.22 Mag too much for squirrel

S

SerenityNetworks

New member
I've decided to get a Chiappa Double-Badger. The decision remaining is which .22 round, Mag or LR. I have quite a few .22 LR rifles already, so I hesitate (greatly) to get another. Also, I don't have either of the bigger rimfire cartridges. But I want a trunk and opportunity gun. I imagine using it most for when I get the chance to just go walking in the woods and in the fall when I go squirrel hunting while there are still a good number of leaves on the trees.

I've never shot a .22 Mag. Am I silly to consider it for these purposes.

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Sure they will kill squirrels but not any deader than even the lowliest .22LR - and at a much higher cost.

Plus, you have to check your state game regs.

Late edit: I just rechecked the regs this year for MS and it looks like there is no prohibition against a .22 mag that I can see. I must have been looking at an old reg when I read that a while ago.
 
Last edited:
Nothing wrong with the thougth !!!

Other than the added expense, I personally do not see a problem with the .22WMR. One added, advantage, is if you run into a Coyote. On late season squirrels hunting I often take a Mag. ...... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Thanks.

In TX there isn't any issue with using a .22 Mag on squirrels. This isn't going to be a gun where I go out and plink through a couple hundred rounds, so cost isn't an issue either. But having never shot a .22 Mag I didn't know if I'd have a squirrel left when I don't make a head shot.

And yes, the chance to use it on 'yotes is also in the back of my mind. That is another factor for getting the Mag barrel. As I mentioned, this is to be an 'opportunity' gun.
 
I never understood .22 WMR, nor the people that used the cartridge.

....And then, somehow, I ended up buying one. :confused:

It is definitely one of my favorite cartridges. More reliable than .22 LR. Plenty of power. Good jacketed bullet selection. Reasonable ammunition availability. Don't have to chase your brass (unless you save it for a bullet swager). And, it isn't very offensive without ear plugs (in a rifle, at least).

However, I wouldn't recommend .22 WMR if you plan to eat the squirrels. Generally, I'm shooting ground squirrels when I'm after rodents with the .22 WMR. They're roughly the same size as most eastern tree squirrels. I don't even use nasty hollow points, just plain old ArmsCor 45 gr Soft Points.

Most of the time, any body shot is devastating. There isn't much left that's edible (if anything). Even head shots can cause massive hemorrhaging in the shoulders.
The tree squirrels that I have shot with it just turned into a bloody slurry with the odd ear, foot, or shattered bones mixed in.

It's a fun cartridge. But head shots are an absolute must if you want the meat; and even then, it can cause meat loss.
 
Ah, thank you. That was my concern. I do eat the squirrels. Although I'm a good shot I can't say every shot will be broadside head shot. I had no idea if the bullet would 'pass through' or disintegrate (as you described). Unless there is a round appropriate for small game and a separate round appropriate for larger game (like 'yotes) then it looks like I need another .22 LR.
 
It's not 'too much' and if you were having a problem with creating 'too much' damage, there's always FMJ's
Maybe one of those 30 grain fragmenting bullets, if you want less penetration... There's pretty good projectile selection for .22WMR
 
I had no idea if the bullet would 'pass through' or disintegrate (as you described).
Click to expand...

About the only .22 bullet that will not give a reliable pass-thru is the CB caps. I've had many of those end up caught on the inside of the skin opposite the entrance wound. I used to use those behind my house in FL when I just wanted to thin down the population safely.

Frankenmauser brings up a very good point. Meat damage with a high-velocity bullet is much greater than with a slow bullet. That's why I only hunt with the standard velocity (about 1080fps) .22LR solid points. I don't need to shoot past about 50 yds anyway as that is about as high as the tops of the big pine trees.
 
Head, neck and Shoulders

Most of the time, any body shot is devastating.
Click to expand...
On squirrels, I never take a head on shot and there is always opportunity for a side head shot. Even a neck & high shoulder shot is fine as most of the meat is in the back and hind legs. I also never hunt with hollow-points in the mag but on occasion do, when shooting LR's. Now then, I have heard that .17's really tears them up but that is one caliber I don't have. .... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
With LR I also shoot subsonics. I doubt there is such a thing for Mags :-)

I'd like to have a Mag, but I am wondering if it's appropriate for what will be a good share of its use. "Not the best"; I'm okay with that. I just don't want to be way off inappropriate.
 
A 22lr does as much damage as 22wmr if you pull a shot and hit the shoulder of a squirrel or rabbit. Those are my exclusive go to cartridges for squirrel.
As far as lead contamination, how many pellets(from a shotgun) have you bit into up to this post?
 
:-) I wouldn't care to venture how many pellets I've eaten in my 58 years.

Thanks for more on the damage comparisons.

I wonder if the slower WRF rounds would work better on small game (provided the rifle "liked" the ammo and it shot with some accuracy).
 
Tree rats don't require anything more than a .22lr, especially to save the meat if you miss a head shot.
 
Lead shotgun pellets is what we call "fiber".

I can't much tell the difference in meat damage from a .22 mag and .22LR. for that matter, with most .22 mag being jacketed, you can select a bullet that does not open up as much or come apart as much on impact and potentially do less damage. Both usually pass through a squirrel, so what happens to the bullet on impact is a far greater factor than velocity in determining what portion of that energy pulverizes meat.
 
I have used 22lr, 22 mag, and 17 hmr for years on everything from chipmunk to coyote. one will kill a squirrel just as dead as the other and, with proper ammo, the damage is nearly identical between the three.

With the 2 larger rounds i stick to a fmj or soft point, definitely stay away from the b-tip and hollowpoint designs. They tend to blowup causing WAY too much damage. (That is if your gonna eat 'em)

As far as my favorite squirrel round i love the win sub-sonic rounds in my marlin 22, you can take every squirrel out of a tree before they know whats goin on.:D
 
I use subsonic hollow points. Solid bullets will often not kill a squirrel quick enough to keep him from running in a hole. And, full strength hollow points make a mess. The subsonic hollow points seem to work well with minimal damage.

If you have the talent to shoot them all in the head it doesn't much matter
 
Use 22WRF ammo. It's the ancestor of the 22 Mag, sort of a "22 Mag Short". It will fit and fire fine in a 22 Mag chamber and will damage less meat.

CCI has it as a catalog item and Winchester makes it periodically.
 
Thanks everyone. It seems like with the selection of ammo available that I shouldn't have any issue finding a Mag round that will work for squirrel.
As I said, this week be an "opportunity" gun. Some have already been mentioned, but are there any other specific Mag loads you prefer for squirrel, coyote, etc.?
 
I use subsonic hollow points. Solid bullets will often not kill a squirrel quick enough to keep him from running in a hole. And, full strength hollow points make a mess. The subsonic hollow points seem to work well with minimal damage.
Click to expand...

Where do you find subsonic hollow points for the 22 Magnum?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top