223/5.56 vs 22lr/magnum for small animal control

[Texasgrillchef]

Obviously a huge power difference between the 223, 5.56 and the 22lr and 22 magnum even though caliber size is almost the same. With speed and bullet weight the biggest difference.

But for the purpose of small animal control, such as rats, possums, raccoons, armadillos and other smaller animals on 15 acres here in Texas, what recommendations would you have and why?

Additional info. I do have a 45-70 Marlin, in my so called “back country” of my property I don’t mind blowing the hell out of them and leaving pieces of the carcass all over the place. However on my groomed property around the cabin, it tends to be a mess to clean up, and my dog wants to eat any of the pieces I neglect to clean up. I don’t want to get my dog sick, and I don’t like cleaning up the mess that my 45-70 does. Plus around the cabin I have to be more mindful where that bullet ends up as well. (More safety precautions to consider)

So was thinking maybe a 223/5.56 rifle or a 22lr or 22 magnum might be be a better choice and make for easier cleanup.

I do prefer semiautomatic in a rifle if that makes a difference

Also any recommendations on bullet weight and type in whatever caliber mentioned?

 

[MihiT]

duplicate. delete.

 

[MihiT]

I'm not sure the rules or regs about trapping where you are, but that's top of the list for animal control. Traps work while you're asleep or eating dinner, drinking beer, etc.
A gun you need to make the time to meet your quarry.

Of your options: .22LR. Cheap. Quiet. "safer" range limit. Learn to shoot things in the brain and there innt any clean up to be done. Any standard velocity ammo. I'd only use high/super velocity inside 100 yards as it gets unstable going trans-sonic. (about 115y, depending)
You will need to test your individual rifle to find it's ammo preference.
Pretty much any rifle platform is available in .22LR so whether you prefer a standard sporter or AR type you'll find something.
.223 is overkill for your listed species, unless you're going to try taking them at 300yards.

.17HMR could be a contender if you want more legs than a 22 but without the ruckus of .223.

 

[Bfh_auto]

22 mag saves on your ears.
I prefer 17 hmr to 22 mag. I prefer the 17 supermag to the HMR. But I don't think it comes in a semi auto.

 

[Demi-human]

A 223Rem can be downloaded to a rimfire, but a rimfire can't be loaded hotter.

The V-Max bullets are very accurate and will break up lessening the chance for a ricochet.

With a fifty grain SPSX from Hornady there will be no ricochets. Indeed one can load them to poof in midair at a desired distance, given the proper rifle.

The last three charge weights I tested for them in a target rifle had them poof at just right before one hundred, at seventy five and then twenty yards. I noticed fragments on the one hundred yard target on the first shot, realized what they were on the second and put three touching at seventy five. Then the next set poofed before that.
A fun experiment ensued and I found a charge that stayed together to 150 yards, but comes apart after touching paper board, or a milkweed stalk standing in front of a target. It looked as though a small charge of Silver Flash had been inserted inside the stalk. Only green schmutz and tiny, tiny fragment holes appeared on the paper board.
This was in a thirty inch, seven twist Savage Model Twelve.

Perfect for rabbits, as long as you head shoot them, and don't mind ears laying about...

That is the fun way.

The effective way is to trap them and snap them with a pistol.

But that doesn't help get you a new rifle, nor improve any marksmanship or handloading skills.

 

[BigBL87]

A 22lr should be able to take out anything you mentioned. That being said though, if I was buying specifically FOR taking those out, I'd go with 22 Mag or 17 HMR just for the little extra oomph for larger raccoons and such. Since you like semi auto, you could get a Savage A17 in 17 HMR if you went that route. If you prefer 22 Mag, they make an A22 Magnum as well.

 

[jmr40]

It's been a while since I had a 22 magnum, but part of the reason I no longer have one was because 223 ammo was cheaper and did a lot more. From my perspective 22 magnum is either too much or not enough, and is more expensive than it is worth. Everybody should have a 22LR and the Ruger 10/22 is as good a choice as any. Personally I don't care for the standard carbine. You may have to order one, but one of the sporter versions don't cost much more, and are a much nicer rifle. The LVT's are super accurate.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/411540174/ruger+10/22+lvt+22lr+matte+blue

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/70279/ruger+10/22+deluxe+model+10/22dsp,+22+lr+18+1/2"+blued+barre

That should do what you need. But at the same time everyone also needs an AR. Lots of options out there and they are accurate enough to reach out farther than either a 22LR or 22 mag. I vote to get both, but a 22 LR should be 1st.

 

[illinoisburt]

I vote the 22LR. My preference is a Marlin or Ruger. They both work great on anything under 15 pounds with 33 to 40 grain hollow points. (Round nose and truncated cones kill slow on body hits.) Major pros are very fast follow up shots with little recoil and generally don't need hearing protection. Plus no loud gunfire to bother your neighbors. Only con is range keeps you limited somewhat - maybe 150 yards or so for reliable knockdown. Folks have been using this same combo for decades in farm country.

 

[someguy2800]

I would vote a 17 HMR just because it about triples the effective range of a 22lr without making a bunch of noise.

 

[Pat Riot]

If you want it just for varmints within 100 yards I would opt for .22 LR.
Cheap to practice and it’s a fun little round.
For varmints I would consider CCI Stingers or CCI Mini Mag cartridges.

Here is a link for CCI rimfire ammo for varmints. I filtered to .22 LR but you can look at .22 WMR and .17 HMR as well.
https://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/varmint.aspx

My 10/22 carbines are very accurate with CCI Stingers.

 

[jmorris]

But for the purpose of small animal control, such as rats, possums, raccoons, armadillos and other smaller animals on 15 acres here in Texas, what recommendations would you have and why?

We only have 10 acres here at home, for the armadillos I never used anything other than .22’s, same for raccoons, possums, poison for rats. Chickens were the solution to the armadillos tearing up the yard around the house but just exacerbated the meat eaters problem. Traps help a bit, and a .22 is still fine at that point. I have also used .22 on coyotes in the yard but generally try and grab a suppressed 9mm carbine. Keeps the wife happy and if you only have 15 acres, likely your neighbors.

 

[beeenbag]

I would use a cheap 20g shotgun by the door of your cabin. In fact I have a cheap single shot fed arms 20g that I got from gun broker for $60 sitting by my back door with a buttstock shell carrier holding 2 bird shot, 2 buck shot and a slug. This is for exactly what you speak of and serves the purpose well.

edit to add: I just realized this was in rifle country. apologies

 

[.308 Norma]

Additional info. I do have a 45-70 Marlin, in my so called “back country” of my property I don’t mind blowing the hell out of them and leaving pieces of the carcass all over the place. However on my groomed property around the cabin, it tends to be a mess to clean up, and my dog wants to eat any of the pieces I neglect to clean up. I don’t want to get my dog sick, and I don’t like cleaning up the mess that my 45-70 does. Plus around the cabin I have to be more mindful where that bullet ends up as well. (More safety precautions to consider)

If you think shooting small animals like rats with a 45-70 blows "the hell out of them," I suspect you're going to be surprised what a ".223/5.56 does to them.
Get yourself a couple of gallon milk jugs and fill them with water. At 30 or 40 yards, shoot one with a 45-70, and shoot the other with a .223. I'll bet the results of the one shot with the .223 are a lot more spectacular. It's the speed of the bullet, not the momentum or "power" that yields the most spectacular results when it comes to "blowing up" milk jugs filled with water, or small animals filled with blood. On the other hand, I think a .223 probably is less prone to ricochet than a .45-70.

 

[Dr T]

Since you only have 15 acres top work with, I would use a 22 lr. But, it depends on what part of Texas. For this use, I think that the 223 is a massive overkill, it's too loud, and has massive overshoot. In general, my first choice is a 22 wmr, but in this case, overshoot is the problem (your neighbors generally do not enjoy the sounds of bullet whine and gunfire).

On ammo, I generally prefer solids for pest control. I think the penetration is much better and, on the critters you describe you may need it.

On armadillos: we don't have many on our ranch and I basically leave them alone. If they are getting in your flower beds or garden, I suggest a shotgun (20 or 12 ga) with size 4 or 2 shot (high base). They tend to hop when they run and they don't hang around long. IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE A DEAD ONE, WEAR GLOVES (LIKE 7 MIL NITRILE) . THEY CARRY LEPROSY in Texas. You probably want to continue enjoying your fingers.

A 10/22 would work just fine. But I prefer a bolt or lever gun since I don't like to leave a loaded round in the chamber after killing a rattlesnake. And besides, a CZ with a full stock would be way cooler...

 

[CraigC]

.22LR - 100yds
.22Mag - 150yds
.17HMR - +200yds
.223 - 300-400yds

That said, I've never found any utility in a .223 but have multiples of the rimfires.

One advantage to the .17HMR with 17gr bullets is that bullets completely fragment on impact, with anything. Which means no ricochets.

The .22Mag is much more expensive than cheap bulk .22LR but it should be. It uses a real jacketed bullet at nearly double the velocity. It's a field cartridge and ain't meant for cheap plinking.

EVER SINGLE TIME I weigh in on a thread where the .22Mag gets compared to the .223, I have found the comments about ammo cost or utility to be completely unfounded, bordering on absurd. Right now, you can order a 500rd case of CCI .22Mag from Midway for $9.49/box. I don't know how people come up with statements like "...223 ammo was cheaper and did a lot more". $9.49/50rds translates to $0.19/rd and that equates to $3.80/50rds. Maybe people don't realize they're comparing 50rd boxes to 20rd boxes, I don't know but I've never seen .223 that cheap. The cheap stuff is usually twice that but then you're comparing the cheapest crap that goes "bang" to what is premium domestic rimfire ammo. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to handload .223 as cheap as .22Mag.

 

[mrmike7189]

I took out a gopher last week with my 223REM (Ruger Mini14) at 100 yards with iron sights. I was quite proud of myself. It worked well and I would not call it overkilll at all. I could have used a 22LR or my 9MM carbine, but I could have missed it with some bullet drop (especially the 9mm). Like Bill Murray said in Caddyshack ...."the only good gopher is a DEAD gopher!"
Freeze Gopher!

 

[AndyJ]

I have a 70's era Marlin 60 with an El Paso Weaver 3X7 scope. It sits in the corner of the front porch on sunny days next to the beer fridge. Relaxing on the elevated porch most evenings gives me a quiet vantage point to spot rabbits headed for the garden,squirrels intent on chewing up my house and coyote,fox and coons with chicken chaos on their minds.

Farthest range is right around 100yds and the little Marlin has proved to be the Laser Beam of Death over the years.

 

[illinoisburt]

... comments about ammo cost or utility to be completely unfounded, bordering on absurd. Right now, you can order a 500rd case of CCI .22Mag from Midway for $9.49/box. I don't know how people come up with statements like "...223 ammo was cheaper and did a lot more". $9.49/50rds translates to $0.19/rd and that equates to $3.80/50rds. Maybe people don't realize they're comparing 50rd boxes to 20rd boxes, I don't know but I've never seen .223 that cheap. The cheap stuff is usually twice that but then you're comparing the cheapest crap that goes "bang" to what is premium domestic rimfire ammo. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to handload .223 as cheap as .22Mag.

Not knocking your arguments in favor of one or another. The example 50 round box of CCI 22 mag at $9.49 from Midway is not far from most other sources - online down to maybe $6 to around $13 locally. At same time inexpensive .223 Tula and Wolf 55 gr HP is running around $4 to $6 for 20 rounds depending on your store. So I can spend about $10 and have either 50 rounds of the rimfire or 40 rounds of centerfire. Most all the plinking grade ammo is fine for nuisance animals, though I wouldn't be tossing around FMJ or heavy softpoints in such a small area the OP is dealing with. If we go for the good stuff, 50 round box of .223 40 grain Winchester varminter is $19.47 at walmart, so its about double the cost -- but if you want small stuff definitively destroyed this works and has minimal ricochet. Still, I would opt for any HP 22lr in this situation.

 

[DDDWho]

When I hit a groundhog with a .223 varmint tip the hog is dead. Not always the case with a .22

 

[MihiT]

A 223Rem can be downloaded to a rimfire, but a rimfire can't be loaded hotter.

A valid point. Though it should be mentioned (at least here) you'll be paying twice as much and doing more work for the same ballistics.
I assumed he didn't load, which makes it an even more expensive proposition.

From my perspective 22 magnum is either too much or not enough, and is more expensive than it is worth.

I've never heard it put like that, but I completely agree!

Everybody should have a 22LR

Yes!

and the Ruger 10/22 is as good a choice as any.

No!

I vote the 22LR. ...work great on anything under 15 pounds with 33 to 40 grain hollow points.

I've dropped 50 pound pigs, maybe 35 pound goats, full size horses etc with the .22LR. The only limit is how far away you can place your shot.
The only thing I'd body shoot are rodents and birds, as anywhere is going to be fatal quickly. Given the option I always shoot the literal bull's-eye.

When I hit a groundhog with a .223 varmint tip the hog is dead. Not always the case with a .22

Try shooting them in the brain...

 

[Texasgrillchef]

Distance needed is never more then 100yards if that. In the groomed areas, maybe 75yards max. On the “back country” I have way to many trees and bush and hills to go any further then maybe 50 yards before anything would be lost in the bush, a tree, or the ground of a hill.

As far as rifle cost goes, I just want to stay under $1000 for the rifle. So shouldn’t be that hard to do. Right now just considering calibers.

As far as trapping goes, it’s a PITA around here, it requires permits that shooting doesn’t require. Plus there are issues of catching animals you don’t wish to catch, then finding a place to release them. You can’t just release them anywhere and unless your in the confines of a city, there is no animal control to take care of releasing them for you. So while trapping maybe an option for some, not really an option for me.

BTW I don’t kill animals just for the sake of killing animals.

I have also used my 380 Sig P238 for close range. Every kill I have had has always been a one shot kill. At the distances I shoot. I won’t have a problem getting a head shot with any rifle I use. The P238 I have only used when I was at very close range.

 

[Texasgrillchef]

I would use a cheap 20g shotgun by the door of your cabin. In fact I have a cheap single shot fed arms 20g that I got from gun broker for $60 sitting by my back door with a buttstock shell carrier holding 2 bird shot, 2 buck shot and a slug. This is for exactly what you speak of and serves the purpose well.

edit to add: I just realized this was in rifle country. apologies

That’s an idea, I do have a 410 gauge Mossberg Shockwave. Next time I will try maybe some steel turkey shot.

 

[Texasgrillchef]

We only have 10 acres here at home, for the armadillos I never used anything other than .22’s, same for raccoons, possums, poison for rats. Chickens were the solution to the armadillos tearing up the yard around the house but just exacerbated the meat eaters problem. Traps help a bit, and a .22 is still fine at that point. I have also used .22 on coyotes in the yard but generally try and grab a suppressed 9mm carbine. Keeps the wife happy and if you only have 15 acres, likely your neighbors.

I luckily don’t have a problem with coyotes, at least not yet! Neighbors aren’t a problem during the day. I do have a shooting range setup on my property. As long as I’m not doing a lot of shooting in the middle of the night they are fine with the gun fire. Even then, they are half mile away separated by lots of trees and a few hills. One of the reasons I am thinking 22 caliber range as with a suppressor it would get quiet enough to use at night if I needed to make a kill.

 

[jmorris]

I have a number of suppressed firearms but I don’t normally keep them as handy.

A 572 Remington is the one I use most at night, with subs (aka standard velocity) it’s still pretty quiet, even more so with ceebees or CB caps, holds more than enough and is a pretty fast repeater.

A lot more quiet than a .223 with a can on it for sure but I use them too, on our farm, where a .22 just can’t reach as quickly/reliably/effectively.

 

[Texasgrillchef]

Since you only have 15 acres top work with, I would use a 22 lr. But, it depends on what part of Texas. For this use, I think that the 223 is a massive overkill, it's too loud, and has massive overshoot. In general, my first choice is a 22 wmr, but in this case, overshoot is the problem (your neighbors generally do not enjoy the sounds of bullet whine and gunfire).

On ammo, I generally prefer solids for pest control. I think the penetration is much better and, on the critters you describe you may need it.

On armadillos: we don't have many on our ranch and I basically leave them alone. If they are getting in your flower beds or garden, I suggest a shotgun (20 or 12 ga) with size 4 or 2 shot (high base). They tend to hop when they run and they don't hang around long. IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE A DEAD ONE, WEAR GLOVES (LIKE 7 MIL NITRILE) . THEY CARRY LEPROSY in Texas. You probably want to continue enjoying your fingers.

A 10/22 would work just fine. But I prefer a bolt or lever gun since I don't like to leave a loaded round in the chamber after killing a rattlesnake. And besides, a CZ with a full stock would be way cooler...

I had a feeling 223 would be overkill, My Cabin is on the edge of Hill Country Texas. Neighbors aren’t a huge concern as my neighbors have a couple of hundred acres or more each and their cabins aren’t so close.

I don’t even touch armadillos, I scoop them and their pieces up in a shovel and dispose of them then clean my shovel. I do the same with any animal I kill though. It’s more of a scoop shovel dedicated to the cleanup. I have shot a couple of armadillos with my 380. But that’s cause I was able to sneak up on those two. Rattlesnakes I kill with 9mm/45acp/45 colt CCI shot shells. Caliber is dependent on the Pistol I have with me at the time. I try to save them though as fried rattlesnake makes good eats!