.22WMR accuracy?

[A strange person]

I've always heard that the .22WMR is generally not as accurate as the .22LR, at least in rifles. What kind of accuracy could one expect out of a quality .22WMR rifle such as a Savage or a CZ, particularly their bolt-action offerings?

 

[Dr T]

I get 1" five shot 100 yard groups from my Savage with Fiocchi softpoints.

 

[PapaG]

I have long been disappointed with the accuracy of the WMR. Perhaps I have never had an accurate rifle. Tried the old H&R semiauto. Horrible. Tried a Marlin bolt action. Poor. Went all out and got a Savage 93 heavy barrel, put on a good Nikon, free floated it in a Boyds thumbhole. Two inches was the best it would do. My Anschutz 141 sporter in .22, my Ruger Target, and my 93 in 17 HMR will all beat the inch mark when I'm on so I think it is the gun (and maybe the caliber). I like it out of my Ruger 6 1/2" convertible, however.

 

[fallout mike]

I don't have one but I squirrel hunt with a uncle that uses one. He uses a Browning , a T-bolt I believe, with a leupold vx-3. I see him routinely take squirrels with head shots at 50+ yards. He is a extremely good shot though.

 

[fallout mike]

He nearly always has the number of squirrels to show for the shots fired.

 

[fallout mike]

Papag, that's not fair comparing .22 mag accuracy to .17 hmr accuracy. My .17 is crazy accurate. My latest shots with mine was a 5 shot group at 80 yards that a nickel covered. With my off hand!! Bc of an injury to my right.

 

[k soze]

I have Savages in .22 WMR and .17 HMR. The .17 can shoot tighter goops but... the .22WMR is more consistent at 100 yards and I get right around 1 moa accuracy all the time. My .17 goes from .5 moa to 2 moa depending on conditions.

True some of this is the difference in the guns but I would take my .22 WMR to the field before my .17 HMR because I know what it will do that day.

 

[fpgt72]

I think it depends on the rifle...anschutz that will put 5 shots in a quarter at 100yrs on a calm day from a rest....like the above poster I have trouble off hand because of injury to my left arm....very weak.

I have also found that the WMR ammo is a little like long rifle....some rifles like different stuff....that same rifle can't hit paper with any hollow point bullet.

 

[fallout mike]

K soze, I see what you are saying about consistency with the .22mag over the .17. Perfect conditions the .17 wins hands down. A little wind thrown in though and the .22 mag will def do better consistently with a 2X+ grain bullet.

 

[303tom]

Dr T said what I wanted to say, I can get 2in. groups with iron sights with my 93 G ............

 

[bantam9]

Have a Marlin 22 mag with Bushnell 3x9 on top. Nothing fancy, but it's a tack driver with Win 40gr solid tips.
Once you find the right ammo--stay with it.
I would recommend a 22mag to anyone. I love mine

 

[Craigman]

I've tried about 8 types of ammo in each of my 2 WMR's and each one likes something different. One like cheap-o Win 45gn silver box and one like Maxi-Mags. Of the ones they dont like, they REALLY dont like and will spit out 2-4" groups at 50yds.
Seems this caliber is picky

 

[lonestardiver]

My CZ 452 deluxe in .22mag will do 5 shots into a dime - nickel at 50yds. Never had it on
a range that allowed rimfire on 100 yd's....yet.

 

[mmitch]

Minute of rabbit!

Mike

 

[gshipps]

Heard that too. My savage didn't shoot well with the Hornady high speed stuff but CCI maxi mags will group real nice.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

my savage won't shoot the maximags under a couple inches at 100 yds, but it puts 5 of the hornady 30 gr v-max under an inch at 100 and shoots one ragged hole at 50 yds. we like to shoot a box of clays with the shotguns and then set up some of the pieces at 100 yds and bust them with the 22WMR. one of the most fun-to-shoot guns i own.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

My Marlin 925-M will shoot 1.5" with cheap 40 grain Armscor ammo.

I could probably get an inch with some v-max's.

 

[loose noose]

I've got a Savage 93FVSS also and it prefers the Federal 40 grn. it'll shoot sub moa all day long. This is the SS bull barrel, in a Carlson Laminated stock I free floated the barrel and polished the sear where it lets off a tad over 3#. However any other brand of 22 Mag ammo. it will shoot well over an inch.

 

[skoro]

I've been shooting my CZ 452 Varmint for several years now. I mostly use it for targets at 100 - 150 yards. My experience is that with the right ammo (40gr seems to work best) it's quite accurate. The 30gr hypervelocity stuff is noticeably less accurate. But either will work for "minute of jackrabbit" shooting.

 

[PO2Hammer]

My CZ 452 Lux in .22 WMR shoots CCI 40 grain TMJ's or JHP's into an inch at 100 yards, better than any .22lr I own. It doesn't seem to like 30-34 grain loads though, that's OK, neither do I.

 

[k soze]

I've got a Savage 93FVSS also and it prefers the Federal 40 grn. it'll shoot sub moa all day long. This is the SS bull barrel, in a Carlson Laminated stock I free floated the barrel and polished the sear where it lets off a tad over 3#. However any other brand of 22 Mag ammo. it will shoot well over an inch.

Am I missing something, all 4 of my savage rimfires came with a floated barrel from the factory. My .17 was not perfect so I had to take a little off of the stock, is that what you are referring too? They also all like different torque settings connecting them to their stocks.

 

[VA27]

I have a Brno 611 semiauto that will shoot MOA with Winchester 34gr Supreme. All rimfires have loads that they really like. It's up to you to find the load that works with your particular gun.

 

[loose noose]

K soze, It came originally with a black fiberglass (similar material) that looked kind of cheap, so I ordered a a grey laminated stock from Carlson, it took some fitting and yes I did free float the barrel for much better accuracy, and a pretty sharp looking rifle. I don't believe that rifle had a free floating barrel with the stock that it came with, that stock was really not fitted very well at the factory.

 

[x_wrench]

i have an eighties vintage Marlin 782 22wmr. depending on the ammo, AND how fresh it is, AND the temperature, it shoots (from a rest) as small as 0.846" 5 shot group @ 100 yards. while in the field however, I am not that good. i doubt very many of us are. with less than relatively new ammo, that the gun really likes, that is not nearly as good. if i average the ammo that i have, that is anywhere between 8-10 years old, to only a few months old, the gun shoots around 2-3" groups @ 100 yards. but to me, that is the thing about a 22 wrm. you can actually kill things reliably at 100 yards, and not feel bad that you may be just wounding it. my 22 lr's are all sighted @ 50 yards. but the mag is set @ 100. for what it is worth, my Marlin does not like the new "ultra lite" bullets of late. it likes the 40 grain winchester super x jhp's the best. so when actually hunting, i pick up a fresh box (and of course test) shortly before i actually go.

 

[T.R.]

My Marlin shoots nearly every hole touching each other at 75 yards. Hits like a mini-grenade!

TR