Im Curious 22mag

[BigAl52]

Ive been thinking about a small game carbine in 22 mag. So you 22 mag lovers out there are how many of you are using them to plink with vs only using them to hunt vermits with. Just would like to see how often you are shooting yours for just plinking. Al

[Sir Henry]

In general I don't shoot any of my .22WMR firearms very much.

[Mistered]

Unless higher end .22 LR will work for what you plan to hunt I think I would bypass the 22 mag and go with a .17 HMR. I had the opportunity to shoot one and it's what I would do over the .22 mag. Reality being what it is the .22 mag doesn't offer much over high end LR ammo and .17 HMR ammo runs a little less than .22 mag.

[North Country Gal]

We only use our 22 mag Low Wall to plink and target shoot, not hunt. As rimfire cartridges go, it comes in a distant third behind the 22 LR and then the 17 HMR for us. I do like the cartridge, though, just for what it is. I enjoy shooting it. Nice change of pace. More load choices, these days, too and prices are getting more reasonable these past few years.

We've owned a variety of rifles in 22 mag, but accuracy in the various 22 mags we've had has been unpredictable. Some have been very good and some pretty bleak, even trying various loads. When we've found a good one, we value it. For instance, our current Low Wall in 22 mag is actually not just good, but superb, best we've ever had in a 22 mag. Will never sell it, even though we don't shoot it as much as some of our other rimfires.

[BigAl52]

I wouldnt be buying one to hunt with either. If I was hunting vermits I have all kinds of other calibers to hunt with. I would be doing like you NCG and just plinking. I did look at 22mag ammo online and see its a lot cheaper that it use to be. Fiocchi 22 mag ammo is the least expensive from what I found but Im not sure how accurate it is although it does have a decent review. Ive always like the 22 mag and I have had the 17 before I have just not really cared for the round. Its a personal thing nothing against the round in general. Al

[North Country Gal]

Where I like the 22 mag as a cartridge, compared to the 22 LR, is shooting beyond 50 yards. A 22 LR can do a good job at 100 yards, but it takes a day of good shooting conditions. I find the 22 mag to be less fussy in that respect.

[Sir Henry]

The 17 doesn't really give much of an advantage in a Henry. But I've found it is extremely accurate in a CZ American. It is a lot more accurate than a 22 mag.

[Mistered]

It is a lot more accurate than a 22 mag.

This is true -and enough of a reason to choose it over a .22 Mag.

[North Country Gal]

Have to agree on the 17. In our CZs and even in our 14" Contender pistol, the 17 HMR is number one in the rimfire accuracy department.

[Frontiersman]

I treat them like I did my center fires before I started hand loading.

Pretty much, they only come out to confirm sighting in and hunting.

.25 cents, plus a shot is not for an afternoon of plinking. At that price, I'd just assume move on to something bigger.

But now, I'll have to admit, you have me thinking about a .22mag Saturday plink fest. I might have to shoot up some of that old stock ammo. Just to keep it fresh, of course.

[BigAl52]

I havent pulled the trigger on the 22 mag yet as I am questioning myself on how much I would shoot it. But I do know that I just bought some 22 mag ammo because I have a pistol that shoots it and Im in that at .18 cents a shot shipped to my front door. Al

[PT7]

Mostly depends on what a person wants to use it for, and all the posts so far reflect many different uses, likes and dislikes. If you'd like a .22 Magnum plinker, BigAl, I'd say go for it and enjoy. And I can verify that a Henry .22 Magnum would be a good choice.

I had a Henry .22 Magnum lever action model (H001M) back in 2015, and it was my fun plinker rifle. Never used it to hunt. Plenty of very fun range days (had it for a year) shooting at tin cans and black steel targets, as well as a ground reactive target. The sound of a .22 Magnum shot out of a rifle and hitting steel is really cool. This Henry was one I had to let go due to some budget needs back then. There are those days I wish it still were in my gun cabinet. It sure was a beautiful Henry and a great shooter.

Ive been thinking about a small game carbine in 22 mag. So you 22 mag lovers out there are how many of you are using them to plink with vs only using them to hunt vermits with. Just would like to see how often you are shooting yours for just plinking. Al

[Steve51]

I have the Henry H001TM version .22mag rifle. I do use mine for shooting groundhogs, crows, and occasional coyote. I also do some plinking with mine and as mentioned earlier, it is fun to shoot steel targets. I didn't shoot mine often when the ammo was scarce but now I probably shoot it as often as I do the BBS .357.

When I bought mine, I also considered the .17 but was afraid that cartridge would fade away or be hard to find down the road. Not the first time I have been wrong but I do not regret buying the .22mag.

I usually shoot CCI 40 gr. Maxi Mag hollow points or the Remington 40 grain hollow points. I also like the Remington 33 grain V-Max and the CCI and Hornady 30 grain V-Max ammunition.

[Conax]

I groundhog hunted for years with a Mossberg 'Chuckster' in .22wmr. I have also taken a coyote with it. A pack of feral dogs was driven off and sent scampering one time, too.
While some rifles are picky about the ammo, the round itself is fine.
I have a bunch of Winchester and CCI ammo bought years ago at much lower prices, though, so cost isn't really a factor. If I was buying it now my opinion may be different, of course.
I like the little extra oomph the wmr has over the LR, while still being soft spoken.

[Henry88]

Most of my plinking is empty cans. Obviously, I don't shoot glass or anything that makes too much of a mess. So it makes no sense to shoot cans with a WMR. It's also too loud. It also doesn't make sense to shoot cans with a .308 or .223 either, though.

It is true that I don't shoot my WMR as much as the LR. It's not due to the cost, however, but due to the noise.

I see on wikiarms that WMR is down to about $0.15, slightly less in bulk, and that is not so bad. The good stuff is still at about $0.20.