The .22 WMR TODAY

Guns Magazine, June, 2001 by C. Rodney James

This sometimes-ignored and often-misunderstood cartridge is at last coming into its own as a new wave of premium ammo hits the market.

After 42 years of production, we are seeing the birth of new and better ammunition in the .22 WMR, an often-misunderstood caliber. Even before the first WMR cartridge hit the market in late 1959, controversy began boiling as to whether the WMR was simply a more powerful short-range round for larger game and varmints such as coyotes and wild turkeys, or a precision long-range cartridge for woodchucks, marmots and ground squirrels at ranges over 100 yards. Early guns and ammunition delivered high velocities and flat trajectories, but accuracy was lacking at longer ranges, dashing hopes of rimfire varmint hunters for successful long-range hunting with this cartridge.

Nevertheless, a hard core of WMR loyalists began experimenting with custom barrels and even reloading the ammunition by pulling factory bullets and loading .22 Hornet bullets in the quest for better results. Ammunition companies responded with warnings of excessive pressures and wear on the one hand and recognition on the other that there was a market for better, flatter-shooting ammunition.

Today shooters are seeing the beginning of a new generation of WMR ammunition. The new bullets are lighter, faster and feature an almost explosive effect on woodchucks and similar. The 30 to 34 gr. bullets are generally more accurate than the 40 to 50 gr. loadings of a decade or more ago. Yielding velocities over 2,000 fps, the new light bullets do better in wind than .22 LR and earlier WMR loadings that operated in the transonic velocity (slightly above and below the speed of sound), where the ride is bumpier and wind deflection at its worst.

The Ultimate WMR

Competition among manufacturers is beginning to beat up as more WMR rifles come on the market and demands for better performance increase. What's available and how do these new cartridges rate? What can we expect from the new generation of rifles? How can you draw the ultimate performance out of the WMR?

First, a few caveats. The WMR is very difficult to manufacture well. It is the longest straight-walled rimfire cartridge in production, and getting an even wall thickness is difficult and critical. Uniform crimping of the bullet in the case mouth presents a formidable challenge to the maker.

Putting an even prime in a deep case and developing a primer compatible with the proper powder is another hurdle. In other words, the WMR is not just a stretched .22 LR, and we will never see a really bargain-price cartridge available. Finally, the WMR is a non-reloadable proposition; therefore, accurate shooting depends on cartridge-to-cartridge consistency.

Each rifle will show a definite preference fir certain types of ammunition and a dislike of others. Meticulous range testing will be necessary to find the best combination for your rifle, but isn't that what shooting is all about?

Remington reentered the WMR field three years ago and for the first time offered rifles as well as ammunition. First out were 40 gr. HP and a new offering -- a 40 gr. pointed soft point. Promised was a "ballistic tip," -- a 30 gr. bullet with a pointed polymer tip. Called the "V-Max," this one was a long time in development, with shipments beginning in early 2000.

Remington

This design offers excellent aerodynamic qualities and the advantage of the weight in the rear for better accuracy. Unfortunately, our early results were disappointing, with 4" groups at 100 yards through a Ruger K77/22 VBZ rifle and misfires in the HK 300 autoloader. Both of these test rifles are good hooters capable of MOA accuracy at 100 yards under calm conditions.

Chats with Remington technicians garnered the information that .75" 100-yard groups were obtained in-house -- indoors through a 40x Rangemaster from the custom shop. We received a second hatch (same lot) and, after having the headspace and bedding on the Ruger checked (and improved a bit), tried again.

This new batch excelled, at 1.1 outdoors. The earlier batch re-tested "less bad at 3.75, though still poor. This is the first time we have encountered such radical differences within one lot. It was also a lesson in not giving up after the first try.

The priming on this lot was either less sensitive, or the brass was harder. since we experienced misfires in the HK300. Tests with a Marlin lever rifle experienced similar problems. With a little tweaking, the V-Max should be an excellent shooter.

CCI

CCI/Blount was first in the market with a lightweight bullet, and the Mini Mag V was an instant success -- flat-shooting and accurate in many rifles. The latest generation is the 30 gr. Maxi Mag TNT. Like the V. the TNT features a plated-on jacket, but with the largest, deepest hollowpoint cavity in any WMR bullet.

The results are explosive on prairie dogs and very lethal on woodchucks, as the bullets expand and fragment, delivering full energy into the body rather than penetrating clear through. The accuracy of this cartridge also varied from batch to batch within one lot, with 100-yard groups running as small as 2.4" and as large as 3.8" in our Ruger, which did not like this ammunition. The HK, on the other hand, had a definite preference for it, delivering groups slightly over 1".