stubbicatt
New member
I have an acquaintance with several sections of land infested with prairie dogs. We used to go out and shoot them out to about 200 yards or so with 22 long rifle cartridges. It's certainly cheaper than 223 or similar dedicated varmint cartridges, and once one calibrates his eyeballs to determining distances one can be remarkably consistent in hitting the little dudes with a rimfire. At 200 to 600 whip out the poodle poppers in 223 caliber.
Anyways, he said to me he always uses his bolt actioned 22 rifle in this application, as a semi auto gives up some velocity due to the energy diverted to work the blowback action. At the time I kept my mouth shut, *knowing* as I did then that this was just not true, that blowbacks divert the energy of *recoil* not bullet velocity, and that the action doesn't open until the bullet has departed the muzzle, well downrange, and that the action type would not affect velocity.
Now? Now, I'm not so sure anymore.
What say ye?
Anyways, he said to me he always uses his bolt actioned 22 rifle in this application, as a semi auto gives up some velocity due to the energy diverted to work the blowback action. At the time I kept my mouth shut, *knowing* as I did then that this was just not true, that blowbacks divert the energy of *recoil* not bullet velocity, and that the action doesn't open until the bullet has departed the muzzle, well downrange, and that the action type would not affect velocity.
Now? Now, I'm not so sure anymore.
What say ye?