Caught a big rat in a hav-a heart trap

[MeepBeep]

That is a 650 fps pellet rifle not just a bb gun

I have airsoft guns that have muzzle velocities in excess of 650 FPS, and I sure as heck would not be using them to euthanize anything just like I would not be using a 22LR to euthanize larger predators..

Fact is smaller projectiles generally produce less ballistic trauma making shot placement much more critical, if death vs maiming is the goal...

 

[country boy 91]

Im speaking from experience I had a crossman 1077 pellet repeater about 650 fps and killed many rats mice snakes with no prob. I upgraded to a gamo 1000fps rifle and it will kill coons possums etc. Now on to the .22lr it all depends on how big your talking. And I don't care if you've got a .50 cal it still depends on shot placement

 

[MeepBeep]

And I don't care if you've got a .50 cal it still depends on shot placement

A general rule of thumb is that the larger the caliber the less important shot placement due to a larger degree of tissue damage and greater penetration...

Sure small rounds placed properly can do the job, when I did local deer studies the contracted sharp shooters used to cull the deer herds in urban forest perseveres near residences used 22LR so as to not clue in the animal rights activist of the activity... And yes a properly placed 22LR will take down a deer but it's far from ideal as shot placement is far more important for a clean kill vs a maim...

Also having shot pretty much every common pistol and rifle caliber from BB to 50 BMG myself, I will argue that shot placement is less important as the caliber size (and overall ballistic energy) increases...

 

[country boy 91]

Also having shot pretty much every common pistol and rifle caliber from BB to 50 BMG myself, I will argue that shot placement is less important as the caliber size (and overall ballistic energy) increases...[/quot. I get it the bigger the caliber the bigger the hole but let me ask you this if you shoot a deer with a .50 bmg in the hind quarter you've got a heck of a track ahead of you. Now if you take that same deer and shoot in the spine or head with a .22 or you take a neck shot with a 2" broadhead and you drop on site. Now you gonna tell me shot placement don't matter. Now I'm not suggesting you go out and shoot a deer with a .50 cal or a .22

 

[MeepBeep]

if you shoot a deer with a .50 bmg in the hind quarter you've got a heck of a track ahead of you.

Chances are slim the deer will go far even with a bad shot to the hind quarter from a 50 BMG, the tissue and bone damage would cripple heavily as well as leaving a huge wound path... A 50 BMG will obliterate the hind quarter, especially if it hits any bones, not to mention the great deal of hydro-static shock, depending on the projectile choice and if it yaws it can easily leave a football sized exit wound in soft tissue...

Now if you take that same deer and shoot in the spine or head with a .22 or you take a neck shot with a 2" broadhead and you drop on site. Now you gonna tell me shot placement don't matter.

For one I never said shot placement doesn't matter, I said it becomes less critical as the caliber size increases and you for all intent just proved that with your response where you compared apples to oranges in shot placement when you dictated specific targets needed to drop a deer with a 22LR, the same accuracy and shot location to drop a deer simply does not hold true for larger calibers...

Lets compare apples to apples...

If you shoot a deer in the spine, head with a 50 BMG like you suggested with a 22LR it will also drop it in place, on the flip side of the apple if you shoot the hind quarter with a 22LR as you laid out in your 50 BMG example chances are it will survive and never drop or at least not drop anytime soon, while the 50 BMG to the hind quarter or basically any 50 BMG body mass hit will almost always cause death in short...

Also I'm confused with what point you are trying to make with the 2" broadhead, that is beyond apples to oranges...