lobo9er
Member
which is a better hunting round?
22LR stingers vs mini mags
- Thread starter lobo9er
- Start date
- Status
OP
OP
lobo9er
Member
are stingers to hard on a gun?
bigfatdave
Member
Matters on the gun. Are we talking about a delicate target gun from 1950 and thousands of rounds? Or are we talking about a modern gun and a few 50-round boxes to sight in and pop some squirrels?
M91/30
Member
I personally haven't had a chance to try mini-mags but Ive always used stingers for grouse hunting. I cannot stand the mess a shotgun makes of a small bird at least in my experience. The additional firepower helps with body shots and the great accuracy help get a headshot every time.
OP
OP
lobo9er
Member
my 22's of choice at the moment is an old winchester bolt gunt gun model 69
and smith and wesson 22a pistol. would it be harder on the rifle cause its old or harder on the pistol cause its a pistol? I guess i just gotta buy some never tried them before see what there all about
and smith and wesson 22a pistol. would it be harder on the rifle cause its old or harder on the pistol cause its a pistol? I guess i just gotta buy some never tried them before see what there all about
sixgunner455
Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2006
- Messages
- 3,052
Depends on what you're trying to kill and which your gun likes better. Generally, I'd use the MiniMags, but there's nothing wrong with Stingers.
Your Winchester rifle should handle any .22lr round without trouble. Stingers are loaded to a bit higher pressure to achieve their "hyper-velocity". If you are worried about it, stick with whatever regular high velocity rounds group best in your rifle and be at peace.
A good old bolt gun will run with shorts, longs, and long rifles. If you are hunting squirrels, for example, and can get close, some people like to hunt them with shorts if they group well, because they are quieter.
Your 22A should handle the Stingers, too. At least, it won't blow up. But, it is possible that you could have cycling malfunctions due to increased slide velocity. If so, don't use them.
Personally, I like to keep things simple. If I find a load that groups well and functions my firearm, I buy a bunch of it and forget about it. Stingers are a bit louder, and seem to hit a bit harder. But we're still just talking about .22lr. It's not hitting that hard anyway. The important thing is to make sure you're hitting your target, and that it functions in the action.
Your Winchester rifle should handle any .22lr round without trouble. Stingers are loaded to a bit higher pressure to achieve their "hyper-velocity". If you are worried about it, stick with whatever regular high velocity rounds group best in your rifle and be at peace.
A good old bolt gun will run with shorts, longs, and long rifles. If you are hunting squirrels, for example, and can get close, some people like to hunt them with shorts if they group well, because they are quieter.
Your 22A should handle the Stingers, too. At least, it won't blow up. But, it is possible that you could have cycling malfunctions due to increased slide velocity. If so, don't use them.
Personally, I like to keep things simple. If I find a load that groups well and functions my firearm, I buy a bunch of it and forget about it. Stingers are a bit louder, and seem to hit a bit harder. But we're still just talking about .22lr. It's not hitting that hard anyway. The important thing is to make sure you're hitting your target, and that it functions in the action.
OP
OP
lobo9er
Member
how well do they run in autos? Ever try them with an Auto Pistolero?
351 WINCHESTER
Member
I guess it depends on what you're hunting. Stingers are quite a bit more destructive than most .22 ammo. I have always had excellent hunting accuracy from them.
RustHunter87
Member
I dont know about stingers but i shot a hand full of Mini mags into a coffee can full of damp sand and was amazed at the expansion and how well they held togather you can still see the flat from the bottom of the hollow. no lie, unless that shine in the center is from the can or something!
WardenWolf
member
Apparently Savages like Stingers. My friend recently bought a Savage .22 bolt gun and he tested multiple types of ammo. The Stingers shot best. Given that Savage builds pretty much all their guns using the same basic components (typically just stock swap, and sometimes trigger group), it's a good bet that this will hold true for most or all of the Savage .22 bolt guns.
Geckgo
Member
The stingers your gun manuals are talking about are not the CCIs but a different type I think that is longer overall and will actually engage the rifling when chambered.
I don't really like stingers, but that's just a personal preference. I try to stay on the heavy side of any calibre. At short range they are probably more effective than standard or high vel loads like mini-mags.
Personally, if it's under 50 yrds I use either mini-mags or winchester 555s. In my gun and with my skill level they perform just as good as the mini-mags except for the occasional dud, which must be rechambered and struck again. any High Vel load that is accurate will work on most pests and critters, but you break through the sound barrier at around 40-45 yards so your accuracy will start to fall off after that, or so I'm told.
For longer shots or bigger pests I use velociters. At 50 yrds they have almost the same velocity as the HV ammo at the muzzle, and they are a 40 gr. hollow point. For me, effective out to around 80-90 yrds. I don't shoot unless I know I can drop the bullet on a half dollar.
Main issue with stingers is they will be terribly range limited, specially on a windy day. If you are shooting short distances though, they should work fine, but IMHO they are a little pricey as a hunting bullet when there are alternatives that will do the same thing for less.
I don't really like stingers, but that's just a personal preference. I try to stay on the heavy side of any calibre. At short range they are probably more effective than standard or high vel loads like mini-mags.
Personally, if it's under 50 yrds I use either mini-mags or winchester 555s. In my gun and with my skill level they perform just as good as the mini-mags except for the occasional dud, which must be rechambered and struck again. any High Vel load that is accurate will work on most pests and critters, but you break through the sound barrier at around 40-45 yards so your accuracy will start to fall off after that, or so I'm told.
For longer shots or bigger pests I use velociters. At 50 yrds they have almost the same velocity as the HV ammo at the muzzle, and they are a 40 gr. hollow point. For me, effective out to around 80-90 yrds. I don't shoot unless I know I can drop the bullet on a half dollar.
Main issue with stingers is they will be terribly range limited, specially on a windy day. If you are shooting short distances though, they should work fine, but IMHO they are a little pricey as a hunting bullet when there are alternatives that will do the same thing for less.
The Bushmaster
Member
Some of my .22's shoot well with Stingers. Some of my .22's shoot well with Mini-Mags. But all of them shoot very well with Mini-Mags.
The only .22 ammunition on my shelf is CCI Mini-Mags...
The only .22 ammunition on my shelf is CCI Mini-Mags...
Sunray
Member
"...The one that is most accurate in your gun..." Exactly. You have to try a box, just like any other .22 ammo. Stingers won't bother any .22.
Naybor
Member
When I was a kid (10 yr old) on the farm, the only thing I was allowed to use hunting with the old Remington bolt action was solid nose .22 shorts. You would not believe the squirrels and rabbits I brought home with that combo! Head shots was a must with no lost meat as a reward. When I was 13 I was allowed to use .22 Long Rifles.
Today, the only rifles I own are a Marlin Model 60 .22 LR and a Model 25MN .22 mag.
In the .22 LR, Remington Yellow Jackets take top spot.
In the .22 WMR, Remington Premium w/35 gr. Accutip-V have taken quite a few coyotes. Still, like the squirrels and rabbits, shot placement is king.
Other than that, CCI would be my second choice.
Today, the only rifles I own are a Marlin Model 60 .22 LR and a Model 25MN .22 mag.
In the .22 LR, Remington Yellow Jackets take top spot.
In the .22 WMR, Remington Premium w/35 gr. Accutip-V have taken quite a few coyotes. Still, like the squirrels and rabbits, shot placement is king.
Other than that, CCI would be my second choice.
Last edited:
rnr4me
Member
roadchoad
Stinger cases are a tad longer than regular LR. Compare, you'll see.
In a standard sporter chamber, (most factory barrels) the stingers are fine because of the loose tolerances of the chamber. In most match barrels, the tolerances are much tighter and the longer stinger won't allow the reciever to close completely. This can cause out-of-battery detonation. Commonly found in 10-22's that have had a barrel change.
The loose tolerances of sporter barrels account for the inconsitencies of accuracy in stinger/non-stinger shooting.
Stinger cases are a tad longer than regular LR. Compare, you'll see.
In a standard sporter chamber, (most factory barrels) the stingers are fine because of the loose tolerances of the chamber. In most match barrels, the tolerances are much tighter and the longer stinger won't allow the reciever to close completely. This can cause out-of-battery detonation. Commonly found in 10-22's that have had a barrel change.
The loose tolerances of sporter barrels account for the inconsitencies of accuracy in stinger/non-stinger shooting.
I have seen the cases. They use the larger case (for more powder?) and a smaller (30gr?) bullet to get a COL similar to LR.
I have six boxes of stingers just hanging out, because they don't shoot well in my gun. They are fun for plinking, and run especially well in some tight semi-autos. The M1600 I mentioned had a firing pin crafted by me, and due to my poor finishing skills, stingers were the only ammo to run it reliably until it was broken in.
I have six boxes of stingers just hanging out, because they don't shoot well in my gun. They are fun for plinking, and run especially well in some tight semi-autos. The M1600 I mentioned had a firing pin crafted by me, and due to my poor finishing skills, stingers were the only ammo to run it reliably until it was broken in.
- Status
