Information on the 22 Winchester Magnum

Originally developed for rifles the .22 Winchester Magnum rim-fire cartridge is also used in many .22-caliber pistols. This versatile cartridge used for hunting and competition shooting was the most popular rim-fire cartridge of the 20th century. Used in hand guns for self defense, the .22 Winchester Magnum has a reputation for being the most powerful bullet of its caliber. Rim-fire cartridges carry firing compound within a rim at the base while center-fire cartridges carry their firing compound within the percussion cap.

  1. History

    • Patented in 1831, it was not until 1959 that Winchester released the .22 Winchester Magnum rim-fire cartridge. It was another year before it could be used as no guns at the time could chamber the new cartridge. The .22 Winchester Magnum was the only rim-fire cartridge introduced in the 20th century.

    Description

    • The .22 Winchester Magnum rim-fire has a longer cartridge than a standard .22-caliber bullet. This allows for more powder to be loaded into the bullet casing, making this cartridge more powerful than a standard long rifle cartridge. Rim-fire cartridges carry their priming compound around the base of the bullet casing. When struck by the firing pin, the cartridge powder ignites, discharging the bullet. The rim-fire casing cannot be reused like center-pin cartridges that carry their priming compound in the center of the cartridge base.

    Weights

    • The rim-fire cartridges come in various weights or grains. The original 40-grain (2.6 g) cartridge is supplemented with 30- and 50-grain versions. Many shooting enthusiasts replace the cartridge bullet by hand, referred to as reloading the slug, in an attempt to increase either power or accuracy. The .22 Winchester Magnum has a length of 1.3 inches, diameter at the rim of 0.29 inch and bullet diameter of 0.224 inch.

    Performance

    • Ballistic performance of bullet cartridges is rated using velocity and energy of the projectile. Velocity is measured in feet per second with readings taken from the weapon's muzzle. Using a 30-grain cartridge, the .22 Winchester Magnum has a muzzle velocity of 2,000 feet per second when fired from a rifle and 1,500 feet per second from a handgun. Energy of the cartridge is measured in foot pounds, with a 30-grain cartridge producing 322 foot pounds of force. Maximum range for the .22 Winchester Magnum is 125 yards.

    Uses

    • The .22 Winchester Magnum is Used for pest control on the likes of squirrels, foxes and coyotes. Because of it's destructive power it is unsuitable for game shooting at ranges of less than 50 yards, although a shot-filled cartridge is available and is suitable for close-range hunting of pests such as rats.