.22 Magnum

[Noah Cantell]

I want to get a feel for what the world thinks about this cartridge and how heavy, or what type of animal can be reasonably hunted at what distance. Let's say the effective range is out to 100 yards. Any comments welcome. Does anyone know the ballistic coefficient of this round at say 40 grains? Average foot pounds down range at 25 - 50- 75 - 100 yards ?

[Noah Cantell]

Forgot to add that I'm thinking 50 pounds - more or less thin skin animals ought to be tops out to 100 yards.

I fully realize proper bullet placement is critical with any round, but I don't want to hear about foolish head shots to larger animals.

[Suzuki]

Small game up to fox size in my opinion.

[reddog]

Small game up to fox size in my opinion.

+10

[stinkycat]

+10

I think it will fall short for fox or larger. Usually longer distance hunting for that size animal and I would not feel comfortable using the 22mag. But depends on what you want to hunt and at what distances. I would think snowshoes and squirrel size would be a max up to 100 yards. IMHO

[Noah Cantell]

A 40 grain .22 mag at 100 yards develops "at least" 100 foot pound of energy ( more rather than less). For those that don't know - that's 100 foot pounds of energy per square inch. That means if you hit a 50 pound animal at 100 yards with a 40 grain .22 magnum, you will be hitting them with twice their body weight all in one square inch of where the bullet strikes. That's like a 100 pound boxer (prize fighter) being hit by a 200 pound boxer. How long do we think that 100 pound boxer will stay on its feet?

[AllenW]

Not sure, but doesn't the fact the bullet is not a sq inch in size come into play???

Al

[Noah Cantell]

Not sure, but doesn't the fact the bullet is not a sq inch in size come into play???

Al

Very good question. If you are right, the down range fp should be reduced by the number of 22's we could fit into an inch. That means if each bullet is 1/8th of an inch radius 8 X 8 = 64. 150 fp at 100 yards divided by 64 = 2 fp. That can't be right ? So maybe the mushroom effect comes into play. Maybe there is no exact answer considering bullets mushroom differently.

We have to get somebody smarter for this one.

[Esoxchaser]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectional_density
.

[Esoxchaser]

In MI we have to use rimfires when hunting at night. I prefer the 17hmr to a 22 mag because it is much, much more accurate. Bullet placement means as much or more than size and retained energy when taslking about rounds that are even remotely similar. Never seen a 'yote go more than 30 yards after a hit in the boiler room by a .17, usually less than 10 yards.

[reddog]

Why would a 17 hmr be more accurate than a 22 magnum ? Maybe "your" 17 hmr is much,much more accurate than "your" 22 mag, but I dont think across the board, there should be a difference..... should there? Dont get me wrong, I love my Hummer, but I also have 3 22 mags, and I dont think there a difference in the accuracy column.

[AllenW]

Not sure either way, but isn't the 17 a jacketed bullet?
Maybe that makes a difference???????

Al

[noah cantell]

Accuracy is not a function of the "factory" bullet as much as it's the rifle and the shooter.

The .22 mag has great punch at longer distances. Right about 75 yards the speedy .17 goes in the terlet by comparison overall.

[AllenW]

Accuracy is not a function of the "factory" bullet as much as it's the rifle and the shooter.

The .22 mag has great punch at longer distances. Right about 75 yards the speedy .17 goes in the terlet by comparison overall.

Don't think threr's a difference between jacketed and unjacketed bullets?

No so sure here.

Al...who's not rediculous, just wondering.

[Noah Cantell]

I've got 4 diff brands on hand. Do "they" make un-jacketed .22 mag ammo? I think the copper jacket allows better shot to shot consistency and easier cleaning. In the overall process those are both a part of accuracy I suppose.

[beeman]

now that's banging

[Esoxchaser]

The 17 hmr was designed from it's innception to be an accurate round. It is manufactured to much tighter tolerances than the .22 family. From Chuck Hawkes:
In developing the .17 HMR, Hornady was aided by rifle makers Marlin and Ruger. Together they were seeking the highest velocity possible in a rimfire cartridge consistent with reliability, accuracy, and reasonable manufacturing economy. The .17 HMR was designed to outperform the .22 WMR in velocity and trajectory, and be less susceptible to wind drift. It was also to have a similar maximum range, no greater noise level, be less susceptible to ricochet, and operate at the same pressure. All this in a cartridge designed to meet an intrinsic accuracy standard of 1 minute of angle (MOA) or better.http://www.chuckhawks.com/17HMR.htm

[Esoxchaser]

Accuracy is not a function of the "factory" bullet as much as it's the rifle and the shooter.



No, accuracy is also a function of the consistency of the load, which historically with mass produced rimfire .22 ammunition can vary widely from round to round even in the same box. Chrono a box of the usual off the shelf .22 ammunition and you will find a disparity of several hundreds of feet per second between the hottest and slowest rounds in the box. Add to that the lengths that typically vary by several thousandths per round making consistent accurate head spacing an impossible task and you have an round that is inherently not very accurate.



The .22 mag has great punch at longer distances. Right about 75 yards the speedy .17 goes in the terlet by comparison overall.

I don't know where you get your numbers, but this is what real world testing had found, again from Chuck Hawkes:


.17 HMR, 17 grain V-Max = ME 245 ft. lbs., 185 ft. lbs. at 50 yards, 136 ft. lbs. at 100 yards, 99 ft. lbs. at 150 yards, 72 ft. lbs. at 200 yards.
.17 HMR, 20 grain XTP = ME 250 ft. lbs., 187 ft. lbs. at 50 yards, 137 ft. lbs. at 100 yards, 99 ft. lbs. at 150 yards, 72 ft. lbs. at 200 yards.
.22 WMR, 30 grain TNT = ME 325 ft. lbs., 200 ft. lbs. at 50 yards, 120 ft. lbs. at 100 yards, 80 ft. lbs. at 150 yards.
.22 WMR, 40 grain JHP = ME 324 ft. lbs., 230 ft. lbs. at 50 yards, 162 ft. lbs. at 100 yards.



Note that the .22WMR wasn't even tested at 200 yards, as that is so far beyond it's MPBR that there is no point in even checking.....

[Noah Cantell]

Let folks decide for themselves. I still say the .17 is faster. But the .22 Mag has more knock down at any practical distance.


http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_17HMR_22WMR.htm

[Esoxchaser]

If you consider 100 yards your "practical distance" you would be correct.

[yarcraft91]

I used a .22 magnum rifle to hunt groundhogs on my dad's farm. The 40 grain JHP round would usually kill them in their tracks inside 100 yards with a head or upper body shot. Typical animal size where I hunted was 5-15 lbs.

In response to an earlier question- I have never seen an un-jacketed .22 mag round. The rifles are very easy to clean, almost no jacket material gets deposited in the rifling. I never got a "blue" patch out of mine like I do with all my centerfire rifles.

It also appears the modern .22 mag is loaded down from the ones I bought as a boy. Back then, the 40 grain load was spec'ed at 2000 fps, today more like 1800-1900.

[zackblain]

http://s7.postimage.org/jravs1d6z/335762_10150433694983126_755848125_10120530_1402.j pg

22 mag 115 yards. Head shot with 33 grain remington accutip (vmax)

[Noah Cantell]

Once upon a time and far away, I had a German .22 mag that could consistently print 10 shots at 150 yards, within a U.S. Quarter coin diameter. Never remember the guns you have sold. It can eat at you forever.

[Esoxchaser]

http://s7.postimage.org/jravs1d6z/335762_10150433694983126_755848125_10120530_1402.j pg

22 mag 115 yards. Head shot with 33 grain remington accutip (vmax)

Savage 93F, right? Sweet shooting guns.

[zackblain]

Savage 93F, right? Sweet shooting guns.

yeah the absolute cheapest 22 mag savage you can get, no heavy barrel or accu trigger needed to shoot straight

[AllenW]

I used a .22 magnum rifle to hunt groundhogs on my dad's farm. The 40 grain JHP round would usually kill them in their tracks inside 100 yards with a head or upper body shot. Typical animal size where I hunted was 5-15 lbs.

In response to an earlier question- I have never seen an un-jacketed .22 mag round. The rifles are very easy to clean, almost no jacket material gets deposited in the rifling. I never got a "blue" patch out of mine like I do with all my centerfire rifles.

It also appears the modern .22 mag is loaded down from the ones I bought as a boy. Back then, the 40 grain load was spec'ed at 2000 fps, today more like 1800-1900.


Wouldn't suprise me, I have reloading manuals from the 60's and they in many cases have hotter loads than the newer books.

Al

[JOEYC]

NOT SURE ABOUT ALL THE FOOT POUNDS, AS A KID ON THE FARM WE SHOT EVERYTHING WITH THE 22 MAG BECAUSE IT WAS OUR ONLY GUN, OTHER THAN A BOLT 12ga .

I REMEMBER A PERSON, SHOT A DEER OR TWO AT ABOUT 75-100 YARDS, AND THEY WERE DOA IN 50 YARDS OR SO, SKUNKS, COON, RABBITS, RATS, PHEASANTS, ALL MET THEIR END VERY QUICKLY.

I OWN A 597 IN 22 MAG, BECAUSE THE NEW 22 MAGS ROUNDS ARE EVEN MORE POWERFUL NOW THAN 30 YEARS AGO I WOULD HUNT ANYTHING WITH IT BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE.

[High Ball]

I can tell you that after one whole summer and fall using a .17-HMR, the wife and I went back to the .22 Magnum caliber for the varmints and critters hanging around the bird houses etc.

I shot 2 foxes on two separate times, distance was at 45 yards with the .17HMR direct hits int he front chest, drop them but they got up and made it back into the woods. I later hit a big coon 3 times before he made it to the woods, first shot was behind the shoulder, 2nd shot was quartering away and 3rd shot inthe rear. Never found that particular coon.

2 months ago I shot 4 coons in 3 nights after they chewed through the roof of one of my pigeon lofts. I used the .22-Mag and 50grn bullet. It worked like a majic wond. I shot and killed a coyote at 35 yards from inside my barn last week with the same load backed up with a Winchester 40 grn solid FMJ. However I do NOT recommend the .22-mag for coyotes, your better off with the .204 Ruger or .223 Remington caliber.

The rifles we use are Savage model 93, mine has the bull barrel with a 3x9 Bushnell mounted on top. Now at 75 yards, I can put 3 shots into the size of a quarter circle. The Savage is a very accurate rifle period! My wife's rifle is even more accurate than mine. I hope this helps you out