I don't have a .22mag rifle. I have a revolver that I carry at times. Is there a big enough difference in performance to pick up a rifle?

HUGE fan on 22lr and probably have more 22 rifles than a guy should, but one more won't hurt right?

What should I be looking at? I see Ruger has a RAR in .22 mag.

yes the rifle is way above the pistol when chambered in 22 mag for hunting

tzone,

A friend of mine has a Marlin .22 Mag. He let me play with it one time at the range. I could fire under 1" at 100 yards. Surprisingly accurate.

You need a Winchester 9422 in mag, no doubt!

Yeah I agree. They don't make those anymore or give them away.

I realize that it performs above the pistol. I should have clairified. Does it perform a lot better than the LR in a rifle platform?

I am all for using any excuse I can to buy a new rifle. I have 2 22 magnum rifles. My Savage heavy barrel is pleasantly accurate and priced at or below what you can get a standard barrel RAR for.

Fine if you can find ammo.

The 22 mag is under rated as far as I'm concerned. Very good round but ammo is a little expensive. Hasbeen

The only problem with the 22 magnum is the lack of ammo. Buy the ammo first...If you can find it. If you can't find the ammo, you haven't wasted the money on a rifle. Once you have plenty of ammo, the rifles aren't hard to find at all.

No issues whatsoever finding .22 mag ammo.

If I had a few 22's,which I do, I think I would opt to buy a 17 WSM mag. There is a lot of ammo around here available for them, but I have not seen any 22 mag ammo for quite some time.

Caveat Emptor! Looks like that round is heading down the fast track into history's dust bin!

16bore - +1 on that. Plenty of the newest .17WSM ammo on the shelves but no rifles...plenty of both .22LR and .22WM rifles but ammo still way hard to find in LGS. Homesteader

I solved my 22 Mag Ammo problem....

Took my Ruger American, down load 223 ammo down to 22 Mag speeds...

now I have plenty of ammo available....

For me, when I used to shoot alot of grey and fox squirrels I found the 22 LR adequate to 50 yards where the 22 Magnum would make 75 yards doable.

Well I thought of that as well. But I do have ammo. .223 might be a little quick, even loaded down for small game. At least if I don't HAVE to do it.

Plus, that doesn't scratch the itch.

I have 14 rifles chambered in 22 Magnum, plus a couple of Savage 24 combination guns and 6 revolvers. I like the round and think that it is a more effective killer on animals over 10 lbs. than the 17 HM2, 17 HMR, and 22 S/L/LR.

My 3 most used 22 Magnum rifles are a Marlin 882 SSV, a Marlin 982 S, and a Remington 597. The Remington 597 is my favorite rifle to use when calling varmint in tight cover, 'cause those instantaneous follow up shoots can come in handy when there is a pissed off bobcat just a couple of yards away from you. I prefer stainless/synthetic for rifles that are likely to get knocked around a bit, but the RAR have a good reputation for being reliable and accurate.

Well if you have no problem finding the ammo will you throw a guy a bone? I'm always about 30 min too late when I get an email it's available. In fact I've been on my email and get the notification it's in stock and click the link, as soon as I get to the web page they're sold out. Haven't seen any locally in a long time, my Savage 93HB loves the Federal with 30 grain TNT bullets.

Did Marlin make heavy barrel 22 magnum rifles?

The 882 SVV and 982VS were their heavy barrel versions.

I've had a Savage 93BVSS (laminated/heavy/stainless) that has a shorter barrel than the Marlin and is as accurate as any 22 Magnum that I've owned. I find that 22 Magnums can be particular about the brand and bullet style/weight that will produce the best groups. My 592 shoots the 33 grain plastic tipped bullets better than any other brand, bullet weight or style, while the 882 VSS does better with the 50 grain Federal JHPs.

I'm glad it's pretty damn plentiful here...

Yes, the magnum is much more effective than the LR, particularly when you get into animals the size/tenacity of woodchucks, coons and fox. It also shoots enough flatter than the LR to increase your practical effective range on varmints like woodchucks by at least 50 yards.

Far exceeds the LR

tzone in a revolver a .22 mag performs pretty much like a .22lr does in a rifle. In a rifle, it is a definite improvement in performance.

You know I like my .223 with reduced loads...but you have an itch to scratch!!


I dunno who makes a good .22 mag rifle now....

My 22 Mag sits in the safe, but my Hornet, now that one is loaded in the corner at all times!

got ammo ?

I think all the RF ammo is going towards the 17WSM

Yep true that. I have one and it's a great shooting rifle. Looks nice too.

I've shot gophers and rabbits side by side with a 22LR and a 22 WMR and they are not comparable. The Mag's kill schit deader.

People will argue the hyper LR stuff kills just as well as the WMR but that's an apple to oranges. There is hotter Mag ammo than ever before and bigger is bigger.

The notion that a .22 Mag isn't accurate stems from all the retards shooting them out of those lever equipped pieces of schit.

The Ruger American in .22 Mag would be my pick.



Travis

I have owned a couple 9422's and never thought they were very accurate. My savage 24 twenty gage / .22 mag is way more accurate than the 9422's I sent down the road, and the trigger sucks out loud.

Good post. My pick would be the Ruger American too. If I were looking for the most accurate RAR, I'd opt for the predator. My 22" barreled model with irons is pretty accurate, but the predators are more accurate. It's almost as accurate as my chuckster...

Love the 22 mag. Have a JC Higgins I bought in 1960 and still shoots great at 100 yards. It has taken many Coyotes at 100 yards with one shot at the base of the ear. Makes for great fir sales. One small entry hole no exit. I have been pondering buying a 22mag Keltec pistol it is very light and fits the hand perfectly. Know a friend that has one and he loves it says it is the only gun he carries for Grouse. https://www.keltecweapons.com/pistols/pmr-30

yup!

Agreed, the whack factor for sheit like coons, beavers etc is far more impressive with the 22Mag

I have a lever equipped piece of [bleep] 22 mag that is plenty accurate.

It's the rifle behind the door.


Even got a novelty scope (one with a BDC reticle) and everything is o key donkey out to the fer tree line.

I've been finding ammo available, but am holding out till (if) the prices come down. I got a few boxes lying around, so I am ok.

Here's one - a tad spendy though :

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/603488900

The itch is all that matters.

Motto at Army clinics throughout the Asian theater.

Thanks, ever so much for THAT mind picture!


Another advantage of the .22 mag is the "pocketability" of the ammo, as opposed to greasy, waxy LRs. Ammo for my Hornet is pocketable as well, but if I lost one, I'd be inconsolable.

"Pocketable" is why my friend, Andy, is a die-hard Marlin 983S guy. He loads the tubular magazine and goes hunting, no magazine to lose and nothing protruding below the stock to get in the way when it is being carried in one hand. This is a guy who carries that rifle at least 300 days per year, heck, I don't think that he leaves home without it.

Not legal here for small game. Must be rimfire. miles

I picked up a Sako Quad in 22 magnum, expecting to put a Lilja 17 HMR barrel on it to get back a 17 Sako Quad. That gun has become my son's, lol. I got some ammo, and found the gun loves current manufacture Hornady 30 grain ammo, and I have yet to order the Lilja, as it will probably sit in a corner in the factory packaging until I shoot up my stash of Hornady ammo, or I buy more.

I shoot ground squirrels with mostly CF's, but usually bring a Kidd 10-22 with 40 grain power-point ammo. It shoots tiny groups, but at 100 yards they go plop and just bend over, sometimes it takes 2 hits to finish the job. The 22 Mag isn't as explosive as my 17 hmr's, but it does a much better job over the 22LR.

I believe it is a great step up, but if you don't have one, get a 17HMR instead of the 22 magnum.

Allen

I bought a CZ 452 in 22 lr and after shooting that, I'm giving serious thought to a 455 in 22 WMR next. They are really nice guns.

Same here. I have a CZ in .22 Hornet, AND a switch-barrel CZ 455. I bought a .22WMR barrel for that 455, and I think I wasted my money, that old Hornet outshoots it eight ways to Sunday. Even with the best .22WMR load (Hornady's 30gr VMax), that old Hornet will outshoot it, and WAY out-power it, too.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of the .22 Mag. It just hasn't got me interested, after spending about $2-300 for different ammo (and had a heckuva time finding it), and having poor results, I think I'll just warm up that old Hornet and leave the 455 at home.

those old 983SS were a darn nice rifle...

Never did find one on the shelf, or I would have bought it...

but I have a 25MN I put in a laminate stock... paid $99 for the rifle in 1980... and $54 for the stock... its only worn Tasco Scopes... mainly 4 x 16 World Class... that rifle sure has killed a lot of stuff... up to and including deer....

all but one of the dozen or so deer, were hit on the highway, and the Marlin rode in my 4 Runner as a Truck gun for many moons...

Good old CCI 40 grain FMJ.....shot placement, it dropped a lot of game...

Yep. I have a Marlin, and it is plenty accurate to 100+, but if I was buying a rifle today, it would be a CZ at the top of my list and a Savage no.2.

I traded for this almost new .22 Mag T-Bolt at Cabelas, Gonzalas, LA. Usually they're difficult to deal with, but I did OK.

This gun had a VX-3 2.5-8x36 with Alumina Flip Back lens covers, just the covers are worth nearly $100. I don't know if the gun dept "experts" knew or even cared, the Alumina's were passed on without cost.

This model (synthetic) has an extra mag in the buttstock. Two mags were listed, they couldn't find the extra one...

They scratched around there for a while, looking before I finally told them where it was...

The mags are a neat design, sort of a figure of 8, like a doubled up Ruger rotary mag; they work well.

Gun looks new, is a good shooter. I did some work on the trigger, got info on line. Browning doesn't like that, HAD security tape over the fire control housing. Well, what they don't know won't hurt them and I'm not too concerned about warranty.

DF

DF, that Browning T-bolt looks like a neat liitle setup. I like the spare mag in the buttstock!

I just sold last week a Marlin 882ssv. Stainless bull barrel, synthetic stock. It was accurate, even with the crappy trigger. Ordered a Ruger 8335 "predator" 22 mag, waiting for it to come in. I just couldn't get past the trigger and poor balance of that Marlin, it was WAY to front heavy.

I have a pristine Browning BPR in 22 mag, but it has a problem right now. My father in law left it cocked for over 15 years, and it won't always fire. I took it apart, there are two firing pin springs. One long and one short. I can't find out how it should be, the owner's manual is too vague and haven't found another one to compare it to. Of course Browning doesn't service them anymore.

Benn a .22 mag fan forever. When I got my Anschutz 141m as a kid in the 60's thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I could kill woodchucks stone dead past 150 yards. I've still got that rifle and it still shoots.

Got a Sako quad with 4 barrels, don't have to throw it away if they quit making some caliber. It's a shooter and a good choice for a .22 mag.

They've got piles of .22 mag ammo at the local Walmart now, large quantities and selection along with all other rim fires except M2's. Been that way since the week after the election.

I agree that the heavy barrel Marlin bolt guns are muzzle heavy with synthetic stocks. Because of that imbalance, I put my heavy barrel Marlin bolt guns, the 882SVV, 917M2, 917M2S, 917VSSF, and XT-22VR in Boyds Rimfire Hunter style laminated stocks. That change gives them a "big rifle" feel, making them feel more like a CF bolt gun and a better understudy.

I have bought and flipped a bunch of rifles the last decade, the rifle I thought I would never use and made 400.00 bucks on the flip was a Marlin 1894M, 22Mag...bad move on my part.

Just so happens to be a NIB on GB

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/604938153

I have a Savage 93 in 22 mag. I believe it was 130 new. I put a rifle basix trigger in it. It will shoot an enlarged hole at 50 yards with the right ammo. It will shoot minute of squirrel head at 75. They are a definite step up in power above a 22lr. for squirrels and rabbits body shots ruin the meat. Animals like armadillos a 22 kills them but they run off. A 22 mag plants them on the spot. Shooting animals the size of beavers groundhogs skunks, coons you can tell the difference.
It is impossible to buy ammo for them where I live for the last 4 years. Mine won't shoot the 30 gn bullets at all and that is all that is available here locally.

I have scored a couple of good deals from them in the past year or so. Nothing I had to negotiate on. They came from the rack outside the Gun Library. One was a brand new Ruger Hawkeye Ultrailight 30-06. They had a 10% off coupon and I got an additional military 5% discount. It came in right at $400. The other was a Cabelas exclusive Savage Prairie Dog Hunter 22-250 heavy barrel. It was used but barely. $275. It shoots groups under 1/2 inch.

I was in there yesterday and nothing really turned me on.

Those 93's are tack drivers. My buddy had one and that's all he used on yotes after trying 22-250 and even .223 rem he says he likes the little 22mag better because it doesn't tear up the pelt as bad. His loved the 50gr. JHP federals as does my older chuckster. However, my new RAR loves the lighter 30gr. v-max hornady's... Here's how my chuckster (that is older than me) shoots the heavy 50gr. Federal JHP "yote loads":



Probably not as accurate as your Savage 93, but still plenty accurate enough for the hunting I do with it...

OR buy a cz 22 hornet and load down


Cartridge : .22 Hornet(.222 groove=CIP+SAAMI)
Bullet : .224, 30, Barnes VG 22430
Useable Case Capaci: 12.141 grain H2O = 0.788 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 1.720 inch = 43.69 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Alliant BLUE DOT

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-10.0 59 5.40 2028 274 13797 1738 82.2 1.363
-09.0 60 5.46 2047 279 14079 1763 82.6 1.350
-08.0 61 5.52 2066 284 14365 1787 83.1 1.338
-07.0 61 5.58 2085 290 14657 1812 83.6 1.325
-06.0 62 5.64 2105 295 14953 1836 84.0 1.313
-05.0 63 5.70 2124 300 15255 1860 84.5 1.302
-04.0 63 5.76 2143 306 15562 1884 85.0 1.290
-03.0 64 5.82 2162 311 15874 1909 85.4 1.279
-02.0 65 5.88 2181 317 16192 1932 85.8 1.268
-01.0 65 5.94 2199 322 16515 1956 86.3 1.257
+00.0 66 6.00 2218 328 16843 1980 86.7 1.246
+01.0 67 6.06 2237 333 17177 2004 87.1 1.236
+02.0 67 6.12 2256 339 17517 2027 87.5 1.225
+03.0 68 6.18 2274 345 17862 2050 87.9 1.215
+04.0 69 6.24 2293 350 18213 2074 88.3 1.205
+05.0 69 6.30 2311 356 18570 2097 88.7 1.195

Results caused by ± 3% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 3% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 66 6.00 2258 339 17551 2016 88.8 1.224
Data for burning rate decreased by 3% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 66 6.00 2177 316 16149 1939 84.4 1.269

Most of the time, I don't see anything I want.

If I have a gun that I want to move, one I wouildn't sell to a friend...

Then unloading such a piece on those guys is the way to go. They think they know so much about guns...

It's almost fun messing with them, if you get my drift...

DF

Now you've gone and done it...

the Blue Dot Naythesayers will hound you until the day you die...

CZ rifle in 22 mag is perfection....22lr is nice too.

I have Savage in 17 HMR. I bought them for killing critters that mess up around the house and harass my cat, racoons, possum, etc. The 17 HMR left me with too many runners. I got very frustrated. Eventually, I got mad and bought a Ruger 77/22 in 22 Mag. The gun is plenty accurate and I have not lost a single animal since I began using the 22 Mag. I save the 17 now for plinking and messing around. For serious critter control that 22 Mag cannot be beat.

Had the Ruger American rifle been on the market at the time I probably would have bought the less expensive RAR instead. But, I am really glad I got what i have. The rifle is built like a tank.

I really like Magnum Research's semi-auto 22mag. I've also got an early Ruger SS boat paddle w/green inserts. Both shoot the 30gn Hornady well. I see the newer MR semi-autos come with a sticker that says no 30gn bullets, however, mine shoots and cycles them just fine. I replaced the complete trigger group with a Timney that incorporates the mag release under the trigger guard.

I love my Marlin XT-22 mag. I may get the .17 HMR too. I've been thinking about it.

Were you just using the 17 gr VMax bullets?

I've found the 20 grain Game Point and the 20 grain FMJ are a dramatic step up when the animal gets bigger... but these are shots of 100 yds or less...

but its also ALL about shot placement...I'm doing head shots...

Some of the other bullets I mention, I think it has much more to do with bullet design, than just the extra 3 grains being any difference....

Know a few locals who've taken down deer with a 17 HMR... but these were those raiding their apple trees, and were head shots into the ear, from a solid rest and an unsuspecting deer...

instead of " don't try this at home"... home is the only place to really try it...

For me, still the best bullets for the 22 Mag, are the old CCI 40 grain Solids or FMJ....for putting down a deer hit by a car, even out past a 100 yds, in 30 something years, my Marlin 25MN has put down over a dozen deer, that have been hit by cars...

head shots...immediately dropped like a sack of bricks...

walk up to them, and the first thing I always noticed was the ear drums bulged out of the ears... shake their head and it was like hearing water in a rubber boot...

I;m hoping under Trump, we'll start to see those 22 Mag bullets showing up... I am sure the older types have been hoarded by those in the know of their effectiveness...

Oh, I really hope you are wearing your nomex underwear. 17HMR panties really get wound up when you say the 22 magnum kills critters better. I've also seen it first hand when 17HMR is being used side by side with the 22 magnum on yotes. It's pretty decisive who the clear winner is there... Just sayin..

Popped a half dozen 250 pound hogs in the head with one this morning when we were butchering. Dropped 'em like a stone. Thought about letting them out of the trailer...wasn't feeling that sporting. Liked the rifle real well, maybe I outta put a 640D Chuckster on my Christmas list.

FMJ's aren't needed for deer out of the .22 mag... The 40 gr, Winchester JHP'S shoot right through their heads and churn their brains to custard out to 75 yards. They kill deer pretty quick with lung shots too and will penetrate completely through the lung cavity of 100- 140 lb. deer with broadside shots. Sometimes they exit and sometimes you find a nicely mushroomed bullet against the hide on the far side. I don't see how 50 grain bullets would be needed on coyotes either as I've shot those same 40 gr Winchesters completely through coyotes numerous times.

Just picked up an WW 94-22 mag. Only shot a few jacks with it, but the little I tried testing different ammo, all shot very well.. Some of it shot super.. My CZ is a constant companion in the spring and summer.. the 94 may give it a run for its money, but it is in pretty good condition, so I am sure I will baby it some..

Seafire,

I've seen hogs drop in their tracks, shot with the .17 HMR. I agree with you, the best ammo for hogs is FMJ. Walmart had it in the past.

I got FMJ ammo for my .22 WMR T-Bolt, had to order it on line. Haven't had this gun long enough to try it out on hogs. But, it should do well. The "T" is a bit faster than a convential bolt.

To me, hogs seem tougher targets than deer, so I'd probably stick with FMJ's. I've never killed a deer with a rimfire, no need. I have too many good centerfire deer rifles to even consider otherwise.

Our local Cajun "after hours harvesters of fine venison" prefer the .22 WMR. They shoot between the two bright eyes illuminated by mega candle power torches...

They power up big on lumens, stick with the basics for "hunting"...

DF

Speaking of hog butchering time, my dad was the frugal sort. .22 shorts between the eyes is all you need to kill a hog. As I recall, hog killing occurred first really cold spell, usually with ice on the ground. I used to wrap the butcher knives to avoid slipping and hurting myself with one on the way to the barn.

I've been a fan of the HMR since it came out in 2002, BUT I'm not exactly blind to the fact that the WMR's heavier bullets kill better, IF you can hit what you're shooting at. The HMR is a heckuva lot better at HITTING stuff, though.

My old Marlin, with favored lots of ammo, is a consistent, everyday, 5/8" shooting rifle. Not an exaggeration, everyday. I've not seen a WMR that can do that at 50 yards, let alone 100 like my HMR. Maybe they exist, but I'm not privy to them.

22 mag a big step up from 22LR

+1

It is.

DF

.22 LR when you want to plink and .22 WMR when you want to hunt.