.22 WMR accuracy?

[TRECustom]

I am planning a project for a .22 mag. I can do my own work, and have a Saami std reamer. I intend to use a stainless Savage or Marlin action and one of their laminated stocks. I will probably use a Lilja barrel. My concern is that the WMR may not be capable of the accuracy I want. 1/2 moa at 100 yds. I've seen .17 HMR's do it, but it may just be better ammo. I posted on LRH and got some responses to that effect. It dawned on me that this might be a better forum for that question since my main concern is for the accuracy potential of the WMR. I could build a .17 hmr, but I like the bigger bullet of the .22.

Thanks for any help, Tom

 

[Fasteel]

TRE I have a Rem model 5 in 22 mag and with CCI Maxi Mag ammo its a 3/4 inch gun at 100 meters. Tried all of the available 22 mag to find the one that shoots best in this rifle. I haven't tried the new Vmax 30 gr load which is reported to be very accurate. I have shot the Win Dynapoint in this rifle and it did not group real well but was still accurate enough to be Minute of Gopher. FS

 

[tuck2]

The only way you will know is to build a 22 WMR rifle. Then try out the various brands of ammo. My Cooper 57M 17 HMR is more accurate than my Kimber 82 22 WMR but thats only comparing two brands of rifles. I have found that there may be a difference in accuracy between lots of the same brand ammo for my 22 LR, 22WMR, 17 HM2, and 17 HMR rifles. So each time I get a new lot number of ammo I go and shoot the rifle off a bench rest. There are a lot of rimfire fans at www.rimfirecentral.com some may have built a custom 22 WMR rifle.

 

[jthyttin]

Anybody tried pulling the bullets and replacing with some decent centerfire bullets like Nosler 40gr BT?

For the record, pulling should be done with reloading press and not with impact pullers,the hammer type). I seem to remember that 25ACP shell holder fits the rimfire cartridge and you can get the puller kit from e.g. Hornady.

 

[Ackman]

A 22Mag can be nicely accurate. I've had several and seen several more, and they've all shot well. I'd recommend a couple things. Use a 22lr barrel which has a little tighter bore. And chamber is really important in a rimfire..... give it a tight chamber like you would with a match 22lr.

My first 22Mag was a T/C super 16 carbine in 22lr. Accuracy was never more than so-so with any ammunition. Mike Bellm said the bore was tight for 22lr. He rechambered it to 22Mag and accuracy became unreal. That barrel is a death ray. Mike knows chambers and this one is tight. I've had several Ruger 77/22's that all shot well as-is except for bedding. Also a couple European 22Mag semiautos that were very accurate, and they had tight chambers. A friend has a Mauser 201 bolt that's extremely accurate....it has a good barrel and a tight chamber.

My current 77/22 has a straight Lothar Walther 22lr match barrel threaded to the action, and a match chamber. I'm not aware of "match" spec's for a 22Mag. I took the numbers for my reamer from a Win. 40JHP round. It makes a nice tight chamber with a little engraving. The gun shoots very well. Velocity is a shade over 2000fps. I've never grouped it at 100yds and it's always windy here anyway. But the gun has killed gobs of rockchucks at 100yds and head shots are easy, even when only part of the head is visible.

I'd suggest having the reamer ground to minimal spec's, and using a barrel with tight bore.

 

[TRECustom]

Thanks to all for the replies and info. Good stuff. Anyone else feel free to jump in.

Good shooting, Tom

 

[mpryne]

Glad to see that you posted the question..... I was out the other day messing with a 22mag that i have beaten around for years and was wondering just how accurate they could be and what it would take to build one..... went over to rimfire central one day but could not sort the fiction from the fact

 

[jb77]

jthyttin I recall an article several years ago in Shooting Times concerning pulling the bullets out of 22 mags and necking down to .17 cal.

I haven't read anything about replacing the bullets in the mag ammo with better bullets. The new polymer tipped bullets being loaded into the mag ammo look like they are pretty good.

I am not sure that the bullets are the limiting factor. I have several 22 rimfires and they shoot the cheaper,junkier ammo pretty well. Certainly better than the one 22 Mag I have.

In my opinion I believe that sloppy chambers and bad triggers on a lot of production guns limit our ability to shoot them to the cartridges full accuracy potential.

That being said, a couple of coyotes and a bunch of crows did not know that my Marlin wouldn't group into 2 inches at a hundred yards. One of the funnest days I ever spent afield was watching my son go thru a box of 22 mag blowing up horse apples lying at the bottom of a pool dam.

 

[mpryne]

I would love to find an economical threaded or threadable action for such a project...

 

[Kiwishooter]

You could look at the CZ it is a threaded reciever....Ian

 

[jthyttin]

I haven't read anything about replacing the bullets in the mag ammo with better bullets. The new polymer tipped bullets being loaded into the mag ammo look like they are pretty good.

I did a quick web search and found this. Reading it I'm pretty sure I've also read it before. There may also have been some discussion at rimfirecentral.

http://www.shooting-hunting.com/reloading_techniques.html

I'm quite tempted to get a 22 WMR reamer from PTG, a fast twist barrel, and re-barrel some 22 WMR rifle. Although I don't even have the rifle...

Here in Finland we have energy limits on guns which are used on game. Going to heavy bullets would allow me to use subsonic velocities along with a silencer. And going WMR instead of e.g. Hornet would make the rifle "miniature rifle" instead of "rifle", which has some legal advantages.

I'm a bit worried about long jacketed bullets and subsonic velocities, so hard cast bullets would be better. I just don't know of any bullet in 75+ grain weight, which is required for energy limit.

 

[rayjay]

I would suggest getting a remington 40x and opening up the bolt face to match the WMR case. You will also have to tinker with the firing pin and the ejector/loading ramp.

I built a WMR conversion for an AR15. I used an Anschutz 'match' 22lr bbl from Numrich. I used a Clymer reamer that I also got from Numrich. I did have to polish the solid pilot so it would go into the 22lr bore.

I have got it to where it reliably goes bang and ejects, now I have to work on the magazine. I haven't really sat down and fired it for group yet. I think it will do good. I am reloading some 22 mag shells and using a .223" Speer bullet.

 

[rayjay]

Numrich also has some Anschutz 22 mag bbls for $32.00. They would be ideal for one of the pinned actions. The biggest problem with these Anschutz bbls is that they are only about 20" long.

 

[robbor]

You might look into different reamers. I have one of the ptg 22 mag match reamers with 1.5deg leade angle. Supposidly the lesser the angles the better the bullet is allowed to allign to the bore. I would have to wonder how well the original was designed as it has a 15 degree leade angle. In reasearching i heard it mentioned that at time for match reamers and they go with 1/2 degree. 15 degrees is a long way off from 1.5 or 1/2 degree. Id also consider using a 22lr barrel.

 

[coupalr]

I have pulled and reloaded 22WMR. I loaded them with Lil gu and 40gr v-maxs and my accuracy and velocity improved greatly.