Use of .22 bullets in a .22 air rifle?

TripHlx · February 27, 2012, 02:11 AM

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong area guys, but I figured reloading would be the best place to start.

Does anyone have any experience with trying .22 rifle bullets of any kind in a .22 cal air rifle? If you have, what were your problems/successes? I know standard air rifle pellets are made to very loose tolerances, so I imagine that the bores can't be too terribly spot on .22 diameter. I'm thinking that it would be a fun experiment, if doable, to see what kind of ballistics could be wrung from a .22 rifle slug using an airgun.

Any thoughts or information is welcome guys!

BUTCHER45 · February 27, 2012, 05:01 AM

The best place to get the answers you are looking for is the TalonAirgun forum. The AirForce Talon/Condor rifles (especially the modded ones) are amongst the few air rifles powerful enough to get decent ballistics out of .22LR slugs.

http://talonairgun.com/forum/

was123 · February 27, 2012, 07:40 AM

Aren't most pellets much lighter than the average 22 cal bullet? If I remember correctly, 22 cal pellets are normally about 20 grs.

PA-Joe · February 27, 2012, 08:09 AM

22 air guns are not 224s which is what most 22 centerfire rounds are. So the rifle bullet will have too large a diamter to work in a 22 airgun.

McShooty · February 27, 2012, 01:30 PM

The weight will definitely be an issue as a lot of .22 pellets are only about 15 grains. In addition to more than twice the weight, the .22 bullet will have a larger bearing surface with correspondingly larger friction in the barrel. This may make it difficult to kick it out the end of the barrel.

hornetguy · February 27, 2012, 02:41 PM

In my limited experience with airguns, I would say "no".

The powerplant of an airgun, especially the spring piston type, is designed around a definite range of projectile weight. If you go over or under that range, you will very likely damage the power plant, if not destroy it.
I would recommend staying within the acceptable range of weights for the .22cal airgun. Apparently for spring piston guns the upper limit is somwhere around or just under 20gr.

Bart B. · February 28, 2012, 03:19 PM

.22 rimfire bullets may work, but I'd slug the air gun barrel to see if it's not any smaller than rimfire bullet diameters. And I'd use only the light weight BB cap bullets.

g.willikers · February 28, 2012, 03:32 PM

We'll hold your beer.

FrankenMauser · February 28, 2012, 03:52 PM

Aside from the diameter issue...
.22 caliber bullets are too heavy, and too long to stabilize in most air rifles.

It's a double-edged problem.
1. The twist rates are too slow in the air rifles.
2. They don't have enough power to generate the velocity to stabilize the bullets, even with the twist rates found in firearms (let alone air rifles).

You're actually better off with a smooth bore air gun, than the air rifle. That way, at least, you won't be disappointed when you're shooting 6" key-holed groups at 10 feet, and only getting 200 fps (if that). Odds are, it would actually be more accurate, though.

overkill0084 · February 28, 2012, 04:23 PM

Seems like a great opportunity to stick a bullet in an airgun barrel. A typical pellet has very little bearing surface to contend with. An actual bullet on the other hand... How much power is required just to overcome the friction? Even of you can overcome the difficulties, I suspect the result would be...disappointing at best.

mattamuskeet · February 29, 2012, 08:38 PM

We'll hold your beer.

That's funny. I don't care who you are...

Caveman4570 · February 29, 2012, 08:41 PM

won't work friend.they are much to large.

TripHlx · March 2, 2012, 10:42 PM

Thanks for all the replies guys! I'll admit I was just being lazy by not slugging the bore, that alone would have answered my question for me. Besides that, a lot of your answers were very informative, and I can honestly say I learned a few new things that I had never really considered regarding airguns.

If anyone else has anything to add, I'd be glad to hear it!

Edit: By the way, if I happen to have a beer, I'll just balance it on my head during my airgun show and look all the more impressive for it.

February 27, 2012, 02:11 AM	#1
TripHlx Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2011 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 110	Use of .22 bullets in a .22 air rifle? Sorry if this is posted in the wrong area guys, but I figured reloading would be the best place to start. Does anyone have any experience with trying .22 rifle bullets of any kind in a .22 cal air rifle? If you have, what were your problems/successes? I know standard air rifle pellets are made to very loose tolerances, so I imagine that the bores can't be too terribly spot on .22 diameter. I'm thinking that it would be a fun experiment, if doable, to see what kind of ballistics could be wrung from a .22 rifle slug using an airgun. Any thoughts or information is welcome guys! __________________ "If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for." - Clint Smith

February 27, 2012, 02:41 PM	#6
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	In my limited experience with airguns, I would say "no". The powerplant of an airgun, especially the spring piston type, is designed around a definite range of projectile weight. If you go over or under that range, you will very likely damage the power plant, if not destroy it. I would recommend staying within the acceptable range of weights for the .22cal airgun. Apparently for spring piston guns the upper limit is somwhere around or just under 20gr. __________________ I always felt that if I got to the point where I thought it was time to bury my firearms, it was actually time to pick them up..

February 28, 2012, 03:32 PM	#8
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	We'll hold your beer. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

February 28, 2012, 03:52 PM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Aside from the diameter issue... .22 caliber bullets are too heavy, and too long to stabilize in most air rifles. It's a double-edged problem. 1. The twist rates are too slow in the air rifles. 2. They don't have enough power to generate the velocity to stabilize the bullets, even with the twist rates found in firearms (let alone air rifles). You're actually better off with a smooth bore air gun, than the air rifle. That way, at least, you won't be disappointed when you're shooting 6" key-holed groups at 10 feet, and only getting 200 fps (if that). Odds are, it would actually be more accurate, though. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 28, 2012, 04:23 PM	#10
overkill0084 Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2010 Location: Northern, UT Posts: 1,162	Seems like a great opportunity to stick a bullet in an airgun barrel. A typical pellet has very little bearing surface to contend with. An actual bullet on the other hand... How much power is required just to overcome the friction? Even of you can overcome the difficulties, I suspect the result would be...disappointing at best. __________________ Cheers, Greg “At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child – miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.” — P.J. O’Rourke

February 27, 2012, 05:01 AM	#2
BUTCHER45 Member Join Date: June 30, 2008 Posts: 46	The best place to get the answers you are looking for is the TalonAirgun forum. The AirForce Talon/Condor rifles (especially the modded ones) are amongst the few air rifles powerful enough to get decent ballistics out of .22LR slugs. http://talonairgun.com/forum/

February 27, 2012, 07:40 AM	#3
was123 Member Join Date: July 24, 2010 Posts: 39	Aren't most pellets much lighter than the average 22 cal bullet? If I remember correctly, 22 cal pellets are normally about 20 grs.

February 27, 2012, 08:09 AM	#4
PA-Joe Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: NEPA Posts: 909	22 air guns are not 224s which is what most 22 centerfire rounds are. So the rifle bullet will have too large a diamter to work in a 22 airgun.

February 27, 2012, 01:30 PM	#5
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	The weight will definitely be an issue as a lot of .22 pellets are only about 15 grains. In addition to more than twice the weight, the .22 bullet will have a larger bearing surface with correspondingly larger friction in the barrel. This may make it difficult to kick it out the end of the barrel.

February 28, 2012, 03:19 PM	#7
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	.22 rimfire bullets may work, but I'd slug the air gun barrel to see if it's not any smaller than rimfire bullet diameters. And I'd use only the light weight BB cap bullets.

February 29, 2012, 08:38 PM	#11
mattamuskeet Member Join Date: April 7, 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 99	*We'll hold your beer.* That's funny. I don't care who you are...

February 29, 2012, 08:41 PM	#12
Caveman4570 Junior Member Join Date: February 25, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 6	won't work friend.they are much to large.

March 2, 2012, 10:42 PM	#13
TripHlx Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2011 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 110	Thanks for all the replies guys! I'll admit I was just being lazy by not slugging the bore, that alone would have answered my question for me. Besides that, a lot of your answers were very informative, and I can honestly say I learned a few new things that I had never really considered regarding airguns. If anyone else has anything to add, I'd be glad to hear it! Edit: By the way, if I happen to have a beer, I'll just balance it on my head during my airgun show and look all the more impressive for it. __________________ "If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for." - Clint Smith