Help me decide: .22 WMR or not

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uberkermit

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I am going to buy an XT-22 (.22lr) some time soon (when I get my PAL from the CFC), but I was also considering buying an XT in .22 WMR as well. My dad tried to talk me out of it - said a .223 or even a .22-250 would be more use to me generally speaking.

.22 WMR is not dirt cheap like .22lr. I understand that it never will be. If I have figured right, it will cost somewhere around 25 cents per shot. In terms of target practice, I can live with that. On the other hand, .223 is a bit more expensive to shoot.

I guess the bigger question is, what will I be shooting? I had hoped to do some Coyote hunting. I have heard of guys using a 22 magnum for that, but of course there are plenty online who say, "No way; nothing less than a center fire .22 for coyotes." Also thought about some ground hog hunting with it too.

Basically I want a varmint rifle with a little more punch than the .22lr, but I am not sure if the 22 magnum is going to fit that purpose well.

What say you all?
 
I've shot groundhogs and coons with the 22 magnum. It pulls the eyeballs right out of their sockets. Don't underestimate one until you use one. A 223 will give you more range. You hit a yote at 100 yards with a 22 magnum and it's dead. Check your regs. It's legal to hunt deer in Ontario with a 22 magnum. Not my first choice, for deer.
 
I'd say it's a function of both how MUCH you'll be shooting, and whether or not the gun's primary purpose in hunting or target shooting. I don't think a soul on this site would argue against the idea of a .22lr being the best, first gun for anyone to get. Besides cost of ammo., it's a great learning tool that helps you get your marksmanship skills refined. As a hunting tool...not so great, unless your game is approx. the size of a squirrel or small rabbit. Even then, shot placement is critical.

I say this~If hunting game up to the size of a coyote is as important as having a gun that's fairly affordable to blow pop cans up with, I actually think a .22WMR is a decent choice. I bought one last spring, and shot groundhogs with it all summer~did a damn fine job to be honest. I'd always wanted one, and didn't over-think the process, I just bought it. Having owned 2 HMRs before it, I have to say...accuracy beyond 100 yards is a little disappointing compared to them, but the ability to hit targets with more authority within 100 yards more than makes-up for it. Not many groundhogs take a single step after getting whacked by it, can't say the same about my HMR experience.

Since you mentioned a .223, I bought one late in the season to reach out to the nervous survivors that eluded me throughout the summer. :) It does that. However, at approx. $1 a round, it isn't a target gun in my books. .22WMR at $.25-$.29 a round~much better. To wrap this ramble-up, .223 is a great hunting round for varmints, .22WMR will put down a coyote/groundhog @75-100 yards if you do your part, pick a .22lr if 99% of your shooting will be target shooting...you could always pick-off a groundhog with it.

My .22WMR at work this past summer, loved shooting it...and still will on really flat farms. Won't post the .223 results...the photos are more colorful :)

IMG-20110813-00115.jpg
 
brobones said:
I've shot groundhogs and coons with the 22 magnum. It pulls the eyeballs right out of their sockets. Don't underestimate one until you use one. A 223 will give you more range. You hit a yote at 100 yards with a 22 magnum and it's dead. Check your regs. It's legal to hunt deer in Ontario with a 22 magnum. Not my first choice, for deer.
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uuhh, no, actually it isn't. Maybe you should your regs before giving out false information.
 
Nice pic 22LRGUY ....and a really good explaination as well ;)
I am still only poking holes in paper out to 100 M with mine ...but really like the WMR .
 
22 wmr absolutely rules! Once your hooked you will understand. Many do not get the appeal but I wonder how many of the nay Sayers have actually shot it much.....
 
pwog said:
22 wmr absolutely rules! Once your hooked you will understand. Many do not get the appeal but I wonder how many of the nay Sayers have actually shot it much.....
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Wonder that myself. I now have 6 varieties of ammo in hand to take to the range next time out...really want to see what the gun likes best. So far, Hornady 30gr. V-max. I consider the .22WMR to be like a .22lr on steroids, and pretty destructive for a rimfire. Love mine.
 
Joe549 said:
It's only cheaper if you reload. A box of 50 rounds of CCI in .22WMR costs $12 - $15. I haven't seen a quality .223 factory load that cheap.
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Using a parallel argument, I've never seen a .22WMR that will let you reliably take a coyote at 300M either...:cool:

Don't get me wrong, I love the WMR and own several but it fits into a very limited performance envelope overlapped on one end by the .22LR and on the other end by the centerfire .22's. I like it a lot and use it frequently but it's limitations must be recognized and worked around...
 
Always loved the .22wmr and continue to do so. Will not hunt coyotes with it, as I have a couple .223s for that. And it's not the purpose I bought the rifle for, which is to take care of any pests in my yard. It does it well.
 
I currently have, or have owned, all 3, 22lr, 22 Mag & 223

Love the 22 for cheap fun plinking and gopher grounhogs out to 100 yards. Of all my guns, 22 lr's are still my favorite caliber.

22 Mag is nice, stretches the distance a fair bit for plinking and smaller critters, and yes, it can drop a coyote out to 100 yards, but shot placement is critical at that range. I found the small gain in performance from a 22 lr was not worth the cost in ammo for me.

223 is the perfect sibling to go along with a 22lr in my opinion. Still a very fun varmint gun, and can drop coyotes well past 200 yards if you want to. You pay a bit more for ammo, but if extreme precision isn't your thing, then bulk surplus will drop that cost noticably.

One caliber that I found fit perfectly between the 22lr and the 223 is the 22 Hornet. But it's not cheap for ammo if you don't reload. If you do, it's a great "middle of the pack" in the range of guns you are looking at.It would fall somewhere between the 22 Mag and the 223 for performance.

Grab yourself an older Cooey 60 bolt action repeater and any 223 you like the looks of, and I imagine you'll be a very happy person.
 
Have all three calibers, 2 .22lr, 1 .22 Mag and 2 223 Rem. They are all fun to shoot. I would start with the Rimfires, get really good and then move on. You can have lots of cheap fun with both.

Mark
 
22 lr for gophers. 22wmr for gophers past 100yds. 223 for gophers past 200yds.

i have shot alot of coyotes with the 22 mag cartridge, but under 100yds. i own all of them including a 22-250 (soon to arrive) so it all just depends what the situation is. if you are looking for a good fur gun then 22 mag is a nice cartridge. 22lr is cheap fun though so cant knock that.

once you shoot a 22 mag you will understand why everyone needs one. plus 12-15 bucks per 50 is not that bad.
 
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