22 mag from a 6.5" barrel

[MPFD]

I have always wanted a 22lr/wm revolver. I was poking around and found a pretty good deal on a Heritage Rough Rider. I know a buddy that has one and liked it, so I picked it up pretty cheap. I know it's no single six, but its a pretty decent little gun. I really kinda bought it figureing it wouldn't be very accurate and I was gonna carry it during the summer while fishing farm ponds loaded with 22 mag shot shells for snakes. I HATE SNAKES!!!! Well after getting it and trying the two different types of ammo Walmart had in stock, I found it is a pretty good shooting little gun. So far, I've tried Winchester Dynapoints 45 g. plated lead HP at 1600 fps, and CCI Maximags 40 g. JHP at 1875. Both shot dead center 1" high at 15-20 yards. I am now thinking about carrying it at night while I'm shotguning for yotes and the occasional, outer city limits fox hunt. I wouldn't use it on a coyote, but It would come in handy when a skunk or coon comes in to check out our setup. Now for foxes, will the revolver with a 6.5" barrel have enough energy to dispatch a fox with in 20-30 yards? Or would I be better off to stick with my HMR? I have not lost a fox yet with square hit from the 17 HMR, but I just kind like the idea trying out the revolver. Anybody out there have any experience with 22 mag revolvers and small game hunting?

 

[bhk]

Yep, I often use a six-inch Smith and Wesson 648 .22 magnum for hunting. Rather than shooting .22 WMR for squirrels and rabbits, I generally use .22 WRFs. These are only slightly more powerful than .22 long rifles out of a revolver and can be shot in the magnum cylinder. Not always easy to find these, but there are much quieter than the magnum shells. The magnum shells are great for larger stuff like coons.

I did some chrono testing out of my six inch magnum, comparing it to a similar length revolver in regular .22 long rifle. The magnum out of a six-inch barrel gets over twice the energy of the long rifle cartridge out of a six-inc barrel, but it is LOUD!!!!! The magnum out of a six inch revolver even beats a rifle in .22 long rifle by 18 - 20% when shooting .22 long rifle high velocity from the rifle. The comparison probably evens up somewhat if something like Stingers or Velocitors are used in the rifle.

 

[marco]

A 22 magnum with a 6-1/2" barrel will shoot a little slower than out of a rifle length barrel. You can figure around 1,400fps. with 40gr. bullet and 1,600fps. to 1,700fps. with 30gr. bullet but plenty of power for fox at close range. Id use the Winchester 40gr. Super X hp. I shoot a Ruger single six with a 4" barrel and I love that thing for small game hunting. Rabbits at 35 to 50yds. are toast! ~Marco

 

[CES]

I happen to have a great deal of experience with .22 rimfire handgun hunting. The .22 Magnum from a handgun is far more than some will give it credit for. My experiences have been with several different S&W and Ruger sixguns. I currently own the following .22 Magnum revolvers.

S&W Model 48 4" (K-frame)
S&W Model 48 8-3/8" (K-frame)
S&W Model 651 4" (J-frame)
S&W Model 51 3-1/2" (J-frame)
S&W Model 650 3" (J-frame)
Ruger OM SS 9-1/2"
Ruger OM SS 5-1/2"

I have killed all manner of small game with all of them, up to and including feral hogs. I've killed several bobcat and coyote with the long barreled S&W and Ruger over the years as well. Not to mention fox,coon,rabbit,beaver,nutria,possum',squirrel,birds,snakes,turtles, fish, ect; and so forth that I've killed with the .22 Magnum and LR cartridge from a handgun. Killed my first handgunned squirrel at age 10 with a Ruger OM SS and have been an avid handgun hunter for 36 years now

 

[MPFD]

I didn't think the Mags were as loud as everyone said they would be. I mean it's loud enough but I don't think it's as loud as my 3.5" 9mm Sig. I saw a fox tonite on the edge of town driving back from a buddies and I was jones'n to try it!

 

[Three 44s]

The .22 mag out of a good revolver is a "best kept secret".

Hands down, the .22 mag cartridge is under appreciated ... and under utilized.

The secret to it's potential is the quality of bullet construction.

With a .22 lr ..... you've got a lead round nose at modest velocity. Hollow pointing it helps .... but it's no match for the WMR.

I have Marlin 882 SSV ........

...... and a Smith 48-4 (six inch).

I have not used my Smith 48 near enough ... time and all .... but I did kill a Columbia ground squirrel at 60 yds (factory irons). I hit it too far back but it was still a WRECK!

I have an acquiantance who owns a Heritage revolver .... he really swears by it.

Three 44s

 

[mtbadger]

MPFD I killed my first bobcat that wasn't in a trap with the Heritage Rough Rider/.22mag at 68yds. I am a beliver in that gun and rounds... I need to buy another one. I bent the barel on mine when I was thrown from a horse and landed on it... (FRICKEN WOLVES)