.22wmr?

I am looking to buy a .22 Single Six and am a little intrigued by the .22WMR cartridge.
Is the difference between .22LR and .22WMR noticeable? Are there any applications that a WMR would be more suitable than the LR? Or is WMR just a ploy to sell bigger .22's for more money? Any info would be appreciated!

In a longer barrel, like 5"-6" or more, there is a major difference. The .22WMR is way louder in short barrels but doesn't hit that much harder. But, in a longer barrel, when the powder has more burn time inside the barrel, there's a major increase in penetration. Get the convertible one; you'll be very pleased.

The magnum is a decent cartridge that generates a good deal more energy than the .22 LR . For varmits like racoon, badger, wood chucks, and skunks, the magnum is a good idea for more stopping power.

It can also do well on fox and coyote at reasonable distance.

You will notice more recoil and louder. I don't think you get much more punch than shooting stingers or some other hyper velcoty 22 lr's. I sold my single six and Mark2 and ended up getting a Smith 617. 10 shots double action swingout cylinder and will shoot any kind of 22 lr made. Whats not to like.

Out of a rifle 22 mags are pretty good. I use to use a 22 mag loaded with fmj's to hunt wild hogs. They get the job done if you do your part.

Yes. A .22 Magnum round fired from a 5.5 inch barreled Ruger will produce more muzzle energy than a standard .22 long rifle cartridge fired from a carbine/rifle. The playing field becomes much more level if the .22 rifle fires "hotter" rounds that have been produced in recent years. Firearms tester Chuck Hawks has discussed this comparison before. You might wish to consult his writings for the exact data comparisons. To me, a .22 Magnum handgun such as you have described is comparable to a .22 rifle loaded with the "hyper velocity" cartridges. At least, that is the way I think about this issue. I hope this helps.


Timthinker

the stingers are more for rifles, slow powder for high velocity means you need a longer barrel right?... not 5.5 inches, 22 mag retains more ft/lb with heavier bullets too. convertible sounds cool, but are they directed more towards 22 mag or lr? lr's fire smaller non-jacketed bullets ~.223(?)cal, and 22 mags shoot jacketed bullets .224 cal(not plated/copper wash like lr's) like used in centerfire rifles.

I have 2 convertible revolvers with 5.5" and 6" barrels. The .22WMRs penetrate way more than do .22LR Velocitors or Aguila Supermaximums. I've experimented a little with some 2x4s. There's quite a difference.

When shooting .22WMRs from really short barrels, a lot of the powder is blown out of the muzzle before it burns, making for an impressive, fiery, loud muzzle blast with little actual velocity increase.

Had several single six convertibles and a couple of other in 22 mag. The longer the barrels the more difference, the 9 1/2 inch was the best. IMHO there still is not enough difference (in hand gun length barrels) to warrant the cost difference of ammo. I shot mostly 22 LRs, and think most other owners do also, if you need more than a 22LR, the mag is not enough of a step up. ---Bill

If you are going to just "plink" with it, the biggest difference you will notice is the cost of the ammo. 22Mag is several times the cost of 22lr.

If you are planning to do any hunting with it, the 22Mag is a world away from 22lr in stopping power. On woodchucks and critters of similar size (and likely a bit larger, but that's the biggest varmint we had in the finger lakes of NY), it's a one shot stop, no questions asked. You can tell for sure if you hit them in that you'll get a noticeable "thwunk" sound in return.

I am looking to buy a .22 Single Six and am a little intrigued by the .22WMR cartridge.
Is the difference between .22LR and .22WMR noticeable? Are there any applications that a WMR would be more suitable than the LR? Or is WMR just a ploy to sell bigger .22's for more money? Any info would be appreciated!

I recently acquired a new Ruger Single Six Convertible with the 4 5/8" barrel. I don't believe you can find a more robust little .22 handgun. Like all Ruger revolvers, it's built like a tank. When shooting .22WMR from it, I don't notice any significant difference in recoil (there is hardly any recoil at all, using any kind of ammo). The only difference is the noise, and I seem to shoot the .22WMR a little more accurately than .22LR. Like others have said, I think the .22WMR needs a rifle barrel to really open up and realize it's full potential. There is not much practical difference between the two loads out of a 5" barrel.

I have a .22 WMR and a .22 LR, and the Wmr kicks butt. It has longer range and a larger amount of sheer knockdown power.(especially when loaded with deep octagonal hollowpoints from CCI!)

I have a 5.5" barrel convertible single six and I will probably not shoot any more .22 wmr out of it because of the cost of ammo. The magnums definitely produce more power and recoil but I cannot justify the expense when .22 lr is so darned inexpensive. At first I was excited about the convertible feature but now I realize that I will rarely use it. The single six is a great gun that will last a long long time.

22 wmr out of a rifle is awesome, I can shoot 3/4" groups at 100 yards with mine, and it still has about 200 ft lbs energy at that range, almost a 38 spl at the muzzle.:)

I have a Colt Peacemaker in .22, 6" barrel with a .22 mag cylinder also. It's great... I love plinking with it in .22 long and I carry it in the dessert with the .22 mag in it. There's nothing much around down there that it won't dispatch and you can load it with.22 shot shells.(snakeshot) in long rifle or .22mag. It's accurate and .... loud in .22 mag load!!! I love it. I'm thinking about gettin' a NAA Black Widow in .22 mag to pair with it as a concealled carry.

NAA Black Widow in .22 mag to pair with it as a concealled carry.

My daily carry. Even in shorts and tshirt, you won't even know it's there.

Have one in 5.5" barrell. All I shoot out of it is .22 mag. It has increased power and velocity over .22 LR. While .22 mag costs more than .22 LR, its still cheaper than centerfire. To me its worth the extra cost for the increased range, velocity, and power. While it makes a little more noise and maybe kicks more than .22LR I never notice it, perhaps because my other pistol is .357. As stated above, the .22 WMR out of a pistol is about like a .22LR out of a rifle.

I've never owned a .22 magnum, but I do believe that unlike a regular .22, with the magnum you can get full metal jacket bullets, if that matters to you. Sorry, that's all I can add.

The first gun I bought for myself was a Ruger Convertible Six. What a great little gun. It was just plain fun. And having the .22 Magnum cylinder just added to the fun, a bit more noise, a bit more recoil, as the tin cans went down. You'll enjoy it.

Some problems with guns with two cylinders is barrel diameter is for 22mag. only a few thousands bigger than 22 lr.

"Some problems with guns with two cylinders is barrel diameter is for 22mag. only a few thousands bigger than 22 lr. "

This is not true. This is a common misconception. The bullets of .22lr and .22mrf are the same size. The bore diameters are the same. The forcing cone diameters are the same. Ruger does not make two different size barrels for .22lr and .22mrf. The bores of my K22 S&W match target, my Ruger SS Convertable, my 22/45, my mkII's, ect are all the same. I have actually measured the bores and dozens of different types and brands of ammo and they are all the same. Unless someone can show concrete proof otherwise I call BS on this myth.

T2E

google 22lr vs 22mag bore diameter difference. for general information.

I said "concrete", not internet. If you will compare the bullets side by side you will find that the base measures .225 and the neck .224 on bullets from both calibers. All 19 of the .22 caliber pistols I own have .224 bores. 7 of the 19 are magnums. In finding the best match ammo I have measured bullets from atleast 15 different brands of ammo. There are a number of articals either way on the internet, so believe what you will. I just know that I have actually put the time into finding out if there is truth to this myth.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to derail...

T2E

no harm done .have been shooting small bore silhouette from 1980 s .tried all different pistols .my convertibles did not make the grade.:) imhsa@nra field pistol and hunter pistol,

I just picked up a 6½" stainless Single 6, and they are about the nicest 22 revolver there is (even though I still covet an S&W 617).

The interchangeable cylinders are their strong suit (that and the fast that they are pretty much indestructable). Use the 22 LR for targets and plinking.

The 22 WMRs are over twice the energy of a 22 LR. They are ideal for varmiting, snake defense, and will do in a pinch as self-defense (use it to fight your way to a better weapon).

As an aside, my dad gave me a box of "Western" brand 22 WMR HPs. They must date from the early 60s. I fired off about 10 of them and all of them are still good.

Is the difference between .22LR and .22WMR noticeable? Are

The simple answer is "absolutely there is a difference!" I always thought the 22wmr is what the 22lr should be. I love it for longer distances because it has a great deal of muzzle energy and doesn't drop near as much for the same distance.

There is difference in a pistol round, but not nearly as much as I notice in my rifles. That being said....the advice that "for plinking a pocket full of cheap 22 ammo, not much beats the 22lr for economical shooting" is good.. For serious shooting or hunting, I prefer the 22WMR.

I still haven't figured out why 22wmr is so much more expensive other than sheer numbers of rounds produced.

I have a 617 6 shot 8 3/8 thats sweet. even for this old man .can't see as well pushing 60.:eek: