To heck with .22's. How 'bout .22 mags.?

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It seems like every time I get into the old pickup and drive into town, I try to swing by the local Sportsmen's Warehouse and the other sporting goods stores to see if they have any .22 ammo.

As everyone else has been experiencing, finding .22 ammo is like finding ten million dollars in gold coin buried in your backyard. Sure, it's been done, but it's not one of those everyday things, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I've noticed that while .22 ammo is fairly scarce, there are usually several boxes of .22 magnum on the shelf for not much more than the .22's are currently going for. So, I said, "Why not? I mean, you can't reload either one, so what the heck!"

As a result, I've been starting to try to have several boxes of .22 magnum on hand. If the truth be told, I love shooting the .22 magnum more than the .22 lr, especially with my Winchester 9422M. When it hits a ground squirrel, it not only drops him, but it launches him out of his hole with great theatrical fervor. You can't beat that for entertainment!:D

It's also great to shoot in my Ruger Single Six, but I think I prefer the rifle more.

Anybody else experiencing the same?
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You may be on to something. I bought a Single Six convertible back in 62. There are still some magnum rounds in the old gun belt I used back then.

Never did shoot them because they were too costly.They are from the 2nd box of mags I bought. They were impressive to say the least. Maybe that has changed enough to give them another try.
 
I have never had a firearm that increased in value faster than this one. A Winchester model 61 .22 magnum.

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Bullet Bob, I won't tell if you don't tell. My Model 48-4 S&W

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Then there's this nasty little thing. High Standard .22 Magnum Deringer.
This is basically an ear, nose and throat gun with a minute of five gallon bucket at ten feet accuracy. I think this may be the loudest gun I own.

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My beloved and extremely loud S&W 650.
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.22 magnum ammo is neither plentiful or cheap around here. I do know of a north Georgia pawn shop that had a huge supply of it because he priced it at nearly $1.00 per cartridge. I found some .22 WRF not long ago for $5.00 per box and bought a good bit of it. My son and I shot most of it through the S&W and his Winchester 275 pump rifle.
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While my local WM gets SOME .22LR on a weekly basis, they haven't seen any .22WMR in Months.
I used to have a Colt New Frontier Convertible, but sold it a few years ago, due to lack of use.
The only .22Mag I still own is my NAA Mini-Mag LR/WMR convertible.
 
"Then there's this nasty little thing. High Standard .22 Magnum Deringer."

I had one of those when I was so young I was nearly gunless. Actually shot it so much I spread the frame at the pivot point.
The gunsmith who fixed it was so tickled he didn't charge me. He did sell me a model 14 though.
 
About 8 or 9 months ago, maybe longer, Wally World where I shop had no 22lr but plenty of 22 magnum. I stocked up and glad I did because it is very hard to find. A couple of weeks ago I stopped in a Rural King in Jeff. IN and they had 22mag (WIN X) with a 2 box limit for around $13 a box, got two. CB, I also have a little 650 that came with the extra cylinder and is fun and loud to shoot.
 
Around the Denver area, my casual looking around usually yields way more 22LR than 22 Mag.

I had been carrying a 351pd for CCW and after about 6 months or so, the shortage hit. Hornady Critical Defense became impossible to find at any reasonable price. Kinda forced me to rethink things from a practice standpoint. I have since upgraded to the much easier to find 38 special.

Hope 22 mag comes back soon; I enjoy variety in my carry revolvers.
 
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I'm kind of fond of the.22 Magnum too. That is all I use in my Ruger Super Single Six, and I have 15 rifles in .22 Magnum. The 30gr offerings of recent years are extremely accurate in most of the rifles.

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Henry H001M with large loop and brasslite barrel band and receiver cover.
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This one is/was kinda buttugly with black plastic stock so I had it hydro dipped.
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Winchester 9422M
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KO
 
Back in the day, and I mean WAY back in the day, we used to hunt big jackrabbits at night with a spotlight. It was legal then. I had a Ruger Single Six with both cylinders, and I really liked the .22 Mag. but could rarely afford it. On the other hand, .22 WRF was readily available and quite a bit less expensive than the mags, and I used a lot of it on those big ol' Jacks. It thumped the dickens out of 'em - I thought it worked every bit as well as the mags. I was in a LGS a few days ago and, while they had no .22 LR or .22 Mag., they had a bunch of .22 WRF at $9/box. So I bought some. I'll be usin' it at Iggy's place in a month or so, and I expect it will work just fine on the local prairie dogs!
 
I got lucky in Nov. MidwayUSA had Hornady Critical Defense .22mag in 50, 500, or 2000 round boxes. I bought a 2000.They had it for around 6 hours or so. Found it using gunboat.net.
Around the Denver area, my casual looking around usually yields way more 22LR than 22 Mag.

I had been carrying a 351pd for CCW and after about 6 months or so, the shortage hit. Hornady Critical Defense became impossible to find at any reasonable price. Kinda forced me to rethink things from a practice standpoint. I have since upgraded to the much easier to find 38 special.

Hope 22 mag comes back soon; I enjoy variety in my carry revolvers.
 
I'm in Colorado Springs and every few months they get .22mag in at Walmart. Here they get ammo in half their stores one day and the same type ammo in the other half of the stores the next day.
 
I had a Marlin bolt action in .22 WMR. It would shoot into about 2 1/2 inches at 100 yards. I just had to have a more sophisticated gun so I traded it in on a CZ 452. Now I have a beautiful rifle that shoots 6 to 8 inches at 100. :( It has been rebedded and a trigger job. I've tried every brand of ammo I could find. It's a LEMON. Anyone want to buy it?

 
Ron: As a matter of fact............PM me with your best price for the CZ 452 without the scope. I have a premium barrel maker in mind for a new barrel. .............. Big Cholla
 
My all time favorite gopher cartridge as well....gophers in Montana have put out a restraining order on me when I am out with my Marlin 25MN (magazine fed) wearing a Sightron 3x9 scope....It will hold 1.5-1.75" @ 100 yards all day long!

Randy

PS. Talking about the Marlin (older one)....I really should clean it....last weekend I shot 101 gophers....a little Shooters Choice and a brush and we will be good to go again. All that shooting and I never noticed any lack of accuracy...nor did the gophers!!
 
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Consider this...There is a lot more ammo at Wal-mart and sporting goods stores this month than there was a month or six weeks ago. From what i have heard, with the election coming up this fall, and these guys in Washington now wanting to lose their jobs, that buy mid-September the stores ar going to have ammo coming out of their ears...INCLUDING 22 LR. The 22 LR is the most popular cartridge in the US, so that is what the politicians or going to make sure is on the shelves.
 
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