.22 Magnum?

[SniperStraz]

The .22 magnum seems like a handy little round. How powerful is it? Is it say comparable to a .380? Or is it just like a .22 long with a little bit of extra kick. Thanx in advance.

 

[mustanger98]

Consider .22LR. Now lengthen the case. And multiply the power X3.5. BTW, another technical fact is .22LR bullets are .223" diameter while .22Magnum bullets are .224".

While .22LR is well suited for squirrels and other small game, .22Magnum is better suited for bigger varmints such as coyotes if you can hit 'em in the ear. Even through the lungs though, I think they're not going far.

Compared to .380ACP? I dunno.

 

[Outlaws]

another technical fact is .22LR bullets are .223" diameter while .22Magnum bullets are .224".

Not by my testing. I did this for another thread a few weeks ago...
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=232720&highlight=.22+mag+.2245

The Caliper Test

10 random cartridges were selected from each box of ammunition.

CCI Maxi Mag .22 WMR
.223
.223
.223
.223
.223
.223
.223
.223
.223
.223
(all but two were perfectly on the .223 line)


Winchester Super Speed .22 WMR (circa 1960's)
.223
.224*
.223
.2235
.224*
.223
.224*
.223
.223
.224*
(* = the .224 numbers are all actually a hair under .224, but greater than .2235)


CCI Mini Mag .22 LR
Diameter closest to case / Widest Diameter near start of ogive
.222 / .226
.222 / .225
.221 / .224
.222 / .225
.222 / .225
.221 / .226
.221 / .224
.221 / .223
.221 / .226
.222 / .226


Federal .22 LR 550 Round Value Pack
Widest diameter near case
.224
.223
.223
.223
.224
.223
.224
.223
.224
.223
(almost all .223 numbers +/- .0005, but some were dead on)


Remington Thunderbolt .22 LR
Widest diameter near case
.2245
.225
.2245
.225
.224
.224
.225
.2235
.225
.225


Federal Lightning .22 LR (red box)
Widest diameter just before ogive
.224
.224
.2235
.2225
.224
.224
.222
.2225
.223
.223


The interesting part of this, is that I always hear about .22 Mag having a slightly wider diameter bullet than .22 LR.

 

[mustanger98]

The interesting part of this, is that I always hear about .22 Mag having a slightly wider diameter bullet than .22 LR.

So maybe we both heard a story that keeps getting passed around. The guy I first heard it from is no BS artist on this kind of stuff. It's possible he might have heard it from the same general direction we did. Not saying your measurements aren't correct, but I'd like to get ahold of some info, one way or the other, from the manufacturers.

 

[rangerruck]

the diameter of the 22 , 22mag(which is almost allways5.6mm)is roughly, let us just say half the weight, but half the diameter of the 380. but it is also twice the speed of the 380, the remmy vmax and winny supreme both go over 2200fps, so the deal here is, penetration. I would imagine a solid lead, of fmj, 22 mag will penetrate twice the distance a 380 would, if it stayed together. Though the 380 will penetrate a good bit on just it's mass in momentum alone.

 

[hagar]

It is also one of the loudest cartridges you will ever shoot in a handgun. Almost as bad as a .30 carbine!

 

[roscoe]

The .22 mag case is wider than the .22 lr case, but not the bullet itself.

 

[clt46910]

I spent seven years in West Texas. I used a number of different guns and shot thousands of rounds while I was there. The most used and handiest was the 22 mag. It took lots of coyotes, foxes, jackrabbits, raccoons, two bobcats, and even a rumor of a few deer over the years. Was always good out to fifty yards real easy...and a few out to a hundred yards.

 

[plexreticle]

I think 22 WMR is way underated. It seems to catch a bad rap from the math majors.

 

[mustanger98]

I don't know which gun the OP is considering shooting it in, but I recall a 9422 in .22mag made me feel real good once. And those shots were near a hundred yards busting little shiney rocks in a mud bank. I figured if I could do that, I could bust a coyote... maybe even bust 'em in the head. I wouldn't want to speculate on that too much though and wind up only busting their jaw or something and not making a humane kill.

Ya'll know, this .22mag is just like anything else... shot placement is everything.

 

[gunny1022]

The .22 Mag is way underrated. In metallic silhouette they would take down the steel animals a .38 spl would not. They hit HARD.

 

[Red Label]

For me they will kill a groundhog dead out past 100 yds. They don't blow a hole in them like a .223 but they're still dead!

 

[Clipper]

I think they're way too expensive for what I get...

...My thinking is that inside 100 yards, the .22LR is just fine, especially if my gun shoots hyper-velocity rounds accurately. from 100-150 yards, my Hi-Point 9mm carbine is cheaper to shoot and hits harder. Beyond that, I should be shooting my .25WSSM...

 

[OpFlash]

I think the OP is curious as to how it would work as a SD round from a pistol. After all he is comparing it to .380ACP. The answer IMO is its not a good defensive round. The problem is that it is designed for rifles and much of the powder winds up burning ouside the barrel of a pistol. You heard the above poster refer to how loud it is out of a pistol, and that's why. The round looses so much energy being shot from a pistol barrel that a .380 is more powerful.