If you were only plinking a .22LR would make a lot of sense. It will also do for small game, like rabbits an such, though 125 yards is further away than I would plan to shoot them, because you really don't have anything in reserve and at that range wind and trajectory are against you. As a rabbit rifle out to 90 -100 yards though they are the business. On bigger stuff, like foxes, I've found that you really need to hit the butt of the ear to have reliable kills, so that is the limiting factor in terms of range. Shooting thousands of rounds at rocks though, this would be the calibre to choose.
A Hornet fills the bill for animals up to 40 lbs very handsomely, out to well past 125 yards if required. I've dropped pigs with it too, with a well-placed shot. They use very little propellant and you have the advantage of being able to choose a fair range of projectiles. Mine and others I've used have been very accurate and they are easy to shoot. I like this calibre.
The .22 Mag has never particularly appealed to me, mainly because a Hornet can do everything the .22 Mag can do and more. The ones I've tried have been less than impressive in accuracy too. I guess if you don't handload though, the ammo is cheaper.
