The Magnificent .22 Magnum
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 12 months ago
The versatility of the .22 Mag. lies in the wide range of ammunition available for it. With bullet weights ranging from 28 to 40 grains, and with rifle muzzle velocities spanning 600 fps – from about 1,700 to 2,300 fps – the .22 Mag. might not shoot as flat or fast as the .17 HMR, but it is unquestionably a more practical cartridge.
A 40-grain FMJ load for the .22 Mag. will penetrate almost 20 inches in 10 percent ordnance gelatin. This is a great load for head-shooting tree squirrels because it won’t damage excessive amounts of meat. On the other hand, CCI’s 30-grain JHP load screams out of a rifle barrel at more than 2,300 fps and expands like a bomb. This makes it a great load for ground hogs or prairie rodents.
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I’d not suggest the .22 Mag. as the ideal defensive handgun cartridge, but keep this in mind: Older or less physically capable folks might not be able to handle a centerfire handgun. Fortunately, the ammunition companies have recognized this and now offer personal protection loads for the .22 Mag. Hornady has a Critical Defense load and Speer a Gold Dot load. At handgun velocities, both can be expected to penetrate about 1 foot in 10 percent ordnance gelatin, with the bullets expanding to more than .30 caliber.
Of course, the .22 magnum isn’t going to take down large game or be a battle rifle, but that’s not its purpose. I torn between the .22 magnum and the newer high velocity .17 HMR. But I find this last quoted paragraph compelling. I don’t carry a .22 magnum for personal defense, but women might find what I carry problematic.
If you can convince your wife to carry a .22 magnum wheel gun when she won’t carry anything else, that’s much better than nothing against two-legged threats.
On December 26, 2017 at 2:59 pm, NOG said:
It is a good answer for those with medical problems like arthritis or just old age. What I would really like to see is a 3lb rifle with easy to use controls and a 15 or 20 round mag. That would make a light weight self defense package for those with arthritis and age problems. A 16in barrel would perhaps bring that round about half way to a .223, which would be much better than a small short barrel centerfire pistol IMHO.
On December 26, 2017 at 4:08 pm, Videodrome said:
Purchased my first .22WMR rifle in ’75 and it still shoots better than I do and while it is not the ideal round for the task it has put venison in the freezer.
the AMT Mini Mag is a lot of fun at the range – no recoil with a lovely muzzle flash and the immediate attention of everyone on the firing line!
On December 26, 2017 at 4:21 pm, Pat Hines said:
I know some folks that carry a Derringer in .22 Mag. as a back up piece.
I used to have a lever action Winchester in .22 Mag., one of those aluminum receiver rifles made in the 1960s, not a quality rifle at all. I disposed of at some point, don’t remember if I sold it or traded it.
On December 26, 2017 at 4:22 pm, Pat Hines said:
One additional bit of info, Ruger made a 10/22 in .22 Mag, it didn’t sell well apparently, it’s discontinued.
On December 27, 2017 at 10:32 am, Fred said:
This needs saying again. Well above 99% of gunfights between those who are untrained or semi-trained, citizen against citizen, end on the first shot landed REGARDLESS OF CALIBER.
First shot landed wins!
Carry the gun that you can hit with, period.
On December 27, 2017 at 4:21 pm, Ned said:
I have a Kel Tec PMR 30. I have not been able to make the thing malfunction – even shooting 300 rounds at a sitting without cleaning. There’s lots of good 22 mag ammo out there. I try to use heaver weight bullets in this one. Winchester, Hornady and CCI all make 45 gr 22 Mag ammo. It really looks like a plastic toy, and the heel mag release kind of sucks – but then, it still holds 30 rounds.
I wouldn’t actually carry it for defense unless it’s all I had, but it has good sights, is easy to hit with, and a 22 mag in a pistol hits like a fast 22 LR fired from a rifle.
I guess with 30 rounds in the mag I wouldn’t feel terribly under-gunned.