.22 WMR for PC?

[RAGS]

Jason or csicAl, When you reload the 50 gr. Federals and reseat the bullets -- do you crimp bullets at all or just reseat? Thanks! RAGS

[Jason]

Just reseated them, with an RCBS 22 Hornet seater. The seater out of my Lee deluxe set wouldn't go short enough to seat them properly.

[RAGS]

Jason, Thanks for the reply! Rags

[Tlee]

I know this is an old thread, but it came to mind when I saw this press release from Hornady....

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-45g ... al-Defense

Looks like it's basically a 45gr jacketed flex tip 22WMR with a faster burning powder (this one's designed more for pistols... most 22WMR ammo is intended for rifles). Their specs only show it out of a 1-7/8" barrel, but I'm wondering how it'd do out of a 10-12" Contender barrel or a Lever Action... Since it's a true jacketed bullet (instead of a plated like the Federal 50gr HP appears to have), I'm wondering if it'd hold together better/longer to expend more terminal energy onto a HP Ram. Something to consider.

BTW, I did try calling Hornady about it, but the customer/tech support folks have NO info on this new round, other than what's on the website URL above. Said it's being introduced just this week and everyone that knows anything are at the SHOT show.

-Tim

[boats]

Ram left standing cost one target, targets missed also cost one target. Unless somebody is Master class and can't afford to loose any you are better off to shoot accurate rifles with mimimal recoil. Seen many guys worry about ram knockdown and miss a bunch of the other critters shooting something that is either inaccurate or they can't shoot a long string with.

If a .22 WMR will hit them it's the one to use.

Boats

[lone ringer]

At $16.65 per 50 rounds I wonder how many people are going to use it.

[Washita]

At $16.65 per 50 rounds I wonder how many people are going to use it.

That's too much. Wal Mart sells it for just over $10 per box of 50, and I recently bought 2 bricks (20 boxes of 50) for right at $6.50/box on sale at Midway USA. Their usual price is about the same as Wallyworld's--I wish I'd bought a lot more. 10 Bucks is about what it costs to shoot .357 Magnum handloads if I use jacketed bullets.

[Tlee]

At $16.65 per 50 rounds I wonder how many people are going to use it.

That 16.65 figure is list price buying directly from Hornady. Based on the typical retail prices of their other Critical Defense ammo, they'll likely be between $11-13/box at the popular mail order outlets, when available.

Regardless, If it takes the Rams down better than the 50gr Federal 757s, then I will definitely buy them... 50 rounds used only on Rams would last me at least a couple months!

-Tim

[Tlee]

Ram left standing cost one target, targets missed also cost one target. Unless somebody is Master class and can't afford to loose any you are better off to shoot accurate rifles with mimimal recoil. Seen many guys worry about ram knockdown and miss a bunch of the other critters shooting something that is either inaccurate or they can't shoot a long string with.

If a .22 WMR will hit them it's the one to use.

Boats

Even for the "recoil sensitive", I've never heard anyone complain of any 22WMR's recoil, especially out of a rifle, so that's not an issue. What IS an issue is dropping the Ram reliably when it's hit.... Especially now that my local range has started replacing the old mild steel rams with newer ones built of heavier AR plate metal.

What's most accurate for my 22mag lever action are the 40gr Fiocchi rounds, but hits with them are less than 50% reliable at dropping the new heavier Rams (it was about 80% effective on the old mild steel rams). While the 50gr Federals were about 95% effective on the old mild steel rams with my lever action, and slightly less with the 10" Contender, they take the new rams down about 80-90% of the time (depending on the wind and shot placement) and group just a hair looser than the Fiocchis. The Federals still have a very respectable group size that rivals any of my 32H&R or 357 Mag rounds for accuracy.

If the new Critical Defense bullet is reasonably accurate and will hold together for a longer dwell time on the target than the 50gr Federals, then it should be a winner (Especially IF it has comparable or better velocities).

-Tim

[Jason]

I'm actually surprised that those Fed 757s group even decently well for you. None of the 22 Mags that I've tried them in shot them well as they came from the factory. I don't think they had a fast enough twist in the barrels to stabilize them at the slow velocity with the factory powder. Once the powder is replaced, though, they shoot great for me.

[Tlee]

I'm actually surprised that those Fed 757s group even decently well for you. None of the 22 Mags that I've tried them in shot them well as they came from the factory. I don't think they had a fast enough twist in the barrels to stabilize them at the slow velocity with the factory powder. Once the powder is replaced, though, they shoot great for me.

They're not what I'd classify "laser accurate", but they're actually pretty good out of my Henry Frontier Lever Action... Probably a 2" group, whereas the Fiocchi, Federal, and CCI 40gr bullets shoot 1" groups. Neither are quite as good out of the Contender, but still more than adequate if I do my job.

I finally got my 22WMR "reloading" capability in place yesterday and am anxious to try some different loads within the 22WMR case. I'm proceeding with caution on those though, trying to use my 22 Hornet experiences to guide me... I've had some scary experiences with H110/W296 in the Hornet which makes me a bit l cautious about using it in 22WMR. I'd like to find something that's not quite as "pressure peaky".

Jason, Al, anyone... have you ever chrony'd the 7gr of H110/W296 50gr load? I'm curious just how much faster it's moving than the original version. I know the 50gr Federals from the factory actually show to have less downrange energy than the 40gr version... But I also know the heavier bullet still takes the Ram more reliably, regardless of the "theoretical energy" of the faster 40gr.

-Tim

[toad]

I know this is an old thread, but it came to mind when I saw this press release from Hornady....

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-45g ... al-Defense

Looks like it's basically a 45gr jacketed flex tip 22WMR with a faster burning powder (this one's designed more for pistols... most 22WMR ammo is intended for rifles). Their specs only show it out of a 1-7/8" barrel, but I'm wondering how it'd do out of a 10-12" Contender barrel or a Lever Action... Since it's a true jacketed bullet (instead of a plated like the Federal 50gr HP appears to have), I'm wondering if it'd hold together better/longer to expend more terminal energy onto a HP Ram. Something to consider.

BTW, I did try calling Hornady about it, but the customer/tech support folks have NO info on this new round, other than what's on the website URL above. Said it's being introduced just this week and everyone that knows anything are at the SHOT show.

-Tim

hi all
tim are they legal for pistol cartridge page 9 of the rule book part A a rimmed pistol cartridge WITH A ROUND OR FLAT NOSE .?? as i will be shooting a marlin 1894m .22mag in the near future
and the 50 gr federal are very expensive over here .

regards toad

[cslcAl]

Tim, I have chronographed the 50 gr. Federals, that I reloaded with 7.1 grs. of H-110. I got 1900 fps. out of them; and like Jason stated they shot smaller groups than the factory originals. I also never had any problems with them pressure wise even in hot weather. My .22 mag is a 9422 Win. Legacy with the 22 1/2 barrel and it shoots the factory 757's very well also. All that being said I got really burned with this caliber at a state match even using the hot ram loads. It was raining and the wet conditions made the rams muddy and prone to stick like glue to the rails. I dung three and cost me a score of 58 and a national record. My go to gun now is a 25-20 for the big matches. I still shoot the .22 mag some at our club matches, just so I don't have to reload as much. Most of the time I use the factory version for the rams in those matches. Al

[Tlee]

Jason/Al-

Thanks much... I got brave tonight and loaded up some with 7gr of H110, and then some with "a lighter load" of LilGun.

FWIW, I also checked the amount of factory powder weights in both the 50gr 757s and the 40gr cartridge and was surprised to see how much difference there was between the two... I'd always assumed it was the same powder drop in both and it was the 10gr of bullet weight that accounted for the speed diffs in the two. There was 5.2gr of factory ball powder behind the 50gr bullet, and 6.4gr behind the 40gr bullet.

-Tim

Edited 1/23/11 to remove the specific weight reference on the LilGun... I today now think it was too much, too soon, and will start out much more conservative.

[AMB]

We have shot .22 mags on steel forever. We have done everything there is to do. You can try and reinvent the wheel if you want. But, anyone shooting one will find they are expensive to shoot, and you still get dingers, and usually at the most inopportune times, like the one that costs you a state, or national title, lol. There's a reason the top shooters don't shoot .22 mags.