Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors What was the thinking behind the .22 HP?

It was definitely intended for anything from varmint to big game, and in fact there were people who used it for tiger hunting.

The shooting world had just gone through the smokeless revolution a couple decades earlier. They'd gone from large bore to 30 cal, over a LOT of resistance from folks who wouldn't believe that a small bore 30 caliber could kill big game. High velocity obviously proved them wrong. So with the 22HP they were pushing to go even lower. It was a bit of an overreach, especially as far as tigers... yipes!

Though the 22 High Power as it was factory loaded is still a legal cartridge in Nebraska for deer hunting, which requires a minimum amount of energy at 100 yards. I'd say it's almost an ideal cartridge for coyote hunting.