I like the .22mag round but is it practical?

[WCraven]

I love the 22mag myself and i once had the Ruger bolt action that came out around 1992-93 but i sold it as i remember paying about $235 new for it. My current 22mag is a Ruger Single six with a 6" barrel in SS which cost me as much as a new Glock but it's a tack driver and i love it.. try some of the CCI VMax 22Mag shells as there nasty..

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

Twice the range, twice the energy, twice the velocity... but still half of the range, energy, and velocity of the .22 Hornet. It might be a little much for something like a tree squirrel, but should be fine with anything larger than that.

 

[powder]

Every trip into Wal-Mart I buy a box of .22 WMR, in anticipation of my wait notice to come through on the PMR-30.(Gave up on the IDEA of a 5.7 until prices are realistic again.) PMR-30 notice has not come yet, which is fine, as the PMR-30 in it's 2.0 configuration is supposedly much better.

In the meantime a Rem. 597 .22 WMR with HB and LS came along with a 4x Burris @ $300, for less than the PMR's MSRP!? (MSRP on PMR-30 has recently been jacked by KT to $415?!)

As we continue to recede into an 80s-like recession/depression/inflationary state of econ. affairs, basic commodities will continue to increase in price and the .22 WMR is champion for the regular joe shooter/hunter, IMHO. YMMV!

 

[mdauben]

As far as I can tell you have double the range of the LR, but body shots on small game wouldn't leave much left to eat it seems.

I don't see the .22mag as a choice for small, edible game. Squirels and rabbits can be taken with the .22LR with less meat damage so there's really no need for the extra power there. I guess I see them as sort of light varmint rounds, for taking out slightly larger animals or at slightly longer ranges.

As would the Kel-tec PMR 30 (Poor Man's Five-Seven), or the AMT Auto-Mag 2, but are they still in production?

I've never actually seen one in a store, but the High Standard website lists the Auto-Mag IIso I assume its still in production. Still, with an overall length of over 9 inches and a weight of 32 oz, the AMII is a rather large gun, certainly larger than other SD choices that fire more potent rounds.

The terminal ballistics with even a NAA Pug with a 1" barrel are comparable (for all practical purposes) with 380 self-defense loads with a Ruger LCP.

I think that may be exagerating a bit. Comparing the two Gold Dot loads, the .380 and .22Mag have approximatly the same muzzle velocity but the .380 has over twice the muzzle energy. Many people already consider the .380 a marginal choice for SD and ballistically the .22Mag is even poorer. I know some people trust and carry .22s (both LR and Mag) in NAA mini-revolvers for SD, but personally I would chose to carry neither the gun nor the ammunition for personal defence. YMMV.

 

[md2lgyk]

The Taurus Tracker DA revolver can be had with an interchangeable WMR cylinder.

 

[Pilot]

Great round. Practical? No, due to exhorbitant cost.

 

[22-rimfire]

Exorbitant? Try shooting factory loaded 500 S&W Mags if you want expensive.

 

[chicharrones]

Great round. Practical? No, due to exhorbitant cost.

Still cheaper than just about any centerfire cartridge out there.

 

[Pilot]

For a .22 rimfire, the cost of .22 mag is excessive. If you want to you can make it look cheap by comparing it to .50 cal.

I have a Marlin bolt action rifle in .22 mag. Its great for small game, and even some larger game, but it never comes to the range unless I need to sight it in again. For the cost, I can shoot my centerfire reloads, like .223 less expensively.

 

[22-rimfire]

I do the same thing. I don't just blast away 22WMR ammunition, but it is a useful caliber/cartridge. I don't think it's fair to compare the price of 22 Mag ammo to 22 LR, especially bulk packs same as it is not fair to compare to factory loaded 500 S&W. I don't know anyone that plinks with a 22 Mag.

 

[Temp430]

I used a 22 LR for years on woodchucks in my garden. I got tired of shooting them and then watching them walk off at a leisurely pace as if nothing happened. I wanted to gloat over their dead bodies so I bought a CZ 452 in 22 WMR. The woodchucks in the garden stay in the garden now.

 

[Sniper66]

My bro-in-law had an infestation of coons and asked which rifle he should get to shoot them. I've killed coons with .22LR, .17HMR, .223, and .410 and 12 ga, so there are plenty of options. Never owned a 22 mag myself, but in our shopping we stumbled upon a nice used .22mag, so I encouraged him to try it. In the next 2 weeks,. he killed 14 coons; all one shot kills and like temp430 and his woodchucks, there were no coons walking away. Since then he has shot a few squirrels, but realized that it is too much power for squirrrels if your goal is to eat them. I do plan to own a 22 mag one of these days.

 

[BigG]

The Model 48 is the old S&W designation for the K-22 Masterpiece Magnum Rimfire. I had one and it shot very well.

 

[chicharrones]

For a .22 rimfire, the cost of .22 mag is excessive. If you want to you can make it look cheap by comparing it to .50 cal.

For the cost, I can shoot my centerfire reloads, like .223 less expensively.

Since the .22 Mag is virtually not reloadable, I tend not to compare it to hand loaded ammo.

 

[chicharrones]

I used a 22 LR for years on woodchucks in my garden. I got tired of shooting them and then watching them walk off at a leisurely pace as if nothing happened. I wanted to gloat over their dead bodies so I bought a CZ 452 in 22 WMR. The woodchucks in the garden stay in the garden now.

 

[natman]

As one poster mentioned above, the new self-defense ammo for short barreled revolvers have added a tremendous boost to its utility. The terminal ballistics with even a NAA Pug with a 1" barrel are comparable (for all practical purposes) with 380 self-defense loads with a Ruger LCP.

Not according to the ammo manufacturer:

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-45gr-Critical-Defense/
1000 fps/100ft-lbs
http://www.hornady.com/store/380-Auto-90-gr-Critical-Defense/
1000 fps/200 ft-lbs

I don't consider twice as much energy and 60% greater frontal area "comparable (for all practical purposes)".

Again, the primary advantage of the fast powder 22 mag loads is a reduction in blast and flash when fired from a handgun. They do NOT provide any magical ballistic advantage, certainly not enough to make a 22 mag fired from a handgun a realistic self defense round.

 

[baylorattorney]

I've killed a lot more meat worth eating with a .22 magnum than with a .22 long rifle. I've killed even more with a .22 hornet and .222 rem, and even more with a .223. See a pattern there? In regards to self-defense, I've heard some guys like it as a back up gun, but I'd pass on that altogether.

 

[bhk]

The main advantage of the new Gold Dot loads is that they are loaded with a bullet that will actually expand at .22 mag handgun velocities. The regular .22 mag loads have bullets that often (usually) don't expand out of handguns. I have bagged some small game with the new Gold Dots out of a SW 51 (3.5 inch barrel) and the bullets perform very much like .22 long rifle CCI Velocitors out of a rifle. This makes for a very effective rimfire handgun small game load.

 

[JohnBT]

"the .22 Mag is virtually not reloadable"

Fwiw. About 10 years ago I bought 2 Jewell triggers from a guy on benchrest.com. During one of our phone conversations he mentioned that he once attempted to develop a .22 WMR load that was significantly more accurate. He somehow managed to obtain a batch of new, primed factory brass. With a little work accuracy improved some.

He paid 50 cents apiece for the brass.

 

[j1]

Great round with much more power and devestating expansion if that is what you need. Obviously not cheap. Will take the head clean off a close rabbit.

 

[BSA1]

I have bone spurs and rotator cuff injury that has become very painful. As a result I can only tolerate shooting 50 rounds or so big bore handgun rounds and can barely shoulder a long gun to dry fire it.

Until I either get my shoulder healed up or I learn to shoot weak handed the Kel-Tech PMR seems to be a very good choice S.D.

 

[Pilot]

Since the .22 Mag is virtually not reloadable, I tend not to compare it to hand loaded ammo.

I understand that rimfire ammo is not reloadable. Never said it was, but to me firing a round is firing a round, rimfire or not. I can download my .223 or taylor it for whatever I want, and still spend less than .22 mag.

 

[JohnBT]

"Is it practical?"

I'm still thinking about that question and I've had one kind or another since the early 60s. The Savage .410/.22WMR is long gone, but I bought a Single-Six Convertible in '72 and added a CZ 452 American about 10 years ago.

They're great when you need to shoot something bigger than a rabbit, but too expensive for lengthy plinking sessions.

John

 

[Ehtereon11B]

Savage reintroduced the .410/22LR or .410/.22WMR combo just this year.

Rimfire ammo CAN be reloaded. I did some research into it solely for .22 Mag. However, compared to centerfire reloading the cost is not worth it.

 

[chicharrones]

Rimfire ammo CAN be reloaded. I did some research into it solely for .22 Mag.

Reloading spent brass? Or loading into new primed factory brass like mentioned by John BT's quote below?

Perhaps my definition of hand loading is other people's definition of reloading.

"the .22 Mag is virtually not reloadable"

Fwiw. About 10 years ago I bought 2 Jewell triggers from a guy on benchrest.com. During one of our phone conversations he mentioned that he once attempted to develop a .22 WMR load that was significantly more accurate. He somehow managed to obtain a batch of new, primed factory brass. With a little work accuracy improved some.

He paid 50 cents apiece for the brass.