This might be a stupid question, but does anybody know if there is such a rifle or handgun that will shoot both .22 lr and mag. I know that the bullets are two different sizes but I thought that I saw a ruger that could do it. If not then anyone who could reccoment a cheap/accurate/reliable .22 for target practice I'd appreciate it. Thanks,
A Ruger single six can shoot both, but it has two different cylinders fitted to the same revolver. I think a couple other lesser know brand revolvers do the same thing.
I had a Ruger Single Six and let it go. I think I will eventually pick up another. I did well with this gun. You may or may not like its "cowboy style" grip. I did not really care for that aspect of the gun. Also, you need to cock the hammer every time you want to shoot another round. I would stay away from the imports like it. Get a used Ruger and you will be ahead on quality.
I have a Ruger Mk II semi automatic .22 LR right now, and do like it. These can be picked up in really nice condition used for $200 or less. They have a good rerputation. Ruger now makes the Mk III. I have no experience with this model. I HAVE read that the Ruger 22/45, which is a .22 LR with the grip of a .45 auto is having some problems.
As for .22 LR and .22 Magnum...the magnun is a lot more powerful .22 round, but is quite a bit more expensive. I can buy a box of 100 CCI Mini-Mag .22 LR's for $3.50 or so. A box of 50 magnums costs $11.00. So magnums cost three times as much for half the amount of ammo. If I wanted to shoot for fun I would stick to .22 LR. However, having the .22 Magnum capability in the Single Six is nice if you have any unfriendly wildlife in your front yard!
There are many different brands and types of .22 LR cartridges available, from quiet sub-sonics to hyper velocity rounds. So the .22 LR is versatile.
A good book on .22's is The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire, by James House. This covers a lot of different aspects of .22's.
I recommend you stay away from the Taurus line of revolvers. The dealers in my area will not carry them because of quality and customer service issues.
If you wish to pursue Rugers, you can go to Rugerforum.com for more info, but stay here, too!
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We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ
The typical .22 WMR (Magnum) bullet is a tiny fraction larger diameter than the typical .22LR - but not enough to matter. It has an effect on accuracy - a "convertible" revolver will tend to shoot one or the other more accurately, depending on bore size.
Even the pressure is very close, according to SAAMI specs.
The real difference is in the case. THE .22WMR is longer AND bigger diameter. If the smaller .22LR is shot in the .22WMR chamber, the case balloons out and often splits. This CAN be dangerous! NEVER shoot the LR in the WMR chamber! Be a safe shooter.
Thanks for the info. I'm really interested in having the .22 lr for target and the .22 mag for small game etc... I don't know if I'd really like the cowboy style grip and I usually try to stay away from revolvers. The only one I currently have is a S & W airlight .22, but maybe I'll look around.
My dad has the Ruger Mk I and it is really a great gun.
Last edited by george_l; 08-07-2007 at 07:01 PM.
Reason: added
Well...CCI makes a lot of different .22 LR cartridges suitable for small game. Go to their website and check it out. Depending on ths size of the game (rabbits, squirrels) there will be a high velocity or hyper velocity round for the chore. I am not that good of a shot off hand with a handgun that I would shoot at game without resting the barrel on my hand that holds my walking stick. That steadies my shots right up.
I do not know of a .22 Magnum pistol that is in production, now. And no pistols were convertible. At least not to my knowledge.
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We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ
A Ruger and also Hi Standard made them. I had both.
I dont have either now. The Hi Standard was far and away the most acurate. The Ruger didnt shoot either very well and I'm a Ruger fan.
I now have a Savage wmr and it flat shoots!
Well, I was concentrating on handguns because the question was about convertability. But george did say rifle or handun. I would take any of the fine .22 LR rifles available and use a variety of ammo for different needs. I think the CCI Stinger velocity of 1640 fps and the CCI Velocitor at 1435 fps are measured in an 18" barrel. CCI Quik-Shok hyper velocity rounds break into 3 pieces when they hit, so they are good for small game. A nice bolt action .22 will feed any of these. So does my Ruger Mk II, but the muzzle velocity and accuracy are less with a handgun.
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We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ
The Aguila SuperMaximum .22LR is advertised to do 1800 FPS - I don't know what barrel length. It's supposed to be the fastest .22LR load, equalling some .22 Magnum loads. Accuracy at a distance isn't the best though. But I also don't see very good accuracy from CCI Stingers in my guns.
george l I see your new here at Gun and Game...Welcome aboard feller!!! Nice of you to have joined, and i see you already have 4 post. Fun ain't it ?
Enjoy the site...A.H
My wife bought me my first revolver for Christmas when I was 18 or so. She didn't have much money to spend but she knew I LOVED guns and hunting. She bought me a Rough Rider single action chambered in .22lr/.22mag by Heritage Manufacturing Inc. It comes with 2 cylinders. The .22 mag cylinder is smooth except for the notches that turn are used to turn it, I love how it looks. Its my favorite gun. I have it on my side every time I deer and duck hunt(I stalk in the swamps of South Louisiana) and have finished off a few deer with it. I attached a pic of my Rough Rider and one of its kills.
i know that they make 22 revolvers that fire both but they have one cylinder for 22mag and one for 22lr. i have one but im not sure of the brand. its a s/a d/a. so i guess its not a ruger
oh and they dont make auto loaders or rifles that chamber both. because of the differince in size of the bullets
