Favorite small rifle cartridge(s)?

[JumboJVT]

One more for the 22 Hornet. Shot my first deer with one. Reloadable, effective, mild report and recoil.

 

[StrawHat]

I will opt for the 22 Hornet and it’s parent, the 22 WCF. I have both. The Hornet is a reworked Springfield Model 1922 and the WCF is a reworked Ballard Gallery Rifle.


Kevin

 

[FL-NC]

22 mag

 

[MachIVshooter]

25-20

Awesome shooter. Reloadable. Economical; a pound of HS-6 loads 1400 rounds.

Dust off an old 25-20 lever, you won't regret it!

This would be mine as well. Have a 1903 Marlin 1894 and a 1926 Remington model 25 so chambered. Both threaded & suppressed, an absolute hoot to play with, and will anchor critters with a lot more authority than .22 rimfires. The 85 gr. cast loads with trail boss doing a shade under 1,000 FPS are as quiet as any suppressed .22 rifle shot, but with a lot more payload.

Also really love the .22 Hornet, but I would classify that as a short-medium range varmint round, not so much a hunting cartridge.

 

[Armored farmer]

22magnum

 

[Milt1]

Remington .222

 

[Riomouse911]

22magnum
View attachment 958279

Ruger American?

 

[Armored farmer]

Ruger American?

Yes
American farmer edition.
Simmons 22mag 4x

 

[Hokkmike]

What came to mind immediately is the .243, but I don't know if that would be considered small or medium.

The .22 rimfire the ubiquitous choice.

 

[3Crows]

Most favorite vs most used, I chose the .22 Hornet and the .17 HMR as most favorite small cartridges but if the question was most used small cartridge then it would have been .22 rimfire and .22 WMR.

 

[Riomouse911]

Yes
American farmer edition.
Simmons 22mag 4x

Awesome stock! A really nice tribute to families like yours that keep us fed and clothed. We wouldn’t be where we are as a society without folks like you !

Stay safe.

 

[Barbaroja]

Yes
American farmer edition.
Simmons 22mag 4x

Nice rifle! I’ve got one of the Simmons .22 mag scope on my 10/22. Really good low cost rimfire scope if you ask me!

edit: Forgot to answer the question I’d have to go with .22lr for guns I actually have.

 

[MachIVshooter]

What came to mind immediately is the .243, but I don't know if that would be considered small or medium.

The .22 rimfire the ubiquitous choice.

IMO, small rifle cartridges would be those using ~10-20 gr. powder charges, more than rimfire but below the 20-35 or 40 gr charges of intermediate (medium) rounds like .223, 6.8 SPC, 7.62x39, .30-30, .25/.30/.32./.35 rem, etc. The .243 I would consider more full power, stuff burning ~40-60, 65 grs. and often based on the .308, .30-06 or x57 Mauser case. Above that is large/magnum in my view.

 

[Offfhand]

I'm pleasantly surprised to see so many that like the 22 Hornet. And I thought I would be the only one.

The .22 Hornet comes across like the runt of the litter and becomes a favorite by default. Here are a couple that always get special attention: One is a Springfield M2 converted to K-Hornet in the style of Griffin & Howe, the other a early Sako Vixen. The Sako shoots a lot better than Hornets are supposed to..

 

[tark]

Can't decide between 25-20 and 22 hornet, so I got two of each. All are Savages , two 23Ds and two 23Cs Here are three of the four. The two hornets are flanking the 25-20. The left gun is mounting an original, period correct Weaver scope, model 344. The rifle itself is a 99% gun. Normally the collector in me would not think of ever shooting a gun that highly conditioned.....but what the hell !! Those old Savages aren't exactly high end collectables. I have shot it and it really likes PPU ammo. (They both do.) The 25-20 looks pristine, but the stock has been re-finished. The 23D on the right has an interesting story. I got it for $125. Bubba had cobbled together a home made mount, drilled the receiver and mounted a cheap scope. He stated that the scope wouldn't hold a zero and he just wanted to get rid of the thing. I took pity on the old gun and took it home. It had a pristine bore but Bubba was right, after tightening all the screws my shots started to wander after a very few shots.

I introduced the screws to Mr. Locktite.

End of problem!! Now the gun is my go to varmint snuffer and can hit an apricot at 100 yards every time. It is also my tannerite trigger.

 

[cfullgraf]

One of my friends would probably say 25-20. He has lots of stories when he was growing up helping his grandfather rid the farm of critters and varmints with grand dad's lever action 25-20.

 

[Legionnaire]

22 WMR. The Single Six with the magnum cylinder rides along when I'm carrying the 77/22 in 22 WMR.

 

[IdaD]

22LR. If more juice is needed I think I'd skip ahead to a 223 over something like a 22 mag.

 

[Anchorite]

222 for me. Easier to play with than the 17s, a little more horsepower than the 22 Hornet, and a proven track record of accuracy. Did I mention it’s a beautiful case?

 

[Anchorite]

The .22 Hornet comes across like the runt of the litter and becomes a favorite by default. Here are a couple that always get special attention: One is a Springfield M2 converted to K-Hornet in the style of Griffin & Howe, the other a early Sako Vixen. The Sako shoots a lot better than Hornets are supposed to..View attachment 958324 View attachment 958325 View attachment 958327 View attachment 958329

Beautiful!

 

[tbob38]

I think 32-20 for me.

 

[Archie]

Two rifles I have in the category are .22 Hornet and .32 WCF (.32-20). Someone mentioned the .30 Carbine round. It strikes me as a rather updated 'answer' to the .32 WCF. Too bad no one makes a decent bolt gun in said caliber.

 

[38-45 Special]

22 Hornet

Have never had any experience with .22 Hornet, but have heard great things about it and have been ambitious to get some experience with it.

 

[cfullgraf]

Have never had any experience with .22 Hornet, but have heard great things about it and have been ambitious to get some experience with it.

The 22 Hornet is a slick little cartridge for close in varmint shooting. Low recoil and low noise. There are plenty of good bullets on the market designed for the Hornet's velocity. Good rifles do not have to be heavy barrel varminters to get good accuracy within the Hornets effective range.

Its main down fall is case life. The long taper and thin brass does not promote long case life. Neck sizing helps extend case life some.

There is factory ammunition available if one is not a reloader.

The 22 K-Hornet is reported to have better case life due to the sharper angle of the shoulder and the ability to size the case to headspace on the shoulder. Firing a Hornet case in a K-Hornet chamber is all that is required for forming. But, you do have to be a reloader to shoot 22 K-Hornet.

The 22 K-Hornet gets a little bit more velocity than the 22 Hornet as the K-Hornet case holds a smidge more powder.

 

[CraigC]

Probably the .32-20. I'm giving serious thought to revitalizing an original rook rifle by relining the barrel and chambering it in something like the .32H&R.

I have always loved reading about svelte rifles chambered in cartridges like the .22Hornet, .218Bee, .25-20 or the like and fantasized about hunting with them but never actually had a purpose for one. If I lived out west and had access to prairie dogs, ground squirrels or jack rabbits, I'd surely have several of them.