Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires New Product? Speer Gold Dot 22 Magnum "Short Barrel"

Just came from the LGS where they were putting on the shelf some Speer Gold Dot (big hollow-point!) 22 Magnum 40 grain ammunition that is labeled "optimized for use in 2" barrels"?
I was curious and have a couple of short barreled pistols in 22
Magnum so I bought a box.
Box marked: "Speer Gold Dot 22 Mag. Short Barrel * Personal Protection 40 gr. GDHP-SB #0954"
Anyone familiar with this ammo?
I wonder how they optimize for use in 2" barrels (special powder?)?
It is good looking stuff with a large serated copper plated hollow-point and nickel plated cases.
Cost was $15.50 per 50.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Not with the speer.

Winchester came out with a Personal Defense 22 mag (PDX1) which was touted as a sort barreled ammo.

Worked fine in my rifles - all I was concerned about at the time.

I did have quite a bit higher velocity than they had it rated for out of their test barrels.

yeah, I was fixin' to chime in and say I bought some of the speer at walmart about two months ago.

now I'm corrected, it was Winchester personal defense .22 mag. I haven't shot any of it. saving it for this fall.

there's hardly no .22 mag ammo available anywhere around here.

That winchester pdx-1 through a long gun will handle any varmint you got.

Gus: My local gun shop got in 10 cartons of Federal American Eagle hollowpoints this morning at $26.00 per 400 and they were gone before I left the store - at one carton per customer!
I used to use these and they are great ammo but did not want to re-sightin my outfits so let them pass.
I was hoping this "situation" would ease up but its been 23 months now of "shortage" on 22 L.R. hollow-points and some other rimfire stuff!
I wonder if I should shoot these 22 Magnums in my 22 Magnum Rifle just for observation?
Hoping for better rimfire days ahead.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think the American Rifleman did an article on the .22 mag as a defense round not too long ago and your ammo was among those tested. If I can find it, I'll get you the issue number.

Hornady also makes a Critical Defense round for short barreled revolvers. I believe it's a different powder that allows quicker burn than normal. The Critical Defense, like the Speer bullet, is a good one and it works in rifles very well.

I have some of the Gold Dots on hand for the mighty NAA PUG. For kicks I shot some at 100 yards with my Ruger American Compact and they grouped surprisingly well, although much lower than the 30 grain V-Maxes I have been shooting. I have not had a chance to run them over a chronograph using a rifle.

The certainly would "make do" in a rifle.

June 2013 American Rifleman. Page 52.

BGunn: Thanks for the link - interesting article.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

They also make a version in 17 HMR with a 20 gr Gold Dot bullet...

Tried them in each of my 17 HMRs ( Ruger, Marlin, NEF) and they threw them all over the place at 50 yds....

Have some Hornady Critical Defense, with a 45 gr FTX bullet mounted inside a Hollow Point...they were like $12 for 50 rounds..

They are super accurate in my 22 mags ( again Ruger, Marlin and NEF)... took some out and shot some sage rats with them ( before they disappeared off of store shelves), but they certainly hung a job on sage rats for a rimfire...