.22 Magnum Effectiveness?????

[cslinger]

I wasn't sure where to put this but this seemed like the best place.

About how effective is a .22 magnum round. I have never hunted with a .22 magnum so I really am at a bit of a loss.

Would a .22 magnum work up to say Fox sized critters or is it really only a tiny varmint round such as ground hogs etc.

I realize this is by no means a deer round and I find it funny that some states allow the hunting of deer with it. I mean a nice clean brain shot is one thing but unless you are an extremely good marksman it just doesn't seem humane enough for deer.

Anyway about up to what size animal is .22 magnum humane for.

Thanks so much.

Chris

 

[nygunguy]

I stopped using my .22 MAG for squirrels because it did too much damage on hits that weren't just exactly right. Anything other than a perfect broadside on a big gray tended to explode the animal leaving very little meat. I've gone back to a .22LR HP.

It can be a devastating round on chucks inside 100 yards. HP ammo leaves a pretty good hole. Its been years since I've shot anything other than squirrels and paper with my Winchester M255 but I seem to remember a few red fox that were DRT using HP ammo.

 

[Ledbetter]

I never heard of anyone seriously using them for anything bigger than a coyote. 22 Mag is actually a pretty hard-hitting little bullet though, IMHO. Accurate and quiet too.

Regards.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I read an article in either Shooting Times or American Rifleman in the last few months about a hunter who took a .22 Mag to Africa, along with his big game rifle. They used it as their "camp meat" gun. He claimed that with the new bullet designs of the last few years, the .22 Mag will cleanly take animals up to 50 pounds.

 

[ENC]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The .22mag is my favorite caliber of all time. I sure wouldn't shoot a deer with it though I think it would work. But I would trust it with any varmit application beavers, coyotes, and certainly fox. CCI Maxi Mags +V and Winchester Supremes both work awesome

I did some tests on Gallon jugs of water and thick phone books. both rounds were about the same and were way way more powerful than .22lr