Shot rounds damage rifling?

[dubious]

Hey folks...

A friend of mine said that he thinks shot rounds (in my case .22) damage the rifling in the barrel. I have the opinion that if they are soft lead, they should harmlessly bounce of the barrel... but a lot of shot these days isn't lead. Do you have an opinion?

 

[wayne in boca]

I think "rat shot" is just #12 lead shot,and while it won't really harm the barrel,it can foul it badly,by building up in the grooves.The shot doesn't so much "bounce" off the lands as "scrape" off.When I was younger I had a .22 revolver that I fired a few hundred rounds of shot through.You could hardly even see that it was rifled any more,took a lot of cleaning.Years ago there were a number of manufacturers making smoothbore .22 shotguns,but I don't know if anybody makes one now.

 

[Eat Beef]

I ruined (accuracy wise, anyway) a 22 revolver with ratshot. It took several hundred rounds over a period of years to do it, though.

I wouldn't worry about it in a cheap/replaceable gun, but if it's a nice piece, or one with sentimental value, I wouldn't chance it.

My solution: ratshot in a cheap Sat. Nite Special, no ratshot in "good" guns.

 

[foghornl]

Doesn't damage the rfiling, but it will fill the grooves with lead.

Some of the .22 shotshells use a plastic top, simulating regular bullet shape and keep the shot off the rifling.

I don't shoot very many plain lead rounds in anything, except some "Cowboy Action" loads in my .357 Vaquero. I finally have shot up all the old Rem "Thunderbolt" .22's I had.

I had purchased a bunch of those Thunderbolts way back yonder when Rem sold them in the resealable plastic tub called "A Bucket Of Bullets"

 

[M2 Carbine]

I've been shooting mostly 38 Special (hand loaded #8 & #7.5) shot shells since the mid 60's. Also have shot a number of 22, 44.

While I don't shoot a hundred or so rounds at a time, I have seen no problem with shot in rifled barrels, except light leading.

Over the years I've shot many Rattlesnakes and Copperheads with the 38 shot shells.
About this time of the year I load two shot shells in my walking around the place 38.

he thinks shot rounds (in my case .22) damage the rifling in the barrel

Think about it, if shot could damage a barrel, lead and jacketed bullets would ruin a barrel in no time.