Can anyone think of a centerfire rifle cartridge that compares in power to a 22 mag?

[jds holler]

Dang, us shooters are a weird bunch. jd

 

[jds holler]

I haven't chimed in about this, but I understand just what and why you want to fill this gap in your arsenal. The 22 Mag, is pretty sweet for the power, range, and noise that it makes, and that particular power level is often desirable.

I've been using a 218 Bee for that need for many years, and shoot a 45 gr. gas checked cast bullet with pistol powder for plinker loads. Even full house loads aren't that powerful or noisy, and it's pretty much a 1moa rifle.

Every one bitches about the brass availability, and I guess I've been lucky. I seem to run into brass when it pops up, and I've got a lifetime supply. It is very friendly to reload, and I've got brass that's prolly been loaded twenty times. Try that with a Hornet.

I don't suppose I'd recommend the Bee for what you want simply because it's old and obsolete, but for a guy like me, old and obsolete is a way of life. When I go to heaven, I hope they've got one for me there. jd

 

[dk17hmr]

22 CCM, 22 TCM, or the 5.7x28 are all probably pretty close. What about the 5mm Craig... Might be interesting

 

[Minshooter]

5.7x28 uses the 25ACP bolt face; about as small as it gets.

22 TCM uses the .223 bolt face, so should be easier for a rifle build.

Without a suppressor (and not staying subsonic), any worthwhile noise reduction will be very difficult.
Please post if you come up with something that works.

 

[pintopete]

Mink! Always thought it would be neat. Especially a 20 Mink. Not sure what action though.

 

[Knotwild]

22 Squirrel

22 Squirrel - Saubier.com

22 Squirrel Small Caliber Discussion Board

www.saubier.com

How do you make the cases? I have one and about a box of formed cases, but don't really know how tomake the cases. It's a Contender - I may just re-chamber to 22 K Hornet.

 

[Beruisis]

25-20 WCF.

 

[NorCalMikie]

22 TCM necked down to 20 = 20 MGM. My wildcat. 10 grains of AA 2230 is a full case. One pass on the neck and you're down to 20.
Go to a faster/slower powder to get the case capacity you're after.
Or, just the 22 TCM. NICE brass available from Ammo Supply warehouse.

 

[danny]

I would vote for the Fireball, powder coated cast bullets loaded to 1200-1500 fps.

that there would be a lot of work and sheesh, tiny

.221 Fireball?? That is tiny??

Danny

 

[searcher]

How about a .17 Hornet shooting 30 grn bullets? Recoil about the same, much more accurate, a bit more performance.

 

[qldreloader]

Can you get H4198 in the states? In a 22 Hornet it just about duplicates a 22WMR perfectly.

 

[boltfluter]

Blue Dot in the .223 Remington could be just the ticket for you. See the attached article.

Great read! Thanks for sharing.
Paul

 

[JohnHenry]

How do you make the cases? I have one and about a box of formed cases, but don't really know how tomake the cases. It's a Contender - I may just re-chamber to 22 K Hornet.

Following link has some info. on 17 Squirrel which is essentially a necked down 22 Squirrel.

http://www.saubier.com/smallcaliber/17squirrel.pdf

 

[Walt Krafft]

My father in law played with a 30 carbine case shortened and necked down to 22 for cast bullets.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Years ago...I found a load in an old American Rifleman magazine using a .223 Rem case ,45gn bullet,and 6gn of Unique powder that just about duplicated a .22 Mag in my Rem 788. This load was about 1950fps and produce .5"-.6" five shot groups at 100yds. That same load would also cycle a Mini-14 but accuracy was typical Mini-14.....not so good.
Good luck and stay safe.

This was my suggestion.

18 grains of AR Comp goes about 1800 with a 77. That's my Tubb break in bullet load. Goes "bloop" and they all go in one hole.

 

[7315br]

Mink! Always thought it would be neat. Especially a 20 Mink. Not sure what action though.

The OP said he wanted a repeater. After a number of .20 Minks (custom single shots) through the years (still have two), I did build one on a Ruger 77 .22 Hornet for jack rabbits. The last time (been several years) the jacks were thick out here, it was a perfect set-up for my type shooting. The 32gr V-Max hits with more authority than the .17's in my opinion, and yet virtually no recoil. Sighted in for 175 yds, it goes to 250 yds easily. Third picture is a reduced load I developed. The rotary magazine fed the .20 Minks perfectly. Installed a Shilen barrel on the Ruger, and a 1# trigger (Spec Tech), and it shot 1/2" groups at a 100 yds. Fun set-up.

 

[AWS]

My thought would be the 22H. I've owned a couple over the years and never had a problem loading it. For many years I used a 218 Bee fl sizer for a 22H neck die and just inserted an oversized pointed bullet into the mouth to flare it slightly and then finished it in a Lee Factory crimp die. My goto bullet was the 46gr Win HP, used it in the Hornet and the Bee. It made a much more accurate rig than a 22 Mag at the time. Now I just use 800x loads from the Calhoun sight in my 222, 223, and 5.6x50R Mag if I want light loads. With the availability of the Win 40gr Jacketed bullet in the 22 Mag I use that in areas I need a quiet coyote round. I'm to old to spend a bunch of money on supressors.

CZ 455 22 Mag Burris 4X 1.5-6x42 German #4

 

[Lefty2506]

I want the blast to be minimal and comparable to not much more than that of a 22 mag or 5mm rimfire I've owned. I want the rifle to be a bolt action repeater. It cannot be a single shot which to me would be a deal breaker. I already have a 221 Fireball and 22 Hornet and know that compared to a 22mag, they both have substantially more blast and are not as pleasant out in the field. The only cartridge that comes to mind is a 5.7x28 case. While I may be able to handload the powder capacity down some, I've not even seen this case offered in any kind of a bolt action rifle. I realize wanting this mystery cartridge in a repeater too, (instead of a single shot) will make this even more difficult if not impossible to accomplish.
Any ideas?

I wasn't paying attention to the latter half of your original post. Ruger made their model 77/22 in 22 hornet. I have a coworker who has one and used to shoot a lot of ground hogs with it. He offered to sell it to me a few years ago when I was getting ready for my first prairie dog trip, but I decided to go with my reduced 223 loads instead. One less rifle to take with me, I already knew that the load would perform 100 yds, I already had all the reloading equipment for it, and I already knew what to expect from the muzzle report, which was very manageable for dispatching a groundhog without earpro so long as your not taking the shot from inside a garage and leaning up against a shower enclosure.... but who would be silly enough to do something like that???

 

[SD guy]

Can you get H4198 in the states? In a 22 Hornet it just about duplicates a 22WMR perfectly.

In recent times H4198 is challenging at best to find on the open market. Historically H4198 & IMR 4198 were readily available.

I am of the opinion that 8 - 9 ish grains of IMR 4198 & a 40 grain cup & core bullet in the 22 Hornet would cover the OP's bases very well. H4198 may be a distant second choice for low end loads in the 22 Hornet IMHO.

Though personally I have not worked that extensively with the 22 Hornet as The rimed case rubs me a bit the wrong way.

 

[Zero333]

22 Flea.

Good luck finding components and dies.