.22 Magnum and Revolvers

5658 Views 13 Replies 5 Participants Last post by andy, May 26, 2004

.45 COLT

Discussion Starter · Oct 31, 2003

The .22 Magnum cartridge performance is kind of disappointing when it’s used in a revolver. Its velocity really drops off what with the short barrel and cylinder gap, not a whole lot quicker than some .22 LR’s. A while back I got a couple of boxes of .22 WRF’s and tried them. Used in a revolver their velocity is almost as fast as the .22 WMR, they toss a 45 grain bullet for a little more pop on squirrels and rabbits, accuracy is better (in all of my guns) and cost is about the same or a little less than the .22 Mag. In my opinion, they are a better choice for the revolver. Some gun shops stock a few boxes and Cabela's catalogs them. CCI (definitely not my favorite ammunition manufacturer) is the only brand I could find, but I hear that Winchester is about due to run some more off. The .22 WRF might be a little hard to find, but worth the look if you shoot a .22 Mag revolver.

DC

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BlltProof

· #2 · Nov 24, 2003

HI COLT
HAVE U EVER TRIED THE RUGER SINGLE SIX??? HAS INTERCHANGABLE CYLINDERS FOR THE 22LR AND 22MAG.HAS A SIX INCH BARREL AND SEEMS TO SHOOT THE MAGS PRETTY NICELY.JUST MY OPINION CAUSE I DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT BLLT DROP AND ALL.ALSO HAVE U EVER SHOT THE 22 MAG SHOT SHELLS OUT OF A REVOLVER AND IF SO THEY ANY GOOD. OR CAUSE ANY DAMAGE TO THE BARRELING? LET ME KNOW

THANKS
DOUG

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.45 COLT

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 25, 2003

Yep, I've got some of the Rugers, nice guns. Also have 4 of the Heritage convertables, can't beat them for the money. The .22WMR shoots OK from those revolvers, it just loses so much velocity from rifle figures that it isn't much a whole lot faster than a .22LR in a revolver, certainly not enough to justify the MUCH higher cost. I don't mean to put down the .22 Mag, it's a great little cartridge - in a rifle.

The .22WRF shoots more accurately than the .22WMR in my revolvers (although both are perfectly satisfactory) and has almost the velocity of the magnum, while firing a 45 grain bullet.

I've shot the shotshells, they won't do any damage to the gun but that shot charge is so small that they won't do very much damage to anything you're shooting at either, unless you're right on top of it. They do seem to lead up at the cylinder gap, but that's removed easy enough.

If you're going to use the revolver on game, you might want to try the SGB (Small Game Bullet), that is, altering the .22LR (or .22 magnum) profile by filing off the nose to make a WFN-type bullet. You need a jig to do it, easy enough to make, or they are available commercially. That alteration will REALLY give the rimfire some whack.

DC

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BlltProof

· #4 · Nov 25, 2003

Hmm well now ya gave me alot to think about..lol. Never shot any 22 mag rifles. Working on getting one though

and dont plan on hunting with the single six. just a gun i wanted...thanks for the info. i appreciate it.
Doug

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BlltProof

· #5 · Dec 1, 2003

keeping on the 22 mag subject. what would be a good rifle to get. i seen the marlin at dicks sporting goods. had a pretty good price. and felt pretty good in the hands.which ones have u shot and which ones would u shoot again?any info would help

thanks
Doug

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.45 COLT

Discussion Starter · #6 · Dec 1, 2003

The only .22 Mag rifle I have right now is a Savage Model 24. Out of production now. If I were going to buy another I would at least take a long look at the Henry. I've shot them and like them. Of course, I'm a long-time lever gun fan. Nothing that I know of wrong with the Marlin. I've heard the new Savages have a lousy trigger, but don't know that first-hand. But I do like that Henry, just can't swing the cash at present.

DC

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BlltProof

· #7 · Dec 2, 2003

well i will certainly look at the henry... really doesnt matter to me if lever.bolt .or semi auto. already have a 30/30 in lever action. i have alot of fun with that....have a couple of marlin guns already.never had any problems with any of them...have a few savage ones too...never had any problem with those either.never shot a henry.. never knew anyone that had one...
Doug

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John in AR

· #8 · May 23, 2004

Out of a rifle, it's a very under-rated round, imo. Only .22 mag I ever owned was a Winchester 9422M. Had a good 3-9X scope on it, and it would part the hairs on a toad, it was so accurate.

Sold it not long after moving to Arkansas, as there's nothing much you can legally use that caliber for that can't be taken as well with a .22LR.

Traded for a NIB 16" lever gun in .357 magnum, which I still have and like a lot.

Out of a revolver, I doubt it reaches anywhere near its potential.

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andy

· #9 · May 23, 2004

unless it's shtf, I'd rather have sks, &

a quiet,accurate .22 pistol, really. With a small scope on, say, A 28 oz Mountain Eagle, with a suppressor, a good hand can reliably hit 3" disks at 50 yds, from Weaver. Since nobody HAS to always score when sport hunting, why bother with more, hmm?

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andy

· #10 · May 23, 2004

.22 mag rifle has 1/3rd power of 223, sks

and it lacks a subsonic load, and its ammo costs 7-8x as much as 22lr. So it' s not a training load, and it lacks the power of a fighthing load. As a survivalists's load, it lacks the commanality of 223 or .22lr, and the guns lack the military guns rustproofing, threaded muzzles, luminous sights, trigger jobs, ambi safeties, etc. So the .22 mag is neither fish nor fowl in my book. The only one I ever owned was a HS derrigner, and that was 1973, before I knew how feeble the Mag was,how awkward and hard a DA pull the Derringer had, etc.

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Rich Z

· #11 · May 23, 2004

At the last gunshow I went to I looked at the Taurus Raging Hornet (?) in .17 HMR, and wondered about the power loss of the shorter handgun barrel. Probably just as well I didn't buy it, because I understand the gun manufacturers are coming out with a shortened .17 rimfire that will be better suited to a handgun.

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andy

· #12 · May 24, 2004

Some guys will buy ANYTHING "new".

why bother paying 15c a rd for something that won't do a thing that a 1.8c a rd .22 lr won''t do just as well, hmm?

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John in AR

· #13 · May 26, 2004

I knew a guy (still know him), who used to carry a .22 mag derringer as a pocket gun, due to the .22 magnum's "power".

If you questioned him on it, he'd whip out a shooters bible and show you the .22 mag's something like 160 ft/lbs (iirc) and the .38 special's 150 or so ft/lbs. He never cared that the .22 mag numbers listed were out of a rifle, and chopping off 90% of the barrel might have a substantial negative effect.

Year or so ago, he switched to a .32 auto pocket pistol, so he's at least going in the right direction.

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andy

· #14 · May 26, 2004

160 ft lbs is close, from derringer. From

a rifle, .22 mag has 350 ft lbs. HOwever,a hot load in a locked breech 380 has 350 ft lbs. The .32 is only better because it's an auto,instead of a derringer. The HS DA derringer is a real pos. It has a 25 lb trigger pull, and almost no butt to hang onto, and if you try to lighten the pull, u get missfires (with the stiff brass of .22 mag, at least. .22lr you might be able to "improve" down to a 20 lb pull, but I'd sure take a M21 Beretta, with better sights smithed to it,over any derrringer,regardless of the cartridge or the "power' of the derringer's load.

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