Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints .22 Mag effective range

Hey guys I just bought a CZ 455 American in .22 WMR. I wanted something I could use from squirrels to eastern coyotes and foxes and any varmints in between. I’m new to it, I mounted a VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20 on it. Just wondering what you guys thoughts are on effective range for coyotes and foxes mostly. Input on other animals is welcome. I’ve only shot the Hornady V-Max 30 Gr and they shoot under an inch at 50 so I’m good with that. Thank you.




Kyle

For coyotes, I’d say 75 yards with good bullet placement. And I would use a heavier bullet, 40 grains if they shoot wellin gun.

Yeah I haven’t got to try CCIs or Winchester yet. I’ll have to see what velocity and accuracy is like

Back before Omama, I used the 22 Mag with the 40 grain CCI HP and FMJ...

When zeroed at 100 yds, and I knew the distance....( did the testing over at the local range)
my Marlin 25MN was minute of prairie dog ( on a prairie dog silhouette target ) out to 225 yds.

The drop was up 2 inches on the turret every 25 yds...

so up 4 inches at 150, up 6 inches at 175 and up 8 inches at 200.... and up about 10.5 inches for 225.

I used it on much smaller sage rats with pretty high scoring results out to 200 yds, fairly regularly when I went out.... I am sure the 30 grain V Max would shoot a little flatter, and be a little more accurate... but then
being 10 grains lighter, would suffer more wind drift and also lose that flat trajectory a little out past 150 yds or so....

Seafire,

Wind-drift is NOT dependent on bullet weight. Instead it's totally dependent on two factors, given the same atmospheric conditions: ballistic coefficient and muzzle velocity.

The 30-grain V-Max has just about exactly the same BC as the 40-grain CCI HP. But the 30 V-max starts out faster, so shoots flatter and drifts less in the wind at any range. I know this not just from theory but from shooting a bunch of different .22 Magnum loads in the field.

Would not be my first choice for a coyote hunting cartridge. The many variables such as shot presentation in my opinion are better suited to centerfire rounds for certain kills. Will it work, sure under ideal conditions, but I think there are better choices. That said I have been known to carry a 94/22M when I go on a walk.

I've found the .22 mag. quite effective on foxes out to 125-150 yards so long as you and your rifle are capable of putting bullets in the vitals. On our big Northeastern coyotes it depends on what you consider "effective". If you've got snow on the ground and don't mind tracking them aways then it's effective as far as it is on foxes. If your idea of "effective" is that you expect them to drop right now with shots through the chest cavity you need more gun. Of course head shots will plant them on the spot.

I feel like when we do go we maybe hunting the tree lines and just inside the tree line. I’m assuming shots maybe up to 150 yds. I do remember seeing a guy take a western coyote at 80 yds with a 22mag pistol. Wasn’t sure how much further a rifle would reach.

I killed a lot of coyotes in Az with a 22 mag. 40g Winchester is a great pick. Plastic tip bullets do not penetrate well, break bones, and bleed off velocity very fast. Plastic tips work best on jack rabbits.

You can hit a coyote in the lungs and he may drop, or run like a scalded cat, short range of 75 yards and better gives best results, but I have dropped them at 125 because I spent a lot of time with my rifle.

Some bullets just do not kill worth a darn, especially as the range gets close to 100, and the Win HP works well. One thing for sure, if their tail is moving after the shot, shoot them again. I have really enjoyed my Ruger all weather 22 Mag, Marlin tube feed, and Marlin 25M. I had a Mauser 210 that handled like a true big game rifle, still have some extra mags for it.

Foxes can be hard to kill, not much to shoot at, hit them solid on the shoulder if you can. CCI's leaded my barrels up, so I avoid them like the plague. The 40g Win HP is a true jacketed bullet, not a copper plated lead bullet which you would be wise to avoid at all costs.

Thanks for a clarification to the campfire... I;ll admit to shooting the 30 V Max in the Marlin 22 Mags I have, but not really any more than at the range or at a gopher or two in the yard.. since I live right off of what use to be a golf course...but I've never tested it out for distances out to 200 yds or more...

I know its more accurate that my old tried and true 40 grain CCI HPs and FMJs...

and after Obummer got into office, I tended to load the old 223 bolt action down to those sort of velocities with 40 grain bulk plastic tip bullets and 50 grain TNTs....

I’ll have to check out the Winchester ammo for sure. Keep feeding the info. I’m new to the varmint and predator scene. Would like to see what I can do with the CZ!

I started my varmint hunting in the 60's with a Savage 24 DL in 22 mag over a 20 ga. It had stamped images of a coyote on one side and a turkey on the other. I thought I had a real hot rod. The only coyotes I ever scored with that gun were with the 20 gauge. The 22 mag made lots of noise but it just wasn't practical for anything bigger than jackrabbits. Bullet drop was much greater than I had expected so I was never able to use it for anything much past 75 yards.

It would appear that you have a better set up but if you're going after coyotes be ready for a quick second shot.

In your rifle maybe but sure as hell not in mine. I've owned a dozen .22 magnum rifles over the years and each is an individual when it comes to what ammo it likes and what it doesn't.

I’ll be going for squirrels tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll run into a woodchuck and get to see how it performs!

Western coyotes are puny little buggers. Not much more than a couple strips of rawhide with fur and eyeballs on it. Where in the East are you located ? Southeastern coyotes look pretty scrawny to me compared to our Northeast dogs too.

Works real good on chucks. I've probably killed a thousand or better with mine.

Central PA. From what I understand they are bigger here due to the interbreeding with the wolves that used to be native

I'm in NY. The biggest I've personally killed was 48 lbs. but I've seen bigger. My next door neighbor killed one that weighed 55 and my fur buyer showed me a pair that weighed 62 and 64 pounds. We kill alot in the 35-40 pound range. I imagine it would be similar in Pa.. Head shoot them if you want them down right now. I've had them run 75-100 yards after putting a 40 grain Winchester hp through both lungs broadside from 50 yards. You got woodchucks out in central Pa. this time of year ? They've been in hibernation for months now here.

You’ll see them now and again. I think the Weather here has been messing with a lot of animal activity

22 mag jhp 40 grain cci just deadly.