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Old 03-26-2009, 02:54 PM
Mr. 16 gauge Mr. 16 gauge is offline
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solid vs HP?

I'm just curious.....
I've always bought HP ammo for small game hunting (rabbit/squirrel), and lately....with the price of rimfire ammo soaring!.....if HPs are really 'necessary' for the likes of squirrel and rabbit. Seems to me that there isn't enough 'stuff' on a critter that size to effectively cause the HP to expand, and that solids might be just as effective in these situations. I can see where an HP might be a better option for coon, fox, coyote, ect, but I'm talking rabbit/squirrel here. Seems to me shooting rabbits with a .22 is somewhat akin to shooting deer with a 20mm cannon (when comparing projectile to animal size).
Any thoughts?
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Old 03-26-2009, 05:06 PM
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GoodOlBoy GoodOlBoy is offline
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Yep. decent hps around here are $15 per 550. Decent solids around here are $7.57 per 50, which is around $83.27 per 550. Kinda like shorts are rinning around $3 per 50. Thats $33 per 550. Don't make much sense thataway but thats how it is. My thought is if it ain't broke don't fix it. Also the reason for the hollowpoint in a 22 (at least in my opinion) is less about stopping power and more about keeping the overtravel to a minimum. lotta cows where we are and a solid 22 that passed through a cat squirrel on a limb can go a few miles.

As for tearin up the meat, there ain't much meat in the head anyway. Plus I have seen a poorly center massed rabbit run for a LONG time before he dropped (dogs finally got him about the time my grandfather got through spankin my cousin for shootin a rabbit anyplace beside the head)

But remember there are HPs and then there are HPs. A federal 550 box of hps does good on anything up to coon size, but are a bit weak for anything bigger. A stinger, velocitor, or yellowjacket does pretty fair on bigger critters but you pay a bit more for em too.

my 2 cents.

GoodOlBoy
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Old 03-26-2009, 06:14 PM
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I only use solids, both for hunting and target shooting.

Head shots are my preference.
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Old 03-26-2009, 07:30 PM
Gil Martin Gil Martin is offline
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I shoot both .22 solids and hollow points

I am paying a lot less for Federal and Winchester .22 ammo at Wal-Mart. I get Federal 550 round semi-hollow point bulk packs for $13.47. The Winchester 330 round packs are less than $10.00. All the best...
Gil
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Old 03-27-2009, 02:33 PM
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GoodOlBoy GoodOlBoy is offline
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Dang Gil I wonder why our wally world is $2 a box higher than yours on them. . . .

GoodOlBoy
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 KJV

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 8:15 KJV

"The gun has been called the great equalizer, meaning that a small person with a gun is equal to a large person, but it is a great equalizer in another way, too. It insures that the people are the equal of their government whenever that government forgets that it is servant and not master of the governed." - 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan 1911-2004
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Old 03-30-2009, 01:16 PM
buckhunter buckhunter is offline
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I use HP(Win Power Points) for hunting and solids for target and plinking. No too worried about the cost. Have a thousand or so in the ammo bin.
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Old 05-29-2009, 09:10 AM
dovehunter dovehunter is offline
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I have been using only solid point .22 LRs for years now on squirrels and can count on the fingers of one hand (with fingers to spare) the number of squirrels I have lost. I used to use hollow points but, unless you could always shoot them in the head, which I couldn't, I found they would tear up more meat than the solids. I too prefer head shots but you can't always get them.

When stepping up to the .22 WMR, at least to me, it's a no-brainer. If you use hollow points you will get pureed squirrel. However, when using solid points, I have not found the magnum to be any more destructive of meat than .22 long rifles.
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Old 06-04-2009, 12:56 PM
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Rapier Rapier is offline
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For many years I used HPs in the 22LR for all of my shooting, then started shooting small bore silhouette, rifle and handgun. I noticed I was loosing rams, so I started testing. What I found was that the HP ammo has just slightly higher velocity but gives up 10% of the bullet weight for the hollow point, 36 VS 40 grains. The energy loss at 50-100 yards simply can not be made up. So, now I use solids for every application.
Best,
Ed
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