[SquirrelNuts]

This is a continuation of a thread from the general discussion forum on sub-sonic loads : http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10775

I have shot both the Aguilla SSS and Colibri, mostly just for fun. I usually just shoot cans with the Colibri with my Browning Buckmark at about 50 feet. The SSS is a little loud for me to shoot around here, so I save it for the range.

I bought about ten different brands of readily available inexpensive .22 LR to test at 50 yards for groups with my Marlin 880SQ. I shot about five different brands then tried the Aguilla Colibri-which never showed up on the target, so I moved it to 25 yards. It hit the paper, but grouped at roughly...say...10 inches where the Wally World box of Remington goes through the same hole. I found that the Colibri is trash past 50 feet. I shot a few rounds of the SSS at 25 yards and got a 1.5" group-so it was not spectacular either.

I am going to the range on Friday and, weather permitting, will try to pattern the SSS again.

Has anyone had similar experiences with this specialty .22LR ammo? Has anyone had better results? Please post your thoughts.

-SquirrelNuts

[Greybeard]

I have ready access to 50' indoor range and find at that distance I can (from bench) put most .22 ammo from scoped rifles into 5-shot groups that can be covered with a dime. Except the Colibris. Usually more like a silver dollar, and even then, sometimes flyers. In my view, Colibris good for only around 10 yards or less from revolvers. (Won't cycle in semis - makes 'em single shots).

Once our weather clears a bit, I am anxious to buy and try some of the new Aquilla 60 grainers. Got a real old Marlin semi-auto with 18" barrel and a newer Marlin bolt gun with 24"er. 4X El Cheapo scopes on both that have been sufficient for most purposes (same scope on Marlin carbine for about 38 years!).

FWIW, at 50 yards with scopes above, I like to group on 4" to 5" paper plates. Seem to help old eyes center crosshairs easier.

Waiting just now on a little decent weather to get outside again.
Schedule looks like maybe some trigger time Friday or Sunday.

[Al Thompson]

I've used both. The SSS shoots OK, never really benched them hard. I have a stock of CCI SGBs and when those run out, may go to the SSS. They will tumble in a handgun however.

The Colibris had to have some major sight adjustments when II was using them for squirrel control. Accuracy was tepid. IMHO, this is a paper only round. I popped one squirrel several times with horrible results. Luckily I had a CCI CB Long handy to finish the critter off. :barf:

[Mal H]

I don't believe I've ever seen the words "accuracy" and "Colibri" used in the same sentence before. :)

[Greybeard]

Got "lucky" with "Super" Colibri on a crow last year. He was facing me about 20 yards out when I held high and lobbed one into COM. Crow flew off - quickly. :D

Been readin' up here and there on the SSSers. Sounds like they may need a faster twist than normal to keep from keyholeing. Or maybe a real long barrel for more "spin time"? Also got a real old, but accurate Winchester 67 with 27" barrel that may get fed a few ... And a NAA with 1 5/8" tube that's even keyholed some normal rounds. And a 6" H&R that's not been shot in a while ... That does it - the trip to Cheaper Than Dirt is gonna be for a brick, not a box. :)

[El Tejon]

Grey, my old Winchester 1902 for some reason it shoots hummingbirds dead on (at least inside the confines of the curtilage of the FBP). Great chipmunk medicine.

SSSs are fantastic in suppressed .22s! Highly recommended.:D

[DeBee]

I bought a box of Colibri and Super Colibri and shot them up so fast in both my Winchester 52 and AMT Lightning...

I would suggest forgetting about the Colibri- it's too damn weak. A bullet bounced off my plywood backstop back at me! I was not hit...

The Super Colibri is a great garden gun round. About as powerful as a good pellet gun but with a very subdued report especially from a bolt gun with a 24" barrel...

The SSS really hit hard! That's alot of lead for a .22RF... Smashing like a little 12 ga slug... Great penetration. I'm going to experiment with the SSS versus various subsonic rounds this spring...

[Navy joe]

Colibris are a 15yd prospect. Rather accurate inside of that. Don't judge the SSS until you get a good barrel. As said it requires a much faster twist to stabilize. I shot one pistol that did ok with them, a S&W 22A and I got a 1" 10 shot group with them offhand at 25yds. The group was 4" low, 6" right for what the gun was sighted with, but they were consistent hits with no keyholes. Suprised me.

[Greybeard]

:( No luck locating the SSS ammo at Cheaper Than Dirt, Academy, Oshmans or 2 Lewisville guns shops. Got a "maybe" from one of 'em on getting some in next Wednesday. As backup, ordered 3 boxes tonight via http://www.22ammo.com/22ammo.html With shipping, around $20. Maybe a "range report" here this time next week ... Y'all have a good one. :)

[Jackanape]

Never did have any luck with any of the Aguilla offerings myself. Too much variation in charges, even within the same lot. It's a shame, because I really wanted to like the Collibris. They're so quiet. The accuracy, even at ten yards, was sub par however. At least it was for me, YMMV...

[Bainx]

Colibri really low powered. SSS, now there is a nice, subsonic, quiet load. I have shot them thru a bolt action rifle up to 35 yds with good results. After 35 yds. it gets pretty shakey.

[DMK]

I would suggest forgetting about the Colibri- it's too damn weak. I'd have to second that. I can't see any reason for it at all compared to the Super Colibri.

I shoot quite a bit of Super Colibri in my Marlin 39a and my single shot Polish Trainer. It's darn accurate within 15 yards, maybe 20 max. In my experience, it drops pretty darn quick after that.

Don't forget, it has no powder. It uses the primer only. It's kinda cool how it's quieter than the click of the firing pin out of the 24" and 26" barrels of my rifles.

[Gargoyle]

Thanks for the information. It's seems worthless to shoot though a rifle if you can only get decent accuracy <15 yards.

Has anyone tried it in a pistol?

[Greybeard]

I let lady friend shoot up the last of the Colibri in S&W 317 (j-frame). She said she hated it. Stunk and too anemic for her hand. :what:

[Greybeard]

Finally got in 3 boxes of the 60 grain SSSs late today. Set up a couple of 9" paper plates at 50 yards for some "quickie groups" before dark.

Old Marlin semi with 18" barrel is zeroed with Remington Subsonic LRs. First 5 Aquilla 60 grainers were in the dirt just in front of the paper plate, so at least 5" low. Need to try 'em again out of that gun when more time. (Oh yea, it only cycled properly once.)

Newer Marlin 25N (bolt action with 24" barrel) is zeroed with CCI Velocitors. 5-shot SSS group just before sundown printed approx. 2" low and 2" right. 2 3/8" group. None of the 5 bullets punched a clean, round hole. :(

Looking forward to more playing with this stuff when more time. :)

[MLC]

I don't own a 22 that will properly stabilize the SSS's.
Luckily I only bought 5 boxes. With my Marlin model 60 I have seen perfect profiles of the bullet on 100 yard target. If anyone has a 22 conversion for their AR I'd like to hear some range results(other than they don't cycle).

[Zorro]

Go with the CCI CB Caps.

FAR BETTER load.

[Greybeard]

Zorro -

I understand where ya are coming from on CBs probably being more consistent, and therefore, more accurate than SSSers. My current situation is seeking a possible (semi-quiet: neighbors!) replacement for Remington Subsonics, which have often not immediately anchored crows at around 50 yards, even when hit COM. Energywise, I'm afraid the CBs are going the other way.

CCI CB Long 29 grains @ 727 fps
Rem. SS LR 38 grains @ 1000 fps
Aquila SSS 60 grains @ 950 fps

Based upon initial 2 3/8" group above with SSSs, it appears I need to try in some other rifles - or maybe just have to stick with the Remingtons. Gotta hit 'em to hurt 'em. ;)

[SquirrelNuts]

I have read about the numbers behind shooting a deer. Your bullet needs to be at 800 ft/lbs or greater at the distance you are shooting. I wonder what the number is for small game and varmits, like crows?

-SquirrelNuts

[Greybeard]

A quick "range report" after some shooting 25 rounds of the 60 grain Aquilla SSS over lunch hour today:

Conditions: Partly cloudy and windy. 10-15 mph diagonally.

Distance: 63 yards (deer blind to nearest appropriate tree)

Targets: 9" Picnic Plates tacked to 2X10. Another 2 X10 behind.

Typical Penetration: Passed through first board (old 1 1/2" pine), dented face of second board and dropped to ground, deformed.

Procedure: Two five-shot groups from 3 different rifles (per posts above). Groups measured center to center of most distant holes.

Scoped Marlin with 18" barrel: 1 group @ 1 3/4"

Scoped Marlin with 24": barrel: 1 group @ 2", 1 @ 2 1/8"

Win. 67, open sights 27" barrel : 2 groups at 2 1/4" each

The surpise of the day was the uncanny first group with the very old single shot Winchester with open sights. Besides one flyer off to the left, four of those rounds were in a 3/4" cluster up a couple of inches at 1:00. I adjusted my sight picture slightly and the second 2 1/4" group was strung pretty much vertically in center of plate. :D Not sure how the black front bead will appear to the old eyes when aligned over a crow rather than a white plate. May find out tho. :)

Still have a couple of boxes of those funny-looking cartridges left, so can maybe run some through handguns and relay more next week.

[Dave Markowitz]

The SSS shoot svery well in my Winchester 9422 XTR Classic, which has a 24" barrel. 25 yard groups can be covered with a Quarter. I also noticed that it feeds better in that gun than anything else I've tried.

I haven't tried the Colibris, Super or otherwise.

[Selfdfenz]

My son has a short barrelled Rossi break open 22 with a 16" tube.
We have shot about a brick or so of Colibre. At $8 a brick and at 10-15 yards on a PAPER target it was great fun and pretty accurate. It is powered only by the primer. No powder.

Velocity is about 300-350 fps and it might not exit a longer barrel. The manufacturer suggests that long barreled guns may have that problem. Pistols are fine. The manufacturer says it will not cycle a semi. No big surprise. Colibri is just what the maker says it is and works just like they say it will work. It is not claimed to be match ammo. Its not claimed to kill deer at 300 yards. Its what you shot when you wnat something that is about like a weak pellet gun without the CO2 cylinders or pumping or cocking. CCI CB Caps are more accuate but too expensive for thsi kind of plinking.

I like the stuff. It's perfect for kids practicing on PAPER targets.
Shoot at a tree or solid backstop and expect to have the bullets come right back at you.

Here is the main thing I like about them. When I'm coaching the kids I don't have to wear plugs or muffs. They do all the time but I don't have too.They are that quiet.
Also I would have no problem shooting them in the garage at a carboard box tap on a rainly day. Not may options ammo wise will let you do that.
I used to have an old 22 pellets gun and Colibris have about identical performance. I think the velocity of the 22 pellets was about 375-400 fps. It would kill a rat if you were close. My guess is Colibris would/might kill a rat IF you were very close. A big rat would be big game for a Colibri unless you are very close.

I found Super Colibris to be very inconsistant. Never tried SSS.
S-

[Thirties]

"I don't believe I've ever seen the words "accuracy" and "Colibri" used in the same sentence before."

Yes, so true. I think my Daisy .22 lever-pump pellet rifle is more accurate (close-in) than a .22 rimfire rifle is with colibri, or super colibri.

Both colibris will give you a tad more distance, and they are just as silent from a long gun.

You must check to see if the bullets leave the barrel of a long gun before you have an accident [warnig is on the boxes].

That being said, I can shoot either colibri from my Browning BL-22 (18" barrel tube fed lever rifle), in absolute silence. You only hear the hammer hit, and the bullet slap. Plus you can actually see the flight of the bullet, just like a pellet gun.

The silent shooting is what these colibris are for. Check your accuracy at the door. That doesn't mean they aren't challenging, and fun.

[Greybeard]

If interest, I put 50 rounds of the SSS through 5 handguns today. Details at http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14099