I see, in a new CTD (or maybe Sportsmansguide) catalogue, that there are available, for less than twenty dollars, an adapter that allows you to use your .22-250 for shooting pellets at speeds somewhere between 800 and 1000 fps.

According to the description, you use 209 shotgun primers, and .22 caliber pellets.

Of course, I'm sure it wouldn't cycle an auto gun, nor would the rifling do much (I suspect) for the accuracy of the pellet.

But I have a T/C Encore with 15 inch .22-250 barrel, and I'm thinking about giving it a shot.

I see it's also available for .223 caliber, and in fact, I have a T/C Encore with 24 inch barrel in .22-250.

Shucks...that might be a cool toy to practice with. Maybe even good for smaller varmints and pests.

Anybody have any experience with them? Or recommendations?

My collection of chamber adapters includes several designed to shoot airgun pellets.



22 Hornet adapter (Large rifle primer)
(Note thick pellet skirt)





223 Adapters (Large Rifle & Shotgun Primers)





22-250 Adapters (Shotgun primer)





257 Roberts Adapter (Shotgun Primer)


All of my machined adapters come from MCA Sports out of Anchorage Alaska.
Ace will make anything you can imagine.

The converted brass cases are available from Convert-a-Pell.

If you want to experiment with pellet shooting before you buy any adapters for the 22-250 you can make a low powered prototype.

Taking an idea from the wax bullet shooters, enlarge the flash hole of an old fired cartridge case.

MARK IT SO THAT IT WILL NEVER BE LOADED WITH POWDER AGAIN!!

(I mark all of my wax bullet cases by filing a notch on three sides of the rim. This way I can always identify them)
To keep the pellet from slipping down past the neck into the case, carefully dimple the neck at the sholder with a small punch on three sides.
(Don't ask how I know or how much of a PIA it is to retrieve the pellet)
Seat a primer, and carefully push a pellet into the case neck.

This will allow you to try pellet shooting before you buy.
Naturally, this is a very subdued load.
But you can get a feel for the accuracy potential.

One major Caveat: Priming compound contains ground glass that is consumed at the high temperatures and pressures of cartridge firing.
Primer only shooting leaves this in the barrel...
Be sure to clean the bore before shooting any live ammunition.

I always use heavy pellets (Beeman Kodiak minimum).
Also, when using shotgun primers, I fill the pellet waist with bullet lube to help support the pellet skirt.
(Made some out of bee's wax and Vaseline... I don't remember the formula, but it's viscosity is like peanut butter....)
When shooting heavy pellets using rifle primers, the lube isn't needed, but I managed to separate the skirt from a light weight pellet the first time I shot a pellet using a 209 shotgun primer.
So, my recommendation is heavy pellets and some form of lube when using 209 primers.

Don't expect tack driving accuracy.
Just like the cartridge adapters that allow hand gun cartridges to be fired in high powered rifles (32 ACP/30-30, 30-06/30 Carbine, etc.) you are pushing a projectile down a bore rifled to best accommodate a much longer bullet at much higher velocity.
The airgun pellet has this problem in spades.

Also, don't expect high velocities...
Mine run from just over 500 (25 Cal) to just over 800 FPS.

Depending on the gun, I get as small as 2" groups at 25 yards, to 8" groups at 10 yards. (25 Cal Pellet in 257 Roberts... I'm still tweaking it...)

Are these adapters worth the cost? ... You have to make that call.

I love mine. When used within their limitations, work very well.
Indoor (Well ventalated) off hand trigger control / accuracy practice...
You name it.

Hope this helps

Steve

FYI

I just discovered this new source for chamber adapters
You may find it interesting.

(Click on the name to bring up the page)

Indoor Shooting Training Devices


While I'm at it I might as well list some other web sites as well.

First is MCA Sports out of Anchorage.
I've done a lot of business there.
Over and above what ever Ace has in stock, he can make just about anything you can dream up (As long as he believes it is safe of course)

MCA Sports: Chamber Adapters, Inserts and Cast Bullets, Our Home Page!


Another company I have had a lot of business with is Convert-A-Pell.
The adapters consist of a .177 Cal rifled barrel that slips into the handgun barrel (Supported on "O" rings).
Brass cartridges use a large pistol primer to propel air rifle pellets.



Roger provides great service.
Last summer I went against advice given in the instructions and managed to solder a pellet skirt in my 45 ACP Convert-A-Pell barrel.
I contacted Convert-A-Pell telling them what happened and asked if I could just buy a new barrel.
Roger offered to replace the barrel free of charge and pay shipping costs.
You can't get any better than that... Even though I admitted to operator error, he still replaced my barrel.

He also advised me that he is working on a 40 S&W Kit to be released soon...

Convert-A-Pell also provides converted 22 cal Centerfire cartridges for shooting air gun pellets using 209 Shotgun primers.
(I have their 223 & 22-250 cases)

Roger will also do limited custom work.
Since 25 Cal pellets are available, and I have a 257 Roberts rifle, I sent a half dozen once fired cases to Convert-A-Pell for modification to shotgun primer power. In about a week I had my brass back ready to go.

Convert-a-Pell »


Here is a company that specializes in shotgun shell adapters.

Home
shotgun Products Page

A short video of the adapters in use




Another European source is Lothar Walter.

Lothar Walther



Of course when discussing chamber adapters we can't leave out the Hammond Game Getter.
This adapter uses industrial 22 blanks to propel a single buckshot that has been sized to the barrel.
Very efficient. I have a friend that has taken several squirrels with one..
Really worth a look.

Hammond Game Getter


Finally, the ultimate adapter. A 10-22 that shoots arrows.



These kits and much more are available from Swivel Machine.

Swivel Machine

DISCLAIMER: I am not associated in any way with the companies I've listed here other than being a very satisfied customer of a couple of them.

Hope this has been helpful.

Steve

Steve;

THANKS!!!

I had given up on getting any response. But my oh my! You not only responded, but also gave a tremendous education in adapters as well, not to mention the sources and links I'll be following up on.

I guess first I'll try the enlarging the primer hole of a cartridge, and doing as you did, making it take a primer.

By the way, can you detect a substantial difference in the brand name and model of primer you use, as to which is best, which is worse and so forth? In other words, the CCI M209s are said to be 'hotter' than others when used as intended in shotgun reloading.

And, what about the super-velocity pellets? I suspect they're really light...

Anyway, thanks again, and I'll be in touch as I move on in this endeavor. (I did buy a Beeman Grizzly pellet gun, with interchangeable barrels, .177 and .22. To tell you the truth, I like it, although, cocking it is a hard pull indeed...you've pretty much got to have the stock setting on at least your leg, a hard surface is even better...and recoil is higher than you'd expect a pellet gun to have).

So again, and finally, THANKS!

First of all Stay with the heaviest pellets.

The brisance from a primer is much sharper than the ramp up of pressure as the piston compresses the air in a pellet rifle. A light weight lead pellet is likely to leave it's skirt in the barrel when using primers. (See my note under the 22 Hornet adapter picture)

The super light weight plated aluminum pellets are useless in these adapters.

The casual shooting that I've been doing with these things has not shown any noticeable difference between types of primers used.

Next summer, one of my projects is to do some work off the bench for practical accuracy and Chronographing using a variety of pellets and primers.

At these power levels, I'm much more interested in accuracy that an extra 50-75 FPS velocity.

Accuracy wise, remember that you are pushing an airgun pellet through a barrel designed for a bullet... You won't be entering any bench rest matches with it. Popping rats at the garbage dump from 20 or so feet is a blast, but don't plan on making many head shots on squirrels at 25 yards.

When you modify your brass be sure you mark it so that it will never be use with powder again.
Also, carefully dimple the brass at the shoulder with a punch. You don't want to push a pellet into the case... (Don't ask me how I know).

Be sure to clean out the primer residue from the barrel before shooting live ammunition again.

Let us know how it works for you.

Steve