Anybody have experience with Colibri (powderless) rimfire ammo?

[tularetom]

My son lives in a neighborhood of smaller lots but he has problems with raccoons getting into his garbage cans and compost pile. He'd like to dispatch the boogers but he doesn't want to make a lot of noise and get the neighbors pissed off about somebody discharging a firearm in the hood.

Somebody suggested these subsonic .22 rounds to him. They have no powder but rely on primer to propel a bullet of about 30 grains at something like 500 fps. The advantage is that since they are moving at a rate less than the speed of sound they will not produce the loud report that occurs when using supersonic ammunition. They're supposed to be quieter than an air gun but based on the weight of the projectile and the relatively low velocity it seems unlikely that they would produce enough power for varmints. Sounds pretty wimpy to me.

I offered to let him use my .22 caliber pellet rifle that can push a 20 grain pellet at 1000+ fps but he wants to try these things.

Has anybody ever used this ammo? Know anybody who has?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. Check local laws

In many cities or neighborhoods, it's illegal to shoot a firearm. So a 500fps primer-driven bullet may be illegal, where a 1000fps air-driven pellet may not.

Plus, there are plenty of .22LR rounds that are subsonic (< 1100fps). There's no sonic advantage to dropping all the way down to 500fps. A 500fps hit might just annoy a raccoon. They're tough critters.

Can you get a couple of raccoon-proof garbage cans instead?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Another option is traps and take them to animal control

or a large body of water

[tularetom]

3. He's in the county so it isn't illegal to fire a gun there

But it's only a half acre lot so he has to be very careful if he does.

I think he really just wants an excuse to try out this stuff. I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the idea of primers powerful enough to propel a 20g projectile at 500 fps. Maybe I'll buy a box and he can come out here and shoot at drink cans or gophers.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Sounds fun, as long as you're not trying to solve a problem ...

... One bozo's theory:

Shooting a raccoon is like shooting Al Quaeda's second-in-command.

There are more raccoons in line to raid his garbage cans, just like there's a few in line for that open Al Qaeda slot.

There is no "win".

[SeattleVet]

5. A .22 at 500 fps is likely to just piss off the raccoon.

They're hard enough to take out with regular .22LR.

[JanMichael]

6. why not put out coyote urine?

Why shoot them? There will just be more...he needs to figure out how to drive them away

[Paladin]

7. It's Available At Walmart.

Until I Googled that fact, I was thinking you had to go into the woods in search of a cooperative coyote......

[JanMichael]

8. getting coyotes to pee in jars

is so time consuming! Seriously, it's better to run the critters off than to shoot them. If you take a bad shot, then they suffer until they die-- it's just cruel. Just make them feel crappy about coming around IE: is some damned coyote going to have me for dinner? that works better all around-

[Paladin]

9. I Agree With You. (nt)

[ileus]

10. If shooting them from a rifle they're darned quiet...

more than most air rifles....however.com they're still loud out of a pistol.

Of course they won't cycle the action of any semi auto but that's fine and dandy for the most part.

I've never killed anything with the primer only ammo, but I know it will shoot thru a 1" board so they should work for pest control.