Smooth bore .22

[Pat]

Thanks for the info but... I can buy two new Ruger 10-22 rifles for the price of one of those. I could ream one out smooth and have one stock. I want another 10-22 anyway with a folding stock for my small cab tractor.

Pat

[AaronP]

I don't disagree, I own the Ruger 10-22 myself, it's a great rifle. You can shoot number 11 or 12 lead shot out of it and that will not damage the barrel, however like it has already been said, the pattern may not be what you want.

[Pat]

Given the cyclic speed of the auto loading, I suppose you could easily torch off 2-3 shots faster than you could pump the pump action .22 smooth bore and with less effect on your sighting/follow through. Surely 2-3 shots would add up to as good of a pattern as a single shot from the smooth bore.

I was thinking of getting another 10-22 with collapsing or folding stock to more easily fit in the cab of my tractor but may go .223, 6.8mm. or .30 cal Ruger Ranch Rifle instead (with foler or collapser.) I could always put some hand loaded shot shells through that.

Back in the late 60's early 70's I used .38 and .357 cart cases to make shot shells. You put in some pistol powder (Red Dot) then a .30 cal gas check, then scoop it full of #12 (BB's or whatever), then put a gas check on top (turned around backwards.) First gas check is put in normal and last one backwards. The gas checks act as wading and a container for the shot. The .30 cal gas checks are a friction fit for the ID of the .38/.357 cart case.

At 10 feet most of the pellets do not penetrate a 3/4 inch pine board BUT... a gas check might if it hits edgewise. The gas checks go pretty wild and unpredictable but the shot performs fine. I carried them for snake loads.

Pat

[GaryM]

Pat, I used to do the same, but they used to sell plastic "gas checks" that served the same function and did not carry the same momentum as the copper ones.

And here's something to consider for your tractor cab: An AR-15 with a short barrel. I'm assembling one with a 7.4" barrel in 5.56mm. And I can shoot .22 LR with my conversion kit. With the stock collapsed it should be quite handy with a LOA in the lower 20's. And loud too when firing the 5.56 ammo!

[Pat]

Gary, Very interesting. I never saw or heard about plastic gas checks. Maybe because the ones I got were for use in "building" cast bullets and might melt plastic????? Plastic sabot but not gas checks. Who knows, if I get enthused about making some shot shells I may look for some plastic ones.

Given the total cost of ownership of a suppressor, I will probably not be buying one for a .223 but since one built for 7.62 only looses 5% of function at 6.5mm it might still be OK enough for a .223 to warrant its use. I have hearing loss associated with noise exposure (mostly firearms) and am sensitive to overdoing it. If I carry anything louder than a Ruger 10-22 in my tractor, to be practical for me it will have to be suppressed as by the time you put on muffs open the door etc lots of opportunities would be missed in the varmint department.

Pat