.22 Winchester Magnum

by
posted on February 10, 2011
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
2011210135652-winc_f.jpg

Thirty-five years ago I convinced Dad to buy me a “.22 Magnum” because I sometimes found groundhogs too stubborn to surrender to a .22 LR, especially at longer ranges. Recently, the incredibly accurate, faster and flatter shooting .17 HMR stole some of the .22 Magnum’s thunder. It even swayed me for a time; however, with the assortment of loads now available, the 50-year-old .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) is more versatile and more accurate than ever. With substantially more power than a .22 LR it’s like a rich man’s .22. And, since it’s much cheaper to shoot than any centerfire, it can be a poor man’s varmint rifle. A .22 Magnum will change the way you hunt squirrels and is coyote-capable out to 100 yards, with the proper bullet.

There are over a dozen different .22 Magnum loads offering a wide range of terminal performance. This allows hunters to perfectly match their ammunition to the game being hunted. But to do this effectively, you have to know something about each load that is not written on the box.

From a terminal performance standpoint there are three categories of .22 Magnum ammunition. There are high-velocity loads with bullets that offer volatile expansion and shallow penetration. On the other end are the deep-penetrating full metal jacket bullets. In the middle are the loads that offer a balance between massive tissue destruction and penetration, what you might call general purpose loads.

To illustrate these terminal performance differences, I tested 10 different .22 Magnum loads in 10 percent ordnance gelatin. Unlike most gelatin tests conducted at muzzle velocity, I set the gelatin blocks at 50 yards to more closely replicate real-world hunting situations. Each load was also tested for accuracy in a fine shooting Browning T-Bolt. Accuracy will likely vary in your rifle but the good news is there are multiple loads to choose from in each category.

My pick for small, edible game like squirrels would be either CCI’s 40-grain TMJ or Winchester’s new 28-grain lead-free Green load because neither will destroy a lot of meat. For larger critters like raccoons and even crows, I like the high-velocity 30-grain offerings because of the massive tissue destruction they offer. They’d be great for exploding prairie dogs, too. For the largest and toughest critters you might tackle with a .22 Magnum, like coyotes and groundhogs, CCI’s 40-grain Game Point stands out because it penetrates deep and expands wide. Because of its balance between penetration and tissue destruction, my choice for a multi-purpose load would be Remington’s 33-grain AccuTip.

Latest

44 Mag HST LEDE
44 Mag HST LEDE

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Utah Wildlife Board Updates

The Utah Wildlife Board approved a few new and updated rules, some of which are necessary after recent legislative changes—including the wildlife management area license requirement for certain counties and the new process for regulating hunting guides and outfitters—along with a few other proposals during a public meeting Thursday.

Member's Hunt: A Tale of Two Moose

This month's Member's Hunt comes from John R. Bean of Tucson, Ariz.

Breeding Duck Numbers Decline Again in ND

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 78th-annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.66-million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023.

2025-26 Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird Seasons Set

Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 migratory game bird seasons have been set. There are two significant changes to waterfowl seasons. The regular season daily bag limit for Canada geese in the Atlantic Population Zone has decreased from three to one, and for northern pintail, there will be a flat daily bag limit of three.

New for 2025: Christensen Arms Evoke in 450 Bushmaster

Christensen Arms has announced the release of the Evoke rifle chambered in powerful 450 Bushmaster.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.