Airgun pellets in a NAA companion

[Busyhands94]

hello everybody, as some of you know i have stared saving up to buy a North American Arms super companion .22 cap and ball revolver. i have been getting .22 airgun pellets when i come across them in shops and i got a tin when i bought a Crossman 38 target revolver from my friend Bradley. he was generous enough to throw in a can of Benjamin pellets as well! and so far i have 2 tins of Beeman pointed tip pellets, a tin of 500 old Benjamin domed pellets (good thick skirts might i add) and a tin of 250 RWS superdome pellets (the thickest skirted pellet i have) and i am wondering after buying all them if they work in the Super Companion. i plan to use small powder charges for plinking because first of all i don't want to blow out the skirt of the pellet and lead up the base of my barrel :banghead: and second of all i don't really need all that much power for plinking. do they seal well or will i need to put grease over the top of them? i was planning to use the thin skirted Beeman pellets with just a percussion cap for indoor target practice on a rainy day, and for blowing holes in cans, blowing up old fruit, shooting pests etc. i plan to use the RWS superdome pellets and the Benjamin domed pellets with medium powder charges. should be fun stuff! also when i get my Super companion i will do my best to find an effective snake shot load and definitely share it with you guys! stay safe and God bless America ~Levi

 

[arcticap]

i was planning to use the thin skirted Beeman pellets with just a percussion cap for indoor target practice on a rainy day, and for blowing holes in cans, blowing up old fruit, shooting pests etc.

Have you ever shot any .177 pellets in your other gun using only a percussion cap?
The traditionally longer .177 pistol barrels helped to produce some extra velocity and were known as parlor pistols. However if the heavier .22 pellet is used in the shorter chamber and barrel of the NAA with the same percussion cap, I'm guessing that the velocity would be very low.
The newest short barrel Pedersoli .177 parlor pistol is powered with a 209 primer which is much more powerful.
I'm guessing that by only using a percussion cap to propel a .22 pellet that the NAA revolver would probably produce noticeably less than 400 feet per second which can otherwise be achieved much more efficiently with a fairly good quality target air pistol that's priced under $40. And there wouldn't be any caps to buy. Finding an inexpensive .22 springer air pistol might be another option. The inexpensive Chinese .177 springer air pistols sell for under $20. Although those are only intended for the short range of ~25 feet or less, they can be really fun to shoot.

http://www.pyramydair.com/p/beeman-p17-marksman-2004-air-pistol.shtml

About the Pedersoli 209 Derringer ignition pistol, one Cabela's review states:

Nicely made derringer, Fun to shoot and load, Surprisingly loud, NOT A TOY!! At 5 feet a .17 caliber lead ball pentrated 260 pages of phone book(approx. 3/4 inches) and dented 80 more pages.this being average of 3 shots. I will consider the rifle version next. Thanks Cabela's for best price!

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...26WTz_stype%3DGNU&displayTab=Customer Reviews

 

[BHP FAN]

I'm thinking it could be faster than the correct NAA bullets with the same charge, but not as effective. For plinking I think you'd be better of useing your mad skillz to build a .22 bullet mold, as near to the NAA bullet size and weight as possible.

 

[Busyhands94]

i think you are right, i could probably make a good quality mold for my lead bullets, but i would like to try using lead pellets with maybe a pinch of powder or maybe a few paper caps behind the pellet for indoor target practice, although i am sure that if i made some good lead bullets for it i could save some serious money by collecting and reusing my lead and just casting it again into bullets.

 

[BHP FAN]

Exactly.Plus you'd no longer be dependant on Cabela's.

 

[Busyhands94]

all i would need to buy is caps because i make all of my black powder, and i could probably reload a few caps with strike anywhere match heads or even those paper caps you buy in toy stores if they are still intact after firing. just clean, apply priming compound, and let dry. although if i use stronger ones they might split.

 

[BHP FAN]

say, Busy, did you see this thread?
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=582217

 

[Busyhands94]

i did, lol, those BP pistols don't look very blackpowdery (yes, i made that up, lol) they look more like auto loaders of you ask me, or kinda like pellet pistols, but they are cool nonetheless and i really wanna get one someday!

 

[BHP FAN]

I would like to see the one you make!

 

[Busyhands94]

you know i might have to try building one, i could make it .22 caliber and use only a 209 primer as the propellant! that might work well!

 

[Busyhands94]

my dad and i will be ordering it this weekend! this will be sweet!

 

[Nicodemus38]

there are certain alloy pellets that when fired in air RIFLES that can double in size, however ive only seen the pellets in .25 caliber, but the pellets can expand to .44 in size on small game at relatively less projectile energy then the naa mini you have.

and the alloy they use from what little i can find can be remelted.

 

[Busyhands94]

that sounds good, any idea on the brand? in California i don't think it is legal to use lead on game, so finding lead free is the only option. from a friend i heard you can bag rabbits with the magnum.

 

[arcticap]

...in California i don't think it is legal to use lead on game, so finding lead free is the only option.

NOTE! Lead Projectiles are still legal for hunting upland game species within the nonlead zone.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/condor/

Lead free ammo in California is only required in some hunting areas to protect condors, and only if hunting certain game and non-game animals.
And a hunting license is generally required.

Some of the upland game species that don't require lead free ammo. include:

...jackrabbits and varying hares (genus Lepus), cottontails,
brush rabbits, pigmy rabbits (genus Sylvilagus), and tree squirrels
(genus Sciurus and Tamiasciurus).

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fgc&group=03001-04000&file=3950-3961

Map of the condor zone:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/condor/docs/Ridley-TreeCondorPreservationAct.pdf

Other links:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/uplandgame/index.html

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=fgc&codebody=&hits=20

 

[Busyhands94]

well that is a good thing to know, since i plan to hunt mostly rabbits and squirrels anyway.

 

[Busyhands94]

i am thinking of making some paper cartridges, that would be really cool!