The "inherently inaccurate" .22 WMR?

[Tommie]

Why does the .22 Magnum have such a bad accuracy reputation?

 

[placek59]

I haven't really heard that before... but maybe, lack of BR quality ammo like there is for the 22lr? It depends on what you define as accurate I guess? Hitting a squirrel at 100 yds, or shooting tiny tiny groups at 50 to compete with the .22lr BR. The only 22mag I have is a pistol, so I don't have much experience, but my guess would be ammo.

 

[Dan Hall]

The 22 mag has been around a while and there was a lack of good ammo and accurate guns to begin with so it got a bad rap. Then people started getting upset when they compared the cost of ammo to the 22 LR. The 22 LR with the right ammo and gun, which were available from the get go really shot well. So the mag got some bad press. As we now know there are some really accurate 22 magnums available now. Federal is just now making quality target grade ammo for the 22 magnum, it's their champion line of ammo. This ammo has a coated, not jacketed, bullet that comes down the barrel at just the right velocity to make it accurate out of most rifles. You should try some of this ammo out of your favorite 22 mag and see for your self.

 

[XTR]

The point of the 22 WMR is a high velocity rimfire with bullet weights very similar to the 22LR. The problem with a high velocity rimfire is that it still gets into the transonic range at about 125 yards or so. That is not good for accuracy starting at that point, and in any case the little 40gr bullets will get pushed by the wind if there is any.

They certainly shoot flatter than a 22LR, and will give a much better kill on critters bigger than squirrels, but personal experience is that the vast majority of shots hunting rabbits or squirrels are in the range of 30 yrds or so, and if you shoot rabbits or squirrels with one you are just shooting varmints because they tear them up to badly to eat. (yes, if I shoot tree rats I eat them) My father loves the round, but as a kid I never wanted to pay the feeding cost compared to a 22LR. The cheapest ammo for them is with in a few coins of high end match 22LR, making them far less popular for plinking.

In the end I don't think they are more or less inaccurate than a factory 22LR sporter, but that there is not much momentum to make accurate rifles. They extend the functional range of the rimfire from about 50 yards to about 100 for shooting small critters, and they work for that. For longer range any honest to goodness varmint shooter is shooting a center fire. There is no competition format for them.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Inaccurate? There are at least a thousand p-dawgs and a few coyotes in southern Wyoming who might disagree IF they were still kickin.. It is plenty accurate enough for what I do with mine. Which is have fun..

IMO and experience it is much better than the 17 hummer that I sold.

 

[bozo699]

Inaccurate? There are at least a thousand p-dawgs and a few coyotes in southern Wyoming who might disagree IF they were still kickin.. It is plenty accurate enough for what I do with mine. Which is have fun..

IMO and experience it is much better than the 17 hummer that I sold.

Spot on!! my experience as well! I will say there no different than any 22lr find what ammo the rifle likes, and there will be one that shoots better then another.
Wayne.

 

[Dan Hall]

Anschutz 1720D HB and full stock CZ 455. Both are accurate 22 mags. Here are some groups from the CZ 455.

 

[moorepower]

It was never ment to be a match round, but in a decent gun, it is plenty good for it's intended use. 1" to 1 1/2" at 100yds is not uncommon.

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I can't say that the 22WMR is not accurate! Over the years I have shot a couple, my fathers Winchester slide action and my Marlin Mod 25. The Marlin is far more accurate than the Winchester and with CCI 40gr. hollow points it is hell on woodchucks! Ask any of the 47 woodchucks that I shot with it last year ranging from 10 yds. to 175 yds. how it tasted!!!

Mike

 

[Tozguy]

Ditto on the Marlin with CCI Maxi Mag 40 grain jacketed ammo. It shoots as well if not better than any 22lr rifle in the same price range. It has me dreamin about making a full custom bench gun in 22mag just to see how small this caliber can shoot.

 

[Fotheringill]

I picked up a used marlin a few years ago and sold it a few weeks later because of price of ammo. I am still kicking myself in the ass for that. It shot 1" at 100.

 

[matthias]

I have two 22;mag rifles one is a savage 92 with a huge Microfit stock. It has shotdozens of half inch groups at fifty and a hand full at one hundred.

The other is a 540x converted to magnum. It will put three under .25 at fifty and I have yet to take it to one hundred.

I have tried every ammo I could find before settling on hornady v max

 

[tuck2]

I have shot a bunch of prairie dogs using a Kimber Mdl 82 .22 WMR rifle using Winchester 40 Gr HP ammo. The Kimber was plenty accurate for 130 yard shots. I v not used the Kimber much for p dog shooting since getting a Cooper 58 M LVT 17 HMR rifle in 2004. It could be that the ammo was accurate but that some 22 WMR rifles were of poor quality.

 

[Ohio1]

I have a Marlin 22mag that sat idle in the gun safe for years because of what I thought was an inaccurate gun..........until they came out with the 30gr. V-Max! It went from about 2in. at 50yds to about the same group size that Dan show's!. Now it's my groundhog gun out the bedroom window, and if I miss a chuck it's my fault! The ammo made a world of difference.

Steve

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I have a Marlin 22mag that sat idle in the gun safe for years because of what I thought was an inaccurate gun..........until they came out with the 30gr. V-Max! It went from about 2in. at 50yds to about the same group size that Dan show's!. Now it's my groundhog gun out the bedroom window, and if I miss a chuck it's my fault! The ammo made a world of difference.

Steve

I remember when Remington came out with the 33gr bal tips for the 22mag! I thought that stuff would revolutionize that cartridge but, it didn't shoot for snot out of my guns! My cousin Nick shoots the 30gr vmax and his Browning loves them!

 

[Jeremy(WI)]

I have a Marlin 22mag that sat idle in the gun safe for years because of what I thought was an inaccurate gun..........until they came out with the 30gr. V-Max! It went from about 2in. at 50yds to about the same group size that Dan show's!. Now it's my groundhog gun out the bedroom window, and if I miss a chuck it's my fault! The ammo made a world of difference.

Steve

I remember when Remington came out with the 33gr bal tips for the 22mag! I thought that stuff would revolutionize that cartridge but, it didn't shoot for snot out of my guns! My cousin Nick shoots the 30gr vmax and his Browning loves them!

I must have things backwards, I thought the 33 grain was the vmax and the 30 grain was the accutip V

 

[Gappa]

I have an Hk Model 300.. it's a semi auto and accurate as hell 1" @ 100

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I have a Marlin 22mag that sat idle in the gun safe for years because of what I thought was an inaccurate gun..........until they came out with the 30gr. V-Max! It went from about 2in. at 50yds to about the same group size that Dan show's!. Now it's my groundhog gun out the bedroom window, and if I miss a chuck it's my fault! The ammo made a world of difference.

Steve

I remember when Remington came out with the 33gr bal tips for the 22mag! I thought that stuff would revolutionize that cartridge but, it didn't shoot for snot out of my guns! My cousin Nick shoots the 30gr vmax and his Browning loves them!

I must have things backwards, I thought the 33 grain was the vmax and the 30 grain was the accutip V

I may have it bass ackwards but, I know the Remington stuff didn't shoot for snot !

 

[SShooterZ]

I've had a couple. Some shot well, some not so well. Still have a BRNO 611 that I will never sell.

With that said, I feel more confident and have a better hit ratio with my .17HMRs.