Update on JR Salvo's "Ultimate Squirrel Rifle"

[plastikosmd]

Bought here from Keb in classifieds. I got it and took it out today for the first time to start working on a load.
 .20 bore, weight is about 6-7 lbs??, Balance is perfect. Slim 5/8" profile, it points like a dream.





 Instead of going with .177 BB or pellet w patch I went with .22 pellet in this style. The steel BB  aids in penetration. Not sure of weight.

I shot everything at 25yrds. I used 10g 4f. I did not shoot for accuracy today but I had no issue hitting the 2x4 at 25, first shot.


Easily but snugly thumb seats. No patch needed. The skirt catches the minimal fouling from the last shot, scraping its way down and providing a flame buffer.



Entrance,  3/4 pressure treated ply



Exit



Entrance,  into 2x4



Dug a hole to see how deep.



Distance through the pressure treated 2x4. Almost through



Even damage to my steel knockdown. Plenty of energy

[Keb]

Nice. I got a 2 x 6 Salvo use to shoot with this gun inside his shop. He lived in town where discharging a firearm was against the law.  I believe he shot pellets with it. I don't know what or how much powder he used but I'd guess not much.
I sure miss old Tippy (2nd picture down). He was my shop cat.

[Kermit]

The "ultimate squirrel rifle" indeed. I presume ignition was right smart and cleanup reasonable? Ingenious projectile, that.

[plastikosmd]

cleanup is a snap, no fouling to speak of with 4f, I swab between, only reason I needed a patch.


whole woods kit is a pack of pellets, a single 3x3 patch (only need small pieces to swab) a 22wmr case for a measure and a pan charger with some 4f in it (use it to fill the wmr case then charge the pan). a great minimalist gun

big cat fan to keb, sorry to hear

[Daryl]

Really neat rifle.

Suggestions

Using .22 pellets is pretty ingenious, considering they probably outweigh .20 or .195" round balls.  Seems to me, .250" Hornady #4 buckshot weighs only 22gr.  A normal lead .22 pellet weighs 14.5 to 16gr.
 
I suggest you buy a tin of JSB Predator's at 16.0gr.  They have the same tip as a Vmax bullet but are actually a HP. They'll be darn "SMART" expanders for squirrel heads.  The Crossman 14.5gr. RNHP's are probably just as 'penetrating' as the pellets you are using - BUT - for max penetration, you should check out the H&N's - they start from normal .22 weights, right up to 25gr. weight in .22 cal.
 
My 3 .22 air rifles all prefer the 19.09gr. H&H Barracuda pellet to any others, although the Predators at 16.0gr. are also Very accurate.

Normal waisted pellets (pellets with a waist) are not generally accurate past the transonic speeds which are just below to just above the speed of sound.  This is usually only visible if recorded by camera on an air rifle - but the process of inaccuracy follows the shape of a donut- getting a larger & larger hole, the further out the target is, to the point of shooting even larger than a crow at 50yards. Shooting to only 25 yards though, might not show this as much, or not at all.   Longer shots surely do.  The slower twist of the ML might also mitigate some of this Do- nutting.

[plastikosmd]

wow thx d, great read
I will take u up on your knowledge and experiment
no twist on this one (smooth) so it will only be a 50 yard toy, most likely. (Of course I will try 100!)
I don't hunt anymore so I am not terribly concerned about tissue reactions more cans and bottles and clay pigeons with this piece. I will google that other design, I also gotta figure out what these weigh. 10gr was prob a bit too much powder, too fast. It sounded supersonic.  I guess the proof will be in the target. I will step it back a bit to see how it does

[Kermit]

So, even LESS than 10gr of 4f? A true Scotsman's gun!

[plastikosmd]

5-10 g 4f some pellets and some patches smaller than a postage stamp to swab. Such a fun Woods gun, popping off the random leaf, can etc