22LR replacement caliber

[rbuck351]

Most 22cal pellets are 3cents each and some are 5/6cents each especially the accurate ones. Yesterday I bought 1000 Rem match sm rifle primers for $28 and a pound of powder for $23. 1000 primers and half a pound of powder and lead that was free range pick up and I have 1000 25/20 for about $40. I have to buy pretty cheap pellets to beat that and they have neither the range, power or accuracy of the 25/20. Same goes for 22lr.

[Pakprotector]

The 25 Air rifles are quite enough for squirrels. Anything bigger, and range gets restricted a bit. Now a .224 Marauder is under construction, and I anticipate being able to comfortably deal with squirrels to 80+ yards. Not cheap, but trigger time in the back yard is easy 'cause it is both muffled and sub-sonic.

Daily practice is not to be despised, and will make what ever you settle on ever-so-use-able.

A Hornet and a 14" twist barrel and you've got up to 55 gr boolits being stable, and heavier if you get a 12"-er. The 225462 is nearly 60 gr, and at 1000 fps will flat wreck a squirrel( and bunny, ground hog etc. ). A dedicated 25 Auto rifle, properly chambered should be able to spit the heavier .25-20 boolits downrange to the tune of 200 FPE with BC numbers that make the 50 gr auto boolits look like Diabolo pellets( the cartridge will look like the 60 gr quiet short ammo ). A sub-sonic .38 Special is not w/o charm, and .356 molds are nearly an order of magnitude more plentiful. At trans-sonic velocities, they are 500 FPE though there won't be much squirrel left at that point.

Just because it looks 'Best' to us, does not mean it is best for you, or even really best...LOL Budget driven choices dictate light loads in what you have, not going out and buying another for it...though another rifle is never a bad thing.

[rbuck351]

Yeah, I'm not sure buying another rifle is cost effective to replace the 22lr. Recently I bought a Beeman RS2 springer pellet with the interchangable 177/22 barrels. After buying every different pellet available in Anchorage, I found the accuracy to be less than I had hoped for. Anything less than 1" at 20yds isn't going to happen. 1" at 20yds is with RWS match pellets. At 75yds about the effective range of a 22lr for me, pellet guns aren't going to get it short of buying a very expensive pellet rifle that shoots rather expensive pellets. So I'm stuck with the guns I have. My choices being 22KH, 25/20, 32/20, 256Win, 223 in the small caliber range. Of that bunch, I like the 25/20 the best.

[Bored1]

Is 25/20 that easy to come by in alaska? I don't know that I've ever seen any brass for that availible locally, and know for a fact I've never found any at the range. If the brass is limited for that caliber wouldn't choosing that just land you right where you are now with the 22lr after you use your brass supply.

[rbuck351]

25/20 brass is still available from Rem Win and Starline and fairly inexpensive. Factory ammo is still available as well but it is expensive. And because it's not popular it wasn't ripped off the shelves when all the normal stuff went. Also 32/20 and 218 Bee will make 25/20 with a single pass through a sizer die. With 3 or 4 grs of powder it is pretty easy on brass as well. Annealing every few shots should make it last a long time. I passed up some 32/20 at a gun show today because the guy wanted more for it than new brass. I also have the parts to put together a 92 Win in 256Win. Brass for it is made from 357Mag and there is a bunch of that laying about.

[Pakprotector]

Recently I bought a Beeman RS2 springer pellet with the interchangable 177/22 barrels. After buying every different pellet available in Anchorage, I found the accuracy to be less than I had hoped for. Anything less than 1" at 20yds isn't going to happen. 1" at 20yds is with RWS match pellets. At 75yds about the effective range of a 22lr for me, pellet guns aren't going to get it short of buying a very expensive pellet rifle that shoots rather expensive pellets..

Spring air rifles are not like PCp or powder guns, the reaction when the piston starts moving( and stops ), needs a special hold developed. Hold sensitivity was a term invented for the springer I think, or should have been at any rate. My PCP stable will shoot circles around the best of 'em without even trying.

The first pre-charge Air rifle is not cheap; you need charging equipment. I don't buy any pellets locally; 2k of them for about $50 delivered. That is a month worth in summer, maybe less. The 22 Marauder shoots 18.1 gr JSB well. Even before I put a longer barrel on it, 3/4" at 50 yards was reliable, and with care on wind doping slightly better was possible.

Under the use you describe, the .25-20 looks mighty fine. The 257420 mold by Lyman should get you FINE boolits. The AG's shoot them well...
cheers,
Douglas

[Chev. William]

25-20? Isn't that usually a round not fired in semi-auto firearms? that would explain why you do not see discarded brass at a range, easy extraction/ejection makes saving your brass a Lot Easier.
Best Regards,
Chev. William

[Dale in Louisiana]

Price comparisons between .22 LR and other calibers might not be the best way to go.

When son and I go to the range and shoot .22, I have 30-round magazines and a fast loader. Walking cans downrange or keeping one of those spinning targets going with the little semi-auto is fun, but it runs the round count up fast.

When we shoot centerfire, there are no rapid-fire strings. Did you very try and 'rapid-fire' a Mosin Nagant? Whole different experience, isn't it? Or even worse, a trapdoor or a rolling block.

The way I figure it, ten good rounds of centerfire is equivalent to fifty of .22 LR.

Of course, if your thing with the .22 LR is working over a 200-yard NRA target, then your round count goes back down.

dale in Louisiana

[bhn22]

Unless of course you're hunting small game. Then the Nagant might be a little more than you need.

[grumman581]

Unless of course you're hunting small game. Then the Nagant might be a little more than you need.

That would depend upon what you are loading it to and how small the game is that you are hunting. Get it down to 500 fps and it's probably not going to damage the meat more than a .22LR might do. If the game is really small and you wanted to save the meat, you would be going for a head shot anyway, right? As such, you're really not going to care whether it just has a hole in the head or if the head is blown half off.

[Dale in Louisiana]

That would depend upon what you are loading it to and how small the game is that you are hunting. Get it down to 500 fps and it's probably not going to damage the meat more than a .22LR might do. If the game is really small and you wanted to save the meat, you would be going for a head shot anyway, right? As such, you're really not going to care whether it just has a hole in the head or if the head is blown half off.

Exactly! There are a bunch of little thirty-caliber moulds out there. A primer, a few grains of a fast powder, you get something subsonic that's easily accurate enough to anchor a bunny or a squirrel, and at low velocity and energy, you won't tear up the meat.

Little short fat boolits should stabilize at low velocity.

dale in Louisiana

[Bret4207]

I'm way late getting into this conversation, but the replacement around here for the 22LR is the 32 S+W and 32 S+W Long. Boolits tend to be in the 85-90 gr range, powder charges around 1-1.5 grs and the brass lasts absolutely forever as long as you don't crush it. If you're target shooting you can usually dig the boolits out of the sand bank and re-cast them. No GC needed, no fancy lube either. And the rifles tend to weigh in under 5 lbs! Perfect for the kids and old guys who aren't superman anymore. Rabbits, squirrels and such tend to become very still very fast when hit with a nice FN at 700 fps. I've even been know to use it on coyote on the trap line and it's adequate for fox, feral cats, porkies and other 22 sized game. Range is the only limitation, along with finding a suitable rifle to convert from 32 RF to CF.

[NoZombies]

I'm way late getting into this conversation, but the replacement around here for the 22LR is the 32 S+W and 32 S+W Long. Boolits tend to be in the 85-90 gr range, powder charges around 1-1.5 grs and the brass lasts absolutely forever as long as you don't crush it. If you're target shooting you can usually dig the boolits out of the sand bank and re-cast them. No GC needed, no fancy lube either. And the rifles tend to weigh in under 5 lbs! Perfect for the kids and old guys who aren't superman anymore. Rabbits, squirrels and such tend to become very still very fast when hit with a nice FN at 700 fps. I've even been know to use it on coyote on the trap line and it's adequate for fox, feral cats, porkies and other 22 sized game. Range is the only limitation, along with finding a suitable rifle to convert from 32 RF to CF.

Bret,

Glad to see you posting again. I've been using the .32 S&W long (and similar) for small game for several years myself, and having a lot of fun with it. I've got another .222 again, and expect to have fun with that as well, but I can't imagine the .32's being put out to pasture anytime in the foreseeable future.

[clodhopper]

I have to go with the whelen, allredy have rifle, dies, "m"die too, mould, sizer, and load worked up.
So what if the boolit weighs more than 50 grains?
Excellent squirrel killer, would not be feeling naked when carrying the whelen if some of the toothyer fanua happend to give some trouble.

[WallyM3]

This has been my 22LR replacement of late. Uses little Pb and is an easy cast. Cases are about as inexpensive as they come, are plentiful and last eternally. Easy to load, too.



Lyman 358101 (75 gr.) over 2.0 gr Bullseye. Any .38 Special case...this just happens to be a WC case by the luck of the draw.

[Chev. William]

.38 Thumper. that bullet looks like a small version of a model airplane engine piston, just no wrist pin hole.

Tung in cheek,
Best Regards,
Chev. William

[rbuck351]

Yep, most anything you have will work with light cast loads. Some are just more effective users of powder and lead and the little guys just don't burn up stuff as fast as the bigger ones.

[Chev. William]

Update to the Listing:
Old CF replacement = .221 Askins (original from 1937)
New CF Replacement = .22 Ladybug or .22 Ladybug-Repeater (current 2018)

All can now be formed from .25ACP parent cases via Swaging down body and base diameters and turning rims.
Best Regards,
Chev. william

[Tom_in_AZ]

22 Hornet with a 37-45 gr cast boolit loaded with oh idk 2 gr of bullseye should be in the 22 LR range. Others should chime in shortly.

Yup


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[boman250]

Update to the Listing:
Old CF replacement = .221 Askins (original from 1937)
New CF Replacement = .22 Ladybug or .22 Ladybug-Repeater (current 2018)

All can now be formed from .25ACP parent cases via Swaging down body and base diameters and turning rims.
Best Regards,
Chev. william

Ok, I thought my 22 TCM with cast boolits over a light charge of unique was pretty darn close to a 22lr. But that even looks like a 22 LR. I am impressed.