Disappointing results with .22 wmr

[djm]

Re - Federal 50gr. JHP - regardless of the velocity readings that you're getting - I have always had the most accurate results with CCI 40gr loads.

This is from my 3 different 22WMR's - Ruger Precision - Ruger American and a CZ457 Varmint model - all 3 of these rifles would NOT shoot the Federal 50gr JHP with any remarkable accuracy - but turn in great accuracy with CCI.

The 22WMR was designed around the 40gr bullet and with 50gr loads the bullet is 20% heavier and may not be sufficiently stabilized considering velocity and rifling twist rate.

Of course every gun is different and 22WMR ammo is not produced as precisely as some of the better 22lr ammunition.

That being said all 22's are finnicky regarding ammo choice and lot - when you find a good one stick with it.

 

[Jcemulini]

Biggest thing with rimfire accuracy is just trying different brands of ammo and sometimes just even different lots of the same type ammo. I have had good luck with the hornady Vmax 22 WMR.

 

[savagelh]

I've owned 2 rifles in 22 WMR over the yrs, a Marlin 982 w/22" barrel& a Stevens 305F w/13" tube. Both had decent accuracy to 80 yds with MaxiMag 40 gr for squirrels and bunnies. I never crony'd 'em though. Tried some 50 gr ammo in them and found it less accurate than the
40 gr stuff which I reckon is due to the 1 in 16" twist of my barrels. The 50 gr bullets are better served by a 1 in 14" twist in my book.

I have one of those 305f. It is surprisingly accurate with the 40gr maxi mags. 5 shot moa groups at 100 are the norm. I got 3 partridges with it this week with 3 head shots. I've also got a few coyotes with it while calling them. It's the best truck gun ive ever had and its got an old tasco pronghorn on it that hasn't been touched in years and always holds zero even after spending its life rattling around under the truck seat.

 

[PGW Steve]

That 50 grain ammo is slow, but great for cracking beaver skulls. I've got a fleet of .22 WMR's and give the Maxi Mag +V's a try as well as the CCI 40gr HP's.

I've got two Lilja barreled .22 WMR's, one a factory 10/22 magnum I built in 1999, the other a CZ 455. The 455 needs bedding that I haven't got around to yet, but the 10/22M is an accurate beast. I tend to ignore people saying that .22 mag isn't accurate, based on this rifle alone, try shooting one built on a barrel from a top barrel maker.

 

[_Shorty]

Level of precision one finds acceptable is arbitrary and subjective. There's also an objective side to precision, and it is fairly safe to say that 22 WMR is objectively not all that precise compared to 22 LR. Is it good enough for certain activities? Definitely. Is it awesome? No.

 

[Dogleg]

I never had any luck with the 22 Mag and I tried hard to make it work. Comversely I’ve had nothing but success with the 17 HMR. After awhile giving up seemed to be the logical thing to do.

 

[_Shorty]

Just seems to me like the ammunition manufacturers aren't putting as much behind the WMR rounds as they do the LR rounds, so they've just never been as consistent. Of course, you'll find some guns that shoot pretty well, but on average it just doesn't seem to be there.

 

[Hunter7]

The thing is the .22 WMR was never designed to be an accuracy round, more of a varmint round, 22 LR on steroids, and for this purpose it does very well. The variety of ammo is far better now than it was years ago but no manufacturer actually produces “match grade” ammo for it. My Steyr Zephyr in 22 mag does quite well with the 30 grain polymer tipped V max type ammo. The .17 HMR is far better in the accuracy dept but the .22 mag still offers better penetration on larger game.