doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lethal range of birdshot?

How far can one reasonably push .22 shotshells? Having a varmint issue here and a bb or pellet gun won't exactly do the job (inadequate backstopping).

We use to shoot barn swallows will 22lr shotshells when we were kids.
Id say 15-20ft depending on the varmint.
The 38 and 44 shotshells work much better if noise isn't an issue.
Killed LOTS of snakes off of a bulldozer with them.

15 ft max for English House Sparrows is my experience

Yeah....15 feet sounds about right. Prolly why the critter is still flying. Distance was closer to 40'.

I'll guess, woodpecker?

That would be an admission against self-interest. I'm pleading the 5th.

Some years back, a person had a rat problem in their attic.

They needed a load for a single shot that would kill the rats, but not blow holes in the living room ceiling. Or set the house on fire.

The load development involved sheets of newspaper at increasing distances, with a piece of drywall behind it. until the shot no longer went through the drywall at eight or 10 feet. I think it was a tiny amount of red dot, and 500fps.

The man was successful in eliminating the rats, without destroying his attic or living room ceiling.

No wad, just fiber disks. And I think 12 shot.

Shot a bat off of the utility room ceiling with 38 rat shot at about 20 ft one time. Just put a few little scrap marks on the ceiling but killed the bat.
Lots of rabies in bats down here. Ceiling/drywall was an EZ fix.

Have you tried talking to the varmint and asking it to leave politely?

As a diversity, equity and inclusion experiment I tried that once, a few years ago. No dice. I still had to shoot, shovel, & shut up (the three S rule).