Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 22MAG Handguns

After reading about the KelTec PMR-30, I took my 22mag
to the range. It's a Ruger single 6 and the only 22mag
handgun I have ever owned. The single 6 is a fun handgun
and I enjoy shooting 22 mag thru it.

However...22mag is now $10 or more a box
and can not be reloaded.
Any comments on 22mag handguns ?

More powerful than a 22 LR

I have several 22 MRF revolvers, all Rossi 515s and S&W 48s. I liket the 22 MRF because it is the lightest practical survival and self-defense rounds, plus the CCI snake-shot is much better than the 22 LR.

I shoot more 22 LRs in my 22 MRFs than I do 22 MRF ammo, using the chamber adapters from MCACE. Not match grade accuracy, but go enough for minute-of-rabbit at 25 yards and a lot less expensive way to practice.

www.mcace.com

Jeff

I have owned a number of 22 mag handguns over the years and in my opinion they are not that much better than 22 lr in the short barrel of a handgun, noisier and not worth the extra cost of the ammo . I will take my pistol chambered for the 22 lr and use the magnum in a rifle where you see the real improvement over the 22 lr.

I disagree. Performance wise, a 22 MRF fired from a 4" revolver is about like a 22 LR fired from a rifle. The 40 and 45 grain JHPs and JSPs penetrate deeper and kill animals like coons larger better than the 22 LR, or at least that has been my experience. When it comes to shooting CCL snake-shot, the 22 MRF is way ahead of the CCI 22 LR snake-shot.

Jeff

Hotload: I have three Smith & Wesson revolvers in caliber 22 Magnum.
One is a Model 651 and the others are Model 48's.
I also have two Ruger Super Single 6's with the 22 Magnum cylinders.
I enjoy them all immensely but do not fire them at a rate that would harm my pocketbook any!
I remember many years ago cursing the fact that 22 Magnum ammo was now passing the $1.99 a box of 50 price!
I would love to have 22 Magnum available again for $2.25 a box!
My local pawn/sport shop got in a brand new lightweight semi-auto pistol in 22 Magnum last week and it was gone in less than an hour!
There is a market for 22 Magnum pistols!
I do not feel competent enough to compare my experiences with 22 Magnum pistols as compared to 22 LR pistols - I of course know that the 22 Magnum has more velocity and energy in comparable barrel lengths but to quantify the difference I can't do.
Years ago I killed a rattlesnake with my S&W 22 Magnum Kit Gun and shot loads - and it did a pretty fair job of killing that snake quickly (this is sometimes hard to do by the way!).
I see some 22 Magnum ammo for $14.00 a box!
I like 22 Magnum pistols myself.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I am a big fan of the the .22mag. My only handgun in it, is a sweet Charter Arms SS 3" Pathfinder that I bought new in the 70's. It might be my last handgun to go. Targets and bottles are what make the .22LR shine. I would much rather have a .22mag for woods carry than a .22LR, if I am not plinking.

If you look around on the internet, you can find 22 mag ammo for $70 a brick (= $7/box of 50). That's not much more than the premium .22 LR rounds.

I shoot a S&W model 51 (3.5" barrel), and a 651 (4" barrel) and both are very accurate and hit hard.

I'll agree with it being about the same as a .22LR outta a rifle but it's still just a bunny and small game getter. Anything I wouldn't use a .22LR rifle for I wouldn't use a .22M handgun for either and accuracy is not as good from a handgun so shot placement is harder. Me? I jump right over the .22M and go to a .32 or .38sp. The .38sp is substantially more powerfull and capable of taking coyote sized game and possibly small deer and ammo isn't much more than .22M ammo. My 2 cents....

CB

I've got a 6" Model 648 S&W .22 mag. and it's a blast to shoot. It's well made and accurate. It's got noticeably more 'pop', on both ends, than my 617.

It seems to be apples, oranges, plums, and stuff. Prairie dogs die at 200yds from centerfire rifles in .22's, .24's, .25's, and larger. Folks here seem to be moving away from the centerfires to the .22mag autos in Ruger and Rem for the little rascals. To me, shooting at a running coyote with a .38 handgun is a joke. Some folks can do it, but I shoot a .22mag much more accurate. FWIW, the new 30rd KelTec auto in .22mag is in my future.

I've shot more than a few whitetails while doing herd reduction with the 22 MRF and think that it is a pretty fair killer at short ranges.

I don't own any .32 or .38 revolvers, just a few DAs in 22 LR, 22 MRF, 357 Mag, 44 Spl, 44 Mag, and 45 LC. I carry a Rossi 515 more than any other revolver with 2 CCI snake-shot cartridges and 4 JHP or JSP cartridges. Buying a set of Ace Dube's 22 LR in 22 MRF adapters allows the shooter to practice with bulk 22 LR and, as with most things, practice makes perfect. I carried a 4" S&W 66 for a long time, but found that the 22 MRF would do most of the things that I need a revolver to do and do it in a lighter and easier to shoot package. If S&W had made a stainless clone of the 4" 48, I'd have to take a hard look at buying 1, even though I am boycotting S&W.

Jeff

I have been looking for a 648 22mag for a while now and can think of more then a couple uses for such a pistol. I wish there were more options available in a 22mag pistol as it is an awesome round.

I don't care for the full-lug S&W 617s or 648s, too big, too heavy, for my tastes. I know that it isn't PC, but I really like the Rossi 515 with the larger factory target grips that were intended for the 720s.

Jeff

I have a first model S&W 48 and love it!

I have shot more 'chucks with a 22 mag than any other.
We had a back yard about 150 yds deep and a used $50 Marlin rifle kept the lawn, rodent free!

I have 2 S&W 48s, a 4" and a 6", but they are too good/valuable to carry on a regular basis during our hot, humid, summers. If I lived in a dry climate, I'd be OK with carrying a blued CM firearm, but in a humid climate, SS works better for me. I have a 6" 617, but don't like the full length ejector shroud, so it never leaves the house.

Jeff

I'm with the 260Remguy. I've shot lots of small game with both .22 long rifle, HP loads and with the .22 RFM. No comparison on the small stuff. Anchors even the smaller stuff, like squirrels, better and far more effective on the bigger stuff like jack rabbits, coons, etc.
Ditto on the effectiveness of the shot rounds on rattle snakes. Killed a sidewinder very dead with that load. E

I have a 6" 617 as well. That handgun's weight was what turn me to get a 4" GP100. It was lighter and handier to carry than the 617. Skipped right over the 22rfm and shoot the 38specials.

Price wise I just don't care... I bought a bunch back when it was $5-7.50 a box and stocked up. Just a few weeks ago I found several bricks of Fiocchi for $75.00 each. It probably isn't going to get any cheaper...

Just had a .22 Magnum cylinder fitted to a S&W M63...shoots right to the same POA with both rounds at 15 yards...who can ask for more from a pocket gun...

Bob