Does rat shot damage rifling?

[tapper]

Hi everyone,

You know 22 rat shot? The rounds that turn your 22 into a tiny shotgun sort of...

Obviously that's not what the barrel was really designed for or expecting.

Is it possible that shooting rat shot regularly could damage the rifling of a barrel?

Thanks everyone.

[Chronos]

i've never used it but given that the shot used is lead it's unlikely it could damage the bore directly but i'd be sure to give it a good clean before firing regular .22 ammo through it simply to remove any excess fouling from carbon or lead

Chronos

[Member-Deleted]

Yer I use it a bit, never had a issue. I use it in a heavy barrel savage if it helps.

[MeccaOz]

Ive always been told it pits the rifling, but I have no first hand knowledge. I thought it was actually steel these days Chronos, but I honestly dont know havent looked at it in years.

[Chronos]

Ive always been told it pits the rifling, but I have no first hand knowledge. I thought it was actually steel these days Chronos, but I honestly dont know havent looked at it in years.

I've never seen steel rat shot .22 ammo. I'm pretty sees the Winchester super X rat shot is #12 lead shot but perhaps Jaso or another member here who has used it could confirm....lead or steel?

Chronos

[Hilux2003]

Ive always been told it pits the rifling, but I have no first hand knowledge. I thought it was actually steel these days Chronos, but I honestly dont know havent looked at it in years.

I've never seen steel rat shot .22 ammo. I'm pretty sees the Winchester super X rat shot is #12 lead shot but perhaps Jaso or another member here who has used it could confirm....lead or steel?

Chronos

As per Chronous, not yet used the steel BUT the lead "rat shot" has not damaged any .22LR chambered rifle I have used as yet.

Also, I've never seen the steel stuff for sale anywhere.
[bluddy doo gooders, wanting steel, lead goes inert once "rusted" or oxidised & does not cause any further problems, unless disturbed].

[Member-Deleted]

It shouldn't damage anything as it's lead. It gives off a good pattern between 10-15 meters. It nails mice very well & redbellys. I have noticed if you use ratshot a few times without cleaning it dose leave the barrel fairly dirty. I've never lost accuracy in my .22 when using the normal ammo.

[AusC]

There are different kinds too.

Some are like a shotgun cartridge and open spilling the shot immediately into the barrel.

There are others where they are tipped with a plastic projectile full of shot which is supposed to come apart as it exits the muzzle.

Look into a few kinds and you might find something that gives you more confidence.

[Warrigul]

I've used the winchester crimped ratshot for a few years in my .22 savage(and MANY years before that in a couplke of other rifles), I have never cleaned the rifle AT ALL and it is still ten cent accurate at 50m.

Last year going by the receipts I bought 200 rounds of ratshot and four bricks of subsonics, there are about fifteen ratshots rattling around a box left.

Would i use them in a $3000 anschutz? maybe not but a $300 savage isn't any great loss if the worst happens.

I get sick of people who have never used them giving advice and sayinmg how bad they are.

[DaleH]

My Father used them sparingly as he believed that the crimped end opened into the throat of the rifling of the barrel and could damage this area when the case was extracted.
Not too sure of this myself - especially as I have never seen damage and that the brass is way softer than the barrel steel.

[Arth]

Would i use them in a $3000 anschutz? maybe not but a $300 savage isn't any great loss if the worst happens.

Two issues ago in the SSAA mag they announced the next issue would have an article on the straight-pull Anschutz 1727F.

I knew the 1416 which is a top rifle is about $1,200, so assumed the straight pull would be about the same.

Wrong...

They're $3,600

Forget that