I think you got lucky with one, and unlucky with the other.😅

If we grabbed 100 of each and compared things, it’s probably going to show the .22 is consistently more accurate…on average. There will be outliers on either end, and you just happened to get those guns.

 

Ammo counts!!!! Firearms,especially rimfires, can be finicky. Don't question what works with the 22 WMRs; keep searching with the 22 lr!

 

Can on both….takes the muzzle blast from the magnum and not too much going down range with a .22.

 

Cans are illegal where I live

 

"all day long"

shoot 10 consecutive 5 shot groups and post resulting groups in pictures.






not to pick on you, but guys post this about WMR all the time, never see pictures other than 1 group of 3-5.

 

What do I think?

I think that no rifle can fix poorly made ammunition.
Also, no ammunition can fix a rifle with mechanical problems.
I think that the majority of rimfire ammo is adequate
for offhand use, center of critter, out to about 75 yards,
with the majority of shots made at distances less than 100 feet.
I think shooting groups is for adjusting my sights and scopes.
I think shooting for score is a better method of defining rifle and ammo quality.
Critters don't sit still while you send five shots at them.
You get one shot, one chance, then they're gone.
I think you have to match y'er rifle and ammo to the level of precision desired.
I think consistent accuracy is expensive.

I also believe in the assembly line lottery.
Be it rifle, pistol or ammunition, some days are better than others at the factory.
We pays our money, we takes our chances.
When making a purchase, ya' have to ask y'erself, do I feel lucky?

Some days I am, others not so much.

 

Individual guns are luck of the draw. Where 22LR really stands out is 1/4 inch or less at 50 yards with a top rifle and good ammo. That is where 17 mag and 22mag fall short. There is no $50 a box match grade magnum ammo. Fine by me.

 

I have a S&W 63 in 22lr and a 651 in 22 WMR. They shoot the same size group at 20 yards. The magnum is louder and hits harder, the LR is more pleasant to shoot. The mag gets carried in case a rabid critter comes along.
My bench and target guns are all 22lr...

 

I have owned one 22 WMR and 22LR was more accurate. For me there wasn't that much extra range to the WMR vs 22LR. A 22 centerfire was a much better choice for additional range.

 

Made a decision for my 22lr. I'm going to pillar and bed the action, heavier bottom metal and lighten the trigger. Afterwards if it doesn't shoot as good as my wmr I'm going to put a gloss finish on the stock and sell it or give it to my grandkids

 

Have one of those Savage 93's. Is a tack driver with Hornady 30gr V-max. Have become a CZ guy with my 22lr's. Just can't take the chance getting rid of the Savage. Pretty sure I'll never find another 22mag that accurate.

 

I also have 2 model 93 22wmr both are tack drivers would not sell either of them. But the mkii 22lr is a big disappointment. If it has to have special high priced ammo it's not worth having. Spoiled children get put in the corner.

 

Can on both….takes the muzzle blast from the magnum and not too much going down range with a .22.

He meant the 22 LR was for plinking and shooting cans.😅

I also have 2 model 93 22wmr both are tack drivers would not sell either of them. But the mkii 22lr is a big disappointment. If it has to have special high priced ammo it's not worth having. Spoiled children get put in the corner.

Again….you seem to have the rare Mk II that isn’t accurate.
Both of mine are very good.
And I simply cannot imagine Remington being the best ammo. I have over 75 22 rifles, and NONE of them is in any way accurate with Remington, of any velocity.

And I’ll echo Blue-Mule. Pics or it didn’t happen, on the multiple 22 mag 1/2 inch groups.

22 Mag is known to have more spread in velocity in any box or batch of ammo, than most .22 LR.
Good 22 ammo will be even better in that regard.

 

My Savage pair - BTVs in 22lr and wmr - were both capable of MOA accuracy at 100 yards. The advantage 22lr has over wmr in the accuracy department is the wide variety of ammo available, including premium match ammo.

Sadly with the cost of 22wmr ammo now you may as well just get a 223, 22 hornet or similar and reload as appropriate.

 

My CZ 457 in 22 mag shoots like this at 50 yds with Federal 40 gr stuff "all day long".

I'll shoot the other 8 groups when it's not 23 degrees and the wind stops blowing.

 

Those are very good 50yd groups for a 22 mag. That being said, a rifle with that level of accuracy would put you at the bottom of the scores at an ARA match (22lr) in the unlimited class. Good accuracy is a relative thing. Top shelf 22s cost $3,000plus and are typically shooting $15 - $30/ box ammo. It's a whole different world. Match grade ammo in 22 WMR does not exist. Until it does, the 22WMR will not be competitive when matched against the 22lr.

 

Well the verdict is in! I took it down, backed the trigger all the way off, built my own pillars and bedded the stock. It's 100% better .75 @ 50 yd with 3mph cross wind . Probably do better with more practice and I was mistaken about the ammo. It does better with cci subsonic. But I still like the 22 mag better. I have 3 that are all quite accurate and fun to shoot. You don't have to believe me, and thanks for all the comments but this just means more 22lr ammo for the rest of you.

 

I believe you. I am pretty confident that is 100% from everyone. Dont sweat that. There are a lot of us who like the 22mag. It is a matter of which gun and when and why. It would be a very sad day I hod to choose only one rimfire. For me, it would have to be a 22mag. That does not change the fact I shoot more 22LR than any other round.

 

I don't have a collection of really accurate rimfires.

I can tell you that with what I have, with the ammo I've used, that my Zastava MP22 in .22 WMR has consistently been able to shoot better than my CZ452 Trainer, Marlin 25N, and Marlin 39AS all in .22 LR.

But, I haven't done a real "apples to apples" comparison by setting up any of the rifles with similar optics because it simply hasn't been important to me to find out.

 

I realize this is hard to believe but there are some of us who don't compete and shoot only for pleasure with a $350 rifle and average ammo. I happen to be one of them. So for me if it shoots groups .75 or less I'm happy

 

I fall into this group myself. I've always loved the .22 magnum, first new rifle I ever bought myself was in that caliber. In my experience the .22 magnum rifle is much more sensitive to ammo choice than the average rifle chambered for .22 long rifle. Fortunately today there are far more choices of .22 magnum ammo than there was 25 years ago, and you just have to have patience and be willing to spend the money to find out what your .22 magnum rifle likes.

 

What other ammo have you tried other than Remington Subsonic?

On each you have a sample size of one. That is not enough to proclaim .22 WMR more accurate than .22 LR.

 

I also use cci subsonic and sv and since pillar and bedding the stock it's better. Also let me explain that I'm not saying the wmr is more accurate than the lr, what I am saying is my wmr rifles are more accurate than my 22lr. And BTW they are all the same brand. Not putting down the 22lr but I just like the 22wmr better.

 

With mine it is just the opposite, my magnum shoots anything and my lr is picky, and they are both the same brand.

 

I shoot quite a few of both, hunt with quite a few of both, and have been fortunate to find some very accurate rifles in both calibers...have always kind of wondered if part of the reason it has been easy to find very accurate .22LR's is partly because there are 10 times as many load offerings for .22LR's than there are 22magnums.

No real incentive for any makers to try to develop "match" quality .22mags, as price point would be such that nobody would likely pay the price tag associated with those.

That being said, i hunt with .22magnums quite a lot, as we have a fairly high population of pigs & coyotes, and seems like every time i pack around a .22LR with subsonics i run into a pack of pigs.

I have noticed that my .22mags are sometimes more finicky across the board than the .22LR. When i do find something that shoots well in my .22mags, i try to stash back a brick or more of it for that gun.

 

I disagree IMHO the 22 mag is the best of the rimfires the 22lr is for when you have nothing else.

 

There is a good unbiased opinion. Seriously for any and all hunting, I agree. But I would not have dared to say that.

 

I agree with post #6, "no rifle can fix poorly made ammo". I went to the range yesterday with 4-5 different ammos for 22LR. Shot my trusty Rem 541S. It is a remarkable rifle. While it can't fix poor ammo, it comes close. I've owned a dozen or so .22s over the years and my 541s is head and shoulders above the rest. My 5-shot groups ranged from .4" to 1.2" at 50 yards, depending on ammo, but even the 1.2" stuff is good enough for squirrels, my primary target.