Paul Harrell's brother has continued the YouTube channel after Paul's death. In this recent episode, he tests various CCI Shot Shell rounds. If you are not familiar with these rounds, they are offered in several popular pistol calibers, but rather than using a bullet, there is a quantity of very light birdshot (#9 and #12 in this test) under a blue plastic cap. The idea is that it allows you to use a handgun (or perhaps carbine) for pest control in or around a house, garden/yard, or outbuildings without concern that the shot could go very far or cause much collateral damage. Some people carry them when camping or hiking for dealing with snakes.
But to what distance would they be effective on, say, a rat or snake? In this video, the host tests CCI Shot Shells in .22 LR, .38 Special, and 9mm calibers at distances of 3, 5 and 7 yards against both paper targets and a meat target appropriate to small critters. It also serves as a bit of a function test as the .22 LR and 9mm rounds were shot using semi-automatic pistols. If you don't want to watch the video, the short answer is that the effective range appears to be 3 yards or less (beyond which the pattern density is too low to ensure a good hit), and the rounds do not produce enough force to cycle a semi-auto pistol. It should go without saying that these are not intended and should not be used as self-defense rounds.
VIDEO: "CCI minni mag shot shell"
Paul Harrell (14 min.)
I never saw the point in these. Or anything else that sends shot down a rifled barrel.
ReplyDeleteIn an article at the CCI website, the author illustrates the application by comparing it against his grandfather using standard .22 LR to shoot starlings attempting to roost in the family's barn--and shooting holes through the roof. (https://www.cci-ammunition.com/cci-stories/where-rimfire-shotshells-shine.html). But for someone living in a city where discharging a firearm is illegal and there probably aren't a lot of pests, there probably isn't much application.
DeleteIn the house? I think that hurts resale value.
ReplyDelete