A very disconcerting shot

[long_range_rob]

I went out for a bit of evening rabbiting tonight and after waiting for two roe kids to bugged off I finally got on my sticks for the first shot........click!

On opening the bolt the case literally popped out under gas pressure, WTF I thought as the "shot" felt very odd. I then removed the bolt to have a quick look down the tube. This proved enlightening as there was no light visible! WTF I thought again.

The rifle was returned to the slip and the shooter returned to base for further examination of said Finnfire.

The 40gn Eley hollow point has travelled about 12 of the 14 inches of barrel and just stopped. The bullets hollow base had what appeared to be a lump of powder residue stuck to it. I can only assume that I had the same issue that seems to afflict some HMR rounds where moisture get into the case and causes the powder charge to form one lump which then doesn't burn correctly.

I pulled the heads off a few more from the box but all appeared normal.

So the motto is "If it doesn't feel right, check it out first!"

 

[Oh6]

So the motto is "If it doesn't feel right, check it out first!"

Very true. Glad it all worked out alright for you.

Was this a .22LR ?

 

[long_range_rob]

Yes, Eley Subsonic Hollow Point Plus. First failed round in over a decade of using that ammunition

 

[P@ul]

Glad your OK, never experienced anything like this myself, out of interest how easy was it to clear the barrel.

 

[long_range_rob]

Quite easy, just pushed out the slug with a cleaning rod.

 

[long_range_rob]

Well, I went out again last with the Finnfire and all is back to normal. Phew!

 

[8x57]

What happened to you Rob must be exceedingly rare. I have shot tens of thousands of .22lr over the years and watched others shoot even more and have never to my knowledge seen such a thing happen.

Yes I have seen many failures to fire with .22 but this has usually been as a result of the priming compound during manufacture not being spin to the entire periphery of the rim of the rimfire. This is far more prevalent with some makes than others but I have never encountered a squib .22lr to my knowledge. However it could have been the reason for something that I witnessed two years ago in a steel plate competition at Bisley. The shooter was using a 10/22 and what appears to have happened could probably be described as a breach explosion. The shooter who fortunately was wearing shooting glasses stopped firing immediately and cleared the rifle which didn't show any obvious damage. He took the rifle away for examination. It certainly gave concern to all who had witnessed it happen.

Just theorising but if a squib round which had sufficient energy to recycle this blow back semi-auto rifle had lodged in the barrel the successive round fired in this rapid fire sequence would have caused over pressureisation when the round came up against the lodged bullet resulting in the "breach explosion" we witnessed.

Thankfully not a problem with bolt action rifles as long as the shooter is switched on just as you were Rob.

 

[The tramp]

I had a Winchester subsonic expel gasses out the vent on a brno action saturday night, puff of smoke and odd smell, opened up and the rim had split on firing, barrel was clear, so carried on rabbitting. Got through over 400 that night with no other issues.

 

[takbok]

Upon firing I once had a bullet drop out of the muzzle with my .22. I imagine there may not have been powder in the cartridge.

 

[8x57]

400 rounds in a night. Strewth Pete you using a .22 machine gun now, or has your shooting got worst.

 

[Woodsmoke]

Strewth Pete you using a .22 machine gun now

Need a few more than 400. How much fun would THESE be, d'you reckon?

 

[The tramp]

400 rounds in a night. Strewth Pete you using a .22 machine gun now, or has your shooting got worst.

No, that was 400+ rabbits. Over three and a half hours. One lad driving, the farmer loading mags, and me shooting. I think the nights total tally was 462 iirc. I'll check tonight as going out again, i have never seen that many rabbits in one area before, it was 'chaotic' shall we say.
No predators here apart from a few polecats/ferrets/hybrids and ravens.

 

[Harry mac]

No, that was 400+ rabbits. Over three and a half hours. One lad driving, the farmer loading mags, and me shooting. I think the nights total tally was 462 iirc. I'll check tonight as going out again, i have never seen that many rabbits in one area before, it was 'chaotic' shall we say.
No predators here apart from a few polecats/ferrets/hybrids and ravens.

I see you give your lacation as "Salisbury Plain", I can certainly belive 400+ rabbits in a night there. A group of us used to do rabbit control on there with shotguns. 100 in a night was not uncommon, with a lot more either seen and not shot at or some missed. The local hunt used to "pay" the keeper two cartriges for each rabbit to feed their hounds.

 

[The tramp]

I see you give your lacation as "Salisbury Plain", I can certainly belive 400+ rabbits in a night there. A group of us used to do rabbit control on there with shotguns. 100 in a night was not uncommon, with a lot more either seen and not shot at or some missed. The local hunt used to "pay" the keeper two cartriges for each rabbit to feed their hounds.

That was on shetland. Plenty of foxes and badgers to keep numbers down at home