This is kind of a two-parter; I'm picking a .22 and asking about ammo.

I have a problem at my place with field mice and I want to shoot 'em.

I need a .22 rifle anyway, so I'll ask for advice on that first. I want accuracy and reliability, but my spending limit is $200. I'm open to any action type...no real prejudice there.

In addition, I want recommendations on ammo for these little critters. I have used shotshells in the past, but thought it might be more fun to set up several yards away, bait them and kinda snipe at them I'd like to limit ricochets, so I wondered about using shorts or even Colibris.

I guess it depends on what a persons definition of "accurate" and what a "few" yards is. Ruger 10-22, Marlin, Henry. At 20 yards I think these would do the deed, you'll probably want a scope too though.

Know this, just because it's a 22short does not mean it is less likely to ricochet. The round nosed copper washed ones can penetrate much more deeply than a HV long rifle hollow point (I found this out the hard way) That tells me they are pretty hard and more prone to ricochet. The Super Colibri's might be a good choice.

This may not be the answer you want, but in mice, rats, chipmonks, squirrels, and rabbits, you've got what I think are prime airgun critters. .177 spring piston rifles of @15 ft.lbs. at muzzle are most effective within thirty yards. .20 and .22 carry out a bit further and anchor squirrels and bunnies better. I've favored RWS magnum spring piston air rifles for the last fifteen years. They have the fit, feel and weight of fine firearm rifles. www.umarexusa.com is the U.S. RWS importer. They usually have refurbished spring piston air rifles and/or air rifle scopes at very good prices. You can get in a whole bunch of practice with an air rifle for not much scratch.

Does $200 include a scope? If so, you're looking at a trip to Wal-Mart if the stores in your area still sell guns. You might be able to pick up an inexpensive rifle and a $30 scope.

The last time I fired any Super Colibris there was a warning on the box about using them only in pistols because the low velocity might leave a bullet stuck in the barrel. My brother-in-law and I fired a box of them through a Cricket without any problems. Look down the barrel if you don't see an impact; better safe than sorry.

Since ricochet might be a problem, you might take a look at the .17 HM2. The little 17gr V-Max bullets should break up if you miss. On the downside, the ammo is more expensive than .22 LR but how much are you going to shoot?

or the used rack at your local gun store.

I've used the Super Colibris without ever having a round stick in any of my rifle barrels, but you're right, it could happen.

Good idea. You can probably get a better gun at a lower price that way, maybe a better scope too.

Speaking of scopes, a real rimfire scope with the parallax set at close range is necessary. Or a scope with an adjustable objective that will focus down to 10-20 yards, but that might be more money.

I was just looking at the Marlin site and I kind of like the 981T. The tube mag will feed shorts, and the price should be right. Anybody have one?

I agree that an air gun would suit your needs and a 22 rimfire as close as you are suggesting with the possibility of ricochet may not be the way to go.

If you have a mice problem and want to avoid poison or snap traps - I suggest a trick my father used in the Pacific during WWII and I have used in a house with mice everywhere.

Find a large deep container (measured in gallons). Place an upside down glass or jar (plastic may float) in the middle. Fill the container with water up to an inch or more from the top of the jar. Place a dab of peanut butter on top of the jar. Place a flat board as a ramp up to the lid of the container so the mice can walk up to the top of the container. Wipe a dab of Crisco two inches under the ramp on the inside of the container. Don’t laugh yet, this does work.

Mice will smell the peanut butter or Crisco and try to get to it. They will after a while find the ramp and walk up to the rim of the container. They cannot reach the Crisco but keep trying until they fall into the water. If you fill the water level up to the top of the glass they will swim to the glass, sit on top and eat the peanut butter until you check the trap with you looking at a wet mouse and them looking at you (yes, I did this… trial and error). If the water level is too low to get onto the glass they will drown and you just need to scoop out the body and reuse the trap until you stop catching mice.

If you have a dog he will eat the peanut butter, lick the Crisco, and drink the water. If you have a cat, it will just wait until you have a dead mouse and hope you give it to them to play with. If you feed the cat less you may see the mouse problem go away on its own. Remember “Fat cats catch no mice”. I had mice in my kitchen. I put the container, a large sauce pot, in the sink so the ramp was not too steep and I knew the mice would have easy access to the sink. The little monsters were eating everything that was not in a glass jar near the sink. After a week, no more mice. And you can take that 22 to the range were it is safer to shoot or go hunt larger varmints and make the farmers happy.

When I was a kid my Dad used a similar concept to Mush's. We had a few horses and the mice were everywhere in our grain storage shed. He put the grain for the horses' in a sealed bin to keep the mice out and took a 20 gallon or so trough, filled it halfway with water and dumped a couple inches of grain on top, put a nice ramp on the trough for the mice to climb up and after a week the mice population was under control.

yep i got one. i love it too. it's an ugly gun in my eyes but its shoots very well for the cheap ammo i feed it. i can hold under 3/4" with bulk ammo most days. and i can reliably use it on head shots for rabbits. any more questions, just let me know.

Shooting mice at 20 yds? A .177, or .22 airgun is the only way to go IMHO.

I often used the CCI 22 Short HPs on starlings around my house. They didn't ricochet very often. In fact, they worked pretty well. They are cheap, quiet, & expand well. They flatten like a pancake in a stack of wet paper. I am lucky to have a rifle that shoots them .5"@ 50yrds.

The HM2 worked very well, too. But it too can ricochet, when fired at a flat surface from a low vantage point.

Whatever you use, always make sure of your backround, plus your surroundings. Ricochets can also veer off sideways after making contact.