OK, I need more specific info on .22mag / .22lr combo revolvers

F

FirstFreedom

Moderator
My questions concern those revolvers that have cylinders for both .22mag and .22lr (heritage, etc.). As we know, the mag and lr rounds have slightly different bore/bullet sizes, with the mag being larger, which can make accuracy with lr rounds suffer. But in prior threads, some have said that the .22lr is adequately to quite accurate from certain examples of these guns. Since these are all I seem to find for sale, as opposed to .22lr dedicated revos, I need more specific information, even if anecdotal, about the accuracy or lack thereof when shooting .22lr from such revolvers. Specifically:

1. What exactly are the 2 bore diamaters, to the thousandths of an inch?

2. Does the .22lr bullet even engage the rifling, or is it more or less like shooting from a smoothbore gun? How much of a spin, if any, is imparted in such a gun?

3. Can anyone quantify in some way the general expected amount of loss of accuracy when shooting .22lr in such guns. For example, can anyone state something like, either in general, or in a specific gun that you have, "if the .22 mag groups 1" at 50 yards, then the .22lr from the same gun will group 2, or 3, or 4, or 5, or 6, or 10 inches at this distance"....anything that might help me understand just how MUCH accuracy suffers.

Thanks a bunch.
 
There may be .001" difference. Not enough to affect accuracy for the common shooter. The bore diameter is close enough both rds will sufficiently engage the rifling. Question is - Are YOU capable of shooting 1" groups at 50 yds? Most likely not or you would know enough about the gun to have not asked the questions. Sort of follows the statement "if you have to ask then it doesn't apply". A serious bullseye shooter might shoot well enough to notice the difference. But then, a serious bullseye shooter wouldn't be shooting competition with a .22/.22 mag type gun.
Don't worry about it. You won't notice any difference. You'll have more variance in accuracy just by changing makes and lots of ammo.
 
Ahh, ok, interesting - I was thinking there was more like 1/100th range, not 1/1,000ths - if it's that miniscule, I certainly won't know the difference - nope I cannot shoot that small myself. I was thinking there might be a noticeable difference, like being 3 or more additional inches to group size at 50 yards. Thanks.
 
I have a Ruger .22lr/.22mag revolver and it is very accurate. I don't shoot the .22mag out of it, because .22lr is alot cheaper.

This is 100rds of Blazer .22lr fired from the standing position at 25yds.

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I'd like to ask a question related to this subject since I'm pretty ignorant on this subject.

Why is it that you can get a LR cylinder for your 22mag revolver but not get a 22mag cylinder for your 22LR revolver?
 
I forget the exact difference. I seem to remember it was something like .003" nominal ( cheap ammo my differ within the same batch by .0005 or so anyway. ) I'll try look it up when I get the chance.
Yes it engages the rifling.

IMHO, the bullet diamiter worry is WAY over stated. Many would leave you to believe that the bullet will bounce down the barrel and give you minute of watermellon accuracy. In my experience, you are more likely to see more accuracy deviation in : a)switching ammo b) between two identical guns c) gun brands vs the delta caused from bullet diamiters (in .22lr vs .22 mag). Also I have 3 convertable revolvers and 4 times that # that are .22 Lr or .22 mag only. All of the convertables shoot good quality .22 lr ammo better than some of the "lesser" .22 lr only guns will. The only constant in the equation that I can see is that initial quality of the gun as well as the quality and selection of ammo will have a pronounced effect on final accuracy. (i.e. Don't buy a $150 off brand convertable, feed it nothing but $4 /milk carton wally world ammo and expect great accuracy. you won't get it and will quickly need to blame the bullet diamiter. :rolleyes: )

My advice, is buy a good quality .22 convertable, take the time to see what it likes, and enjoy. True, it won't compete with your $600 tuned target gun but it will outshoot/ keep up with allot of other "field/plinker " class pistols.
 
Thanks again - Tacoma, that's exactly what I wanted to know - my concerns were way overblown when talking about the acceptable plinking/hunting accuracy that I'm looking for. I was thinking that I may shoot at a squirrel at 5 yards and miss shooting .22lr out of one of these. Now that I'm very interested in one of these, anyone know if the Heritage is any good or crap - the blue version is $139.95 plus tax at Academy; the stainless with nice wood grips is like $180 or $190. The 50 yard thing was just an example of how someone might be able to translate accuracy, whether it be 1" at 50 for mag, 3" at 50 for lr, or 5" at 50 for mag, or 10 at 50 for lr; point is, it was an example of what I was looking for in a description of the relative accuracies. The distance is arbitrary and irrelevant. The group sizes are arbitrary and irrelevant. The *relative* group sizes at any given distance is what I was looking to know, and it appears that it will be quite nominal if the lr is getting a good spin imparted on it, and it will if we're only talking 3/1,000ths. Use is short-range varmints/hunting up to 15 yards, and plinking/target shooting informally up to 25 yards. I do want to be able to hit a squirrel easily at 10-15 yards, if I do my part, with .22lr - I guess that's the real goal - minute of squirrel at 15 with LR.
 
Then a single six should work out pretty good for minute of small animal at 15 yards. My single six is a ton of fun but will need some trigger work to be "just right". For my uses the single six is plenty accurate. The biggest deterent on mine is the creepy trigger and my own eyes.

I just saw the 50 yards and gasped because I can't even see a small target at 50 yards without a scope. :)
 
The .22lr has a .222" bullet and the .22 WMR has a .224" bullet. The combo guns have the larger .22 WMR barrel installed. The .22lr is still accurate in that barrel because the soft pure lead bullet obutrates under the firing pressure to fit the bore.
 
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Majic, damn you - where were you the first 3 times I posted this question in the last 6 months? :) But thanks - that's perfect. So don't use hard lead .22lrs (if there is such a thing), because they wouldn't be deformed outward as much.

Well, I confess - I did break down and buy a somewhat "junkie" revolver last night - It's the Heritage single action with 6.5" bbl, .22lr/.22mag combo. I got the version that's stainless steel, adjustable rear sight, and fiber optic insert in the front sight. It's got a LOT of plastic parts, and when you look at it closely, the finish looks almost like a toy; like a capgun almost. The hammer looks like it's aluminum, not steel. But I shot it last night - couple observations.

1. This thing is loud, loud, LOUD! I don't know if the cylinder gap is too big or what, but shooting .22lr hi-vels in the house, with earmuffs, sounds to me almost identical in sound level to shooting a 9mm or .45 handgun OUTdoors with same earmuffs. Even the super colibris were too loud to shoot in the house without hearing protection, which is weird, because the sound is almost nil with these rounds from a rifle. I can only imagine that the .22 mag will probably sound like a 12 guage.

2. If you take a .22 long rifle cartridge, and stick the bullet end into the muzzle/crown of the barrel, you can easily see that it's "too big" for the bore, meaning that the rifling will be engaged very well.

3. I shot various ammos. I sighted it in for CCI .22 CB shorts - good thing I got the adjustable sight version, because I had to really adjust windage to get on at FIVE yards. I'd advise against getting the blued version with the fixed notch rear. I was able to get 6-shot groups of about 3/4ths" at 5 yards, maybe a smidge more. Not good at all, but this would be minute of squirrel at 5 yards, and probably 10 with a good, steady shot, but probably NOT at 15 yards. There's a *chance* of course, that with certain ammos, it could be more accurate. I'll let you know after I try wolf, green tag, RWS, whathaveyou. One of these days I'll save up for a good .22 revolver, but I can play with this one in the meantime.

4. Even though it's kinda junkie, it still has a classic SA look to it, and it balances very well, and the grip is very comfortable for me - nice looking grips too. Oh, and swapping out the cylinders is quick and easy - no tools. And the trigger seems good to very good...more testing needed.
 
All .22lr bullets are made of pure lead. Even the copper colored ones as they are nothing but the pure lead bullet that has a sprayed on copper wash to serve as a bullet lube.
 
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