Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 22 WMR for Bobcats Coyotes and small Hogs Question

I don't want to hijack the "best caliber" thread so let's start a new one. Within reasonable distances, is 22 WMR an effective and/or ethical caliber on the listed subjects? At factory speeds is there an advantage between JHP and VMax bullets?

From my limited personal experience, I would not use .22 mag Vmax's on coyotes. Tried that a couple of years ago. Made what I thought was a decent hit on a coyote at about 30 yds. Trailed him about 150 yds in the snow to a rocky outcropping where he holed up. He left a blood trail, but I think the bullet blew up without penetrating. I've not had any problem with 40 gr Vmax's in .22 centerfires.

The extra velocity being the difference perhaps?

Most everything is effective if situations dictate and you can shoot..........Limitations usually indicate a need for more power...!!

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I probably use my Marlin .22 WMR more than any rifle I own. It'll work on any of the animals you listed, but you better hit coyotes well with one. Stick to the standard JHP's, Winchester Super X being among the best. The V-max load is really soft. I've used it on starlings and it is impressive, but lacks penetration on anything bigger.

Go to a centerfire or you'll be chasing a lot of critters and not finding a lot of them -

I have killed a lot of bobcats with good results with the 22 magnum inside 100 yards. Coyotes are another issue, they are just too tough for consistently clean kills in my experience. I have no clue about hogs.

Definitely keep away from the lightweight varmint bullets and stick to 40 grainers

I shot a small hog between the eyes 3 times with 40fmj Winchester Super X out of my single six. She dropped at the shot but was back up dazed within 10 seconds, the last time she went down I ran up and put one in the ear canal for the win. This was about an 80# live weight hog distance was about 15 yards. Based on that I wouldn't recommend it for shooting hogs, though I'd still poke one with it if I had nothing else with me.

For a feed truck rifle that I might shoot pigeons and rabbits with as well as the target of opportunity coyote or bobcat, I'd say okay. For a dedicated predator rifle I'd be looking at a centerfire.

If you have the opportunity to test the 22WMR on some of these creatures, I would be interested in sending you some of my hoarded small supply of Hornaday Critical Defense 45gr flex tip bullets. The chronograph and the ad hype tell me they are a step up, and a significant one. I would love to know how much better they actually do on the larger animals you are citing.

Lot of variables at work here. FMJ at pistol velocity is going to be a marginal performer. You did the right thing in finishing that varmint off humanely. I understand hogs have a gristle plate that protects their vitals to a degree so I would have to find them in close range to consider even a rifle shot. No matter that they are an invasive pest and threaten every other species that lay eggs or rear their brood on the ground.

I never passed a shot at one for any reason with any gun when I lived where they live, even killed them with a shotgun and birdshot. Vermin is all they are to me, though I do eat them, they are too destructive to the native wildlife as well as agriculture to give them a pass. And I don't get too worked up if I loose one that runs off to die. Flame me all you want and I won't change my mind, I've farmed where hogs moved in and it isn't pretty.

A buddy did have good luck head shooting some pretty fair sized porkers with his 17hmr and the 20gr FMJ. He picked his shots precisely at closeish range and had an extremely accurate rifle. He was also hunting in a rimfire/shotgun only area. I'm pretty sure after seeing his results that an accurate 22 magnum rifle could be made to work okay in a pinch, using FMJ ammo and precise shot placement. I just had less than stellar results with the low velocities achieved in my handgun.

I did kill numerous beavers with headshots at ranges up to 50yds and the LR cylinder. Killed a running coyote with the LR cylinder and a single heart shot at 73 paces once too. So ymmv.

The .22 Magnum is my favorite called bobcat cartridge in tight cover. My experience has been that 'cats don't like to cross open ground during daylight, so if you're setting up across an open space from the cover where the cats live, you'd need a rifle/cartridge combination with a longer reach.

I like the 30 grain Hornady VMax bullets from my Remington 597 for 'cats. The VMax don't usually penetrate through and through and the 597 gives me an immediate follow up shot if needed. I don't know about you, but when it comes to critters with sharp claws and teeth, I prefer to keep shooting until they are, like the Wicked Witch of the East from the Wizard of Oz, morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably dead.

I have shot a couple of coyotes with 40 grain JSP and JHP. They died, but not DRT.

I have never shot a hog with a rimfire cartridge.

The 22 magnum loaded with the Federal 50 gr load should work well on all the animals you listed but i would stay under 50 yards because of the quick vel lose when stretching the range on any rimfire 22

Thanks to all for their opinions/experiences. I picked up some 30gr V-Max so look to try those out. Any one like the 45gr Dynapoints?

I tried out some 45gr Dynapoints, and they chronographed REALLY S L O W

For a 45gr bullet, the Hornaday Critical Defense is a much more powerful loading, and a modern controlled expansion polymer tip loading. I would surmise it to be a great option for the game you mentioned based upon my speed checks and testing on rodents. Makes a BIG exit hole on 8-10lb Rockchucks, and kills em DRT at reasonable rimfire ranges. I like it a lot better than the 17HMR on about anything.

I have seen a lot of gigs successfully shot with a 22 mag but all of the clean kills were in the ear. Hogs are just too tough for body shots with one. Friend of mine killed two yotes last weekend with the 22 mag Critical Defense loads. 1 head shot and 1 broadside. He said the other loads he tried on yotes didn't work, killed them but slowly. His results agreed with safaiman, they expand quickly, he said that if he hadn't shot them up close (inside 30 yards) he wasn't sure they would have worked as well.

My brother in law has killed a bunch of yotes with the 22 WMR Federal 50 gr load at his place in Mass but very few went down within sight. He's been using CCI Maxi-Mags lately and reports similar performance. A centerfire is out of the question where he lives.

In CT we're limited to 22 LR on state land and I've killed a few with Velocitors but they usually run off a ways. The only one I've killed on the spot I shot in the neck at about 20 yards.

I'd rather use my 222 Rem but the private land spots I have now are small so you might get to set-up once or twice and then you have to drive to another spot.

The federal 50gr. JHP loads work the best from our experience. My buddy competes yearly, in the coyote tournaments here in southern OR. and that's all he ever uses. He's also a trapper and fur trader with many a bobcat under his belt. He also uses either a 22lr or his trusty 22 magnum on them. I'd trust the heavy 50gr. federal JHP on yotes up to 150 yards, since we've killed them at that range (BTDT). You generally get 1 hole going in and none going out with massive damage to the insides of the critter. This is good when you are saving the pelts to sell in the fur auctions...

The only issue with Federal 50gr JHP load is they are almost impossible to find around here. They drop fast after 100 yards as well.

I would also recommend the Federal 50 grain load. I used to use that a lot on woodchucks, and it would plunk them better than anything else out to 125 yards.

The advantage/opportunity with a stout 22mag bullet is that you can pick your shot on called coyotes to hit them right in the front top of the shoulders. If you do that, they go down pronto. Lungs shots are runners.