22wmr - worth having?

[Big Sky]

I've got an opportunity to pick up a cz455 in 22wmr. The price is good so it's pretty tempting. I just don't know what I would use it for. I've got a couple 22LR's and a 223. Does the 22wmr serve a purpose that the other two rounds can't?

What do you guys use your wmr's for?

[wally338]

I have two 22WMR but I seldom use them, I prefer my 22lr for volume shooting because it is cheaper to shoot. There is nothing wrong with the 22WMR it is a great cartridge but just not my favorite.

[derk22]

And im the opposite. i like the 22 wmr sooo much i aold my 22lr. although the 22lr is cheaper, i still find this no bad

[Dennis001]

Like 22lr because they are cheaper to buy

[6mm rem]

I use mine a lot. I first bought it for shooting beavers which it works well for. I have shot plenty of coyotes with it ,a little light but works. Gophers are a blast as well with it.

[molly09]

you have my vote.

[tchardy1972]

I use mine less now that I have my k-hornet but I used to use it all the time. The 22wmr fits my style of gopher shooting just about perfectly. I prefer to sit up high and shoot them between 100-200 yards and for this my 22lr just doesn't cut it. The 22wmr aloe makes a great beaver round.

[molly09]

Originally Posted by derk22

And im the opposite. i like the 22 wmr sooo much i aold my 22lr. although the 22lr is cheaper, i still find this no bad

you have my vote 22mag all the way

[pdog15]

I have both and enjoy the wmr/6-18X AO for 100-150 yds shooting. A little more expensive to shoot than the LR but is a neat/challenging alternative to a LR or an HMR/WSM. Next up the ladder is a .243rather than a .223 as it gives me a legal hunting rifle as well as a varmint caliber.

[roger]

Personally i feel the 17hmr is more useful for what i need. Gophers to coyotes. Having said that ive never used a 22 mag.
Buy it anyways.

[wally338]

One case of 22lr Fed. 525 bulk ammo (5250 rds) $220.00, one case (5000 rds) CCI 22WMR 1299.00. I usually shoot two cases of rimfire ammo a year so the savings are substantial for me.

[Groundhogger]

Consider it a heavy-hitting .22lr with about as much power @ 100 yards as the .22lr has at the muzzle. I've never shot a gopher with 22 WMR, but have shot groundhogs with them, and UNLIKE 17HMR..it actually puts them down hard, and reliably out to 125+ yards. You can't really compare them to .22lr, but being a rimfire...people are tempted to. Allot more power, better range, louder report than .22lr...and more capable. Usually when the discussion of magnum rimfires like 22 WMR or 17 HMR come-up, someone will chime-in with a fairy tale about being able to load .223 for $0.25 a round...so "why bother" with them.. ...but for the power they deliver, I think they're actually GOOD value. No, not as cheap as .22lr, but a different animal altogether.

I'll be adding a CZ 22 WMR to the collection in the next 12 months myself.

[Pagespirit]

More importantly in my opinion the CZ is a fantastic firearm, you will not regret it. Good, cheap caliber as well.

[sikwhiskey]

Originally Posted by Groundhogger

Consider it a heavy-hitting .22lr with about as much power @ 100 yards as the .22lr has at the muzzle. I've never shot a gopher with 22 WMR, but have shot groundhogs with them, and UNLIKE 17HMR..it actually puts them down hard, and reliably out to 125+ yards. You can't really compare them to .22lr, but being a rimfire...people are tempted to. Allot more power, better range, louder report than .22lr...and more capable. Usually when the discussion of magnum rimfires like 22 WMR or 17 HMR come-up, someone will chime-in with a fairy tale about being able to load .223 for $0.25 a round...so "why bother" with them.. ...but for the power they deliver, I think they're actually GOOD value. No, not as cheap as .22lr, but a different animal altogether.
I'll be adding a CZ 22 WMR to the collection in the next 12 months myself.

$0.25/rnd is not a fairy tale. If you swage your own bullets its around $0.15/rnd. I use Hornady soft points and load them for $0.29/rnd. That being said, there is less noise with the 22 wmr and less recoil.

Originally Posted by Pagespirit

More importantly in my opinion the CZ is a fantastic firearm, you will not regret it. Good, cheap caliber as well.

I'm a CZ fan as well, great rifles, if you find a good deal on one buy it, you can always resell it if you don't like it.

[Okotokian]

I've got the CZ in the "lux" version in 22wmr. It's a .22 with a lot of juice, but frankly, wih the .22lr and .223 you've got everything the wmr can do covered, and more. If you were hunting squirell or rabbit to eat, you would want to use the .22lr. Too much damage with the wmr.

[HunterDave]

I recently bought a .22 wmr specifically for shooting beaver. My .22lr was a little light and I didn't need the big bang of my 22-250. It's going to replace my .22lr as the rifle that I carry while trapping as it's a better tool for the job.

[Groundhogger]

Originally Posted by sikwhiskey

$0.25/rnd is not a fairy tale. If you swage your own bullets its around $0.15/rnd. I use Hornady soft points and load them for $0.29/rnd. That being said, there is less noise with the 22 wmr and less recoil.

Without going too far off topic~it was a joke about people who dissuade others from the magnum rimfire on the basis of how cost effective it is to load something like .223. As we are all inclined to do sometimes, the "low cost" part seems to get exaggerated. I've been reloading for a couple of years now, and when you add-up brass (even with multiple loadings) good primers, powder, quality bullets...there is still great value to be found, but not to the extent some people claim. To say nothing of the cost of getting set-up. With availability of components, I'm having more stuff shipped to me than ever before, which also adds to the cost.

Anyhow, we're on the same page I think...and I dig 22 WMR.

[Groundhogger]

....and I paid $0.23 for my soft point Hornady's...but they struggle to stay within 1" no matter what powder, or charge I tried. My .223 likes 53gr. V-Max, but they're about $0.35 each. (+BR4 primers/Varget)

[Homesteader]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

I recently bought a .22 wmr specifically for shooting beaver. My .22lr was a little light and I didn't need the big bang of my 22-250. It's going to replace my .22lr as the rifle that I carry while trapping as it's a better tool for the job.

There you have it. The 22wmr, is kind of a rimfire Hornet. Much quieter, then the 223rem, and far more lethal on bigger varmints like beaver, and yotes then it's smaller sibling. I've taken plenty with the lr version, but it's just not quite enough for a lot of the shot opportunities I've had over the years. I like my Hornet for beaver, but just as often take the 223, but the noise level goes way up.

I'd buy it, shoot it, put her thru the paces, and if down the road you don't like it, move on. It'll be cheap entertainment, CZ's always sell good if you find it's not your cup of tea.

[Shrike]

At one time I used the .22WMR for ground hogs with varying results.
Even with chest shots many still make it down the hole, specially the large adults.
I then moved to the hornet which I regard as one of the finest groundhog rounds that get the job done with less noise, then the .223. The hornet anchors the adults much better then the 22 WMR.

[roper1]

22 WMR fun little caliber. I own & shoot .22lr, .22 WMR, .22 Hornet, & .223. Use the .22 mag the most for plinking. Just like the extra oomph of the mag on gophers & less reach to roads or neighbors for safety sake

[sillyak]

Originally Posted by Groundhogger

Without going too far off topic~it was a joke about people who dissuade others from the magnum rimfire on the basis of how cost effective it is to load something like .223. As we are all inclined to do sometimes, the "low cost" part seems to get exaggerated. I've been reloading for a couple of years now, and when you add-up brass (even with multiple loadings) good primers, powder, quality bullets...there is still great value to be found, but not to the extent some people claim. To say nothing of the cost of getting set-up. With availability of components, I'm having more stuff shipped to me than ever before, which also adds to the cost.

Anyhow, we're on the same page I think...and I dig 22 WMR.

I bought a 5 gallon pail of once fired .223 brass for scrap price. $70 for ~3500, say you get 5 loadings per piece that makes brass less than a cent a round. 5 cents for a primer, 10-15 cents for powder and 12-30 cents for a bullet. It really ends up being the same cost as .17 HMR. So long as reloading is a labour of love and the extra noise is no issue.

[Fredo]

Awesome caliber. Twice the fun, range and power of .22
Con : a tad expensive.

Unforgiving on small critters up to 150 yds.

I've heard that magpies in my area call my Marlin 983 "Scourge of God".

[NativeHunter]

love da 22mag

[karm]

sold the 17hrm bought a 22mag. again

[roper1]

Originally Posted by karm

sold the 17hrm bought a 22mag. again

That is interesting. I've got two buddies did the same thing. They just liked the mag better

[winmag]

Own a Ruger 77 All Weather with a 3x9 sportsman scope [ pellet gun scope ,don,t laugh] the scope is not a bush banger but super for fair weather day time gopher shooting, poor at dusk for beaver would need a high end scope [ took off the Leopold 4] with the 33 gr.accutip-v the Ruger will pound Loonies all day at 100 meters, i am getting a little shaky but the oldest boy can put 25 rounds in a 1.5 inch group every time with a couple of fliers, highly recommend the 22 mag

[calgarychef]

I love my little 22 mag, anything at a 100 yards is dead,

[sikwhiskey]

Originally Posted by Groundhogger

....and I paid $0.23 for my soft point Hornady's...but they struggle to stay within 1" no matter what powder, or charge I tried. My .223 likes 53gr. V-Max, but they're about $0.35 each. (+BR4 primers/Varget)

$230 for a 1000 bullets?? Do a little more digging. I bought 4000 hornday sp from budget shooter supply last year for $600. $0.15 per bullet. $0.29 with powder and primers, I get 1.5" - 3" moa groups out of a semi auto, 1.5" all day with the right loads, Moa is over rated now days, sure it's nice,but not nessisary for ground rats or hunting. The Dillon 650 press paid for itself in time alone. Friends of mine use my press once a month to a year for free.
Not trying to start a ****ing match, 22wmr, for me,is not economical, still fun though and yes, if I didn't reload I'd buy 2