22 magnum for survival what do you think?

[Saigashooter]

22 magnum for survival what do you think? what kind of ammo jhp or fmj? what grain? what could you take down? I just traded my 17hmr for a 22mag. I want to know what the 22mag is capable of game and distance with a good shot. has any one tried to make a compartment in a stock behind the but plate? thank you for your time

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[JAFO]

I have known people who took deer with a 22 mag. I wouldn't advise it especially beyond 50 or 60 yards. In a real survival scenario it might work but you will probably end up expending a lot of your limited energy tracking a wounded animal. I'd also assume 22 mag is not sealed well like 22 LR. For survival you will want to make sure you have the ammo kept in perhaps a vacuum sealed water tight container. No ammo is 100% sealed but some 22 LR can become useless just thinking it is going to be brought out in the rain. For small animals, rabbits, etc. 22 mag would be great but you'd likely be able to make do with a 22 LR for the same small animals.

I'd probably get a little handi rifle in a center fire caliber for survival if I planned on spending any time in the woods where there was big game around. A 30-30 lever action might be a good choice too.

 

[M.Link]

I know a guy who has taken two deer with his old bold action .22lr. He said a kneck shot is the key. He got both at about 30yds. I would think a mag would do even better. He said they fropped in their tracks.

 

[ORBrit]

Probably better for deer than rabbits if you're looking for food.
you'd have to make sure you get head shots with small game and birds otherwise you'd lose a lot of good meat.

 

[hsullyc]

I'd also assume 22 mag is not sealed well like 22 LR.

What does long rifle have that mags don't?I've seen many animals killed with a 22 mag,butchers have used them on cows and pigs for a very long time.

 

[Izzy]

I would have kept the 17HMR

 

[Saigashooter]

I already had an old 22mag 1 less ammo to deal with. I found some 22 maxi mag 30 grain 2200 fps jhp I thank I could do more in a shtf time with a 22mag than a 17hmr imo I could be mistaken.

 

[JAFO]

I'd also assume 22 mag is not sealed well like 22 LR.

What does long rifle have that mags don't?I've seen many animals killed with a 22 mag,butchers have used them on cows and pigs for a very long time.

I wasn't trying to say 22 LR is better. They are both not sealed well as far as I know. I perhaps should have said "much the same as."

Both have been used to slaughter animals for a very long time. I doubt the OP is talking about survival at the slaughterhouse though.

You can survive with no gun but if you are thinking of taking big game there isn't much reason not to have a rifle more capable of doing it and at longer ranges.

Savage 93F .22 WMR: 5 lbs
NEF/H&R Superlight Handi-rifle Compact .243 Win: 5.33 lbs

There are of course variations of each that may be better for lugging around the woods but I am simply suggesting that a single shot take down rifle in a centerfire caliber can easily be used as a "survival" rifle. It would likely fit nicely into a backpack broken down.

 

[Saigashooter]

I have a nef .223 single shot because I have a saiga .223 and an ar in .223 but you could carry a lot more 22mag ammo for the same weight as .223 ammo. in a shtf I would have a .223 with me but would also take a 22mag. what do you think ?

 

[deadeye]

In a true survival mode a 22mag would be great. A deer can be taken at 100yrds at night with a small flashlight, place round right into the eye gland. You do not chase them you just go to the spot the eyes were lit up in and look down. Deer are stupid and more inquisitive at night so placing an accurate shot is much easier. Please do not ask or rant about how I know this. I do have friends that were young and not so perfect relatives. If it were a true SHTF I wouldnt hesitate to do the same. The other aspect is it is much much easier to carry a typical .22 mag. rifle with a couple hundred rounds than a AR/AK with the same amount of ammo.

 

[Just Jim]

If you are talking about surviving by useing the 22 mag to take wild game then yes it will work. However if you are thinking it is a good tool in a shtf then I hope my opponent is carrying one.

jim

 

[Ramjet57]

I was talking to my friend that owns a family tree farm here a few days ago and he tells me his father used a 22 RF for ALL his hunting, that included deer, elk and BEAR, mostly neck shots. Kinda scary but then Bell the african big game hunter used a 7x57 to kill a lot of elephants. It all depends on how good you are.
So I would say a 22 mag may be over kill

 

[Saigashooter]

has anybody tried to put a compartment in the stock? I seen it on some survival show the stock was wood I thought that would be neat

 

[kenf729]

Aswell to remember 2k rounds of 22lr is a heck of a lot lighter then 2 k of 7.62...I have taken lots of small game on 22, have never tried bigger game, but in SHTF....hmmm might be worth it..

 

[jeffrow]

For survival and around 200.00 you can purchase a combo as I did. Many cal. to choose from. Mine is a .223 with a 28" 12 ga. shotgun, in a carry case about 30" long. Should work fine for fowl and game.

 

[OPAWY]

If using a 22mag in a semi auto, need to become good at detail cleaning that rifle, as 22mag, much of the ammo is dirty, fouls up the action pretty quick.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

My "outdoor wildeness survival" gun is a thompson contender with a 14" .44 magnum barrel on it. I have the option of using anything from a 300 grain solid point bullet, 200 grain .44 special hollowpoint, to a .44 shotshell for small game/birds. I could also keep a second barrel in .22 long rifle if needs be but it does get heavy with extra components. It also works with the .45 long colt/.410 barrel.

 

[crazytimme]

First- find the right ammo for your gun, the Rem 33gr poly tip shoots under 3/4" 5shoot groups at 85yards out of my ruger 77/22 mag 24" factory gun. Haven tryed the 30gr hornads yet.

second - 17hmr might be super accurate on a range, but have heard not only wind can be a problem, but on a hot day, shooting close to the ground one guy said his groups opened up by about 3" at 100 yards. .22 30-40gr vs .17 17-20 grain, shoot a .17hmr length wise into a 2liter bottle at 150 yards, all the bullet is, is a very tiny piece of very destructive shrapnel.

third - its hard to honestly compare a 22lr to a 22mag, the 22lr is a soild lead bullet with slight variations. The 22mag are jacketed bullets, some with poly tips, and at 100 yards is finally down to the energy of a 22lr right out of the barrel. (that = 100 yards of range on a bigger target).

Negative, the 22mag is generaly less accurret then the other 2 rimfires.

But with the right selection of ammo and optics that aren't junk I would take a 22mag after a shotgun if I had only one gun chose to live in the woods with. It can take chipmunk to deer without to much problem if needed.

 

[Saigashooter]

has anybody tried to put a compartment in the stock? I seen it on some survival show the stock was wood I thought that would be neat. has anyone tried out the 50gr 22mag ammo

 

[Lange22250]

I have always liked the .22 mag over a .22 lr for killing. A friend of mine has taken a lot of white tail with them over the years ( it's legal where he is) and it wastes less meat you just need to be closer.
I could carry 5 rnds of .22 mag for every 1 rnd of center fire which is important.
My thought at this time is to get a new barrel for my Steven little favorite take down. The whole package with 500 rnds would probably only be about 7 lbs. Less than the weight of the vast majority of center fire rifles alone.