.22WMR ammunition

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.22WMR ammunition

Post by NTSOG » 15 Oct 2020, 6:05 am

G'day,

I've just acquired an old Anschutz 1515 [1976] in .22WMR in spite of being told and having read that the calibre is 'inaccurate'. It was recommended when I collected the rifle I try some Hornady V-Max [30 gr] ammunition to start. My first 3 shot group when zeroing at 100 yards was a fraction over 1" before the wind became too strong for any real accuracy. Two days later I finished zeroing off a bench and bags on a very still day: all groups were 1 inch or less and it shot one 3 shot clover-leaf [all touching] and then 3 shots in two holes. So much for the calibre being 'inaccurate'.

Is there any other .22WMR ammunition worth looking at in terms of accuracy? In the mean time I knocked off a large hare the other night for dog food: the 30 grain bullet made a real mess of the internals of the hare which would not stay still long enough for me to aim for a head-shot, hence I shot it through the body.

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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by flashman » 15 Oct 2020, 7:46 am

Well Jim thats great news as 22 wrm i think its a great cal ,its my got to gun for long range rabbits,like u said out to 100mtrs but on foxs it shines .... :thumbsup:
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by Shootermick » 15 Oct 2020, 9:06 am

I use the same Hornady 30gr Vmax in my Ruger Compact. They shoot really well, and hit nice and hard for a little rimfire. It’s the first gun I grab out of the safe most times when I’m just driving around working on the farm.
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by Bello » 15 Oct 2020, 10:27 am

Hello NTSOG
I have a 22WMR, (Ruger 77/22 stainless with paddle stock) I couldn't get it so shoot very accurate groups. I tried several different brands of ammo in different weights, no luck. If you tried a sting of shots, there would always be a flyer.
I tried some Remington accutip-v, they seem to be better in my rifle. I think they are 33gr from memory.
Only two problems I found with them.
First problem, they are hard to get, no one seems to stock them (when I was looking, may be better now).
Second, they were expensive. It is cheaper for me to buy 223 than 22WMR.
As I reload now, I predominantly use my 223 (My go to gun/calibre) and the 22WMR guards the safe from the inside :lol:
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by bladeracer » 15 Oct 2020, 1:44 pm

Bello wrote:As I reload now, I predominantly use my 223 (My go to gun/calibre) and the 22WMR guards the safe from the inside :lol:


I found the same, I was already loading .222Rem when I lashed out on a .22WMR. I found WMR-esque loads in the .222 shot better, and were way cheaper than WMR ammo.
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by NTSOG » 15 Oct 2020, 3:01 pm

G'day All, It seems that the .22WMR is either loved or hated. I wanted something a little lighter [and quieter] capable of shooting rabbits and foxes at closer ranges in a couple of places near my property which are overgrown and will require a fair bit of scrambling around over steep and uneven terrain. I have two rifles in .222, but they would not be as 'handy' in the more uneven and scrubby terrain, but they do good service around open paddocks at longer ranges. I'm still very fit, but am 70 and have an artificial hip; I don't leap tall buildings anymore! My BRNO Mod. 2 in .22LR is fun to shoot and very accurate with RWS sub-sonics, but I wouldn't be choosing to shoot foxes with it at my present level of skill, hence the .22WMR.

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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by Blr243 » 15 Oct 2020, 3:09 pm

CCI seems to shoot best in my marlin
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by animalpest » 15 Oct 2020, 5:14 pm

I also have a Ansutchz WMR for some 40+ years.
The Hornady ammo shoots really well, around an inch at 100yds.

I thought I would see what it likes and bought 8 different loads, from 30gr through to 50gr in a variety of manufacturers. I also already had a few different ones (4) that I tried as well.

The Hornady was a clear winner, although the CCI Gamepoint was second. Groups were as small as 0.75 inch with Hornady and 1 inch for CCI.

Subsonic WMR rounds were woeful and the 50gr had useable accuracy.

So now I had a great round to shoot rabbits and the odd fox and one round (Gamepoint) that I could use on everything bigger such as foxes, wild dogs and smaller pigs.

Trying different tension on the action screws can also improve accuracy.
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by Shootermick » 15 Oct 2020, 5:43 pm

Blr243 wrote:CCI seems to shoot best in my marlin


I put a box or two of them through my 9422M and liked them too, the 40gr maxi mags. Last time I bought ammo I couldn’t get them so just loaded up on the Vmax’s. I never put the CCI’s through my Ruger though.
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by mchughcb » 15 Oct 2020, 5:52 pm

CCI Vmax 30gr, Remington 33gr Vmax or Federal 50gr HP rainbow warriors are the most accurate.
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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by NTSOG » 15 Oct 2020, 7:13 pm

animalpest wrote: "Trying different tension on the action screws can also improve accuracy."

I did exactly that with my BRNO model 2 [.22LR] and it made a great difference in group sizes.

Anschutz recommend a range from 22 to 35 inch pounds for action screws for their rifles When I zeroed this 1976 model 1515 I set the action screws at 20 inch pounds as a starting point, planning to shoot groups and increase screw torque in increments of 4 as I did with the BRNO. However because the groups were so tight at 20 I left the screws alone.

Thanks,

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Re: .22WMR ammunition

Post by animalpest » 16 Oct 2020, 3:58 pm

Jim, that's great. I recall mine preferred lower to middle of the range torque.

While it didn't improve groups much, it made them more consistent. Like where you place the stock on the rest.
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