22 Mag - do I need one?

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made2cut

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Here's the deal. I have a 10/22 and a Savage 93 bolt rifle in 17 hmr. Do I need a 22 mag rifle as well or will the 17 hmr do everything that a 22 mag can do? I had been thinking about getting a new auto loader rifle which is why I'm posting the question. Any sugestions on brands and models would be appreciated too. :)
 
You probably don't need one, but the .22mag is a pretty good cartridge. Shooting Times just did an article a month or two on this very topic, but I honestly can't remember his conclusions. They were both good, but there were some different situations in which one was better than the other.
 
Got a 22mag by having name drawn from a raffle. Bought 1,000 rd of ammo. Not overly impressed and selling it when ammo gone. 17HMR is nice little round. Very accurate out to 150 yds. Good short range target round and good on ground squirrels. A little more pricey than 22 mag but worth the extra.
 
the 22 mag only has power over a 17 inside the first 80 yards, after that , the 17 takes over in speed, energy, trajectory, accuracy, you name it.

A little secret, wait for the 5mm mag to come back out, it will surpass all rimfires in every way, except price will be on par with the 17.
 
JNewell;

Wrong tense, Aguila's making 5mm ammo now. Can more guns be far behind?

900F
 
I had just about pulled the trigger on a new 22WMR rifle when the 5mm reports started coming out around the time of the Shot Show. I have put the 22WMR on hold to see what is going to be offered in 5mm. I really like the round and it does everything the 17HMR and 22WMR does, only better. I think it gives a bit more flexibility (heavier bullet and more penetration) for a mild varmint rifle than the 17 and will be more accurate than the 22WMR.
 
YES! everybody NEEDS a 22 magnum, the more people we have shooting it, the higher the demand for ammo, the higher the demand for ammo, the more they will produce, the more they produce, the cheaper it gets to manufacture, the cheaper it is to manufacture, the less it costs eveyone to purchase ammo. so EVERYBODY NEEDS TO OWN AND SHOOT THEIR 22 MAGNUMS REGULARLY!
 
The .22 mag is certainly a nice pony to have in the stable. Even if it is only used from time to time, it is a very nice round to shoot. If you are strictly a rimfire man, then you almost HAVE to have one, so you and your buddies can argue about which round is best ;)
 
"I can't personally remember buying any gun out of need! " :p Ain't that the truth! Okay I admit it, I'm just looking for an excuse to get another rifle. Keep the comments coming guys - interesting about the 5mm, I had never heard of that round before.
 
there is going to be two loads for the 5mm; currently as loaded by aguila, specifically for the 50k remmington rifles that are still out there. that load is a 30 grain bullet at about 2300 fps. Then , they have allready said that if someone starts making a new rifle, they will be hot loading one, that will be a 35-38 grainer, up to 2500 fps!!!!
http://www.varminter.com/img/5mmrrm/5mmpromofr.jpg

In other words, it will be twice the weight of the 17, with the same speed, or as compared to the 22mag, it will be the same weight, but much faster, and way more aerodynamic, with a higher b.c.
 
Cabela's sells bulk copper-jacketed hollowpoint .22WMR hunting ammo for $85 for 500 rounds.

It's not cheap, but it's not that expensive.

I'd call it a good round for small game at longer ranges, and for tougher game. A scoped rifle would serve well.

Whether you need it depends on what you're hunting and what you want to do with it. Our local desert jackrabbits can be good eating, contrary to what people believe. They taste about the same as cottontails from the same environment. They're tough, though. My friend emptied his 10/22 before he killed one. Ethical hunting would suggest using .22WMR.

Of course, if you just want to shoot varmints, not eat them, the .17 is a neat, accurate round.

If it's just for plinking, though, the .22WMR is pretty expensive. I'd say you might as well go with .223. You can shoot a lot farther, and you can reload the stuff.
 
Hmmm....I didn't think I needed one, until I lucked onto a good deal for a Winchester 94/22M XTR in .22 magnum. I had fired a very few guns in the caliber, but owning one, and plinking with a buddys gun are two different deals!

At least in the Winchester, the .22 magnum is marvelously accurate. Also more destructive than I thought! True, ammo is a bit pricy, but then most ammo is pricy these days.

The Winchester is a classy gun, and I'm sure it adds appeal to the caliber. I remember a couple years ago, wishing the 94/22 was chambered in .22LR instead of magnum, while I paid for the gun. Not so now, I'm quite happy with the chambering. Ammo is easy to find, caliber is nice for longer range plinking where a .22lr is falling off, and frankly, I like it better than my .17HMR.
 
I have shot/hunted side by side with a friend shooting a .17hmr while I was shooting my .22WMR. I really didn't notice any difference in the two rounds. I had no problem making any shots that he made. The longest shots we were taking were about 100-125yds so past this distance I really can't comment. I have never had any problem taking down rabbits, squirrels, or any other small critters with the .22wmr. For what it's worth I'm shooting an inexpensive Marlin model#25MN that I bought at Wally World about 7yrs ago.
 
Okay, so here is the problem

You allready own a 17 HMR. From an accuracy standpoint, you are probably going to be disapppointed. I also don't know of many autoloaders that are made in 22Mag. If you run across a 9422M XTR buy it. They are sweet little rifles and the accuracy is pretty good. I also understand that some of the newer ammo is pretty accurate when compared to the older stuff. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the 22mag but there isn't much that it will do that the 17HMR can't do at least as well if not better. If you need another rifle why not give some thought to the 17 Mach II. It is supposed to be as accurate as the 17HMR at half the cost.
 
+1 on the turkey round. Its the smallest caliber that can be used for turkey in WY- it works.
 
I have a Marlin 925-M that is a very accurate, fun rifle. I certainly don't regret purchasing it. You can also get Armscor 22 mag ammo for about $7/box, which isn't bad at all.
 
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