.22 pistol for hunting?

[surplus-addict]

So, say you were on a hike or stroll through the woods, and you wanted to nab a squirrel or rabbit for a meal (you'd obviously have your hunting license, be on private property/BLM land, yadda yadda yadda).

I've been thinking that a single shot, 6"-8" barrel .22 with precision iron sights, a nice grip, and CCI Quiet-22 or Super Colibri rounds would be an ideal setup for something like this.

Quiet, small, slim, accurate, effective, and lightweight: perfect for hunting small game.

But none exist! So, I either make my own, or it's back to the drawing board.

What do you suggest for a .22 hunting pistol?

[surplus-addict]

....well, J. Stevens USED to make what I want.

Enter: the Pocket Rifle.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=396820153

[44fred]

Lightweight will be your problem. My favorite 22 handgun for hunting is a Ruger MKII Govt. Very accurate for the money at the time.

[NytWolf]

I carry a 5.5" S&W 22a with a red dot. It's more accurate than I will ever be shooting offhand. However I did nail a squirrel in the head at 50 yards. Lucky perhaps but the red dot did completely block its head.

[sealocan]

Trying to stay within your criteria, I think I would choose a Harrington in Richards model # 999 top break .22 caliber with a 6 inch barrel.

although it is not lightweight and I wouldn't call the older designed iron sights "percision" they are functional and have been used to take many a squirrel or rabbit

you could get the 666 model version, with the solid frame, that Harrington Richardson also makes but I like the top break with the cool Auto ejection of the shells.

that way un-like a semi- auto you can use any of the low powered & quiet shells you like and It will always function.

I mean you can get a Smith and Wesson revolver, but I like having a gun that is not worth a lot of money when I go hiking sometimes.

[G21Shooter]

My Ruger MKIII Target with a Burris FFII red dot has dispatched plenty of squirrels out to 50 yards.
Great setup.

[GreggieBoy]

Ruger Single-Six gets my vote. Choose the .22 LR cylinder with the lighter loads or for bigger game the .22 Mag cylinder. Flexibility is a nice option.

[MDCHUNKER]

Originally Posted by GreggieBoy

Ruger Single-Six gets my vote. Choose the .22 LR cylinder with the lighter loads or for bigger game the .22 Mag cylinder. Flexibility is a nice option.

I second the Ruger Single-Six. The only time I harvested a critter with a pistol was with this Ruger.(30 yrs.ago)

Not quite sure about using CCI Quiet at 710fps though.

Today I would use my Buckmark Camper with 40gr mini-mag.

[thenodnarb]

My Ruger MKII has a 6 7/8" barrel. It will cycle subsonic at 1070fps but not the slower ones. colibri is only good for mice and small birds. It is very ineffective against rabbits unless its a head shot from 5 yards.
My dad and I use to shoot CCI CBs at squirrels out to 30 yards or so with his single shot .22 rifle. Those are only about 700 FPS and they work well on squirrels.

I would prefer a revolver if I was shooting CBs or colibris. And that's why I got a 4" S&W 617. They shoot colibris and CBs just fine.
BTW, I think all those stevens single shot pistols were shorts, not LR. We had one in the shop I worked at. It was broken but fixable, and was only $25!

Also, BTW: I wouldn't get the single six convertible unless I was planing on shooting WMR exclusively. From my understanding, shooting regular .22lr through a bore designed for WMR leads to less accuracy. I've shot a single six that was older than the convertible models and it was super accurate. If you can't afford a DA revovler, the single six is a great choice for the money.

[TMB 1]

Thompson Center Contender with 22lr barrel sounds like what you're looking for.

[thenodnarb]

Originally Posted by TMB 1

Thompson Center Contender with 22lr barrel sounds like what you're looking for.

This is a .357 not a .22lr but the frame size is the same.



If the goal is light weight, I think the T/C pistol trades multi shot capacity for weight, and not in a good way. Most people use these as target pistols i think.

[fullspeed1]

This bad boy had put plenty o tasty cottontails on the dinner table when i was younger....

[44fred]

Since weight is an issue, maybe this in a day pack will work.

http://www.packrifle.com/

Or maybe a good chest holster. You won't notice the weight.
I bought this for my Smith 460V. Supreme quality.

http://www.diamonddcustomleather.com...sters.php#2860

[TMB 1]

One of these would be cool if you could find one. http://www.rossiusa.com/product-deta...TOKEN=89092159
It doesn't look like it would be to heavy with slim 22 barrel.

[Yoteman]

That's how Ive used my Single Six! Super Colibri's too!

[44fred]

Originally Posted by Yoteman

That's how Ive used my Single Six! Super Colibri's too!

Not in Kalifornia.

[surplus-addict]

Originally Posted by 44fred

Not in Kalifornia.

Wait, what?

[TMB 1]

Originally Posted by surplus-addict

Wait, what?

He's probably talking about my second post. With the 45/410 barrel. That's why I put if you could find one, didn't know for sure. They might have different combo's though. Idk?

[surplus-addict]

Originally Posted by TMB 1

He's probably talking about my second post. With the 45/410 barrel. That's why I put if you could find one, didn't know for sure. They might have different combo's though. Idk?

Well, the 45/.410 would be legal if you just silver soldered in a sleeve so it can't chamber a .410 shell.

[44fred]

Originally Posted by surplus-addict

Well, the 45/.410 would be legal if you just silver soldered in a sleeve so it can't chamber a .410 shell.

Please splain the process.
Buying the gun in this state, having the FFL do the conversion to every chamber, then transferring it to you??? Don't think it's possible let alone very practical. What your left with is a huge 45Colt that is insanely expensive and still a Taurus.

[thenodnarb]

Originally Posted by 44fred

Please splain the process.
Buying the gun in this state, having the FFL do the conversion to every chamber, then transferring it to you??? Don't think it's possible let alone very practical. What your left with is a huge 45Colt that is insanely expensive and still a Taurus.

I think we're still talking about single shots here. Single shots with replaceable barrels. No special process. you can DIY. As long as you don't put the .410/45 barrel on the gun.

Still pointless in my opinion. Easier to do the whole AOW thing and have a taurus or governor at the end.

[TMB 1]

Originally Posted by 44fred

Since weight is an issue, maybe this in a day pack will work.

http://www.packrifle.com/

That Pack rifle is kind of cool! I wonder if they plan on making it in a pistol?That would be cool too!

[surplus-addict]

Originally Posted by 44fred

Please splain the process.
Buying the gun in this state, having the FFL do the conversion to every chamber, then transferring it to you??? Don't think it's possible let alone very practical. What your left with is a huge 45Colt that is insanely expensive and still a Taurus.

It's like what thenodnarb said, if you had the two barrel firearm. You get it transferred to you with the .22 barrel installed and the .45/.410 barrel n the box.
Without installing the .410 barrel, you make a sleeve to fit in the chamber, and then silver solder/high temp epoxy it in.
It can no longer accept a .410 shell, only a .45 Colt round. Thus, legal.
You can still fire .45 Colt shot shells, so it's still more useful than a single shot .22LR.

[44fred]

"If you had the two barrel firearm"? That's kind of my point. Just do this, change that, modify something else etc, etc.

I guess if you want to chance all the things you spoke of then fine, you still have a single shot handgun that is a tank. Still can't fire 410. What's the point?

[surplus-addict]

Originally Posted by 44fred

"If you had the two barrel firearm"? That's kind of my point. Just do this, change that, modify something else etc, etc.

I guess if you want to chance all the things you spoke of then fine, you still have a single shot handgun that is a tank. Still can't fire 410. What's the point?

The point of firing .410 is that you have a 'shot' round available. You still can have a shot round, they make .45 Colt snake shot rounds filled with No.8 shot.

See how it's helpful NOW?

[duckfart]

Ruger single six would be my choice.

[44fred]

Great, knock yourself out. Seems like plenty of trouble for what you end up with. If anybody has tried it, please by all means educate us, I'd love to hear all about it.

BTW I have plenty of experience with 44mag shot shells, I've reloaded and used them. Pretty useless for anything past a couple feet. Certainly not for squirrel or rabbit. Snake shot is what it was called.

[surplus-addict]

Originally Posted by 44fred

Great, knock yourself out. Seems like plenty of trouble for what you end up with. If anybody has tried it, please by all means educate us, I'd love to hear all about it.

I get to fire a large pattern of shot: it's perfect for what I'd want, which is serious snake defense, small game at close range, or pests in trees/bushes.

[44fred]

Please keep us posted on you acquiring and converting your new Rossi 45colt/410, 22lr barrel combo gun.
But then again it certinally doesn't meet your criteria of light weight.

[surplus-addict]

Originally Posted by 44fred

Please keep us posted on you acquiring and converting your new Rossi 45colt/410, 22lr barrel combo gun.
But then again it certinally doesn't meet your criteria of light weight.

Nowhere did I say I was going to buy one, only that it was a possible option.
And yes, it's not lightweight, and it's not small, nor is it slim: hence me not getting one right now.

I'm looking at getting one of the older Stevens tip-up pistols, aka the "Pocket Rifle" posted above.
Even if they can only chamber shorts (haven't read that anywhere yet) that's nothing a new chamber reamer can't fix.
And for those of you who will scream "THAT'S NOT SAFE!", thank you for your concern: but I will only be firing shorts, CCI Quiet-22, or Super Colibri rounds through it (even thou I'm fairly certain it is definitely strong enough to fire standard pressure .22LR rounds).

That, or the other option is to get an older, 12"-15" NFA exempt 'bicycle rifle' of some sort. Not a pistol, but still very small, and gives me loads more versatility than a handgun.

[TMB 1]

Originally Posted by 44fred

BTW I have plenty of experience with 44mag shot shells, I've reloaded and used them. Pretty useless for anything past a couple feet. Certainly not for squirrel or rabbit. Snake shot is what it was called.

I think the 45/410 pistols like the Rossi & TC have chokes that stop the spin of the shot. You just have to remember to remove it before shooting 45 Colts. That could be bad I'd think.

[TMB 1]

TC also made a 44mag barrel with removable choke. One of them with 22lr barrel would be good too. You'd just have to make your own shot loads or be stuck with snake shot.

[softmentor]

I love my Crickett pistol. Fun, accurate, fires a calibri, with just enough barrel length to get the most from that round. I got the one with wood stock about one year ago but this one has the same inner workings.
No problem in CA. It is off list but exempt because it is a single shot. So just the usual DROS



http://www.crickett.com/crickett_22_pistol.php



http://www.chipmunkrifles.com/chipmunk_22_pistol.php

[Army]

10" Contender, or a shorter custom barrel. All in all, it's really no heavier than an auto. I hardly know mine is in the daypack, along with a 50 round box.

I'd rather have a dependable, super accurate Contender that handles almost any .22 round.