, after ever 50 or so shorts, or before you want to use LRs again, there's not problem at all with using them in the LR chamber.

As for the legal question of shooting cats or "in town", well, you need to determine that for yourself in your own jurisdiction first.

Good luck.
 
I use the little Colibri no powder ammo in my Browning .22 lever action for the neighborhood pests and the report isn't any louder than a pellet rifle. The accuracy and kill power is way above what I've been able to get from any of my pellet guns.
Be sure and check your local ordinances and the specific wording. If firearms are prohibited, be sure b-b guns and pellet rifles and 'spring guns' are not included as well as that seems to be the norm.
If it only prohibits shooting by a device that propels a projectile by means of combustion or powder, then the "no powder" cartridges are borderline.
If all else fails, get a live trap, bait it with an empty tuna can, and take them out in the county for target practice.
 
Shot a box of "supersonics" this weekend, the rest of the box was in Spanish. No powder in these; With the snow I could watch the bullet in the air as I shot at a 25 yard target. Had a trajectory that could be described as a hanging curve ball that dropped like a rock. 15' from a 55 gallon drum you just polished it. Rabbits shot in head with CBs go down at 30 yards for me. Shoot them in the guts and they just hop away all humped up.
 
I'll second the CCI CB's. They make longs & short versions. Both have subtle reports fired from a rifle (still right loud from a pistol). I have witnessed many a feral cat subdued with the shorts.

They are not as accurate as standard offerings (at least in my rifle) but accuracy is still better than any pellet gun I have ever been around. And good enough for head shots to around 35yrds.

If you decide on using the 22lr. I'd look more into the CB's than the subsonics if your worried about noise.

Another scheme to add to OldTurtle's plan. Take a large trash can. Lay it flat down with a live trap inside (bottom facing the houses) containing tuna. When it throughs, you can turn the trash can upright & load it in your truck. No one will ever see a thing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
My SOB of a friend ran off with my live trap ane every i head up with a cat in the mountains, my mom flips but i'll have to try that lid, coleridge, thanks! And they won't let me take the .22 'without adult supervision' anyway. But they will with the colibris, if they will with the pellet gun. Thanks for the great info, i'll get the colibris next time i see em'. by the way, i got lucky and found a clip for my 10/22 in perfect condition!! But will the colibris cycle in my semi auto, or will i have to work the bolt?
 
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You will normally have to work the bolt. That is why I use them in the lever action. There is not enough pressure to activate the recoil spring.
 
I don't know guys, I hope you're not contributing to the delinquency of a minor here. Shooting neighbors cats in town and such. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif This usually falls into the category of S.S.S.

SOR
 
Well I have a minor friend and that is one of his biggest thrills. He wanted to learn to hunt so I put him in my back yard with my air rifle sitting real still using a mouse squeeker and waiting for any cat to come into my yard. He has a blast at it and we get to control the surplus cat population. Only had one neighbor complain till one day she saw a cat hunt her bird feeder kill a bird and leave it lay. The very next day I had a brand new box of pellets with a note that said happy hunting.
 
The .22 CB Longs have a much louder, sharper crack report than the CB shorts, and at least in my rifle are nowhere near as accurate. YMMV...
 
I use (CB short) it sound like my air nailer gun and shoot good I used in my ruger mark II and my S&W both are semi auto pistol but you have to unload and load single shot, one at a time.
 


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