Been trying to cull some cc. Hve caught over 400. Do you guys think I can shoot them with a high powered bb gun? my son wants some target practice. Will the bb penetrate the cc's hide?
thanks
docg

Is he big enough to use a 22? That will work but you have to be careful with the ricochets in addition to normal gun matters.

If you've caught over 400, catch another and do some terminal ballistics testing with the BB gun, bare skin and through various depths of water.

What angle can one use a 22 shooting into water and be sure it would not ricochet? would hollow points help avoid ricocheting?

I know very little about rifles, but I don't think that trying to shoot any fish is a safe idea.

There's just too many things that can go wrong.

I just don't think it's worth it.

I don't know much about guns compared to most of you folks. But this reminded me of a Mythbusters show. During the show they tested the myth of people getting shot while under water, you know like in the movies where a person dives into the water and bullets go streaming past them and sometimes one of them gets hit and dies. During the Mythbuster's test it was amazing to me how much of the bullets power was lost in the first 5 feet of water depth. For most of the guns tested the bullet was non-lethal after about 5-7 feet of water depth (as tested with ballistics gel). Some of the projectiles completely disintegrated into to harmless bits once they hit the water. One particular gun and caliber was effective for several feet of depth but of course I don't remember what it was.

Perhaps if you shot the CC at the surface you could kill it (not something I would recommend for obvious safety reasons) but I doubt you will kill it in much over 3 feet of water, with a BB gun.

How about using a trot line or a trap?

When I was a teenager I had access to sizable quantities of 30-06 tracers, and I had a 30-06 rifle. We also had a lake home. For us, it was great fun to shoot the tracers into and at the water. We quickly learned that projectiles don't penetrate water unless at a very steep angle. Also, as JHAP said above, they become very ineffective in water. From a pure safety standpoint, I would not recommend shooting a rifle into the water.

400 is a lot of catfish. How big are these catfish, and how big is your pond? I would think that traps and trot lines would be far more effective. Also, if they are spawning in the pond, large mouth bass will decimate the population of small catfish in a big hurry.

Regards,
Ken

I too second the idea of not shooting a rifle into the water... Even with a huge bank to stop possible ricochets, it's just not worth the risk.

Depending on the size traps, trot lines, or nets would work much better...

JHAP, I believe the caliber that was most effective in that Mythbusters show was a .50 cal. The type used in machine guns. Not a fun round to get hit by! In water or otherwise...

FWIW, a .22 will ricochet at any angle less than 45* on water FME.

Unless of course it is stopped by a menacing length of PVC.

Tom, any suggestions...

Oh lord, now you've done it.

Shot gun is the only veapon I would consider 100% safe in this matter.
It is also to a deegre efective in fishing down to 2-3 feet dept.
Pike hunting was Qite common, youst a few years back.
It is the shok efect that makes the fish pasout for a litle wile, so you have to net it prety fast after the shot or it will wake up and take off.
So no need for direct hit, wich can be dificult do to the light braking watter angel effect.
I have done it with cal. 410/20/12 all with sucsess, its now illigal here in Norway

If you are looking for a thrill other then fishing, maybe bowfishing would be another option. Some guys on the forum do it i believe and it has always looked like a good time to me.