Im a sucker for anything 22 Magnum

[L Ross]

There's a 9422M XTR in the safe, and like Rick I happened across some of that Winchester 34 gr. Why oh why does good stuff get discontinued? It is so good I gritted my teeth and put a compact Redfield 1x4 variable on the rifle so I could see well enough to take advantage of the accuracy. I do have a brick and a box of some Hornady plastic tipped 30 something weight ammo that I bought back when buyin' was good. At the time I thought, "Oh why did I just do that? I hardly ever shoot the .22 mag." Now it is a good feeling seeing that brick on the shelf. About the only time I use the little mag is to shoot a yard critter. It will decisively drop a chuck with a chest shot unlike a .22 lr. To quote the incomparable Yosemite Sam, "Holds still yer varmint so's I can blast ya."

 

[Winelover]

Not a magnum but 9422, yep put a scope on it for the same reasons Ross mentions.






This was a X-Mas present from Cindy............so I'll never part with it.

 

[richhodg66]

When I was about 14, I got a Squires Bingham bolt action in .22 WMR (still have it). I thought it was great, but figured out a few things pretty quick. Ammo cost about five times as much and wasn't as accurate as .22 LR. The hollow point ammo was too destructive on edible small game, but the FMJ ammo you could get didn't kill as well as .22 LR HPs did.

There are more ammo types available now in .22 WMR, a few years ago, I pulled that rifle out and shot it with some of the 30 grain bullet ammo and it shot a whole lot better than it ever had before, so maybe I need to re-visit the .22 WMR, but I can download a Hornet.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Yes I have seen the same. Improvements to ammo has been across the boards not just 9mm.

 

[Missionary]

30+ years ago an older pastor friend was giving up hunting. One day took my out to his car shed and from the rafters pulled down 3 .22 single shot bolt rifles. Handed them to me and said, "Take-em home ya poor missionary". Then he opened a old caliber .30 ammo box and pulled out a handful of Winchester Yellow box .22 Mag ammo.
Still have 3 boxes. O special mornings that old Winchester SS goes hunting again. If I can see the critter out to 100 yards it is going to get hurt real bad.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Some years back I was adel to purchase the remainder of a case of old yellow box Winchesters.

Its good ammo.

 

[richhodg66]

I've given it a lot of thought and wonder why when the industry tries to up the power level of the .22 LR, they always go with more velocity and a bullet designed to blow up at said velocities. Fine for varmints, but for edible small game, it always seemed to me like the .25 rimfire was the answer. If the ammo was readilay available, I'd buy several little rifles in a caliber like that.

I've killed exactly one squirrel with a .17 HMR. If I ever use it again, it'll only be when a head shot is a sure thing.

 

[Bret4207]

Amen! The 25 Stevens RF had a primo rep for small game up to coyote size back in the day. A modern CF version would sell I think. A 65 gr FN bullet at 1400fps would be great. And they're small enough to fit something slimmer and trimmer than a 25/20 would.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

My Savage 23/25-20 is a dandy coyote rifle for me with the speer 75g bullet over 4198 powder! If you contact bone its a bang flop. Miss bone they still dont go very far at all. Often still fall in scope view.

 

[L Ross]

Amen! The 25 Stevens RF had a primo rep for small game up to coyote size back in the day. A modern CF version would sell I think. A 65 gr FN bullet at 1400fps would be great. And they're small enough to fit something slimmer and trimmer than a 25/20 would.

The closest I have come is the .22 WRF that CCI loaded/loads with the 45 grain Gold Dot hollow point at 1,475 fps. A solid performer, I have used it on squirrels as well along my .25-20's, a .32-20, and a .36 flinter with round ball. The target is always the eye as I like to eat squirrels.

 

[Bret4207]

The 22 WRF with the FN lead, if I can find it, shoots in my Smith 48. That's my sole 22 mag, although I'd like a rifle. Another "shoulda" bought a case when it was plentiful.

 

[Bret4207]

My Savage 23/25-20 is a dandy coyote rifle for me with the speer 75g bullet over 4198 powder! If you contact bone its a bang flop. Miss bone they still dont go very far at all. Often still fall in scope view.

I have a 4 Savage 23's as I've no doubt related before. a 32-20, a 22lr and 2- 25/20's. Great rifles. My idea for the 25 CF would be something more like an overgrown Stevens Favorite or, better, a Marksman or a 44, not the heavier 44 1/2. Something on a 22 mag sized frame IOW.

 

[richhodg66]

I have a 4 Savage 23's as I've no doubt related before. a 32-20, a 22lr and 2- 25/20's. Great rifles. My idea for the 25 CF would be something more like an overgrown Stevens Favorite or, better, a Marksman or a 44, not the heavier 44 1/2. Something on a 22 mag sized frame IOW.

That's my thinking as well.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

[Tomme boy]

I remember those. Neat weird gun

 

[L Ross]

I helped a local farmer butcher two hogs one Fall. He had that same .22 mag. It functioned perfectly, as a single shot. He told me it rarely fired two rounds in a row as a semi auto.
Funny thing, he had never seen much less used a "pig sticker." I got a skinning gambrel ready and hooked it to the forks of his skid steer. He shot 'em, I slipped the gambrel hooks into slits cut by the leaders, he hoisted, and I "stuck" the hog. Nice pale well bled pork.

I had an AMT Hardballer. I thought the stainless steel was "gummy", I sold it.

 

[JonB]

I had the AMT AutoMAG III (30 carbine). This was in the mid 90s, before I was a reloader. I bought 1000 rds of mil surp ammo. The gun threw huge fireballs...which was kind of fun, but a pain also. I shot half the ammo, then sold the gun and ammo to a friend. The first mag full he shot, he had issues. Turns out the firing pin broke or wore out enough to not fire everytime reliably? I don't remember exactly. I do know, I never had those issues when I shot it. AMT was out of business at that time and Galen Industries was having troubles...anyway, he couldn't get a firing pin from them, which is probably a good thing if they can fail like that one did. He had one custom machined and it cost a lot. I still hear him whine about that deal, but he still has the gun and likes it.
.
why did I mention that?
Well another friend knows I liked the AMT's at one time. Somewhere he found two of the AMT AutoMAG II, like CW shows. He told me he bought them with me in mind. I guess one worked and one didn't, and was a package deal for cheap. I told him in general, I wasn't a fan of 22 Mag...so I passed. He flipped them at the next gunshow and took a bath.
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I don't recall all the problems I heard about those guns and AMT and Galen Industries had over the years, but I heard enough to know to avoid buying them. But just like anything, I'm sure there are some good ones out there.

 

[obssd1958]

I bought an Automag V at an auction, years ago. Paid less than $500 for it. Chambered in 50 AE, it was hard to find ammo or brass for it, but I managed to scrounge enough to shoot it, and to begin reloading for it.
First time that I shot it, I was expecting enough recoil to bring it back over my head. What I got was almost enough recoil to twist it out of my hands. When fired, it had a little muzzle rise, but most of the energy at my end was rotational, and away from my right hand as I was gripping it. Didn't take long to get used to it, and I ended up shooting a bunch of cast bullets through it. Never had any functional issues with it.
But eventually, I needed to put money in the bank, and I sold it through gunbroker for 7 or 800 dollars.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

A while back, I got to hit the range with a couple 22 magnum pistols. Here's how it went.