Squirrel killing distance of Cyl. bore?

[hanshi]

I was just thinking about something today. How many folks have been walking around in the woods and found a rifle ball? Twice? Three times? how about a #6 shot? Funny, yes, but what do we shoot waterfowl with, now? like a entomologist friend said to me as he handed over two vials of ant poison, "That one's boric acid so you don't have to worry. The other one, well, I wouldn't spread it on a cracker". That's why I don't recommend storing a rifle ball in your mouth as some do. :rotf:

 

[Dphar]

Anyone with a modicum of shooting skill can kill squirrels with a shotgun by putting the bead on the varmint and pulling the trigger. A FL rifle requires a little more skill.

Dan

So a smoothbore really is superior to a rifle? :rotf:

In three ways.

If the shooter is so poor a shot he cannot hit the game with a rifle the shotgun is better.

If shooting birds flying or in bunches on the ground the shotgun is better.

If the shooter does not mind shooting 300-500 grains of lead and a couple of wads or what ever to make the gun work at a squirrel or a rabbit then the waste of material is not a factor. While this is not a "better" to some its just a factor a frugal/financially challenged hunter might consider.

Oh I forgot, if the hunter does not mind biting shot while eating then the shotgun is more acceptable as well. I consider this to be a real downer for the shotgun. But some folks are better at picking shot or have stronger teeth I suppose.

But again its preference.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

Buffalo are herbivores- they eat Grasses- ONLY. They don't pick up rocks, or bullets, to swallow. They don't accidentally Swallow bullets or rocks, either. Like cattle, they have multiple stomachs which digest the grasses they eat. They EAT A LOT of grasses each day. But they don't eat rock or bullets.

Although I agree with almost everything you have said here, cattle do pick up and eat lots of S#@t. Hence the need for these:

I am sure bison did the same.

Suppositories?

Magnets. Bovines are not the brightest bulb and WILL eat almost anything it seems.
But we need to ask if a lead bullet would hurt them. Though its not likely to pass a cow and would have a long "dwell time" to form oxides etc.
Lead only hurts waterfowl, I am told, in areas where the soil has a certain PH level.

Dan

 

[DanChamberlain]

Lead is a factor with any animal that has a gizzard. That leaves out buff and cows...and people.

Dan

 

[dgold]

But we need to ask if a lead bullet would hurt them. Though its not likely to pass a cow and would have a long "dwell time" to form oxides etc.
Lead only hurts waterfowl, I am told, in areas where the soil has a certain PH level.

Dan

Hate to say it, but research by non-biased scientist is what is needed. Considering the mess we are in with non-toxic shot, it needs to be done soon.

 

[Dphar]

But we need to ask if a lead bullet would hurt them. Though its not likely to pass a cow and would have a long "dwell time" to form oxides etc.
Lead only hurts waterfowl, I am told, in areas where the soil has a certain PH level.

Dan

Hate to say it, but research by non-biased scientist is what is needed. Considering the mess we are in with non-toxic shot, it needs to be done soon.

There are places where lead shot is a problem with waterfowl and apparently other areas its not much of a problem so or so I have read.
I have read that its very difficult to harm a human with elemental lead like a bullet or fish sinker.
The Romans (for example) did not poison themselves with lead pipes etc. They poisoned themselves by using lead acetate (sugar of lead) to sweeten wine. This is TOXIC as heck if humans ingest it as is some other forms of lead.

So there is a massive panic over lead, likely because its something used in guns that can be demonized and they don't bother to tell people that there are many forms and many are largely harmless.
Dan

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I didn't realise that magnets picked up lead...