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.22lr or .22mag question?

auto436658auto436658 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
edited February 2009 in Ask the Experts
concerning the .22lr or .22mag is there really alot of difference in terms of accuracy, velocity, energy and effective range or is it minimal and not enough to justify .22mag's when already owning .22lr's?
thanks.
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Comments

  • MFIMFI Member Posts: 7,899 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What do you want to use a .22 mag for probably is a better question ?
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  • auto436658auto436658 Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    for hunting small game and such, but if the stats are close then there probably wouldn't be much point in it i suppose.
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  • rdc5rdc5 Member Posts: 986 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .22 mag is the old .17[;)]Atleast thats the way I describe it to friends with dumbfounded looks when I tell them its a .22 magnum
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  • partisanpartisan Member Posts: 6,414
    edited November -1
    Go with the new .17 caliber. It's performance is better than the .22 mag, and they cost about the same. There is considerable differance in the .22 lr vs. the .22 mag, but mostly only with a rifle, not a handgun.
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  • rdc5rdc5 Member Posts: 986 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by partisan
    Go with the new .17 caliber. It's performance is better than the .22 mag, and they cost about the same. There is considerable differance in the .22 lr vs. the .22 mag, but mostly only with a rifle, not a handgun.


    I do agree. The .22 mag will drop about 1" @ 150yds but, the .17 is dead on. Look at it this way, .17 is a .177 caliber pellet in a .22 magnum shell casing. Smaller bullet with the same amount of powder.
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  • gruntledgruntled Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I recently bought a .17 HMR before I had checked the price of ammo.
    BIG SHOCK.
    You can find some .22 mag ammo quite a bit cheaper than the .17.
    In addition I already have a .22 LR/.22 mag revolver so I could have used the same ammo in both if I had bought a .22 mag rifle instead.[:(]
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  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,565 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I PREFER THE 22LR FOR THE COST. YOU CAN SHOOT IT ALOT FOR PENNIES WHICH GIVE YOU ALOT OF PRACTICE TIME, HENCE BETTER ACCURACY WHEN HUNTING.A GOOD CHOICE FOR THAT IS THE BROWNING BL 22 WHICH HAS A 33% LEVER THROW AND IS VERY LIGHT.A 22 LR CAN BRING DOWN JUST ABOUT ANY SMALL GAME YOU WANT TO HUNT. IF I WAS TO BUY SOMETHING A STEP UP FROM THAT I WOULD CHOOSE THE 22 HORNET[:D]. YOU CAN GET ALOT MORE USE OUT OF IT AND LONGER DISTANCES BUT THE DOWNSIDE AGAIN IS THE PRICE OF THE AMMO[B)]. OAK
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  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by auto436658
    concerning the .22lr or .22mag is there really alot of difference in terms of accuracy, velocity, energy and effective range or is it minimal and not enough to justify .22mag's when already owning .22lr's?
    thanks.



    To answer the actual question, yes there is a pretty big difference.

    From a rifle, you can get a full-weight 40 grain .22 LR bullet to about 1400 fps if you use the absolutely most powerful commercially available loads (the CCI "Velocitor"). That's 183 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.

    The .22 magnum will get you 2000 fps with the same bullet weight, for 324 foot pounds of energy. That's nearly double the energy, and it makes the .22 magnum far more suitable to small/medium-type game at distance (eg coyotes, etc).

    Also, the much higher velocity from the magnum yields a far flatter trajectory, which is a big plus when shooting at distances exceeding about 75 yards. Bullet drop is pretty significant with an ordinary .22LR at that distance, and small differences in distance can translate into large differences in drop.

    If all you're doing is shooting small stuff or pieces of paper at relatively close range, the .22LR is fine. If you want to hunt at a medium distance, the .22 magnum is a lot better.
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  • BHAVINBHAVIN Member Posts: 3,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The .17 responses aren't considering wind. The .22 mag is better in the wind than the .17 hmr. I have seen this several times in the fields and have been happy staying with the 22 mag.
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  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by auto436658
    for hunting small game and such, but if the stats are close then there probably wouldn't be much point in it i suppose.



    No, the stats are not close. The magnum has nearly double the energy that the normal high velocity 22 LR does. The energy and effective range are all out of proportion to the size of the Magnum. It will work for small game, but unless you pick your shots for the head, it will destroy a lot of edable meat. If you do a search on the forum for 22WMR or 22 Magnum, there will be numerous threads related to this.

    Best
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