I Could Barely Kill Pack Rats With .22LR-Remington Thunderbolt. Why?

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adn258

New member
So we went to my family cabin this weekend. One of the old cabins on our property here in Montana is in horrible disrepair. It is full of huge pack rats making nests and running around.

That's a tale for a different post. We decided to kill some of these packrats and brought 2 of my .22lr guns I.E. a Ruger 10/22 with a scope well sighted in and a Kel-Tec plr22 with a red dot sight well sighted in.

My buddy and I were able to kill and hit pack rats with the Remington Thunderbolt ammo that I brought, but even after being hit they would keep on running, squirming, and suffering.

At one point we had a pack rat down and were shooting it multiple times at point-blank range and it was still alive and moving.

I know .22lr is obviously not that powerful of a round, and I also understand that these pack-rats are big. That said, I can't believe pack rats could withstand shots from a .22 multiple times unless there is something wrong with the ammunition that I might not be thinking about?

I've shot rats before with .22 and never had this problem. My friend and I were astonished! Now I also admit, that I haven't fired Remington Thunderbolt into pack rats before so maybe that's really bad ammo to use for that?

Does anyone else here have any suggestions of ammo to use for this? Maybe someone has a smililair experience with pack rats, and maybe these pack rats are just insanely tough?

Something just seems off to me though like there is a problem with the ammo. Any suggestions are welcome?
 
You must be totally unfamiliar with the actual killing of animals. It is rarely like TV where any thing shot immediate drops dead. Unless you hit the central nervous system, the animal is usually alive and able to move for quite some time.
 
To the OP, I suggest you stop COM shooting the rats. Watch some of the ratting videos where folks are hunting them with air rifles and note their shot placement.

Beyond that, even a CNS shot rat is apt to twitch and potentially bounce around for a bit. The rat is dead. The reaction is 'disinhibition of the motor neurons' which basically means that the brain is what keeps random and continuous nerve signals from causing spastic movements. Remove the brain and there is nothing to keep those in check anymore and you get the proverbial Curly Shuffle.

.22 not good for SD?

And yet don't more people die every year by .22? Hmmm.
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200K people have died of Corona virus, but it isn't good at stopping threats reliably, either. Heck, it isn't even that good at killing people.

Lethality and stopping power are not the same thing.
 
"AND
why 22LR is not great for SD"

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To each his own. I would have ZERO hesitation pertaining to using a reliable repeating .22 rifle (Henry lever action, Ruger 10-22, etc.) with CCI Velociraptors or Stingers for home defense. Perhaps not as good as a pump shotgun, but still a pretty nasty round out of a rifle length barrel. Two or three well placed rounds should promptly dissuade any hostile threat caught breaking into your home and intent on hurting or killing you.
People tend to underestimate the old .22 LR. ;) I have shot plenty of rats and much bigger game with .22's. They are not toys. Shot placement is vital with ANY caliber, but it's often easier for many to get multiple, accurate repeat shots with a mild recoiling .22 rifle.
 
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I was surprised too.

First time I shot a squirrel with a 22 I was surprised too. It was down and not moving. When I picked it up it twitched and I could feel it's heart still beating. Put it back down for a head shot.

Later I shot a squirrel with a hollow point. (Remember the Remington Yellow Jackets) Bullet went in the front of it's chest and came out the back. Dead as dead can be . . . and it was still holding an acorn.

Also, I've shot a lot of Rem Thunderbolt and while I have't kept exact track, it is the 22 lr ammo that I'd say I've experienced the most misfires with and even had a squib once. I think their quality is inconsistent.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
You're obviously not hitting them right. I've used the brand of 22 lr ammo you are describing. I've never had issues with that ammo. It all went bang using my 10/22 with no jams. No offense, but sometimes it isn't the ammo, its the person behind the gun.
 
Why would you say I'm trolling?! You can look up the stats for yourself! The FBI keeps records of this for everyone to see.

And yes, shot placement does matter but a .22 will kill you dead.
 
I would agree about shot placement being the problem. A shot though the middle of a rat will leave the animal alive for 10 to 30 minutes. Pin one across the shoulders and it's down for the count.

Now if you were to switch to something like a .22 Hornet, a shot in the middle would nearly tear it in two and a .223 would likely blow it apart.

Tony
 
50 shooter said:
Why would you say I'm trolling?! You can look up the stats for yourself! The FBI keeps records of this for everyone to see.

And yes, shot placement does matter but a .22 will kill you dead.
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Yes a .22 will kill you but not instantly unless it's a good head shot. It usually takes awhile. A .22 just doesn't do that much internal damage. Back in the 80's and 90's Thunderbolts were the worst possible ammo you could get. I had a lot of squibs and misfires with it. Every report was different. They didn't get the nickname Thunderduds for nothing.
 
President Reagan damn near died from being shot with a .22lr, and Jim Brady was pretty much a veggie from it.

But Thunderbolts? You mean Thunderduds?
 
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