Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Why I gave up the .22mag.

Could be the guy had old ammo where the wax seeped down into the powder and jacked it up... but that's common on 22's, 22 mags I wouldn't think it happens so much.

Either way I've never seen a 22 mag bounce off anything yet, they do a good job.

Spot

That they do,,,,

Very interesting thread. Don't know anything about short barreled handguns but have shot thousands of rounds of 22Mag and 17HMR at varmints.

Every now and then I go back to Saskatchewan to do some gopher hunting. For many years I tried various centerfires but my CZ Lux in 22 Magnum worked so well out to 125-150 yards that I stopped using bigger guns. The 22WMR had excellent terminal effects out to 100 yards (read splatter) I found Win 40 grain HP's to be as good as anything else printing into 1.25MOA or better.

Finally found a 17HMR CZ for trade on a CZ 22LR and grabbed it. It's really something. it's an easy 40-50 yard improvement over the 22 Mag. One thing it doesn't do quite as well as the 22WMR is splatter gophers. The little 17 grain bullet is close...but doesn't quite make it to 22WMR for splatter factor.

I do however shoot about 3 rounds of 17HMR for every round of Magnum. Hits are just a bit easier. The 22LR.... results in lots of crawl aways. Never use it.

The likely reason that this thread went South is that the original author made a blanket statement about the inferiority of the 22Mag over the 22LR. Fired in a 1" smooth bore barrel this might have some validity. As a general statement it does not.

The .22 mag is great! It's probably my 11th or 12th favorite cartridge. As kids, when we graduated from .22 LR's to .22 Mags we went from nuisance to threat.

The Winchester model 1890 came out in .22WRF,and until around 1964 or so was the .22Mag of .22 rifles. It will durn sure out preform the older .22Lr cartridges(the high vel mini-mags will give it a run for its money) the WRF is a.224 diam bullet and around 45 grains.

It costs about the same as the .22mag and can be shot in the mag to save the red vapor effect on small game.

Bob

Hmmm, I can't find the link now, but I read an article on line the other day where someone was comparing .17HMR and .22WMR. What he was claiming was that if the .22 mag was zeroed in at 125 yrds and the .17HMR was zeroed at 100. (can't recall which grain or brand shells he was using either). That with the ammo he was using, he was hitting the same spot at around 200 yrds with both rifles, and only picking up about a 1/4 or 1/2 inch on 100yrds with the .22 Mag.

I still want a 17HMR, it's on my "to get list", but I do believe as well that all this extra yardage that I keep hearing that they are good for, is just a few clicks away on your crosshairs of a .22Mag, and you get to deliver a lot more lead.

As for me, I think that if I want to shoot a varmint out much past 200yrds, I'll probably want a hot rod center fire, like a .22-250 -- Heck, I can't hardly even see a prairie dog out there at 300 even with the scope cranked to 12X anyway.

I'm probably not going to run out and rezero my .22Mag at 125 yrds either. I know already that it is right on the money at 100, and if I aim one prairie dog over a prairie dog's head at 200, they die too. I haven't shot enough .17HMR rounds to know yet, but I suppose that I'd only have to hold maybe half a prairie dog high with them at 200? So either gun will shoot effectively at the same distances, within the ranges that I'd shoot either of these rifles, it's just all in knowing where to hold them at what ranges. The Mag will still bring more lead with every shot though.

Nothing surprises me in such a set-up. Then again, I've seen the lowly 45 Colt in a 16" carbine out-do - with 320 grains bullets- the steaming 45-70 with 420 grain bullets; in both cases very similar moderately hard cast metal. And that was shooting spruce logs.

Then I imagine what REALLY happened is the stake MOVED when it was hit, and it effectively CAUGHT the bullet. That would also explain why it's at an angle

I've had similar incidents where a bullet was "caught" by a lightweight target that "rolled with the punch" instead of allowing penetration.
I once had a 44 Special bullet fail to penetrate a lighter fluid can. It hit the edge near the top,and knocked the can over 100 ft, but the can wrapped around it and held onto it

Here, I'll add a photo to your story.

1890 Winchester .22 WRF

700LH: You could not be further off base with your postings regarding "whistle pigs (Ground Squirrels?)" and the 17 HMR's lethality!
I have used the 17 HMR EXTENSIVELY on Ground Squirrels (to the tune of 2,500 to 3,500 rounds every year since the cartridge was introduced!) and the 17 HMR is so far superior to the decrepit 22 Magnum that they are not even close!
The 17 HMR is not only more accurate than the 22 Magnum (like you mentioned) it shoots flatter over a longer distance than the 22 Magnum and it shoots straighter in the wind!
Flatter, more accurate and straighter means MORE killing zone hits!
Does it not?
Then at the terminal end the 17 HMR is a vastly superior round lethality wise over the 22 Magnum!
I have killed 3 Coyotes and seen several others killed with one shot apiece from 17 HMR's!
I personally have killed 10 Badgers with the 17 HMR - all killed with a single shot!
Speed kills there 700LH!
And by speed I am certain that the enhanced speed at which 17 HMR rounds ROTATE is one of the factors in its enhanced lethality!
I have used the various 22 Magnums and 22 Specials for decades and NONE of them are capable of doing what I routinely do with my 17 HMR's!
PERIOD!
Every year I host dozens of "experienced" Ground Squirrel Hunters!
They travel a LONG ways to Montana, many are from NW Washington state along with Oregon and California. In addition I host Hunters from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Illinois, Florida, Idaho, New York, Minnesota and I even took one German out on a Ground Squirrel Hunt a couple years ago.
All of these folks have to choose which arm and munitions is best for there intentions - unanimously they choose the 17 HMR (except the German he owns no arms).
Sure you can Hunt Ground Squirrels with a 22 Magnum (I did it for decades!) but you will have more success (fun!) with a 17 HMR!
I have NOT seen a 22 Magnum Rifle along on any of my hosted Hunts for more than 4 years now!
Yet EVERY Ground Squirrel Hunter I host, DOES, bring along at least one 17 HMR!
I don't know - maybe EVERYONE but you is wrong and the 17 HMR is somehow just "fooling" everybody???
I think not!
My forsaking the 22 Magnums for the 17 HMR was and is based on its demonstrated superiority afield on Game and at the range!
In addition to Coyotes and Badgers I have also killed Fox, large Porcupine, Raccoon, Rock Chucks, Wild Turkeys, Prairie Dogs, Skunks, feral cats, Jack Rabbits, Rock Pigeons and other winged Varmints with my 17 HMR's!
I had in a group of three Hunters just last month and each of them had along a 17 HMR Rifle (one Cooper and two CZ's) - two of those Hunters are multi-millionaires! One owns the best independent Gunshop in Washington state - he (they!) could afford any and every Rifle they would wish to.
None of them Hunts Ground Squirrels with a 22 Magnum!
You are ABSOLUTELY right about the enhanced accuracy of the 17 HMR over the 22 Magnum - of that there is NO doubt!
There is also NO DOUBT that you are wrong about the 17 HMR not holding up to the 22 Magnum lethality wise - I base my observation on YEARS of extensive use of BOTH cartridges not just 100 rounds on a weekend!
Sales of 22 Magnum arms and ammo are virtually in the toilet.
Sales of the 17 HMR arms and ammo are strong and consistent.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint guy, glad you like the 17. Still having shot things with both to include coyotes, I'll take the .22WMR every time. The bigger the varmint the more I lean for the .22WMR. My .22WMR isn't a slouch in the accuracy department at all and it does sling bullets 2x the 17's weight or more. Nope it's not as flat, then I can holdover. Nothing can make the 17's bullet heavier. The 17's advertised and hyped results are not what I have seen side by side vs. a .22WMR, especially with the Vmax loadings at 2200 fps.

All I can say is, based upon admittedly limited experience, that I had more fun with the .17 HMR on my recent trip to Arizona for prairie dogs, than should be legal. And I have been a .22 mag fan for years. I agree that the lighter bullets in the .22 mag at higher velocity are the best, but my Marlin 882 will not shoot them well and prefers the slower 40 gr Win Super-X - which are not as good as the 17 gr V-Max loads in the .17 HMR. Even the fastest .22 mag loads are 300 fps slower than the 17 gr bullet in the .17 HMR.

It's knd of too bad to live in a world where new products eat their parents! I happen to like the .22MRF. Try shooting Javelina between the eyes at 2 foot distances with a Single Six revolver while using dogs and see which you prefer.

The subject line is a bit thin from a application point of view.

I think trying to eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrel with the .17 HMR would be the most tedious thing I can imagine. If a person was really intent on getting rid of the little buggers, then they need something like this:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7309904847520611793

That'll work! Although for sporting purposes I think I will go with a 50 cal.. http://dogbegone.com/video.html