Author Topic: .22 sportster field report (Read 3526 times)

Scibaer · « **on:** September 16, 2007, 12:10:32 PM »

I recently made a trade with Tom ( moonlitin) for a .22rl sportster, I traded off my ruger 10/22. I mounted a Barska 4x32 scope on it and zeroed the scope at 25 yards. It shoots real nice tight groups, 1/2" at about 30 yards with 40gr. Remington Cyclones. Saturday was the small game opener, and Sunday was a good day for a hunt. Saturday, the local hunting spots were occupied and i found a few out of the way places to stalk the bushy tails.. i had 5 deer walk up to me, a few turkeys calling and alot of small birds zipping around. The Sportster performed flawlessly on the two squirrles i did take however. Its a light and fast little rifle, it shoots smooth and is easy to carry in the flats. I did my part, and the sportster made quick and easy kills.
The first Tree Rat I took, was gnawing on a nut about 25 feet up a maple tree, I quietly made my approach and moved around until the sun was to my back. He saw me and stopped, climbed up the tree a bit further, i hit the caller and he walked out to the end of a large branch, and started waving his tail, I rested the cross hairs on his head, took a breath and squeezed. Bang, flop and drop. The Sportster is a keeper for sure. It will keep its place in my collection.
Glenn

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2007, 02:17:16 PM »

Glenn

Good job , thin those little suckers out some . on a side note try some of the CCI Stingers , my sportster shoots them very well , keeps 5 shots under 1" @ 50 yards .

stimpy

Scibaer · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2007, 01:46:28 AM »

Rich,
i wish we had more of 'em aorund here, they taste so good !.. i plan to shoot many different types of ammo thru it, see what it likes and dont.. and at low cost of the .22 thats alot of shootin'..
glenn

EVOC ONE · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2007, 05:32:55 AM »

Good shooting. Those Sportsters are fun.

I've found several varieties that shoot well in the Sportster. Winchester Super X, CCI Standard Velocity and Federal American Eagles shoot the best groups at 50 yards. Winchester Wildcats and Federal Lightening's group well enough for hunting, but not as tight as the aforementioned.

I use American Eagle 38 grain hollow points for hunting and 40 grain solids for targets.

Scibaer · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2007, 09:28:57 AM »

well now that you mentioned hollow points, i'll ask.... do hollow points in .22 really make a difference ?
glenn

EVOC ONE · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2007, 11:54:51 AM »

Quote from: Scibaer on September 19, 2007, 09:28:57 AM

well now that you mentioned hollow points, i'll ask.... do hollow points in .22 really make a difference ?
glenn

I haven't noticed a difference in target shooting other than with accuracy.

Until last year, I had never hunted squirrel with a .22. Always used a shotgun. I had a couple of poor kills using solid rounds. I tried the American Eagle 38 gr HP's and experienced one shot kills after that.

I'm not saying they are the ultimate best. I don't feel I have hunted squirrel enough with the .22 to have a very informed opinion. I know a lot of fellows who have hunted squirrels with the .22 for years and they use the least expensive rounds they can find.

Scibaer · « **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2007, 01:44:26 AM »

Yeah, ive shot and taken squirrels with the low power cb shorts. its shot placement, like any other game. but i do see that the higher velocity rounds are more accurate , i got a few different brands that report a muzzle velocity of 2000 fps, and they group tighter at 50 yards.
glenn

RugerNo3 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2007, 02:27:56 PM »

A friend of mine uses 22short Hollow Points in a M52 Winchester. No noise and it works. One thing to consider, those 22's pointed in the air may go a mile and when they come down it may be in someones house. Thru the bathroom window right into the lavatory bowl as the lady was getting ready to work. Yes it happened last squirrel season not 5miles from me and the gentleman was caught and cited. Unintentional, but careless to say the least.

Plainsman · « **Reply #8 on:** September 28, 2007, 06:40:45 PM »

HP's DEFINITELY make a difference! I've shot literally thousands of gophers with .22's over the years and solids in a so-so hit will see that gopher drag itself down the hole. The same hit with an HP knocks them down for keeps upon impact! This is especially true when shooting the pesky critter at ranges out to 125yds. I won't hunt with anything else in .22s/l/lr.

Scibaer · « **Reply #9 on:** September 29, 2007, 03:14:36 AM »

well i just questioned whether or not the HP's made any difference because the hole is so small, that any real hydraulic action could take place.
i guess bullet weight, design and velocity matters and effects performance just like any other round, but on a smaller scale..
glenn

Plainsman · « **Reply #10 on:** September 30, 2007, 05:57:13 PM »

Quote from: Scibaer on September 29, 2007, 03:14:36 AM

i guess bullet weight, design and velocity matters and effects performance just like any other round, but on a smaller scale..
glenn

I'd say you summed it up well!

ironglow · « **Reply #11 on:** October 16, 2007, 05:23:09 AM »

Subsonic hollow points in CCI, Aguila or PMC moderators make an excellent choice..

Scibaer · « **Reply #12 on:** October 16, 2007, 06:06:11 AM »

Well, what i did was, bought up as many diff types, weights and velocities as i found, and tested them. i shot into diff materials at 20 yards. not really looking for anything other then how the bullet acted and worked in the material. shot wood,steel, foam, cardboard, water filled buckets, 2 liters filled with sand, and other stuff. im not going to make any claims, judgements or spout off about what ive found, as im still testing. my test are not all that scientific, and there are alot of variables that im not paying much attention to at this point, im just shooting different brands, bullet weights and velocity .22rl's into these various materials and taking note of how they perform.
glenn

d_hiker · « **Reply #13 on:** October 16, 2007, 08:08:08 AM »

Sounds like a fun time regardless of what you find out

I had never thought about using the "scientific research" excuse to the wife. Hmmmm I wonder if it'll work.

ironglow · « **Reply #14 on:** October 16, 2007, 10:39:02 AM »

My comment about subsonic hollow points was in reference to squirrel hunting..and groundhogs within 50 yds .

For out to the 75-100 yards (and 100 yards is pushing it )..use HV hollowpoints such as CCI Mini-mags or WW powerpoints...

For the "big punch" from a .22 LR get some Velociters by CCI..

Scibaer · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2007, 02:17:30 AM »

so far, what i am finding, the velocity shows to be the deciding factor, in the material im shooting, hollowpoints act no differently then solids, except in water where they open up. higher velocity rounds penetrate deeper and hit harder.
as for ranges of the .22rl, my personal opinion is that 75yards is max, and i normally zero at 25yards, 50 with stingers or very high velocity rounds.
i found some rounds by aguila, that have no gun powder in them, they are very quiet but have little to no power, good for maybe 15 yrds. on the other hand, remington yellow jacket hollowpoints hit with authority at 50 yards and are fairly loud.
i found some pmc zappers that i like, they hit hard and are very accurate, heavy at 40 grains but im not sure of actual numbers of velocity.
having said all this, im not endorsing any brand of ammo or making statements about what others should use. i have not yet "tested" any cci ammo.
but, opinions of other .22 shooters make me believe they have some potential.
glenn

d_hiker · « **Reply #16 on:** October 17, 2007, 05:41:36 AM »

Aguila might be best known for their sub-sonic .22 ammo, but they also have some fast moving .22 ammo. I have been looking locally and haven't been able to find any of their .22LR Super Maximum, only a 30gr bullet either solid or hollow point at 1,750 fps. Here is a link to their .22 Rimfire Specifications.

http://www.aguilaammo.com/rimfire.pdf

MSP Ret · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2007, 06:38:41 AM »

over the past couple of years I have cleanly dispatched over 250 grey squirrels right in my own backyard using Aqulia Super Colibris. They were pests raiding and ruining my wife's bird feeders. The average distance has been about 15 yards with the maximum of 20 and the closest about 13 yards. They work great wth proper shot placement and I have preferred head shots to all others. They really are quiet out of a rifle....<><....

ironglow · « **Reply #18 on:** October 17, 2007, 12:18:48 PM »

d hiker;

I have been getting those Aguila Super Maxes for about 2 years now. They are hot, but I don't think they are as consistent as the Stingers . Your experience may differ.

Aguila ihas just brought out a round to match the Velociter..it is called the "Interceptor" 40 gr and high 1400s fps...haven't had any of them yet so can't comment.

Of course, normally the Super Maxes do sell cheaper than the Stingers..

d_hiker · « **Reply #19 on:** October 17, 2007, 02:54:03 PM »

I haven't found any of the Super Max locally but have seen a couple of online places. After deer season when I get a little more time to play with them I'll make an order for some. Thanks for the information on the Interceptor. I'll look for those also and give them a try.

Scibaer · « **Reply #20 on:** October 17, 2007, 03:57:07 PM »

d hiker,
likewise thanks for the link to the aguila site. yeah, those super colibri's are fun. but are the supermax's as fast at 40 gr.s as they report them to be ?
are there any other .22 ammo that carries a higher velocity ?
i am looking for the heavyist weight bullet wiht the highest velocity at the muzzle i can find, any suggestions ?

ironglow · « **Reply #21 on:** October 18, 2007, 12:10:58 AM »

Scibaer;

The Super Max Aguilas are 30 gr hollow points..rated at 1750 fps

The new Interceptors are 40 gr are rated at 1470 fps

While I have used the Super Max rounds quite a bit, I have not been able to pick up any Aguila Interceptors locally..

I have found the Super Max rounds to be not as consistent in perceived speed (sound) and accuracy in my rifles when compared to CCI Stingers (IMO),
they are less expensive to shoot.
The Interceptor, at 40 gr appears to have a slightly flattened solid point while the CCI Velociter 40 gr @ 1450 fps has the popular gold dot hollow point.

I doubt whether any game animals will be able to tell the diffference between Super Max/Stingers or the Interceptor/Velociters...so the deciding factor (with me)
is local availability and consistency of accuracy.
The Aguila ammo is less expensive, but if one has to have it shipped..how much do we save ?

All that being said, I like both CCI and Aguila..the higher speed rounds in CCI and the standard & sub-sonics in Aguila.

Scibaer · « **Reply #22 on:** October 18, 2007, 02:05:54 AM »

interesting,
maybe the availibility of the aguila's are low because of them not being popular yet ?
yeah, ordering them takes the shine off the lower price for sure. im going to run up gander mountain this weekend and get a few boxes of the CCI stuff, i have not shot or tested any of it yet myself, so nows the time. the cci velociters at 40 gr. and 1450 fps sounds good, that should put the effective range of the .22 out to 100 yards anyhow.

Scibaer · « **Reply #23 on:** October 30, 2007, 02:57:26 AM »

i have made a few conclusions regarding the .22rl ammo testing. first, i find that hollow point .22 ammo does not make any noticeable difference on its own. dont flame me, these tests were not scientific, and im not an ammo expert. the tests i totally made up, and the data i collected was by observation and notes only. hollow points did not make or break the results, most times there was little to no mushrooming of the hp, except into a gallon or more of water at 25 yards or so. however i did find that the heavier grain bullets hit harder ( measured by penetration and movement of steel plate ). remington bulk ammo had alot of squib loads no matter the model of ammo. the fit, finsh and cost, all were looked at, availability and range of styles and weights.
having said all that, i personally favor...wait for it .... CCI's. they are consistant, fairly priced ( for hunting , not plinking ammo ) effective and have a wide range of options.
these are my personal observations and opinions only, im not endorsing any brand.
higher velocity rounds are more accurate, hit harder and seem to work best for me. i dont think hp's matter, with such a small surface opening, the fluid dynamics that hp's need to work upon, are there, just in too small a size to make a real difference. some of the brands opening were only a few thou' accross.
i feel its better to go with the heavist grain bullet you can get, like 40 grains or so at the highest velocity you can find 2000 fps. ideally. im not sure just how large of an animal this will take. thats where the field time comes in. and this setup may be to much for squirrels at closer ranges too. the limiting factor there is a head shot.
my tests were limited to 100 rounds of the ammos i tested and im sure i did not test all possible makes. just what was available locally to me.
the aguilas are great rounds, well make and reliable, but hard to come by in most styles. they preformed as well as CCI's, better then the larger brands.and they make a style that has no gunpowder in them, low weight and muzzle veloity, but they have little to no report when you fire them, they sound like a pellet gun.
good for indoor practice, or hunting sparrows and rats, not sure of their killing power on anything bigger.
i'll report more when i kill some game animals..
glenn

MSP Ret · « **Reply #24 on:** October 30, 2007, 05:22:01 AM »

Re: Aqulia Super Colibris (not the regular Colibris, but they are fun also), I have cleanly taken over 250 gray squirrels with them over the last couple of years, average distance 13-18 yards. Mostly head shots....<><...

Scibaer · « **Reply #25 on:** October 30, 2007, 01:49:53 PM »

i stand corrected then. i wasnt sure they had the power needed to kill, something as large as a squirrel anyhow. but its good to know that they can get the job done if need be.
it would be nice if aqulia's were more available though, i have to order what i want, or drive 1 1/2 hours one way to get to a shop that stocks a few different styles of them.
i have not tried to make kills with the super or regular colibris yet. so i will bow to the more experienced.
you've given me an excuse to buy more ammo, cant beat that..
glenn

Georgian · « **Reply #26 on:** November 29, 2007, 02:27:42 PM »

I wish my Sportster actually shot straight....the front sight has been canted to the right ever since I got it earlier this year. I guess I'm going to have to resort to taking it to a gunsmith to get it fixed.

ironglow · « **Reply #27 on:** November 30, 2007, 10:32:14 AM »

Scibaer;

The solid vs hollow point controversey has been a settled question with me since I started hunting ..about 60 years ago...and I cannot possibly recall just how many groundhogs and raccoons later...

If you really want to knock it down, with a .22 LR..you need all the advantage you can get. Solids are OK for target shooting or headshots on squirrel or other edible game..

It really is fairly simple; At decent ranges any .22 LR high velocity has enough power generally, to go right through a groundhog, for instance..but the aim is NOT to go right on through. You want the power to be dissipated INSIDE the quarry.

A hollowpoint opens up, sometimes perhaps as much as say, 28-35 cal..that puts all the shock into the game.

The most effective hollow points (IMO) are the larger, gaping ones in such limited rounds as the .22 LR. Some of the outstanding ones I have seen recently are the Winchester Power-point and the CCI Velociter..both have really hollow..hollow points.

Another round that dissipates much of it's energy into the game is the CCI Quick-Shok..which breaks into 3 pieces upon entering the animal...

greg916 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 30, 2007, 11:43:51 PM »

Glen, I use .22 shorts for my hunting. Hunt mostly squrrels and racoons. I prefer the hollowpoints. Always take head shots. If a 'coon is shot through the head with a short HP, the bullet will not penetrate through, although a short solid will pass through, makes an extra hole to patch. Shorts are a habit I developed when I used to sell the hides.

Scibaer · « **Reply #29 on:** December 01, 2007, 02:56:33 AM »

greg
have you ever recovered a hp short to look at the expansion ?
in my not very scientific tests, i did find that hp's do not penatrate as far as the solids in any compairable weight.
but i also found that they dont open up or expand any, or next to non if at all.
and, no this is not that big of a deal, but i just thought i'd fiddle around with this some, gets me an excuse to shoot, buy ammo and spend some time in the woods and range.

and if i find something that ends up working great for squirrels and whatnot, all the better.
so, far i like CCI's in any configuration
glenn