I want to get some opinions on 22 magnum rifles.
I have a Marlin XT 22 magnum bolt action & its a tack driver out to 100-125 yards. I mostly use Hornady V-Max (30 grain) or CCI Maxi Mag HP.
I have a blast when I shoot my 22 mag & I feel they are underrated & still offer a great choice for hunters especially with the improved modern ammo.

It's my understanding that its a favored round by deer poachers.

I have several...mostly for survival rifles...

Savage 24 DL .22 Mag/20 ga.

Marlin 882 Stainless DBM fed with synthetic stock. Had the barrel shortened and threaded for a AXIOM suppressor.

Cricket in stainless with a synthetic stock. Very small and light. Fits nicely in one of the nylon tactical shotgun scabbards.

Last is just for plinking fun...a Rossi copy of a Winchester 62. Older pre-bolt safety gun...very accurate, reliable and well made.

Favorite round is the original Winchester SUPER-X 40 grain JHP...

Bob

I've had a Marlin 882SSV for about 25 years now and can't imagine how many pasture poodles I've taken with it while in NE and KS. plus a few unsuspecting coyotes. when I bought it I got a flat(5,000 rds) of win 40gr HPs. I think I have four or five boxes left. it has always had a weaver 2.5-7X scope on it. I think they are way underrated. lee

I think 22 mag makes a great survival gun. You can carry a lot of rounds in a small package, in a rifle it has enough power to take game across a wide spectrum without too much damage or noise. Obviously you don’t want to use it for defense if in brown bear country, but plenty good most other uses. I have two Winchesters in 22 mag, a lever and a pump. I also have three handguns in the caliber but rifles are where 22 mag really shines.

MY favorite walking in Penn's Woods Rifle is my....

CZ452 FS/mannlicher w/ a 1-4x20 Leupold scope in .22 magnum........most any varmint in Pa. out to 100-125 yds.........................

I have a Henry .22 mag, nice compact little rifle that shoots great.
.22 mag ammo is even available again.
Have a model 48 also, does well with the self defense .22 mag that's being made now and the 50 grain Federals.

I love the round, don't have one myself but enjoyed shooting it growing up. Honestly I think the reason you don't hear about it that often is because it has been replaced by rounds like the .17 hmr.

From my research, many native Alaskans use these to harvest their winter caribou. Short, lightweight and inexpensive guns are major selling points. If I ever have to walk away with one gun and survive the long march, my Winchester 9422M would be my top choice. As much as I like my 9422M which is in mint condition, I would trade it for a well used Winchester 61 in 22 magnum.

Gets my vote. Got a Marlin bolt and the Ruger American which both are accurate and like 40grain CCI ammo which group well. Great for varmints at closer ranges. Ammo can be a challenge though.

.22 Mag WAS my favorite varmint cartridge until you suddenly could not seem to find it anywhere...17 hMR abounds here in Montana, So my Marlin 25MN is taking a rest....Is it obsolete? Not yet! Just hard to feed...

Got a .17 HMR CZ 452 Trainer with a Nikon Monarch scope on it....varmints can't tell what they were hit with....the results of the .17 HMR are VERY dramatic however!!

AND here in Montana I can actually re-supply.............

Randy

I enjoy my Marlin 783 tube fed 22wmr.
I would still like to find a Ruger 10/22 in 22wmr for well south of $1000.00.
I'm not holding my breath.

My Savage 93FV was devastating on watermelons this morning. Some old CCI 40gr HP ammo I found lurking in an ammo can.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Favorite ground squirrel rifle is my 22WMR Volquartsen lightweight with thm carbon fiber barrel and Hogue stock. It makes quick work of little digger infestations. Effective range is nearly twice that of my Ruger 1022T with it's best load. With the stupid non lead mandate in my area, it shoots CCI 30gr TNT Green very well. Haven't found another unleaded rimfire solution that shoots worth a darn.
If one is unfortunately stuck with non lead ammo, 22WMR is the only real option.
So, definitely not obsolete.

I had a Savage 93 heavy/fluted barrel, sold it, what a tack driver it was. I am looking for a CZ 22mag locally.

Several LGS's have had 22 mag Henry pump actions over the last year.

I've been tempted, but haven't gotten one yet.

For some reason, I like the idea of a pump action 22 rifle with octagonal barrel.

In my state can't hunt with it. I bought one decades ago. Shoot paper only.

WT.....?? Can't hunt with 22 WMR?! What state is that?

I own two. A CZ that has the best wood in my safe, and a Marlin that I'm currently rebuilding with a shortened barrel and a Boyd stock.

The CZ is a tack driver and it actually went for a walk this last weekend but I failed to see any PA ground hogs.

I too think the little cartridge is underrated. It's a much better option for fox when you want to actually have a pelt left over!

Not deer..... no ...... but what pete^^^^^^^^^ there said!!!!!!

Somebody likes them. I've not seen a box of 22mag ammo on a store shelf around here since the Newtown incident.

There were several years where I didn't see any either.

But within the last six months it started showing up in the big box sporting goods stores (e.g., Sportsmans Warehouse, Bass Pro) and now there are piles of it on the shelves in NorCal (Sacramento area).

Just took a look in the safe, I can state they're not extinct.

Recently picked up a used H&R single shot, now dialed in at 75 yards. Needed something to use with the ammo I have other than my single six and like single shots. Recently (last week) picked up a couple boxes at Wally world, less than 14 dollars per 50 rounds.

I've owned several Marlins and Savage bolt guns in .22 mag. For a while, I was obsessed with them. Lots of fun and great 100 yd accuracy for a rimfire. That said, I do think the 22 mag is a cartridge that has passed it's peak in following. The 17 HMR (and 17 Win Mag) have really taken over the niche that the .22 mag once ruled for small game hunters and plinkers alike. The 17 gives the same or better accuracy but shoots as flat as a laser out a bit past 22 mag distances.
I still keep one 22 mag rifle around but admittedly have gone mainly to the 17's for pests and lollypop busting inside 100 yds. I use 223 handloads for everything else. ( It's not hard to handload a .223 to behave exactly like a .22 mag, 218 Bee or anything in between.)

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Dave

The little Ruger American bolt action is pretty nice and cheap too. I just popped an old 4X scope on mine and it shoots good. When I was a kid we had the Kodiac 22 Magnum Auto. It didn't work at all; but, if you could get a cartridge in the chamber it was accurate. Bolt action is the way to go.

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Dr. B

I bought a Savage 93G in 22 Mag last year and have really enjoyed shooting paper with it. I put a scope on it, and it's accurate enough out to 100 yards or so for me to have fun with. Got in on the tail end of the .20 to .25 per round 22Mag ammo last year, shot it all up, and nowadays it's like you can't find it for less than .30 a round. Yep, three times .22LR, and some folks can't justify it, but for me it's all about the fun and enjoying what I'm shooting.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

I think .22 magnum is one of the most underrated rounds there is. As someone said, it really shines in a rifle. My two are a Marlin bolt rifle and a 9422M in the trapper model. The Marlin is scoped and the Winchester has open sights. That said, my favorite armadillo piece is a Ruger Single Six with the mag cylinder. It will deflate a 'diller like shooting a volleyball.

I have a bunch (2000+ rounds?) of ammo, but I am reluctant to shoot it, given the procurement difficulties. One of these days some youngster is going to enjoy all that ammo I have been hoarding.

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Georgia On My Mind

This cartridge has no place in anything but a rifle.

Unfortunately, such rifles offer a very limited improvement over a 22 lr rifle.

They stretch range by about 50 yards, from about 75 yards to 125 yards.

Under 75 yards, the 22 mag is no better than a 22 lr.

Most of the game I hunt is taken with 22 mag. I got into the round about 12 yrs ago with a Savage bolt action rifle and instantly became a fan. Later added a Ruger Single Six Hunter with the 7.5" barrel. With modern day (CCI/Hornady) ammo I get good accuracy out to 150 yds with the rifle.

If you are looking for a new rifle offering check out the CZ 512. That's the next one on my buy list. CZ-USA CZ 512 Semi-Automatic - CZ-USA

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Ephesians 6 (Armor of God)

I respectfully disagree.

There is nothing the .22 WMR will do that the .22 Hornet won't do a lot better and for the same or less cost.

Right now .22WMR can be had for around $.30 per round while .22 Hornet is around $.50 per round, but when .22WMR gets hard to find, .22 Hornet is usually still available. Plus it's reloadable.

I can normally get 30 grain varmint bullets on sale for about $.10 each, primers cost me $.03 each and powder cost is about $.06. If you consider the "extra" $.20 per round you pay for loaded .22 Hornet compared to .22WMR, and you consider an average of 5 reloads with the brass, you add about $.04 per round to the total cost, bringing it up to $.23 per round.

So for $.07 less per round than decent quality .22 WMR, I can launch a 30 grain bullet at 3,020 fps (compared to only 2,300 fps for the .22 WMR) and get 1 MOA accuracy.

Alternatively I can another $.07 per round loading a 40 gr V-Max and launch it at 2,700 fps (compared to only 2,050 fps for the .22WMR) and get 1/2 MOA accuracy - 650 fps more velocity and better accuracy for the same cost as .22WMR.

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Plus, .22 Hornet rifles can be found that are no larger than a .22 WMR, and at prices that are not that much higher.

Here is a Zastava Model 85 - the same basic rifle as the Interarms Mini Mk X, the Charles Daly Mini Mauser and the Remington 799 - the only differences was in stocks, barrel lengths and presence or absence of a front sight.




This is the Remington 799 version:



Both are sub MOA rifles averaging 5 shot groups in the 1/2 MOA to 3/4 MOA range depending on the load. They are very effective varmint rifles out to about 250 yards.

I can only say that I enjoy the .22 Magnum in rifles and the Ruger revolvers I've owned. In fact, more so than the .22 LR. I currently have one of the little Ruger American compact rifles in 22M. I put on a 1.5 to 4.5 power scope on mine and it is now a little ray gun out to 100 yards or so. Yes, I'm fully aware that 22LRs are cheaper, and 22 centerfires are ballistically superior. A professional hunter by the name of Ross Seyfried wrote an article in Guns & Ammo years ago in which he was very complimentary about the .22 WRM. The little WRM works for me, and like it or don't, I'm glad we have all these choices in what we can own and shoot....ymmv

BTW, I also have one of the little Marlin Camp 9 carbines. Another little ray gun plinker out to a hundred yards or so. Can I say it is better than, cheaper than, more powerful than, shoots flatter than? Nope. I can only justify it in that it is fun

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

If I can find a 22 Hornet rifle for $159 like my 22 mag, then im all in.

A local buffalo farm uses 22mag to dispatch the critters. Shot placement at a close range.

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CA ban no sharp pencils ovr 3"

I have a nice stainless marlin in 22mag somewhere in the safe

and have used it to dispatch several yotes and ferel animals through the years

but will also admit that it has been replaced by a 17wsm which is in my opinion a much harder hitting and longer range cartridge

I could never imagine a use for it. Anything I'd hunt with it, the 22 LR will do quite well (99.9% grey squirrels). Anything the 22 LR can't handle, I just don't shoot.

I've owned a couple of convertable 22LR/22 magnum revolvers. I've never even taken the mag cylinders out of the box. About all I use a handgun for to be honest is punching holes in paper, so no need to use expensive 22 magnum ammo for that.

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John 3:16 .

My friends and I used to dabble pretty heavily in the .22 mag. It was (and still is) a very capable round that can be shot accurately too 100 yds or so from a variety of inexpensive rifles. I think at one point, I owned 5 of them. Still keep a sweet little Ruger 77/22 mag on hand for occasionally dispatching of rotten apples in the fall. Admittedly though, the 22 mag has migrated to the back of the safe in favor of the 17 HMR and down loaded .223.

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Dave

My S&W 650. I mostly use this for busting ear drums.

My old Winchester 250 .22 magnum and 88 .308. I swapped the 250 for a 2", SB, S&W 10 and the 88 for a NIB Sig P225. I traded the 10, still have the Sig.

The .22 magnum is a round I always wanted to like but every time I get ready to buy one I look at the ballistics and it's not much better than .22 Stingers. If the .22 magnum was just slightly more expensive than 22 RF it would still have a place but the it usually costs about as much as .223 in my area. The 31 shot Kel Tec pistol will probably give the round some new life, a good friend just got one and really likes it, but it still costs about as much to shoot as a 9m/m.

I have often wondered if the Ruger convertible single six is the reason the .22 mag survived at all. That revolver was a must have gun when it first came out.

I have talked to several old-timers over the years, and the single six was the only handgun they owned. In their minds the .22LR for plinking, the .22mag was a "sidearm".

One very gun savy Korean war vet told me not to underestimate the little magnum it hits like a .38special.

Anyway with the popularity of the little revolver, a companion rifle would be a natural, especially a lever action.

Lets see ........ 22lr CCI Minimags are about $.08 /round now (IIRC Stingers are more like $.14-.16/rd) .......223 about $.40 and .22 maxi mag is $.30/round........ around here.

I view .22mag as a varmint/ round ....... so I can go a whole season shooting 100 rounds or less.... but my CZ 452FS/mannlicher w/ a 1-4x20 Leupold scope is my "walking in Penn's Woods" rifle....... groundhogs to Coyote's.

CCI data:

22 Maxi Mag 40gr. 1875fps 1319fps at 100yds // 312ftlb 155 at 100yds

22 Stinger 32gr. 1640fps 1066 // 191ftlb 81 at 100yds

Just picked up a Ruger American rifle ..... the compact in .22mag for $300 added a 1-4x20 Leupold.....and sling..... 35" long, 5 lbs w/ a 9round rotary magazine for a rough use utility/survival/ RZR rifle......... ammo weight about 1lb / 100 rounds.

Since .22lr has become more available, with a little diligence you can get it for 7.5 or 8 cents a round. As stated, the .22 mag is about 30 cents a round when you can find it.

That is nearly four times more than straight .22lr. My question is what was the ratio back say 12-15 years ago? Was the magnum always four times as much? I was never a .22mag shooter, but when I would see it on the shelf back then the difference between the two wasn't fourfold. Or was it?

The only 22 mag I've ever owned was a Ruger single six in stainless 40 years or so ago.
I shot the mag cylinder and it was an ear splitter, one also would have to zero it when changing out the cylinder. Decided it was not worth it. It also was the window gun for poachers. One shot behind the ear.

I had one uncle who bragged on how it would drop a deer. I did not want one just so I could say I don't have a need for one.

I had a 17 and liked it. For me the 22 mag is not obsolete, it just never started.

I'm gonna find out how good. My LGS is holding a Winchester lever action in 22mag for my. It'll go quite well with my Ruger 22lr/22mag convertible.

IMHO, the 22 mag rifle is almost as underrated as the 30-30.

Bob

I have had a Marlin Bolt action stainless steel 22 mag rifle for about 15 years now....it has dropped many coyotes from 100 yds. The 22 mag hollow point rounds are fun to watch on pigeons (which can later be used for coyote bait).

The 22 mag is sure under rated - I snapped up that Marlin with 3x scope and all for less than $200. If I could find a NAA mini in 22 mag I would snap it up too

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On the Oak Savannah

I work part time at the gun bar in a large, nationally known firearms retailer. I'd conservatively estimate that .17 HMRs outsell .22 Mag five to one.
Ammunition availability could have a little to do with it, as .17 HMR is readily available.

I remember buying Winchester wmr for $10/box 50 12-15 years ago... a brick o'22lr was $20 - $25? (iirc), so yes, I remember it always was 4x more.

To me, the whole advantage of the wmr was to increase accurate shooting out to 100yds+. However; most tree rats I was terminating were in the 30-50 yd range. So it never really made sense to me. Maybe if I were in an area with longer required shots.

I have an unfired Marlin 22 mag bolt gun.
I think it the model was MG25.
They called it the "Garden Gun"....
22mag smooth bore.
I guess they were toads cause they were
discontinued.
Still have a brick on 22mag shot shells.

My .22mag. Is a bit more old school than most posted about here. I have an old Mossberg 640 Chuckster that is darn close to 50yrs.old. Topped with a weaver 3-9 power scope she still gets the job done dispatching grass pigs
out in the field or tearing open aluminum cans at the range. I've liked it so much that I picked up a model 48 to go along with it awhile back. Ammo isn't impossible to come by. If it isn't on the shelves at the LGS it Can be found on line.
It's not Dirt cheap ,but what the heck is anymore?

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I reckon so