School me on 22mag and ammo

[mickb]

I cant resist any longer, too many fun memories from back in the day. : I also plugged small/medium pigs in the ear or lungs at 20-40m with a mates gun occasionally but its a very specific circumstance over baits. I know there are fellas here who use it much more expansively so thanks for any advice on the broader subject. Looking for:

Bolt action
Relatively Inexpensive-, I notice savage does one around $600, can I get anything under that semi-decent? Or should I go higher?

Also some types of ammo types Im wondering if anything stands out

-Longest ranging ammo.

-Cheap decent bulk ammo that does okay. Anyone use the aguila stuff which is very cheap?

I assume no ''match grade'' type ammo for 22WMR like with a 22LR , so its a case of test a bunch in the gun and buy the winner by the batch. Or is there higher grade ammo right off?

Best expectations for accuracy if I test enough?.

[animalpest]

In .22 mag rifles, each rifle will like those it likes and those that it hates. So take recommendations as suggestions but not gospel.

Having said that, I have tested every available ammo that I could get my hands on from multiple gun shops in 2 different .22 mag rifles.

Any .22 mag ammo is not long range - lighter bullets will shoot a bit flatter - but either way, for hunting, a maximum range is about 150 yds. You win on bullet drop but lose on energy.

For heavier animals, you cannot go past CCI Game point. The bullet performs very well on "larger" game. Lucky for me, it is also the most accurate of the 40-50gr bullets.

The ammo giving the most precision for my 2 rifles has been Hornady 30gr stuff.

As far as cheap rifles go, dunno, I don't really buy them

[mickb]

Thanks for the tip on CCI gamepoints mate in particular, I will give them a look.

[Oldbloke]

Sorry, but TBH I think in the long run you would be better off with a 223 or 222.

Just a quick search I come up with this.

22mag $20 for 50 abt 40c a shot
233 $110 for 100 abt $1.10 a shot. Later if your keen you can reload the 223/222 for less than 40c a shot.

That's the way I went.

[mickb]

Cheers oldbloke. Already looked at ammo costs and doesnt bother me for this one. Decided to sell my 223 to my brother incidentally. I just never used it.

[Oldbloke]

Cheers oldbloke. Already looked at ammo costs and doesnt bother me for this one. Decided to sell my 223 to my brother incidentally. I just never used it.

[northdude]

The last 22mag I owned was a zastava not sure if you have them over there but it was a nice quality rifle and shot pretty good as well. It liked the hornady ftx ammo and the highland which I don't think you can get anymore

[bladeracer]

Sorry, but TBH I think in the long run you would be better off with a 223 or 222.

Just a quick search I come up with this.

22mag $20 for 50 abt 40c a shot
233 $110 for 100 abt $1.10 a shot. Later if your keen you can reload the 223/222 for less than 40c a shot.

That's the way I went.

I think you're doing really well to find WMR for $20/50, it's more commonly around $35-40 a box now from what I've seen. If you can find it for $20, and it shoots well in your rifle, then it's certainly viable.

[Blr243]

Driving round th wheat stubble paddock one night shooting quite a few pigs but they went quiet for a bit but there was still a few foxes and cats so I switched to the 22 mag. But a couple of minutes later all of a sudden there was a reasonable boar I thought sh t where did he come from I had no time to swap rifles as he was alert head up looking my way. I knew a head shot was my only option. Dropped on the Spot. Nothing wrong with the 22mag on brsinshots. Cci ( and the various Different types of cci ) work best in my marlin. And if I Rem well lots of folk have best results with cci in their 22 mags ...

[Blr243]

When I say my marlin it’s not a lever. It’s a bolt

[Oldbloke]

Sorry, but TBH I think in the long run you would be better off with a 223 or 222.

Just a quick search I come up with this.

22mag $20 for 50 abt 40c a shot
233 $110 for 100 abt $1.10 a shot. Later if your keen you can reload the 223/222 for less than 40c a shot.

That's the way I went.

I think you're doing really well to find WMR for $20/50, it's more commonly around $35-40 a box now from what I've seen. If you can find it for $20, and it shoots well in your rifle, then it's certainly viable.

Found this. $22 for 50
Yesterday I spotted one $18 for 50. Ca.t find it now.

https://www.rebelgunworks.com.au/collec ... 2760577101

But your right most of it is about $35 or more.

Makes the 222 & 223 look good.

[Oldbloke]

Way off topic. I did the google on costs and come up with these costs for loading 223.
Aprox I guess.

Screenshot_20220802-190055_Sheets.jpg (108.8 KiB) Viewed 3340 times

[bladeracer]

Way off topic. I did the google on costs and come up with these costs for loading 223.
Aprox I guess.

Screenshot_20220802-190055_Sheets.jpg

I load 55gn at 1800fps on Trailboss for under 30-cents apiece.
Because there aren't any bulk deals on the lighter bullets anymore, loads with 30gn to 45gn bullets are not much under 50-cents apiece.

[NTSOG]

G'day mickb,

I bought a Weihrauch 66P in .22 magnum last year. It's very accurate - about 0.8" grouping at 100 yards - with Hornady 30gr. V max. which leave the muzzle at about 2200 fps. I use it on hares and any fox or cat dumb enough to come in range as I walk about the paddocks carrying a quad stick rest. I consider it a '100 yard' rifle, but fluked a sitting fox with a front-on chest shot at 142 yards last year off a set of quad sticks. I have a PARD 008 mounted on it and also use a VCSEL IR illuminator from the UK. [I don't use the in-built illuminator on the PARD to save battery power.]

Jim

[deye243]

Thanks for the tip on CCI gamepoints mate in particular, I will give them a look.

Also see if you can find the federal 50 grain loading some people find it very accurate in their rifles

[Elmer]

I bought my sako quad in 2007 , it likes Remington 40gn JHPs and the furthest kill i made with it was a Raven at 240yds, furthest Rabbit 180yds
These kills are on film on my YouTube channel
SA Feral Shooter.
I really like the. 22 WMR it has the energy past 100 to drop a fox , the Remington ammo isn't fancy but groups consistently between. 75 and 1 inch at 100.
I have tried the Hornady vmax stuff and it does shoot a little tighter but is prone to more fliers, plus the heavier bullet past 100 is better for larger ferals such as foxes and cats.

[mickb]

Thanks fellas for all the info.

[solarpak]

I bought my sako quad in 2007 , it likes Remington 40gn JHPs and the furthest kill i made with it was a Raven at 240yds, furthest Rabbit 180yds
These kills are on film on my YouTube channel
SA Feral Shooter.
I really like the. 22 WMR it has the energy past 100 to drop a fox , the Remington ammo isn't fancy but groups consistently between. 75 and 1 inch at 100.
I have tried the Hornady vmax stuff and it does shoot a little tighter but is prone to more fliers, plus the heavier bullet past 100 is better for larger ferals such as foxes and cats.

Elmer
just got back from the range and tried out several loads through my Weihrauch HW60J in 22wmr

The three loads that i will opt to use in my rifle are is the Federal Gameshok 50 gr JHP, Hornady Critcal Defence 45 gr FTX and the Remington 40 gr JHP - all shot very nicely sub-MOA at 100metres. For interest, the 50 grain Federals i sighted in for zero POI at 100 m - the Hornady POI was +160mm high and the Remington +210mm high ..........which is what you expect with the Federal 50 grainer chugging along at around 1500 fps.

Will invest in a few boxes of the Federal 50 grainers as they would do nicely for culling larger animals with accurate head-shots out to 150m and use the lighter loads for varmints .

Tried some Winchester 40 gr FMJ (USA) and CCI Maxi Mag 40 gr - both very poor performers at 2-3 MOA at 100 m

C.

[NTSOG]

G'day solarpak,

I remounted my PARD 008 on a ZB lite base a few days ago and zeroed the rifle [HW66P, .22 magnum] with Hornady V-max [30gr.] over 100 yards. Group sizes were in the 17 to 19mm range with quite a few holes touching. I had one dodgy shot - probably me! - which opened up the last 5 shot group to 26mm though the other 4 shots were tight at about 19mm.

Jim

[Diamond Jim]

Way off topic. I did the google on costs and come up with these costs for loading 223.
Aprox I guess.

Screenshot_20220802-190055_Sheets.jpg

$20 for 100 small rifle primers? You must be buying the premium stuff. The last primers I bought were about $7/100 and I thought that was expensive.

[mickb]

When was the last time you bought them and can you still get them that price? Stores around me the price ranges from zero meaning out of stock, some still honest enough to sell them for 100/1000, some up to 200/1000.