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AVERAGE .22 Magnum group size at 100 yards?

23K views 35 replies 26 participants last post by  drinva 
#1 ·
Ok all of you .22 Magnum owners out there, I'm trying to decide what gun to buy in .22 Magnum (i.e. possibly a Sako Quad or Anschutz or maybe even a CZ). I know that Sako and CZ are a fantastic value. Thanks. :)

What is your AVERAGE (NOT best) group size at 100 yards and with what gun?
 
#3 ·
Nice!



K22,

Is that both of them? I think you have 2 if I remember correctly That seems like a heck of a group (5 shots?) Someone in another post said about 1.25 inches but said it would probably be about a MOA gun. Also, how does that compare to your CZ's in 22 magnum if you have any? I'd buy the Sako in a hearbeat if it could realistically put 5 rounds in .5" @ 100 yards. Thanks K22! :)
 
#4 · (Edited)
Hi Gunsofallkind,
I like your monicker you confess to having an OPEN mind to guns of ALL kind!
Okay bud here's my confession about the .22 Magnum.
1. You better get one!
Seriously.
2. I've always had enough accuracy with most .22 Magnum rifles I've owned over the decades. Here's my recollection of some of them and their actual no BS accuracy.

Savage 24 Combination gun .22 Maggie/20 gauge 3" shotgun--I put a scope on it to wring out its real accuracy. At 60 yards it grouped 3 shots easily under an inch. Never tried grouping it beyond that and I mostly used the open sights so I could have the shotgun handy! In that gun I shot CCI Maxi Mags 40gr JHPs and Winchester Super Xs 40 grain JHPs. Back then they were the only brands going and I could not tell a difference between the loads.

Winchester 9422M .22 Magnum levers--I've owned over 10 of these throughout the last 36 years. I kept using the CCI and Winchester 40gr JHP loads and did try the Winchester Supremes (34 gr JHPs) as well as the CCI Maxi Mag +V (30 gr JHPs). Every single 9422M with a scope on it easily shot 5 shots of any of the ammo I listed under or at 1.5" at 100 yards on a bench rest.

Anschutz 1516D Classic--I had a Leupold 1.75-6X VXIII on this little gem. I never was able to shoot it for accuracy beyond 50 yards in Ventura, CA, but at 50 yards using a wobbly improvised table rest with no sand bags I was able to keep all shots around an inch at 50 yards with CCI and Winchester 40gr JHPs.

Marlin 25 Bolt Action .22 Magnum--I put a Leupold 4x M8 on this. Trigger was hard but at the sandbag stone bench shooting 100 yards it liked the Winchester 34gr JHP Supremes. Five shots typically went under 1.5"

Browning A Bolt .22 Magnum--I put a Leupold M8 6X on this. Trigger was a bit hard but crisp. This gun would shoot almost an inch at 100 yards with the Winchester 34gr JHP Supremes. I killed 7 chucks on an orchard in North Washington state one morning using this rifle. Closest shot was 100 yards. The longest shot was 160 yards!

CZ 453 2E .22 Magnum--I had a Leupold M8 4X on this one. Trigger was okay. At a stone bench with sand bags at 100 yards this rifle was 1.25" groups for 5 shots on a "good" day. I've had a couple of other CZ WMRs that were not as accurate but close. To me the CZ in rimfire is not the sensation it seems to be with a lot of people in this forum. I do believe the CZ FS 527 small bore centerfire IS A SENSATION! Much more so than the rimfire versions for accuracy and balance and feel. If you want a Hornet or .223 get the 527 CZ Full Stock. It will quickly become your favorite "go to" rifle. And, if you want to go to Africa to hunt the Big Five go CZ again and get THIS:



Here's the 527 FS .223 with Nikon Buckmasters 3-9X:





Henry Lever Action Golden Boy and regular blued rifles--Scoped with Leupold VXI Rimfire 2-7X and VXI 4X Rimfire. A SENSATIONAL pair of rifles! More accurate than the Winchester 9422Ms! Using the roof of my car outdoors I could group CCI Maxi Mags +V (30gr) into 3/4" at 75 yards with FIVE shots! Keep in mind I was using JUST THE ROOF OF MY CAR with a down-filled winter jacket under my left arm as a rest!

Winchester 61 .22 Magnums--I had two! I scoped one with a Leupold VXI 2-7X Rimfire and another the Leupold VXI 4X Rimfire. These I shot over the roof of my car like the Henrys. The both shot 1" groups at 75 yards. Lovely pump actions these were!

Marlin 983 .22 Magnum--Leupold VXI 2-7X Rimfire. Hard trigger but it managed 1 inch at 75 yards using roof of car again. It had real nice Black Walnut like all Marlins.

Marlin 925M .22 Magnum from Walmart--Leupold VXI 4X Rimfire. Has the T-900 trigger that breaks around 4 lbs or less. Shot 100 yards over roof of car. Five shot groups into an even inch. I still have this little gem!




Marlin 883 .22 Magnum--Leupold VXI 2-7X Rimfire. 3/4" 5 shot groups at 75 yards (when I DON"T mention the ammunition it is CCI Maxi Mags or CCI Maxi Mags +V).








Did you ENJOY the WOOD on this Marlin? I took lots of pics of this rifle because the wood is beyond the exceptional wood already on most Marlins.

Ruger 77/22 .22 Magnum--One that I got a 17 years ago couldn't shoot or group worth mention. The one I have now is mentionable. I took pictures of the targets with the rifle shooting at 50 yards with a wobbly improvised (no sandbags no devices just leaning over a table). In the picture I have the ammunition placed in the head of the 5 Man Target to show what ammo I am using:

Close up of the Pentax Gameseeker 1.5-6X on the Ruger 77/22 Magnum:

This is the first time I shot 5 different brands of ammunition in any .22 Magnum. The trigger is hard but the rifle obviously is accurate!

I only have 3 .22 Magnum rifles to date; Marlin 925M, Marlin 883 and Ruger 77/22.
I want more!
 
#11 ·
.22 Magnum!

Hi Gunsofallkind,
I like your monicker you confess to having an OPEN mind to guns of ALL kind!
Okay bud here's my confession about the .22 Magnum.
1. You better get one!
Seriously.
2. I've always had enough accuracy with most .22 Magnum rifles I've owned over the decades. Here's my recollection of some of them and their actual no BS accuracy.

Savage 24 Combination gun .22 Maggie/20 gauge 3" shotgun--I put a scope on it to wring out its real accuracy. At 60 yards it grouped 3 shots easily under an inch. Never tried grouping it beyond that and I mostly used the open sights so I could have the shotgun handy! In that gun I shot CCI Maxi Mags 40gr JHPs and Winchester Super Xs 40 grain JHPs. Back then they were the only brands going and I could not tell a difference between the loads.

Winchester 9422M .22 Magnum levers--I've owned over 10 of these throughout the last 36 years. I kept using the CCI and Winchester 40gr JHP loads and did try the Winchester Supremes (34 gr JHPs) as well as the CCI Maxi Mag +V (30 gr JHPs). Every single 9422M with a scope on it easily shot 5 shots of any of the ammo I listed under or at 1.5" at 100 yards on a bench rest.

Anschutz 1516D Classic--I had a Leupold 1.75-6X VXIII on this little gem. I never was able to shoot it for accuracy beyond 50 yards in Ventura, CA, but at 50 yards using a wobbly improvised table rest with no sand bags I was able to keep all shots around an inch at 50 yards with CCI and Winchester 40gr JHPs.

Marlin 25 Bolt Action .22 Magnum--I put a Leupold 4x M8 on this. Trigger was hard but at the sandbag stone bench shooting 100 yards it liked the Winchester 34gr JHP Supremes. Five shots typically went under 1.5"

Browning A Bolt .22 Magnum--I put a Leupold M8 6X on this. Trigger was a bit hard but crisp. This gun would shoot almost an inch at 100 yards with the Winchester 34gr JHP Supremes. I killed 7 chucks on an orchard in North Washington state one morning using this rifle. Closest shot was 100 yards. The longest shot was 160 yards!

CZ 453 2E .22 Magnum--I had a Leupold M8 4X on this one. Trigger was okay. At a stone bench with sand bags at 100 yards this rifle was 1.25" groups for 5 shots on a "good" day. I've had a couple of other CZ WMRs that were not as accurate but close. To me the CZ in rimfire is not the sensation it seems to be with a lot of people in this forum. I do believe the CZ FS 527 small bore centerfire IS A SENSATION! Much more so than the rimfire versions for accuracy and balance and feel. If you want a Hornet or .223 get the 527 CZ Full Stock. It will quickly become your favorite "go to" rifle. And, if you want to go to Africa to hunt the Big Five go CZ again and get THIS:


Henry Lever Action Golden Boy and regular blued rifles--Scoped with Leupold VXI Rimfire 2-7X and VXI 4X Rimfire. A SENSATIONAL pair of rifles! More accurate than the Winchester 9422Ms! Using the roof of my car outdoors I could group CCI Maxi Mags +V (30gr) into 3/4" at 75 yards with FIVE shots! Keep in mind I was using JUST THE ROOF OF MY CAR with a down-filled winter jacket under my left arm as a rest!

Winchester 61 .22 Magnums--I had two! I scoped one with a Leupold VXI 2-7X Rimfire and another the Leupold VXI 4X Rimfire. These I shot over the roof of my car like the Henrys. The both shot 1" groups at 75 yards. Lovely pump actions these were!

Marlin 983 .22 Magnum--Leupold VXI 2-7X Rimfire. Hard trigger but it managed 1 inch at 75 yards using roof of car again. It had real nice Black Walnut like all Marlins.

Marlin 925M .22 Magnum from Walmart--Leupold VXI 4X Rimfire. Has the T-900 trigger that breaks around 4 lbs or less. Shot 100 yards over roof of car. Five shot groups into an even inch. I still have this little gem!




Marlin 883 .22 Magnum--Leupold VXI 2-7X Rimfire. 3/4" 5 shot groups at 75 yards (when I DON"T mention the ammunition it is CCI Maxi Mags or CCI Maxi Mags +V).








Did you ENJOY the WOOD on this Marlin? I took lots of pics of this rifle because the wood is beyond the exceptional wood already on most Marlins.

Ruger 77/22 .22 Magnum--One that I got a 17 years ago couldn't shoot or group worth mention. The one I have now is mentionable. I took pictures of the targets with the rifle shooting at 50 yards with a wobbly improvised (no sandbags no devices just leaning over a table). In the picture I have the ammunition placed in the head of the 5 Man Target to show what ammo I am using:

Close up of the Pentax Gameseeker 1.5-6X on the Ruger 77/22 Magnum:

This is the first time I shot 5 different brands of ammunition in any .22 Magnum. The trigger is hard but the rifle obviously is accurate!

I only have 3 .22 Magnum rifles to date; Marlin 925M, Marlin 883 and Ruger 77/22.
I want more!
Whitehouse,

I'm glad you like my moniker. I truly do like...guns of all kind! :D That's a very nice collection of guns you have, and that CZ .375 looks awesome! Between your advice and others' posts and comments, you've got me talked into a Sako .22 magnum. Based on the deal on them at Whittakers right now, I couldn't pass it up! Thanks everyone for your help and advice--very helpful. :bthumb:
 
#6 ·
I've owned a couple of magnums and the anschutz 1720 is hands down the best. On calm days it will group sub 1/2 inch at 100 yards with three different brands of ammo. Throw a little wind into the equation and things fall apart quickly. I guess that I should learn how to deal with that a little better. You can still find these guns NIB online.
 
#9 ·
Check the various versions of the Savage 93 with bull barrel and accutrigger. I'm not a good shot, and I've not gotten my new glass dialed in, but 1" at 100 yards. Once my good glass is dialed in (so the target is in focus) and I buckle down on my end, I should be able to get 1/2" to 3/4".
 
#10 · (Edited)
:confused: Seven pictures of centerfire rifles in a thread about 22 mag group size. :rolleyes:

Why any pictures of rifles??? I can see targets showing groups. I think it's a pain to read a thread about 22 mag groups and then there are all these pictures that have nothing at all to do with it.

22 mag groups....

I have never owned a 22 mag that I thought was accurate. Yes a few shot good but never great. My old Mossberg 640 shoots about an inch and a half at 100 yards, Rugers and the Marlin not any better.
 
#15 ·
:confused: Seven pictures of centerfire rifles in a thread about 22 mag group size. :rolleyes:

Why any pictures of rifles??? I can see targets showing groups. I think it's a pain to read a thread about 22 mag groups and then there are all these pictures that have nothing at all to do with it.
:yeahthat:

And worse, the reply quotes the ENTIRE post, including all seven pics. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
#12 ·
Two different 9422M's and two different bolt 22wmr's and all four always grouped around an inch. They are all long since gone, but I recently purchased an 882SS Marlin, and if it performs as well, I'll be happy.
It's a hunting round and I use it for hunting and varmint control. It won't make the dedicated paper-punching-only crowd as happy as the 22lr., but that's not what the WMR cartridge is known or was made for. I like it for what it is, and don't try to make something out of it that it's not. There will always be a place for the WMR in the safe. .:) Might have to try one of the Henry's just for fun.
 
#17 ·
One Of The Best "bang For The Buck" 22 Magnums ( From My Experience ) Is The Marlin Microgroove 925m And 883. Shooting Cci Max-mag Tmj Ammo, With A Good Scope, I Could Shoot 5 Shot "one Hole Groups" At 50 Yrds And Shoot An Honest 3/4" Group At 100. I Accomplished This Task With Three Seperate Rifles, Over A 5 Yr. Period. I Cant Explain Why They Shot So Well. I Couldn't Shoot A Group That Tight With Other Rifles That I Had 4 Times The Money In?? My Brother Still Owns The Last One I Shot, He Couldn't Stand To See Me Trade Off Another Rifle That Shot That Well. We Tried About 5 Other Brands And Types Of Ammo In The Marlins, But For Some Reason The Tmj Maxi-mag Just Grouped Really Good. I Just Really Didn't Like They Way They Looked, With The " Bent" Bolt Handle And All, They Just Looked "cheap", And That Is Why I Never Kept One. But I Will Snatch Up The Next Reasonably Priced One I Find At A Gun Show Or Pawn Shop.
 
#18 ·
Here is an old target from last year.......Using a Marlin 925M w/ Mueller APV 4.5 - 14 X40....ammo used was CCI maxi - mags



pipestone
 
#19 ·
The most accurate .22WMR I have is a 882SSV that will on a calm day put 5 shots into 1" @ 100 yds with CCI Maxi Mags. The only thing I did to this rifle was install a Rifle Basics trigger. My tuned up 452 American will do just over 1" with the same ammo. The most accurate .22WMR I've seen was a Volquartsen with Rem 33 gr. V-maxes that would shoot .8" all day long. I bet this one would be fun in a prairie dog town. I have seen a Savage .17HMR that was shooting what looked like .7".
Billy
 
#20 ·
I bought a Rem. 597M several years ago... It's never failed to fire or function properly, and here's the kind of groups i get with it...



Those are 1" squares, and i was shooting over the seat of my 4 wheeler... I bought it for a "pest controler" here on my place and it's done a great job for me!

I'm sure it would shoot even better groups if i put in on the bench...

DM
 
#21 ·
I had a Ruger 10/22 Mag that was very disappointing in accuracy. I sold it and moved on.

Time passed and I got the itch for another Magnum. I purchased a Savage and really can't believe how well this gun shoots. 150 yard crows are no problem with a good rest and a calm morning.



One inch quick check tells the tale.

 
#28 ·
Added up all the supplied data,averaged it out,then I ran it through certified BS media( certified by U.S Bureau of truth and B.S. Labs) and the end result is a fairly truthful average group of 1"-1 1/4" can be reasonably expected from most .22 magnum rifles( on average) then of course there ARE those above average shooters and exceptional rifles which are able to shoot uncertified but extraordinarily tiny groups,and this data IS old and improvements in technology and ammo is ongoing....heh!I' m just saying...
 
#29 ·
A heavy barrel Savage with a Hawke 16x Sidewinder scope gives me...ON A WINDLESS DAY 1.25" at 100. This quickly opens to 1.5"+ if there is any wind.
And yes shooterrj2003...I run into the guys all the time who claim they can cover their groups with a dime at 100m...they just can't seem to do it the day they are at the range ;)
 
#31 ·
ammo or rifle.

When I re read the original post it asked about the group size at 100 yds.
I took it to mean the round and not the firearm.
I do not have a fancy 22 mag , only a Handy with no special modifications only a scope.
It definitely likes Federal 50 grain. I tried CCI and 6 others both 40 and lighter weights but I get 1.5 inches in 100 yds with the 50 grain.
That seems like it is best I can do and will definitely create havoc on any critter.
 
#33 ·
I bet sometime in the past 9 years the OP figured out what gun he wanted to buy. But to keep up with the current responses, I only have one 22WMR that I've shot enough at 100 yards to get a result for average group sizes. My 2013 Marlin XT22M, with wood stock and old Weaver 3-9x38 AO scope, will average 1.5" 5-shot groups at that distance using either CCI or Winchester 40g JHP ammo. For CCI or Winchester 30g JHP ammo, it opens up to a 2.1" average. Those are the overall averages, not the best groups, which were just under 1" for the 40g rounds, and about 1.5" for the 30g rounds.
 
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