# .22 WMR ammo suggestion



## cjones (Jan 17, 2020)

Picked up a Marlin XT22M for hog hunting and general plinking. Tried reading up on what is best ammo for hogs and it seems to be all over the place. I'm planning on broadside headshots (ear hole area), so wondering what the peanut gallery here would suggest for ammo. Do I need to go with FMJ or JHP or HP or ???

I picked up a few boxes of CCI MaxiMag JHP Varmint 40 gr/1875 fps for sighting this thing in. Do I need to 'upgrade' to anything different?

TIA..
CJ


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## AceOfTheBase (Jan 17, 2020)

Whatever is the most accurate in that gun, cause shot placement is critical..
Study hog skull anatomy, if you haven't already, to know where the shots are just wasted (most of it) vs DRT.  Type of projectile is secondary to placement.

Aguila JSP Silver Eagle 40 gn are best in my RAR,  CCI JSP Gamepoint 40 gn are next best.


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## Gator89 (Jan 17, 2020)

Back in the day, 40 years ago or so ago, we used FMJ ammo in our 22 mags to punch through the skull on head shots.

Varmint ammo is usually designed to fragment.


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## Para Bellum (Jan 17, 2020)

CCI Maxi Mags cycle the best in my WMR.  FWIW.


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## Raylander (Jan 17, 2020)

I use the 40 gr CCI gamepoints. They work good for me. YMMV


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## MawheeMawhee (Jan 19, 2020)

If you can find them, the Federal Game Shok 50gr shoot pretty good out of my Ruger American and Savage 93. Also the CCI Gamepoint 40gr mentioned already


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## LEON MANLEY (Jan 19, 2020)

AceOfTheBase said:


> Whatever is the most accurate in that gun, cause shot placement is critical..
> Study hog skull anatomy, if you haven't already, to know where the shots are just wasted (most of it) vs DRT.  Type of projectile is secondary to placement.
> 
> Aguila JSP Silver Eagle 40 gn are best in my RAR,  CCI JSP Gamepoint 40 gn are next best.




Someone will be along shortly to tell you just how unethical "head shots" are, just because they can't hit a pie plate at 100 yards with a scoped rifle, they don't think anyone else can either.

Get the bullet the will leave the best blood trail and shoot center mass so you can hone those tracking skills.  lol


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## LEON MANLEY (Jan 19, 2020)

cjones said:


> Picked up a Marlin XT22M for hog hunting and general plinking. Tried reading up on what is best ammo for hogs and it seems to be all over the place. I'm planning on broadside headshots (ear hole area), so wondering what the peanut gallery here would suggest for ammo. Do I need to go with FMJ or JHP or HP or ???
> 
> I picked up a few boxes of CCI MaxiMag JHP Varmint 40 gr/1875 fps for sighting this thing in. Do I need to 'upgrade' to anything different?
> 
> ...




I took some 40 grain FMJ and removed the jacket on the tip of the bullet so it became a soft point.
It would expand but not as quick as a hollow point.


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## Dbender (Jan 19, 2020)

Hollow points are just about worthless on a hog.


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## Dennis (Jan 19, 2020)

The CCI maxi mag 40 grain total metal jacket is only copper clad and will expand and give you good penetration. There deadly on pigs


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## sleepr71 (Jan 19, 2020)

Whichever 40-50 gr soft point,or FMJ bullet is most accurate. Leave the hollow point & ballistic tip stuff alone. I used to get good performance out of that Federal 50 gr ammo.


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## cjones (Jan 20, 2020)

Thanks folks. I picked up some CCI GamePoint JSP at Academy. Shot the gun for the first time yesterday and they cycled well and had 5-shot 3" pattern with open sights at about 40 yds. Put a small 4x15 scope on today just to get a clearer picture. I think it'll hunt!


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## Mattval (Jan 21, 2020)

great advice


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## bany (Jan 21, 2020)

I’ve been favoring hornady 30gr vmax, haven’t let me down yet. CCI 40 jhp are okay if you are on target but I’m an inch off from time to time. Hp’s aren’t ideal like everyone is saying. If I’m using the 22mag on pigs it’s head shot only.


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## frankwright (Jan 22, 2020)

I use and like the Fiocchi 40gr JSP bullets. They are easy to find online and I buy several boxes at a time when I find a deal.
I shot two hogs so far,one was about 60 lbs and the other at least 160. Head shots and they went down like they were hit with a bolt of lightning!


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## bfriendly (Jan 22, 2020)

I too like the CCI TMJ but always liked the accutip v from Remington......I am a heart/lung shot guy all day, unless it it walking straight to me.


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## greg_n_clayton (Jan 25, 2020)

cjones said:


> Thanks folks. I picked up some CCI GamePoint JSP at Academy. Shot the gun for the first time yesterday and they cycled well and had 5-shot 3" pattern with open sights at about 40 yds. Put a small 4x15 scope on today just to get a clearer picture. I think it'll hunt!


3" group at 120' ? I believe I would work on improving that with a good scope !! For the money, I am finding that the Nikon Rimfires are working on my 22s. One gun will like a certain round when another gun won't shoot it accurately  !


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## cjones (Jan 26, 2020)

greg_n_clayton said:


> 3" group at 120' ? I believe I would work on improving that with a good scope !! For the money, I am finding that the Nikon Rimfires are working on my 22s. One gun will like a certain round when another gun won't shoot it accurately  !



I threw on a cheapo (<$10) Tasco Rimfire scope that I had laying around and got the group tighter, but this scope is absolute garbage for visibility, so I'm going to keep my eyes open for a deal on a better scope. I paid $200 for the gun, so don't want to go overboard on optics for it.


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## cjones (Jan 27, 2020)

cjones said:


> I threw on a cheapo (<$10) Tasco Rimfire scope that I had laying around and got the group tighter, but this scope is absolute garbage for visibility, so I'm going to keep my eyes open for a deal on a better scope. I paid $200 for the gun, so don't want to go overboard on optics for it.



Wellp.. Found an older 3-9x40 that I took off of my .303 to upgrade to a new Vortex in the closet. I thought it would be an overkill for this small gun but at this point, I would rather be able to see clearly than worry about overkill on a small gun.


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## kmckinnie (Jan 27, 2020)

V-Mag at about 50ty give or take.1 shot thru both heads. 
Mine at 50ty yards. Squirrel size head shots.


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## kmckinnie (Jan 27, 2020)

I’ve body shot hogs and they didn’t go far.


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## Brayhaven (Feb 16, 2020)

Contrary to some popular belief, you don’t need an elephant gun to kill hogs.  As a kid, I hunted them in FL with a Colt Woodsman 22 pistol, until people convinced me that wasn’t enough gun.. after Id killed @50..?.  Have done a lot of testing of 22wmr ammo, and for pigs, I like the CCI game point.  Shoots very well in My Anschutz 1522 as well as most I’ve shot it in.  Also has good penetration and weight retention.  I like some expansion, in case I have to take a heart/ lung shot.  But head/ear shots always work.  It’s all in placement. 
"Wounded non-vitally, he will go just as far and be just as savage with 500 grains of  lead as with 200. And 100 grains in the right place are as good as ten million." WDM "Karamojo" Bell


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## Okie Hog (Feb 17, 2020)

My favorite .22 magnum round is the 40 grain CCI total metal jacket.   i've killed numerous 200 pound hogs with heart/lung shots with that round.


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## Mattval (Feb 1, 2021)

Okie Hog said:


> My favorite .22 magnum round is the 40 grain CCI total metal jacket.   i've killed numerous 200 pound hogs with heart/lung shots with that round.


Does it expand?


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## Mattval (Feb 1, 2021)

I have found some 35 gr JSP.  What do y'all think about that for hogs?  
I also saw some 50 gr Jacketed hollow points.  I know it's a hollow point but it is 50 grains.


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## longrangedog (Feb 1, 2021)

I've killed over 30 hogs with a .22 LR suppressor round. They were caught in a corral trap and all shots were head shots and every hog dropped in its tracks. Very few required another shot. I would not choose that round in a hunting situation but throw this out to show that they aren't that difficult to kill.


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## Doug B. (Feb 1, 2021)

Mattval said:


> I also saw some 50 gr Jacketed hollow points.  I know it's a hollow point but it is 50 grains.


No.


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## deerpoacher1970 (Feb 1, 2021)

Doug b how many hogs have you shot with the federal 50 gr hp.


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## Nicodemus (Feb 1, 2021)

In any of the rimfires, I`d go with a solid. I`ve killed a pile of hogs, and a fair amount of cows with a 22 long rifle solid. I`d go with the solid in a 22 magnum too.


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## deerpoacher1970 (Feb 1, 2021)

Yea nic that usually is the norm but that 50 gr federal hp penetrates like no other hp i have ever seen.


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## Doug B. (Feb 1, 2021)

deerpoacher1970 said:


> Doug b how many hogs have you shot with the federal 50 gr hp.


None.  I have killed several with solid points.  I learned many years ago not to shoot anything with a hollow point.


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## Mattval (Feb 1, 2021)

Nicodemus said:


> In any of the rimfires, I`d go with a solid. I`ve killed a pile of hogs, and a fair amount of cows with a 22 long rifle solid. I`d go with the solid in a 22 magnum too.


When you say solid do you mean Full metal jacket?


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## Mattval (Feb 1, 2021)

You know only Gun Loonies like us here in this forum would go into such in depth discussions like this!  Lol. 
This is a great forum


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## sleepr71 (Feb 1, 2021)

Those Federal 50gr HP’s work. I’ve killed quite a few Yotes with that round. Complete broadside penetration @75 yds or less. For Hogs though...No matter what..in a 22mag..I’d stick to neck & heads shots?!


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## CarlosWheeler (Feb 1, 2021)

That sounds like fun!


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## Nicodemus (Feb 2, 2021)

Mattval said:


> When you say solid do you mean Full metal jacket?




No, just the solid lead bullet. Hollow points wouldn`t give enough penetration usually, and the hyper-velocity 22 rounds tended to shatter on impact. The first cow I ever shot with the CCI Stinger when they first came out, shook its head and looked at me. The same thing happened with a hog. I generally did an "autopsy" after we got the meat dressed and hung, to see what the bullet did.


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## sleepr71 (Feb 2, 2021)

My absolute favorite 22 LR round is the Remington Yellow Jacket. Solid nose,that’s flat..and it’s just under the CCI Stinger velocity wise. Wish they made it,or a similar in 22 Mag..?


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## Mattval (Feb 2, 2021)

Maybe we should have a start up?  GON-Forum Ammo Company.  We can start with rimfire ammo.  Make our idea of the ideal rimfire ammo.


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## rattlesnake1 (Feb 4, 2021)

kmckinnie said:


> I’ve body shot hogs and they didn’t go far.


with a 22mag ?


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## kmckinnie (Feb 4, 2021)

rattlesnake1 said:


> with a 22mag ?


Yes. Right behind shoulder. Double lung. If it can’t breath. It can’t travel. Can’t hit shoulder or the shield.


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## frankwright (Feb 4, 2021)

Right now the answer might be "Whatever ammo you can find"


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## bfriendly (Feb 4, 2021)

I think any .22 Mag ammo will punch a hole in both lungs with a broad side shot in the arm pit.


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## bfriendly (Feb 4, 2021)

I have CCI TMJ hollow points and just got a box of 30gr v max for the wheel gun......she likes it!


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## Mattval (Feb 4, 2021)

Y'all I found 40 gr JSP online.  $35.95+$19.99 shipping.  I just could not do it for that price.   I regret that I did not pull the trigger on it.


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## Mattval (Feb 5, 2021)

*Ok I did it!  I just spent $64.66 on 50 rounds of 22 Mag!   I do not feel good about it.  But I want to go hunting as soon as I kick this Pneumonia.*

*That is $1.29 a shot!*

*Oh My Gravy!*


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## chrislibby88 (Feb 7, 2021)

Raylander said:


> I use the 40 gr CCI gamepoints. They work good for me. YMMV


I like the game points too. A lot of folks shoot fMJ or lead solids, but I like some expansion. You get a little wiggle room on shot placement. I still get more than enough penetration too. Pigs under 100lbs get shot behind the shoulder (I get full penetration and a good exit wound on small pigs), larger pigs between the eye and ear. I wouldn’t shoot a 200 pounder in the shoulder though.


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## Blackston (Feb 7, 2021)

Mattval said:


> *Ok I did it!  I just spent $64.66 on 50 rounds of 22 Mag!   I do not feel good about it.  But I want to go hunting as soon as I kick this Pneumonia.*
> 
> *That is $1.29 a shot!*
> 
> *Oh My Gravy!*


Gun with no ammo is basically a paper weight or a hammer ?... gotta do what ya gotta do!!!


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Feb 8, 2021)

Mattval said:


> *Ok I did it!  I just spent $64.66 on 50 rounds of 22 Mag!   I do not feel good about it.  But I want to go hunting as soon as I kick this Pneumonia.*
> 
> *That is $1.29 a shot!*
> 
> *Oh My Gravy!*




Omg, I don't want you or anybody to feel bad but I did a partial inventory this afternoon and I REALLY FELT BAD FOR YOU THEN.   HOWEVER, I surely felt a lot better for ME afterwards as I only checked bullets and haven't completely checked on shotgun shell inventory amounts yet.  I started checking the totals after I glanced at this thread earlier today.

I was shocked at the price that you had to pay for your bullets.  


I still have two 50-round boxes of Winchester 22 Mag, JHP that I bought from "ROSES" back several years ago and the still attached price sticker shows *$ 5.97* per box on each.  (Unknown Date as I did not write the date on the box).

I use those in my Colt Frontier Scout with my 22 Magnum cylinder when I am checking my trail cameras more so and always during the warmer weather as I load it with two "Snake-shot" round and then three JHP bullets.  I use the empty chamber for the trigger position as I am walking and since it is a single action, when I actually pull the trigger, the next round automatically indexes and the round fires.

I also bought a two boxes, CCI, 20-round/box , 22 Mag "Shot-shell" cartridges from Cabelas that cost  *$5.47 *per box.  (Unknown purchase date on these two boxes but believed to be 4/21/2014 as Cabelas had just opened 4 weeks earlier and they had some really great sales at the time.   I still have a lot of inventory of various calibers that is marked with that date and cost prices written on them as well.       

Since Cabelas came to town, I have spent mucho hundreds of $$$$$ on ammunition and especially beginning in late March of 2014 when they first opened and continuing rather heavily during 2015 and 2016, and I have continued with buying boots, more trail cameras, scopes, more boots, clothing, and several other things as well from them as well.  I have probably spent northward of $5000 so far with them since they opened on March 20, 2014.  A large portion of that was for trail cameras back when they had great sales on WGI cameras as that is the only brand that I have used.  I ordered them online as they were shipped to the store for my pick-up and it worked great because I always bought something else when I went in the store to pick up my shipments.


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## Mattval (Feb 8, 2021)

EAGLE EYE 444 said:


> Omg, I don't want you or anybody to feel bad but I did a partial inventory this afternoon and I REALLY FELT BAD FOR YOU THEN.   HOWEVER, I surely felt a lot better for ME afterwards as I only checked bullets and haven't completely checked on shotgun shell inventory amounts yet.  I started checking the totals after I glanced at this thread earlier today.
> 
> I was shocked at the price that you had to pay for your bullets.
> 
> ...


I remember Roses.  Are you up in Augusta?


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## Raylander (Feb 8, 2021)

chrislibby88 said:


> I like the game points too. A lot of folks shoot fMJ or lead solids, but I like some expansion. You get a little wiggle room on shot placement. I still get more than enough penetration too. Pigs under 100lbs get shot behind the shoulder (I get full penetration and a good exit wound on small pigs), larger pigs between the eye and ear. I wouldn’t shoot a 200 pounder in the shoulder though.



Agreed. I love the GPs. They are very accurate out of my Ruger American. I’ve always gone headshot. I flubbed a shot one time, hit about 4-5” back, right in the neck. I tracked it with sporadic blood all across the county. Eventually came upto a very tall cliff. I swear that thing jumped off the cliff ??‍ We never found that rascal..


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Feb 10, 2021)

Mattval said:


> I remember Roses.  Are you up in Augusta?




Yes, I live in Augusta but I hunt on my property up in Lincoln County.  

Shucks, I recently looked at various ammunition and firearms that I have bought over the years,   I realized that I had bought both guns and ammunition from Academy Sports, Southeastern Amory, Sidney's Department Store, Sander's Gun Shop, Bower's, Sky City, Roses, K-Mart, Ace Hardware, Cabelas, Walden  Firearms, The Gun Cabinet, Widener Firearms, Walmart,  and even Western Auto Store in Lincolnton, Ga.  I also have purchased several firearms and ammunition from individuals that were members *ON THIS GON WEBSITE *as well and everything worked out perfectly as we handled the paperwork for transfer of ownership in a legal manner that protected both the seller and buyer as well.


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## Okie Hog (Feb 11, 2021)

Mattval said:


> Does it expand?



No.


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## bfriendly (Feb 11, 2021)

I just bought 7.62 rounds for the .308. 4 boxes for $117 to the door. I was gonna get 2, but shipping didn’t really change so I got 4. At 165gr they are the weight I wanted, I pray they shoot well or I just wasted $. My bud just spent $120 on 2-20rd boxes of .308 at a pawn shop in LS......if my gun don’t like those 7.62s I’ll get one of his boxes


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