.22 Mag is meh

[T-Unit]

I bought a .22 Mag and .410 combination gun recently for the reasons of I think they're good calibers for SHTF survival and because I have revolvers that shoot .22 Mag and .410, but no long guns. With adapters that will allow me to shoot .22 LR in the Magnum chamber I figured for a break action that it was better to go with .22 Mag in case I wanted or needed more power.

I don't have those adapters yet, so shooting the .22 Mag today left me unimpressed. Yes, I hit the steel plate at 200 yards with irons and didn't have to aim 10 feet over the target to do it, so I'm sure the extra 500 fps adds to a flatter trajectory and hits harder, but other than that it's not something I find worth shooting a lot of which is why I will not be buying any bolt or lever actions for it in the future. For a single shot I would rather have .22 Mag than .22 LR as I won't shoot much of it that way and the adapters to shoot .22 LR work best in a break action.

What does NES think about .22 Magnum for rifles?

ETA: intended to focus this for rifles, but may as well just discuss .22 Mag as a whole as I wanted to add that there's a lot of discussion about .22 Mag as being good for low recoil self defense and since I have a few revolvers in the WMR I have to say that I would rather have a .32 of any flavor over a .22 Mag. The gel tests that Lucky Gunner has done and the introduction of defense ammo specific for handguns has helped, but there are still the same drawbacks when using .22 Mag over .22 LR. For stuff like the NAA revolvers I get it with .22 Mag, but if it's a J frame or LCR and I have the option of .22 Mag or .32, I'll take the .32. Even the cheapest .32 wadcutter ammo is the same price online as the defensive .22 Mag is. Actually probably cheaper and more available.

 

[greencobra]

22 mag puts down a lot of pesky small medium type nuisance game with one shot. coyote control was a big thing for 22 mag when i lived out west. as well as prairie dogs. best with a rifle to squeeze the velocity advantage of course. i used a single six 6 1/2" with .22 mag for the doggies at 75+ yards sitting in the loading dock door of the company i worked for. i saw a lot of those little critters crawl away after being hit with a 22 lr but the mag laid them down and out fast.

 

[whacko]

I bought a .22 Mag and .410 combination gun recently for the reasons of I think they're good calibers for SHTF survival and because I have revolvers that shoot .22 Mag and .410, but no long guns. With adapters that will allow me to shoot .22 LR in the Magnum chamber I figured for a break action that it was better to go with .22 Mag in case I wanted or needed more power.

I don't have those adapters yet, so shooting the .22 Mag today left me unimpressed. Yes, I hit the steel plate at 200 yards with irons and didn't have to aim 10 feet over the target to do it, so I'm sure the extra 500 fps adds to a flatter trajectory and hits harder, but other than that it's not something I find worth shooting a lot of which is why I will not be buying any bolt or lever actions for it in the future. For a single shot I would rather have .22 Mag than .22 LR as I won't shoot much of it that way and the adapters to shoot .22 LR work best in a break action.

What does NES think about .22 Magnum for rifles?

ETA: intended to focus this for rifles, but may as well just discuss .22 Mag as a whole as I wanted to add that there's a lot of discussion about .22 Mag as being good for low recoil self defense and since I have a few revolvers in the WMR I have to say that I would rather have a .32 of any flavor over a .22 Mag. The gel tests that Lucky Gunner has done and the introduction of defense ammo specific for handguns has helped, but there are still the same drawbacks when using .22 Mag over .22 LR. For stuff like the NAA revolvers I get it with .22 Mag, but if it's a J frame or LCR and I have the option of .22 Mag or .32, I'll take the .32. Even the cheapest .32 wadcutter ammo is the same price online as the defensive .22 Mag is. Actually probably cheaper and more available.

My son Recently acquired a .17 hmr bolt action and have to say I'm more than impressed with its accuracy and performance. If I were to get an over under survival type gun a .17hmr 410 combo would be my choice. I've seen that combo on some of these type long guns.

The below target is 3 each 3 round shot groups at 50 yards. There are NINE holes in that target. The last one centered is a 3 shot group! Yeah .17 is accurate as f*** and hits hard.

 

[jkelly1229]

22mag is fun out of a cmr/pmr

 

[MisterHappy]

It's a .22

It has its uses/purpose, but don't expect it to do stuff that it was not designed for.

You can dig a hole with a spoon, but it's easier to use a shovel. Of course, a shovel would svck to use on soup, though. Right tool for the job.

 

[jamison55]

Here’s a two-part answer to your question based on my experience and thoughts.

First off on 22 magnum. I purchased a 22 magnum bolt rifle a couple years ago. I frequently compete at my club with my savage mark ii 22 long rifle, and on a calm day, with CCI standard velocity ammunition,it’s fairly easy to shoot sub MOA groups at 100 yards. We sometimes walk it out to 200yards. At that point, with that ammunition, you’re basically shooting a mortar. I hoped the .22 mag would give me decent accuracy and a flatter trajectory. What I found with a 22 magnum is that no matter what ammunition I chose, it was difficult to shoot a group smaller than 3 inches at 100 yards. Forget about any reasonable accuracy at 200. Friends that I frequently shoot with shared the same experiences with the cartridge. On the other hand I recently purchased a Heritage Roughrider revolver with a 16 inch barrel, and with a 22 magnum cylinder on that gun it’s pretty easy to hit the 8 inch plate at 100 yards off hand. Now I’m never going to group with that gun but it’s a lot more fun to shoot off hand with a pistol at a plate then it is too frustratingly try to get 22 magnum to create any type of decent group.

In your use case you’re not looking for a bench rifle you’re looking for a survival rifle and I think there are better options out there for that as well.

I think if I were in the market for an over under survival rifle, I’d be looking more in the 22 long rifle, 20 gauge combinations. 22 long rifle is effective for small game, reasonably accurate, super cheap, super small you can carry a ton of it. 22 magnum, on the other hand, is almost the price of 9 mm. 410 shotgun isn’t particularly good at anything except for teaching youngsters, how to shoot a shotgun. It doesn’t have much knockdown power on four legged or two legged targets, not many pellets for taking birds on the wing, and it’s relatively expensive and harder to find than a common gauge like a 20 gauge. The 20 gauge is extremely versatile. It’ll take down anything that walks, is great for birds on the wing, is readily available, and is as inexpensive as 12 gauge while allowing you to carry more rounds.

With this set up if I wanted to quietly put a squirrel or a rabbit in the pot, I could shoot 22 long rifle, 22 short, 22 CB caps (if I was close enough), and then if I needed something to take down bigger game or for a more versatile, defensive role I would have an effective caliber in 20 gauge.

The big caveat here is that we are talking about a “survived a bush plane crash in Alaska” survival rifle. For TEOTWAWKI purposes there are two types of people who will survive. Those who band together into large groups willing to brutally take what they need from others and fight off all competition, and those who can live on their own, far away from those groups. This gun would be fine in the latter scenario, but I would add a sidearm. If I was mobile, and counting every oz or weight, I’d make it a .22 for ammo interchangeability, but I’d want multiple follow up shots against human adversaries.

ETA - Just re-read OP and realized you already purchased the rifle. I’m a dumbass. It’s a pew pew, and I’ll bet it’s a ton of fun to shoot in both calibers…have fun with it!

 

[Caveman]

I run 22mag out of a CZ 452 Varmint with 30gr vmax, it’s a laser for woodchucks and like sized mammals. And out of a Ruger American with 50gr JHP for my back yard coyote rifle. I purchased them as pest/varmint rifles when I wanted something heavier than 22lr and lighter than 223 and both are great for those uses. I don’t use them for plinking because ammo wasn’t cheap.

 

[Coyote33]

@jamison55 , I agree with everything but the easy to find. I see .410 all over the place. I'd say it is second to 12ga in most shotgun sections.

In general, I'd say .22 Mag is a beefed up .22LR. It extends the range to maybe 120-150 yards. I wouldn't use it to hunt beyond that. It also makes more effective on closer shots, like 50-75 yards, for things like coyote, woodchucks, etc.

 

[Mesatchornug]

@jamison55 , I agree with everything but the easy to find. I see .410 all over the place. I'd say it is second to 12ga in most shotgun sections.

In the before times, I would agree, but today?

I have a friend who bought a 410 over COVID and we've found very little ammo since then. Usually, it's just bird shot and very little of it.

Where are you seeing it, so I can send him there?

 

[tinhorn]

I think if I were in the market for an over under survival rifle, I’d be looking more in the 22 long rifle, 20 gauge combinations.

Yup, me, too. I owned a Savage .22 over 20 many years ago. Used it for pheasant and quail as well as a coyote and a couple mule deer. Could have used the .22 on little critters but I can't remember. Did a lot of plinking with .22, though.

 

[Coyote33]

In the before times, I would agree, but today?

What are "the before times"?

I have a friend who bought a 410 over COVID and we've found very little ammo since then. Usually, it's just bird shot and very little of it.
Where are you seeing it, so I can send him there?

Walmart.

I owned a Savage .22 over 20 many years ago.

Is the .22 on top? I thought the shotgun was usually on top, but I most certainly am not positive on that.

 

[richc]

I don't shoot it often but I like .22 mag. It's like .22LR on steroids. Hornady .22 mag ammo packs a lot of punch.

I carry a .22 mag revolver at times. If I'm out and about and concerned about coyotes and such when walking the dog.

I also have a CZ 452 with the conversion kit. It's really accurate with the right ammo. FYI Winchester .22 mag is dogshit. Stay away.

 

[Coyote33]

Summers coming. Who's getting ready to change over their CCW and method of carry?

Me for one! In the summer months I move to a .380 and pocket carry. Not a huge fan of wearing an IWB holster that will eventually rub directly against the skin and I'm not a fan of wearing a wife beater under my t-shirt. So for me it's an easy transition to pocket carrying? Much easier to...

www.northeastshooters.com

 

[T-Unit]

22mag is fun out of a cmr/pmr

That's one where I'll give it some credit because the capacity for the pistol is so high and both are very lightweight guns. However, if the .30 Super Carry catches on and full size pistols can fit 25 rounds of it in the mag, I'd rather have that over a PMR30.

I was considering buying a PMR30 last year, but decided it didn't do much for me over a 9mm.

 

[T-Unit]

Here’s a two-part answer to your question based on my experience and thoughts.

First off on 22 magnum. I purchased a 22 magnum bolt rifle a couple years ago. I frequently compete at my club with my savage mark ii 22 long rifle, and on a calm day, with CCI standard velocity ammunition,it’s fairly easy to shoot sub MOA groups at 100 yards. We sometimes walk it out to 200yards. At that point, with that ammunition, you’re basically shooting a mortar. I hoped the .22 mag would give me decent accuracy and a flatter trajectory. What I found with a 22 magnum is that no matter what ammunition I chose, it was difficult to shoot a group smaller than 3 inches at 100 yards. Forget about any reasonable accuracy at 200. Friends that I frequently shoot with shared the same experiences with the cartridge. On the other hand I recently purchased a Heritage Roughrider revolver with a 16 inch barrel, and with a 22 magnum cylinder on that gun it’s pretty easy to hit the 8 inch plate at 100 yards off hand. Now I’m never going to group with that gun but it’s a lot more fun to shoot off hand with a pistol at a plate then it is too frustratingly try to get 22 magnum to create any type of decent group.

In your use case you’re not looking for a bench rifle you’re looking for a survival rifle and I think there are better options out there for that as well.

I think if I were in the market for an over under survival rifle, I’d be looking more in the 22 long rifle, 20 gauge combinations. 22 long rifle is effective for small game, reasonably accurate, super cheap, super small you can carry a ton of it. 22 magnum, on the other hand, is almost the price of 9 mm. 410 shotgun isn’t particularly good at anything except for teaching youngsters, how to shoot a shotgun. It doesn’t have much knockdown power on four legged or two legged targets, not many pellets for taking birds on the wing, and it’s relatively expensive and harder to find than a common gauge like a 20 gauge. The 20 gauge is extremely versatile. It’ll take down anything that walks, is great for birds on the wing, is readily available, and is as inexpensive as 12 gauge while allowing you to carry more rounds.

With this set up if I wanted to quietly put a squirrel or a rabbit in the pot, I could shoot 22 long rifle, 22 short, 22 CB caps (if I was close enough), and then if I needed something to take down bigger game or for a more versatile, defensive role I would have an effective caliber in 20 gauge.

The big caveat here is that we are talking about a “survived a bush plane crash in Alaska” survival rifle. For TEOTWAWKI purposes there are two types of people who will survive. Those who band together into large groups willing to brutally take what they need from others and fight off all competition, and those who can live on their own, far away from those groups. This gun would be fine in the latter scenario, but I would add a sidearm. If I was mobile, and counting every oz or weight, I’d make it a .22 for ammo interchangeability, but I’d want multiple follow up shots against human adversaries.

ETA - Just re-read OP and realized you already purchased the rifle. I’m a dumbass. It’s a pew pew, and I’ll bet it’s a ton of fun to shoot in both calibers…have fun with it!

I've gone back and forth over .410 and 20 gauge, but the deciding factor of choosing the .410 was already have the Judge, which isn't a 3 inch chamber like the long gun is, but that's fine, it can at least use the 2.5 inch stuff.

I have to do more research into the 20ga, I've been thinking that there's not much it offers over the 12ga minishells. The 20ga guns probably do weigh a bit less than 12's, but the .410's weigh significantly less.

Beyond all that, the few shots of .410 I put thru the Chiappa had no recoil, but it whacked the plates I was shooting at just fine and was the most fun I've had shooting a shotgun in a long time. Can't wait to get some 3 inch shells.

On paper the .22 Mag has more punch, I'll have to see what soft points can do. The fact I can shoot either .22 Mag or .22 LR with this gun is part of what sold me on it even tho I'm not super impressed by .22 Mag, it has its advantages.

 

[tinhorn]

Is the .22 on top? I thought the shotgun was usually on top, but I most certainly am not positive on that.

Yup. .22 on top. 20-gauge slugs would knock a mule deer right on its ass. Never required a second shot.

The Savage 24C was a breakdown gun. Pop off the forestock, then the barrels would drop right off the stock. Man, I miss that gun.