VIDEO The lowly .22 short

[thereisnofork]

I had a conversation with a firearms instructor years ago, like 1983. There was a married couple, starting divorce over on the WA Olympic peninsula. Anyway, they got into a drunken argument one night. Husband says "I'm gonna kill you". He grabbed a .38 special, wife grabbed a .22 pistol. They exchanged rounds inside the house. The wife was hit a couple of times and lived. The husband had been hit a couple of times in the chest. He said the .22 ricocheted around inside the rib cage and killed the guy. He said the autopsy doctor "poured" the guys chest out.

 

[Creedmoor]

Yup and I have one that my Dad got from his father when he was a kid.also very accurate and fun to shoot.

Which one? I have one of each. The ‘74 was made in 1941. The 550-1 dates from 1954. Both pre-date me. My dads 550-1 was the first rifle I ever shot.

 

[ivantherussian03]

22 short is excellent choice. You can shoot in town and you barely hear it.

 

[Red Baron]

I had a conversation with a firearms instructor years ago, like 1983. There was a married couple, starting divorce over on the WA Olympic peninsula. Anyway, they got into a drunken argument one night. Husband says "I'm gonna kill you". He grabbed a .38 special, wife grabbed a .22 pistol. They exchanged rounds inside the house. The wife was hit a couple of times and lived. The husband had been hit a couple of times in the chest. He said the .22 ricocheted around inside the rib cage and killed the guy. He said the autopsy doctor "poured" the guys chest out.

That's refreshingly grim.

 

[John Green]

Which one? I have one of each. The ‘74 was made in 1941. The 550-1 dates from 1954. Both pre-date me. My dads 550-1 was the first rifle I ever shot.

The 550-1and it’s also the first rifle I ever shot.

 

[Tom McDowell]

22 short is excellent choice. You can shoot in town and you barely hear it.

A true .22 short is super sonic. It'll make a crack, not exactly quiet.

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[bw]

A true .22 short is super sonic. It'll make a crack, not exactly quiet.

They come in different loadings. Like true Scotsmen.

 

[Lone_Hawk]

I have been wondering if I carried a 22 how would that work out in a bad situation? The older I get the lighter I like. Maybe a CCI Velocitor. I carry a Ruger SR9C now. It's heavy but I love that pistol.

I have a 22WMR NAA revolver that I carry in my pants pocket. It will ruin someone's day for sure. I prefer .45ACP, but I carry the NAA with confidence.

 

[biere]

Been a couple decades but I have a marlin bolt action tube fed rifle marked 22lr, 22long, and 22short. Will cycle em all.

People need to read the posts from past ammo threads about how less popular ammo is generally run once a year and the year's production is done at that time.

22 shorts are available as cb rounds or rounds with powder and I have bought cci target shorts, forget the bullet weight right now.

They are made way less often than other rounds for the most part, consider them about like some of the wildcat centerfires out there.

The talk of a 22 bouncing around inside someone is often repeated for 22lr so I am not saying anyone is right or wrong but it is common to come across that sort of description for 22lr so just saying you want to go ahead and proof what you are carrying in my opinion.

The other thing about running a mess of shorts in something that can chamber 22lr or 22long is that eventually you may have some build up of gunk in the chamber that will cause cycling issues with the longer rounds. From a revolver that has sticky extraction to a semi auto that jams, keep in mind these shorter rounds will allow powder burning to leave some building up in the chamber.

There is also an interesting round that I have not seen since covid but have not looked that hard.

There was a 60 gr 22 rimfire round that was the length of a 22lr but used the brass of a 22 short I think, I never measured it. Was common to have people using 22lr conversions in their ar say to find this round. I bought a big box of it but when covid hit I did not worry about how well it worked because it became impossible to find more.

I won't knock the power of a basic bb gun or anything really. Something hits you in the eye or something it can kill you. Just the air from a bb gun has caused many a person to lose hearing in an ear when someone "fired" that compressed air right by someone's ear pretending to shoot them.

 

[JasmineAndLace]

For some reason in our area the 22 shorts are much harder to find than the 22lr. The shorts are all that is needed to keep the squirrel population under control.

 

[WalknTrot]

I always keep shorts around, but don't use them for "everyday". Just grab the plentiful, well-stocked LR. Nobody around here takes note of shooting anything, anytime, anywhere.

Until that changes, why waste 'em.

 

[hiwall]

I believe many people buy and use CB shorts and think they are just regular shorts. They are not. Regular shorts are about as loud as a 22 LR.

 

[Txkstew]

Early one morning, I walked out to the pond, and threw a stick out into the water. With the sun behind me, I shot at the stick using .22 shorts. I could see the bullets ricochet off the stick, and tumble off into the trees at a 30 deg angle.

 

[CaryC]

I have one too. Nice pistol. Carry a Kimber micro 9 which is MUCH lighter. The trigger on the SR9C is light enough to be a target trigger - another reason I didn’t want to carry it. How’s yours?

Me too. A long with, the SR9, great shooting pistols.

I slobbered over the Kimber Micro 9 for several months, but was concerned about handling, meaning was wondering how it would fit in my palm. Other Micro's with the little finger hanging off didn't work out so well. But with the extended Mag. thought it might work out.

I also have the Ruger 22-45, with the 4 inch bull barrel, will shoot rings around the SR9's. Use it for plinking and snakes. Used it for my CCW license qualifying. I did check with the instructor about using it, since it wasn't going to be my EDC, but at the time Prices for the 9mm, were out the roof, and since it was indoors they wouldn't let you use reloads. He said that would be fine.

 

[TKO]

I have a 22WMR NAA revolver that I carry in my pants pocket. It will ruin someone's day for sure. I prefer .45ACP, but I carry the NAA with confidence.

Probably the big issue with 22 is not being able to take down a drug crazy quick enough. They can just keep coming. A 45 can stop them for certain. 9mm...even that's a tough one on nutjobs crazed up with something.

 

[CaryC]

Regular shorts are about as loud as a 22 LR.

That they are not.

Recommend watching the 2nd video of about 20 minutes I put up, about the Henry Golden boy. The first full mag. of 21 shorts. His first shot he thinks he miss fired until it hits the steel target. which covers maybe the first 5 minutes.

For myself I have killed 'coons out the back door (I'm standing in the house with just the barrel stuck out the door) and SB is sitting in the dining room some 15 feet away, and never hears the shot.

Secondly, while hunting squirrels and rabbits, even as the shooter you can hear the thud of the bullet, as it hits, or not hear it, as a miss. You can't do that with a LR. I have used both, while hunting, and curse the day I took a LR squirrel hunting.

Which comes in handy when squirrel hunting. Sometimes a "thud" will reveal a hit, but the squirrel doesn't drop out. Which means the squirrel is gut shot, and it takes a minute for it to die. So just wait, it will fall.

As mentioned earlier, there is a crack to the firing, but it is not as loud as a LR. And I admit when down in the bottom hunting can be heard for a ways, but not in long distance, as say a shotgun, or .270. It's quite down in the bottom, very. I hear hunters around my house all the time. Even the LR. You can tell the difference from a distance between a LR and a short.

Anyway my point for the thread is: Not many people are aware of the short and it's advantages when small game hunting. And they do go thru and thru, but don't bugger the meat up as bad as say a shotgun. And it's great to have a rifle that will shoot both the LR and short.

 

[CaryC]

Early one morning, I walked out to the pond, and threw a stick out into the water. With the sun behind me, I shot at the stick using .22 shorts. I could see the bullets ricochet off the stick, and tumble off into the trees at a 30 deg angle.

So no turtles? LOL

 

[33dInd]

I have seen on the net a process to reload the 22 primer and powder.
Google it. Actually simple. University of You tube has several tutorials

 

[WalknTrot]

Anyway my point for the thread is: Not many people are aware of the short and it's advantages when small game hunting. And they do go thru and thru, but don't bugger the meat up as bad as say a shotgun. And it's great to have a rifle that will shoot both the LR and short.

Yes..one big advantage when as a teen, I chose my Glenfield (Marlin) Model 20 bolt. It takes 7 in the magazine of either .22 LR, L or S. Fabulous little rifle still ticking like a fine Swiss watch 50 years later.

 

[mechanic 217]

If my memory is on that may be Aquila Super Subsonic, very quiet even unsuppressed, no crack.

There was a 60 gr 22 rimfire round that was the length of a 22lr but used the brass of a 22 short I think, I never measured it. Was common to have people using 22lr conversions in their ar say to find this round. I bought a big box of it but when covid hit I did not worry about how well it worked because it became impossible to find more.

 

[CaryC]

Yes..one big advantage when as a teen, I chose my Glenfield (Marlin) Model 20 bolt. It takes 7 in the magazine of either .22 LR, L or S. Fabulous little rifle still ticking like a fine Swiss watch 50 years later.

I chose the Remington 550 (every one has been saying -1, but all it has is what looks like | so don't know if it's one or the I (i)) Just googled it at the Remington website and they say -1, so there ya go.

So, anyway have killed tons of squirrels with it. The local store use to carry the bullets. Bought it at a local hardware store for 60.00. No paper work. Saved my money to buy it. Lunch money, coke bottles, and allowance.

Had been borrowing my uncles Browning which only shot LR, loaded through the buttstock, and ejected through the bottom. Wanted my own, and my cousin had one of the 550's and I liked it.

During the summer would go to trash dumps and shoot all the glass bottles I could find. My cousin would buy a bag of peppermint candy, and we would take turns throwing them in the air and shooting them. Then when he got old enough to start buying beer, we would throw up the cans of bud with the eagle on the bottom, end over end, and target that eagle.

We would steal grannies "strike anywhere" kitchen matches and stick them in trees to light them with a shot, but mostly we'd just shoot the head off. That was probable the hardest shot we tried. Lightening a match with a .22.

It was great fun, killed nearly a whole day, and didn't cost much. 'Course having braggin' rights meant it was all worth it.

 

[WalknTrot]

I chose the Remington 550 (every one has been saying -1, but all it has is what looks like | so don't know if it's one or the I (i)) Just googled it at the Remington website and they say -1, so there ya go.

So, anyway have killed tons of squirrels with it. The local store use to carry the bullets. Bought it at a local hardware store for 60.00. No paper work. Saved my money to buy it. Lunch money, coke bottles, and allowance.

Had been borrowing my uncles Browning which only shot LR, loaded through the buttstock, and ejected through the bottom. Wanted my own, and my cousin had one of the 550's and I liked it.

During the summer would go to trash dumps and shoot all the glass bottles I could find. My cousin would buy a bag of peppermint candy, and we would take turns throwing them in the air and shooting them. Then when he got old enough to start buying beer, we would throw up the cans of bud with the eagle on the bottom, end over end, and target that eagle.

We would steal grannies "strike anywhere" kitchen matches and stick them in trees to light them with a shot, but mostly we'd just shoot the head off. That was probable the hardest shot we tried. Lightening a match with a .22.

It was great fun, killed nearly a whole day, and didn't cost much. 'Course having braggin' rights meant it was all worth it.

I bought my .22 second hand-barely used from a guy my dad worked with.
He said he couldn't hit anything with it.

He was either stone blind, or an idiot.
The thing has always been dead-on.

 

[biere]

If my memory is on that may be Aquila Super Subsonic, very quiet even unsuppressed, no crack.

That sounds right but I have it put away, along with my brain, so I did not want to speak out of turn. The reason people used it for the ar-15 22lr conversions is the 60 gr weight does better with that barrel twist. I bought it, never shot it and honestly I can always find a use for it if the ar-15 22lr conversion does not like it. I consider it an interesting rimfire round no matter what.

 

[Dobbin]

Owner has been looking at one of these.

He back-packs. And this would fit in the glove compartment of his truck.

Of course he also has looked at this...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAfPc6RPe-w


But I think he would REALLY like one of these...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIfYKY_zKXA

He needs to print up some money methinks...

Dobbin

 

[Hi-D]

Yes..one big advantage when as a teen, I chose my Glenfield (Marlin) Model 20 bolt. It takes 7 in the magazine of either .22 LR, L or S. Fabulous little rifle still ticking like a fine Swiss watch 50 years later.

Most of my 22s will take a short. I start at a Savage 1906 clip fed with a octagon barrel. My next oldest is a Winchester mdl. 06 (1911) that is tube fed and also will take anything. Both are pumps. Most of my old things are hand me downs. I'll actually use them so I am where a lot of those things go.

 

[1911user]

If my memory is on that may be Aquila Super Subsonic, very quiet even unsuppressed, no crack.

Yes, 22 ammo that stays under the speed of sound is nice.

 

[NoDandy]

My dear departed Uncle told me that when he was a kid, he hunted turkey with .22 shorts. He said if you used .22 short HP, aimed at the wing, that the concussion would kill them, no mess, easy to clean. He said when hit, said they would fall over, flop a time or two, then die.

I have never tried this, but he swore to it.

 

[hiwall]

 

[Thunderbird]

Probably the big issue with 22 is not being able to take down a drug crazy quick enough. They can just keep coming. A 45 can stop them for certain. 9mm...even that's a tough one on nutjobs crazed up with something.

No hand gun round is "for certain". Some are a lot better than others. Even the 12 Ga has failed on occasion.

 

[ComCamGuy]

Seen footage of a gas’s station robber soak up half a dozen .45 APC rounds without slowing down in his running away

 

[Millwright]

Seen footage of a gas’s station robber soak up half a dozen .45 APC rounds without slowing down in his running away

Nary a one between the eyes tho?

 

[Creedmoor]

Nary a one between the eyes tho?

Most anything will work there.

 

[Publius]

View attachment 290545

I have seen specs published showing the short with 90 foot pounds of energy and I guess it depends on the brand and grain weight of the bullet. I know people around here that hunt raccoons and they look and ask for these shorts and say it's perfect for taking a treed coon, gets the job done.

 

[day late]

PLACEMENT!! It doesn't matter how many rounds you fire. If you don't put them in the right place, it doesn't matter.

 

[hiwall]

I have seen specs published showing the short with 90 foot pounds of energy and I guess it depends on the brand and grain weight of the bullet. I know people around here that hunt raccoons and they look and ask for these shorts and say it's perfect for taking a treed coon, gets the job done.

Average or standard is about 50 ft lbs

 

[Creedmoor]

Average or standard is about 50 ft lbs
View attachment 290630

71 foot pounds. Don‘t sell it short.

 

[CaryC]

My dear departed Uncle told me that when he was a kid, he hunted turkey with .22 shorts. He said if you used .22 short HP, aimed at the wing, that the concussion would kill them, no mess, easy to clean. He said when hit, said they would fall over, flop a time or two, then die.

I have never tried this, but he swore to it.

Have heard of almost anything being killed with a .22 short, so I don't doubt it.

And yeah gun of choice for night hunting a 'coon is the .22 and probably in short. As I said I've killed them off my back porch with a short.

This is going to sound way out there, but I'm telling the truth with my hand up in the air.

I had an older 2nd cousin, who my dad swore (and I believe him) who was the best shooter he ever saw. He had a Winchester pump, tube fed, and shot shorts. Daddy said he would kill Quail on the wing with it. And I've seen him shoot, never at Quail, but he sure was good.

I've shot ducks sitting on a pond.

One note if anyone wants to take a feathered bird, of any kind. DO NOT go for a head shoot. That thing bobbles around so much you'll miss. Ask me how I know. A single shot to the body is best.

And if you're going to do ducks, be prepared to get wet. Ask me how I know.

Did all that back when I was in my teens and didn't know any better, and didn't care. Was more into the "if it's brown, it's down" method of hunting.

A friend of mine has said, "If we had any brains when we were young, we wouldn't have had any fun."

'Course once we go into survival mode during a Shumer, I may revert. LOL Hummm have flocks of geese fly over the house all the time during the fall. LOL Just thought about the migratory bird stamp, probably be a game warden behind every tree waiting for me. LOL

 

[NoDandy]

Nary a one between the eyes tho?

I know of a case, back in the early 70's, Richmond KY. Perp was a big guy, hopped up. Had pulled a armed robbery. got stopped on I-75. When he got out, had an old .32 revolver. 4 Ky State Troopers & 4 Richmond city PD on scene. Perp starring around, eyes glazed, did not know what planet he was on. Everyone hollering for him to drop the gun. He started to raise his gun hand, got hit 8 times. .38's & .357's. Barely flinched. No head or heart shots. A Trooper ran up behind and jerked the gun out of his hand. When the ambulance arrived five minutes later, he was standing, cuffed, starring off into space, bleeding like a seive. Hospital confirmed subj was on Angel Dust. I will never forget the Post Det Sgt told everybody
" since nobody went for a head or heart shot, should have used a shotgun & blown his legs out from under him ". I will never forget that incident.

Today, in our drug infested society, I have to snicker when I hear people say they are going to defend their family with a .22. .38, ball bat, pepper spray, etc. They should study the US Army results of the action in the Philippines that led to the adoption of the 1911.

I am a big believer in shotguns for home defense !!! And also the importance of Shot Placement !!!

 

[Doc1]

Years ago one of my favorite rounds was CCI's CB cap. This round was was powered only by the cartridge's primer. It contained no powder. The beauty of this round was that it was no louder than a .22 air rifle (in a long-barreled rifle) and it was great for discreet urban hunting. While no powerhouse, if you did your part with shot placement, it was adequate for small game at closer ranges.

Then, about ten or fifteen years ago, the CB Caps disappeared. I actually called CCI and was told by a rep that they discontinued it for liability reason; some people were getting the little bullets stuck in very long-barreled .22 rifles and then not properly clearing their rifles before firing a second round.

Aguila makes a fairly quiet subsonic .22 round, but it's not as quiet or accurate as the old CCI CB Caps. Oh, well!

It was very handy to be able to take out small game, pests and - perhaps - difficult feral domestic animals without upsetting certain neighbors. I'm specifically referring here to a rather eccentric woman who made it her life's mission to feed (and attract) feral cats whose population grew exponentially. Those feral cats constantly fought with (and injured) DW's pet cats and ate any food she left out for her own cats. I may or may not have had some knowledge of the feral cat population's sudden and mysterious reduction...

.22 shorts can do similar duty and while quieter than .22 long rifle, are not nearly as silent as the old CB caps.

Best
Doc

 

[Tom McDowell]

Years ago one of my favorite rounds was CCI's CB cap. This round was was powered only by the cartridge's primer. It contained no powder. The beauty of this round was that it was no louder than a .22 air rifle (in a long-barreled rifle) and it was great for discreet urban hunting. While no powerhouse, if you did your part with shot placement, it was adequate for small game at closer ranges.

Then, about ten or fifteen years ago, the CB Caps disappeared. I actually called CCI and was told by a rep that they discontinued it for liability reason; some people were getting the little bullets stuck in very long-barreled .22 rifles and then not properly clearing their rifles before firing a second round.

Aguila makes a fairly quiet subsonic .22 round, but it's not as quiet or accurate as the old CCI CB Caps. Oh, well!

It was very handy to be able to take out small game, pests and - perhaps - difficult feral domestic animals without upsetting certain neighbors. I'm specifically referring here to a rather eccentric woman who made it her life's mission to feed (and attract) feral cats whose population grew exponentially. Those feral cats constantly fought with (and injured) DW's pet cats and ate any food she left out for her own cats. I may or may not have had some knowledge of the feral cat population's sudden and mysterious reduction...

.22 shorts can do similar duty and while quieter than .22 long rifle, are not nearly as silent as the old CB caps.

Best
Doc

I have some if you want I should mail them to you - can send a few dozen.

PM me a snail addy.

As quiet as you describe.
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