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Why 22 WMR

6K views 47 replies 24 participants last post by  cwlongshot 
#1 ·
So, while developing a 22 magnum auto loader, I have to ask myself why?

22 magnum is about 20 cents a round and you can get 223 for about 23 cents a round.

For three cents more I would just as soon shoot center fire for all the advantages it brings.

The disadvantages of center fire is why I also have 22LR.

Comments?

Regards, Ray
 
#7 ·
I ama a big fan of WMR, particularly the Hornady V max, which I get for about 19 cents a round. I also have .223 but am wodering where you can get it for 23 cents a round? I do not count the Wolf or Silver bear as it is really not very good ammo. It does shoot but not particularly well. WMR is still rimfire, is not as loud, and can be shot when centerfire is not legal.
9 fingers
 
#8 ·
Hey Ray

You asked a question and then answered it.... for you.

For those that have a romantic, emotional or historical attachment to .22 Magnum, your question would not make sense... and since you are asking it on the .22 Mag forum, you can anticipate these sort of reply's...

Why??? Just because we can... and will... and won't regret it.

There will always be a market for any caliber... but its a sliding scale... do you want 2 customers or 200,000 customers... a big piece of the .22 mag pie went to the 17 HMR camp... but it is a little like Winny bringing out WSM... sure .243 WSM is hot and sexy, but that hotty hits me where it hurts... right in the wallet... soooo, I trade in the "Double D's" for more comfortable/reasonable "C's"... maybe Cindy next door, who bakes a mean apple pie, is a better life choice... so I go with standard Win .243.
 
#10 ·
I'd like to jump in here...cuz I can't tell you why. I'm a reloader, and I own a couple of .223's....a black gun and a heavy-barreled bolt gun that used to pull yeoman duty in the prairie dog towns. And though I haven't figured out a cost-per-round for the .223, I'm sure I can reload it pretty cheaply - cheaper than buying any factory ammo.
So why a .22 Magnum? I don't know - I just love 'em! I have four of them now - two autoloaders (Brno and Magnum Research) a bolt gun (CZ) and a lever gun (Henry Goldenvboy). The Henry was my pistol-caliber lever gun when I was shooting Lever Action Silhouette. I also have what started out as a Ruger 10/22 Magnum and is now a .17HMR (have had no issues with a Clark-barreled customization)....but I just love the little .22 maggie. I've shot lots of prairie dogs with the .22 Mag and the .17HMR and can confirm for you from my own experience that the .22 mag hits a lot harder than the .17HMR. especially at anything past 100 yards - in close, too. Current bullet design, and the many different types of bullets you can now get in .22 Mag make it much more usable and versatile than it used to be.
And while we're on the subject of the .22 Mag and the .17 HMR, I'd like to put in my two cents on the accuracy issue - all you .17 HMR boys who like to claim that your new baby is "much more accurate than the .22 Magnum" are deluding yourselves. The .17 HMR is a great little round, and very accurate -and I love mine - but stop listening to those boys writing the articles for Guns and Shooting magazine, and go see for yourself. .22 Mag ammo development has come a long, long way in the last 10 years....accuracy, though perhaps not as good as your better .17HMRs, is very good. Like all rimfires, you have to fince the one your gun likes the best.
Why the .22 Magnum? I don't know - it's long and sleek and loud for a rimfire and hits hard and takes the rams down at 100 yards.....and I enjoy it.

Stan (who is sorry for the long post - I don't do this very often, so when I do...)
 
#11 · (Edited)
A couple of points:

First: As others have said, you can buy the best quality 22 WMR ammunition for less than the worst quality 223. Handloading does not count in this calculation as it is it's own discipline with many costs not mentioned when handloaders brag about how much money they save. Trust me, I am a handloader. Though I enjoy it, I know the true cost.

Second: I don't get the attraction to 223 anyhow. It is anemic for a centerfire round...not even a legal hunting round in my state. For Varmint hunting 22-250 or 220 Swift will kick its behind every time for accuracy and range.

So in the end, I find the 22 WMR perfectly fits the gap between my 220 Swift varmint rifle and my 22 LR target and plinking rifles. I haven't the faintest idea what I would do with a 223 that my existing rifles cannot do better. If I wanted to hunt deer or anything larger, I would want something more substantial than a 223, at least a 243 or more likely the proven deer slayer the 30-06. If I wanted a cute little centerfire, for handloading, I would probably go with 204 Ruger, 22 Hornet or 218 Bee.
 
#12 ·
I find the 22mag quieter than the 223. sometimes that makes a difference too. as far as the 223 being anemic, I would imagine all .22 centefire rounds are more anemic than the .224 weatherby mag, but everyone has their favorite or preferred cartridge. It's what makes the world go round. I suppose Maybe some don't have the time or equipment to load. Sometimes you just want to shoot and picking up a carton of preloaded ammo is quick and easy.
 
#14 ·
No Offense taken

Ray... no offense was taken... your question was valid and such questions help folks solidify their own beliefs and preferences... for some the .22 magnum is a perfect bridge between LR and centerfire... for others it is .17 HMR... for others it is both.
 
#16 ·
I keep a WMR because I can't shoot coyotes @ night with my 223. I'm looking for an autoloader WMR just because it will be fun :)

If I was too worried about cost I'd have to give up shooting altogether :)
 
#17 ·
Thanks for the hunting feedback. I am a high power rifle competitor so I need to be schooled on things like spoiling pelts and meat. I also am not much on the hunting laws for different areas.

My design was suggested by BulZi. It is an upper receiver that mounts on the AR15 lower. It accepts either 77/22 or 10/22 barrels and uses Ruger rotary magazines.

The first one was a learning project. Gen2 was in the computer only. Gen3 is currently being tested. 95% of the time it works 100% of the time! (grin)

I think the bolt mass is too high and I am going to start reducing it. Currently the bolt mass is around 1.3 lbs. I have fired CCI, Winchester, and Remington 40gr ammo.

Perhaps after I anodize it I will post some photos.

Regards, Ray
 
#19 ·
During the last "ammo panic," I noticed that the only ammo available on the shelf at my local Wally World were .22 CB shorts and .22 WMR. That got me to thinking, "Hmmm..."

I went ahead and picked up a .22 mag rifle (a Remington 597). Since that time, I've come to appreciate the .22 WMR simply in its own right. :)

.
 
#20 ·
I have reduced the bolt mass and just fired two full (9 round) magazines with no problems, except I am now out of ammo!
It looks like I now have the right combination of mass and spring for 22WMR. The next step will be to see how it works for 17HMR. I'll need a barrel. While I am waiting for one of them to come along, I might try 22LR just for fun since I have all the parts.
Regards, Ray
 
#25 ·
I would be all over the .22mag upper! I just bought a 22mag but I looked for available 22mag uppers but to my surprise couldn't find any. I'll tell you why 22 mag over .223 also- #1 its legal for night hunting in many states wheer centerfire is not. #2 it is more versatile for THAT activity. A .22mag to a hog's brain does the trick, but a .223 to any part of a **** is gonna be a mess, not to mention if you miss there is a centerfire projectile launched out to who knows where.

I would be very interested in purchasing a .22mag upper from you. PM sent
 
#21 ·
Ray, here would be my list of reasons for a .22WMR vs .223 Rem, if you assume that cost per shell is equal.

Again, this is all recognizing that a .22WMR doesn't have the power, velocity, or range of a .223, and so it will never "shoot the same" etc etc.

1) Blowback semi's can be made for the lower powered .22WMR, but are not as feasible on the .223. This presumes that a blowback action has some inherent advantages to DI or short stroke gas operated. I think it does - lower parts count, easier cleaning, fewer critical tolerances, no need for tapped barrels. Although a lot of engineering (and competition) ensures that you can buy a nice .223 gas AR upper for a good price, they are more complex to manufacture (and probably to clean/maintain) than a blowback.

2) .22WMR rounds weigh less and are smaller than .223 rounds. Therefore, you can theoretically carry more (although any type of hunting where ammo weight is an issue should ONLY be done from a truck, IE praire dog control).

3) Rimfire guns are sometimes subjected to fewer state and local regulations and the .22WMR is a big step up from .22LR

I think that the closer comparison is not .22WMR vs .223Rem, I think it is .22WMR vs FN5.7x28mm centerfire. Those are 46 cents a round if you buy them 250 at a time! In that case, the .22WMR is a much better deal, albeit not centerfire.

The only advantage that the 5.7x28mm has is that it develops its power in a much shorter barrel length, but again, that is only really relevant for pistols and people willing to pay for SBRs.
 
#22 ·
In the end, the 22 Magnum is what it is. Like any cartridge, it has its good points and its drawbacks.

If I am biased against the 223, it is because the 223 is not a legal deer hunting round in Washington State, while there are better choices for the target shooter or the varmint hunter. If I am biased against the 308, it is because I find the recoil to be uncomfortable. I do not like a muzzle brake because I frequently find myself being annoyed by the shooter on the next bench who has one on his heavy caliber rifle. He is usually blissfully unaware that all of his noise is being directed directly at my head. I am biased against the 17 HMR because I found it to serve no purpose for me that my other rifles could not serve for equal or less cost per round. At this point, I prefer bolt action single or multi-shot and falling block single shot rifles. I have two of each. I also have one semi-auto 22 Magnum. You have probably read about that rifle on RFC. While I plan to keep it in the family, I would not buy another semi-auto in any caliber. The action is not easy for me to operate and I find the double recoil affect annoying. But that is a personal thing that should not be generalised.

Everyone has his or her biases. I just try everything I can get my hands on and sell off the ones that do not work well for me. I have bought over a dozen rifles of different calibers, makes, action types and cartridges over the past 2 1/2 years and sold most of them after giving each one a serious tryout. If you can afford to do the same, I suggest you do that. Then decide what you enjoy. It's your money.
 
#23 ·
I agree with the OP, I think his real question is "why is a rimfire with so much less materials and workmanship costing us almost as much as a centerfire?" I have a feeling that .22WMR is a bit overpriced for the work and materials put into them, kinda like .38super and .500S&W (which should only be around 11$ a box, but I've seen them at Bass Pro for almost 80$ a box of 20).
 
#24 ·
The .22WMR looks like a bad deal because it is being compared to .22LR which is the one of the best values in the world (due to extremely simple construction, lead bullet with no jacket, and small amt of raw materials) and the .223 Rem.

I think .223 Rem is just an exceptionally good deal, probably due to both military and civilian popularity and a relatively small amt of raw materials compared to something bigger. It is just a very good deal compared to anything nearly equivalent. If you buy 1000rnds of Wolf .223 bargain basement it is 19 cents per round or less, very hard to beat.

I think that .22WMR is both a useful caliber and a good deal in its own right, just not as good a deal as .22LR and .223Rem are.

The .22WMR is like a good looking girl who just happens to have two supermodel friends who are always hanging around.
 
#29 ·
Isn't there a new wmr autoloading keltec PMR pistol also? 30 round mag i think. Anyone tried one?
I have a Kel-Tec PMR-30 on order. It holds 30 rounds of 22 WMR and weighs only 29 oz. fully loaded.

Here is a review from Gunblast.com:
 
#28 ·
hunting question

You can't have thin skin around here someone will stick you. Your hunting questions answer is that the .22 mag is a hotter round then a l/r and less then lots of .22 and .23 and .24 and .25 cal centerfires. I kill in the hundreds of Coyotes and Bob cats each year at most of the time less then 100 yards and the .22 mag stops them in their tracks and makes way less noise then my .22 centerfire they attract alot of attention close to town where most of my animal damage control issues are. I am a huge .22 long rifle fan and use that round alot also but it just lacks the kill power on Coyotes size animals here in my area some go upwards of 60 lbs house cats and house hold scraps put the weight on them.
All I can say is if you are shooting coyotes at range past 100 yards often you may want more gun if you are a caller and like your critters up close the .22 mag is a great choice if tree rats and small critters are your game you better learn to head shoot or you will have mush a .22 mag hp will destroy a squirrel if you hit him in the body. Hope this helps I love my .22 mag guns I have way to many of them to lie to you.
 
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