22 magnum

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I got a Henry Frontier in 22wmr. Absolutely love this rifle. Shoots plenty accurate and silky smooth action. Just a fun shooter with great looks. I opted to scope mine as I struggle with irons at 100 yards. So I threw on a cheek riser that I feel suite the gun quite well.

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My birthday prezzy to myself this year was a CZ452 in .22WMR. Stuck a generic scope on it and after a bit of adjustment, pretty close to a .75 moa at 100. Happy!
 
brybenn said:
What sort of accuracy are you cz guys getting? I know 22 mag is not known for stellar accuracy
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I had a cz452 American 22wmr. It shot 1.5” groups @ 100yrds.
I sold it and have a 452 in 17hmr now.

I have been looking at Henry’s small game 22wmr. I think that would be a fun gun ti play with
 
I usually get minute of gopher at 100 yards with Hornady 30 gr ammo, 2-3". Don't shoot much paper with it though to be fair.
 
I see 1.5”- 2.5” groups with a 2-7x32 vortex scope on my Henry frontier shooting CCI maxi mag 40g TMJ. Had some hero groups under 1” but on average around the 2” mark seems about right. That’s shooting off bags on a bench. I’m sure I could shrink those groups with a bit more magnification but I’m happy as is and prefer the smaller scope.

At 25 yards all rounds are in same hole.
 
I've owned three .22WMR rifles over the years, one a custom Kimber 82A with a match-grade barrel (pics below) and the other two a pair of Anschutz 1720s on the Anschutz 54 action. I sold the Annies. The problem with the .22WMR is the lack of high-quality highly-accurate ammunition. I've been unable to get the kind of accuracy I can from my .22 LRs with the WMR. Where I’ve been able to get 5-shot 50-yard accuracy of .30” or so with my best .22LRs (with match ammunition), the best I could do with my .22WMRs has been more like .50"-.60" at 50 yards (so approximately 1 MOA), and about 1.25” at 100, and I’ve tried about 10 different factory offerings, including the RWS 40-grain load, which didn't prove superior to other loads I tried. Since accuracy is a high priority for me with any of my rifles, I've never been completely satisfied with my .22WMRs. Of course, there is no match .22WMR ammunition available, only hunting-grade really, and so that explains the difference. The best .22WMR ammo I've tested has been the Remington Premier Magnum Rimfire load with the 33-gr. Accutip-V bullet. With this load, my most accurate .22WMR, the custom Kimber (pillar-bedded with a tuned light trigger and match-quality barrel), will group that ammo into about .50" at 50 yards, and about 1.25" at 100. I guess I've just found the .22LRs more fun because of their greater accuracy potential. I've added an Anschutz 1727F in .17HMR to my rimfire collection and find that it delivers better accuracy than my Kimber .22WMR, and I think the difference is entirely a function of the ammunition, with the .17HMR ammunition just superior to the .22WMR. The quality of the rifles is equal.

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I know the 22 mag suffers from ammo but it makes a great coyote calling rifle in the wooded areas and frozen creeks I hunt. Hits coons alot harder than a 22lr and really swats the thick hided black squirrels we have here. A shot thru the ribs with a 22mag generally leaves the back straps and hind legs whereas a 17hmr makes them almost non edible.
The 17hm2 is the perfect squirrel cartridge but it lacks the punch I like for coyotes. When I hunted foxes the 17hm2 was great but the 22mag always put them down hard. A 40gr TMJ was my choice for coyotes. It would break the shoulder and anchor them well without hurting the pelts. My 223 at 30 yards is not so pelt friendly
 
Canuck65 said:
Anschutz 1416. That’s the way I’d go.
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Yeah, I think you're on the right track, but isn't it the 1516 that's in .22 WMR? Pretty hard to beat an Anschutz. I think a 1516 will be pretty hard to find, and it will be used as they're long out of production, but the newer Anschutz 1761 is available in .22 WMR, although at a higher price than a used 1516. If you can find a used Anschutz 1720, this would be the best bet, in my opinion, for a bolt-action.

One last thought: the new Steyr Zephyr II looks like a very nice rifle, and it is available in .22 WMR. It is much less-expensive than the Anschutz 1761 and could possibly be brought in by someone like Nordic Marksman, who appear to have that rifle in .22 LR and .17 HMR at the moment.
 
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