I really can't explain why I have a love affair with 22 magnums. I headshot a possum in a tree with one one day. It died right there. My bud with a 17 HMR put one center mass and you couldn't tell it had been hit. I did the same with my 22 magnum. We alternated until we had both hit it a few times. The 22 magnum really rocked that possum. The 17 HMR didn't budge it. In the real world, that means absolutely nothing, but I just like the way the old 22 magnum seems to hit hard. I have 3. My 10/22 magnum is oddly the most accurate. It LOVES 30 grain polymer tip bullets. It routinely puts 3 shots into 1/4 inch at 50 yards and 3 shots into less than an inch at 100. My 22/77 magnum shows a strong preference for 50 grain Federal JHP. It has delivered several 5 shot sub half inch groups at 50 and a number of one inch groups at 100. My American Predator likes Winchester 40gr JHP. It'll crowd MOA at 50 and 100.

My experience tells me that most 17 HMRs and Mach 2s are stupid accurate with just about any available ammo. With a 22LR you can probably find a few loads that shoot great, but you'll have to test quite a bit to find those. I don't think I have ever had a 22 magnum that would give outstanding results with more than one load, but I could always find one load the gun loved. Maybe it's because I quit trying once I found "the" load. It can take a good bit of testing to get there.

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