Do not take a head shot with a .22 LR or even the .22 mag if they are facing you.
Never had a problem head on with the .22 mag.. In between the eyes and out the back of the head every time. Those little flat nosed 40 gr. fmj's penetrate like the dickens.
Not questioning what you have experienced, but I've seen several shot between the eyes with the .22 mag and the bullet skipped off the front of the skull just under the skin without penetrating the skull. Never had a problem when they turned to the side though.
I've shot deperadation tags on the farm here in SC with a .22 mag for years, so I've got a pretty fair idea of how well they work. We use it to keep the noise down, and no recoil. I've always kept the shots under 50 yrds with the rimfire. Shooting farm tags evening after evening, after evening is a chore. Make no mistake about it.
