To me the 22-HP has always been the least interesting of Savage's four proprietary cartridges as I figured it was pretty much rendered redundant if not obsolete upon introduction of the 250-3000. But now this thread has piqued my interest. Is there a good source for .228 diameter bullets? I know Ken Waters had some success with .224 bullets.
But to answer the OPs question I think we need to look as the 22-HP through the lens of the past and not the present where we have an overabundance of cartridges and components to choose from. Given that we can find rounds today that were specifically designed to shoot everything from gophers to elephants (something that really didn't exist in the past), I'd say that Savages intended market was simply the guy who wanted the latest and greatest super duper hunting round and that they really didn't care if you shot wild woodland critters, raging tigers or the neighbors overly noisy dog with it. Not that I've ever shot dogs but there have been times....
Last edited by S99VG; 09/12/17.
