The F-22 has a 20mm gun should have been easy to use the gun on a balloon.
And over land. I’ll bet it would have floated gently to the ground.
The F22 fired from 58,000ft; the balloon was over 65,000ft. I don't think the gun would have the range. The stated ceiling for the F22 is "over 50,000ft".
Several other posters have noted that balloons are quite difficult to take down with bullets. I did not know that until I looked at some of the stories, which go back to world wars 1 and 2. It has been done before and it is harder than it looks.
It would have been an exercise in frustration for a fast-moving jet to destroy a high-altitude multi-celled balloon with cannon fire, possibly requiring dozens of close-range passes across the target before it would drift down. And each pass would have risked an aircraft in collision with a stationary object.
I believe they wisely chose a single-shot method that would look good on video and had minimal risks for the pilots.
Apparently bullets are not very effective to take down the balloon. Seriously. One country tried to shoot down a similar balloon and it took one thousand rounds that barely worked.
Helium balloon no explosion
68,000 altitude had been 117,000
22 maxes at 55-58,000 operational
Bullets don’t bring it down easy just little holes
And that around two miles altitude diff
Needed exploding armament