Anyone know how effective those little cci ratshot capusules for the .22 are?stray cats are a big pest in my area so i saw one at the corner of the house and as ha was running away i shot him in the back.The range was about 7 yards.How far would those little pellets penetrate if at all?
ratshot effectiveness
- Thread starter Buzzkill
- Start date
Wild Bill Bucks
New member
Buzzkill,
I have used them for years inside my warehouse for birds, and if you are shooting them out of a rifle with good riflings, they will scatter very quickly. I can't kill a bird with them any further than about 15 feet. Every now and then I get lucky but not very often. I scare more of them than I kill. Quite a while back they used to make a 22LR that did not have any riflings in the barrel(smooth bore) and the rifle was very effective out to about 50 feet, but I don't think I've seen one in years. The problem with the plastic cover over the pellets is that your riflings spin the shot so fast that they scatter as soon as they leave the barrel. Try one on a 3ftX3ft peice of cardboard at 15 feet. I have found that the rat shot with the crimped front, shells seem to work much better.
I have used them for years inside my warehouse for birds, and if you are shooting them out of a rifle with good riflings, they will scatter very quickly. I can't kill a bird with them any further than about 15 feet. Every now and then I get lucky but not very often. I scare more of them than I kill. Quite a while back they used to make a 22LR that did not have any riflings in the barrel(smooth bore) and the rifle was very effective out to about 50 feet, but I don't think I've seen one in years. The problem with the plastic cover over the pellets is that your riflings spin the shot so fast that they scatter as soon as they leave the barrel. Try one on a 3ftX3ft peice of cardboard at 15 feet. I have found that the rat shot with the crimped front, shells seem to work much better.
thanks for the reply bill!
yeah i did a 'ballistic penetration test' with an apple .At about 10 yards the 2 or 3 that hit only go in about 5 or 6mm.At 3 yards 2 centimetres.
The cat came around again since.He looked straight at me.The range was about 10 yards or a little more.Even still through the scope I could see it jump about a metre off the ground so i'd assume a few pellets connected
The intention wasn't to kill it just to discourage it from coming around again.
yeah i did a 'ballistic penetration test' with an apple .At about 10 yards the 2 or 3 that hit only go in about 5 or 6mm.At 3 yards 2 centimetres.
The cat came around again since.He looked straight at me.The range was about 10 yards or a little more.Even still through the scope I could see it jump about a metre off the ground so i'd assume a few pellets connected
The intention wasn't to kill it just to discourage it from coming around again.
FirstFreedom
Moderator
They're for rats, not cats. Shooting a cat with one is highly unethical, IMO, since all you're gonna do is wound it. Use a .22lr or larger, or a .410 bore, or larger.
did you read my second post??
The intention wasn't to kill it but to discourage it from coming round again.Outside 10 yards their not even going to penetrate,thats the ranges i was shooting at.If i wanted to kill it i would have loaded up my .17 .That would do the job quite easy.
The intention wasn't to kill it but to discourage it from coming round again.Outside 10 yards their not even going to penetrate,thats the ranges i was shooting at.If i wanted to kill it i would have loaded up my .17 .That would do the job quite easy.
It is like shooting a dog with a pellet gun... bad juju
Unfortunately my neighbor had a habit of shooting dogs with a pellet gun... a 5MM Sheridan. He thought he was only "burning" their hide. Somebody retaliated by shooting his dog the same way. A few days later the dog had developed a terrible infection and he had to take the dog to the vet who dug out the pellet. Despite massive antibiotic doses the the dog still died.
Even if the rat shot only barely penetrates the hide the cat is still likely to suffer. As I said bad juju.
Unfortunately my neighbor had a habit of shooting dogs with a pellet gun... a 5MM Sheridan. He thought he was only "burning" their hide. Somebody retaliated by shooting his dog the same way. A few days later the dog had developed a terrible infection and he had to take the dog to the vet who dug out the pellet. Despite massive antibiotic doses the the dog still died.
Even if the rat shot only barely penetrates the hide the cat is still likely to suffer. As I said bad juju.
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I've seen a couple rats killed with them but more often than not they don't even get the job done there. Chances are the shots won't even wound the cat. It may sting the cat a little but thats about it. I would probably just kill the cat and get it over with. The cat is more than likely coming around for food. All it is going to learn is that when it sees you it should run. It won't leave easily if it is finding the food it wants.
sparkysteve
New member
I think a .22lr hollow point should do the trick.
oldbillthundercheif
Moderator
If you want non-lethal, how about either a few big firecrackers or a big string of small ones? I suspect it may cause them to relocate at high speed if you can lob them into its general area.
The cats used to scatter at the sight of my airsoft pistol when I still had my old truck. Now with my new truck the next cat I catch up there will recieve the death penalty. Something about them peeing on my windshield and the smell of cat whizz in my nice new truck isnt that appealing to me and may cause this to become a kitty free area very quickly.
I reccomend a .22lr for close up precision work, 12 guage if you dont like the cat, and .270 if they are way out yonder and you dont like the cat.
I reccomend a .22lr for close up precision work, 12 guage if you dont like the cat, and .270 if they are way out yonder and you dont like the cat.
Taxidermist
New member
The cat came around again since.He looked straight at me.The range was about 10 yards or a little more.Even still through the scope I could see it jump about a metre off the ground so i'd assume a few pellets connected.
You could put an eye out doing that. Not nice at all.
You could put an eye out doing that. Not nice at all.
Double Naught Spy
New member
Yes, I am sure he read your post. What he is saying is that your discouragement is a form of wounding the cat and he called it unethical. Others would probably just call it cruel.
I find a super soaker has better range that .22 shotshells and a much more dramatic impact on critters without doing them any harm other than getting them a bit wet and startling them...that is if you truly want to discourage them instead of exacting revenge and punishing them for daring to come around your place.
FirstFreedom
Moderator
Wait a sec - are you thinking that the pellets will just bounce off and not penetrate the skin even? If you are trying to discourage it in that way, AND if it didn't penetrate, then it might be ethical. But it won't bounce off. It will penetrate at least the outer layers of the fur/skin, and so it's going to cause a wound, yet not kill cleanly - it could put out it's eye, so then it may starve to death if it cannot hunt successfully with bino vision. All sorts of undesirable wounds/infections could result. So DNS is correct - it's cruel and unethical. If you want to discourage it, please thump it with a paintball or rubberband gun or the garden hose for that matter. If you want to kill it, kill it with your .17, as you say. But the "in-between" of the ratshot will wound - not good karma at all to wound animals, IMO. Certainly not good for the image of hunters and other gun owners. That's a really nice way to put it. If we weren't in someone's virtual living room here, I'd put it how I really feel.
MeekAndMild
New member
Ditto on First Freedom's sentiments. "Rat shot" is a misnomer. It's not for rats, cats, birds, elephants, Ford vans full of meth heads, et cetera. Its proper name is snake shot and its proper use is for poisonous snakes. For that purpose it isn't as good as a hoe but it will work.
ARmasterzach
New member
My good ole Tippmann A5 paintball gun with electronic full auto firing and flatline barrel good for about fifty yards does pretty good on stray dogs that find their way into my yard. Makes em pretty colors too might be a bit much for a cat though. I hear alot of people using slingshots with marbles around where Im from. they even sell yellow bags of marbles at the lumber yard called catshot or something like that.
might be a bit much for a cat though. I hear alot of people using slingshots with marbles around where Im from. they even sell yellow bags of marbles at the lumber yard called catshot or something like that."...recieve(sic) the death penalty..." That'll get you arrested, your PAL revoked and ALL your firearm seized. It's called cruelty to animals and it's illegal. No matter where you are in Canada.
Shotshells fired out of a rifled barrel produces patterns with huge holes. The shot string files in a spiral sending th eshot who knows where.
Shotshells fired out of a rifled barrel produces patterns with huge holes. The shot string files in a spiral sending th eshot who knows where.
The shot in most of the 22 cal shot capsules is #12 shot, also called "dust shot". It is not totally worthless, but I cannot imagine shooting it out of a rifled barrel and expecting to hit anything. Out of a 22LR smoothbore, it will take down sparrows or pigeons out to 10 yds or so, they use it all the time in slaughterhouses when birds get in. For snakes, it would probably work out to about 5 yds. Like it says above, a hoe works better.
Dirty_Harry
New member
+1 on Paintball gun
ARmasterzach, I have the same gun and use it, but w/o the flatline. If I want to kill the critters they just get the .22 rifle.
ARmasterzach, I have the same gun and use it, but w/o the flatline. If I want to kill the critters they just get the .22 rifle.
Rat shot will be totally ineffective for cats unless you are just trying to teach them to stay away.
410 shotgun and up will do the trick well though.
If you live in a neighborhood and have a cat problem because most cities do not have leash laws for felines like they do canines, a high power 22 cal air rifle works well with head shots.
You can also use Aguila .22 super colibris to good effect to about 25 yards.
These shells use no gun powder only the primer to push a .20 gr. (I BELIEVE) bullet at modest velocity.
Many has been the time when my fenced in dogs have awakened me to let me know they had chased away one of the neighbors many cats they had caught raiding their feed bowls late at night.
Sometimes a polite plea for them to control their roaming rascals works and sometimes not.
If you are like me you will give kitty at least a couple of warning experiences before the neighbor is sent walking the neighborhood calling for a Mr. whiskers whose nine lives membership card has expired.
410 shotgun and up will do the trick well though.
If you live in a neighborhood and have a cat problem because most cities do not have leash laws for felines
like they do canines, a high power 22 cal air rifle works well with head shots.You can also use Aguila .22 super colibris to good effect to about 25 yards.
These shells use no gun powder only the primer to push a .20 gr. (I BELIEVE) bullet at modest velocity.
Many has been the time when my fenced in dogs have awakened me to let me know they had chased away one of the neighbors many cats they had caught raiding their feed bowls late at night.
Sometimes a polite plea for them to control their roaming rascals works and sometimes not.
If you are like me you will give kitty at least a couple of warning experiences before the neighbor is sent walking the neighborhood calling for a Mr. whiskers whose nine lives membership card has expired.