how potent is the .22 Magnum?

SkinnyJoe said:
Specifically, from a 22 inch barrel, is it enough persuasion for a mountain lion, black bear or a feral dog to leave the person alone, ...or would bear spray be a better idea?

Skinny Joe, this is my humble opinion & do not know if anyone else has used one. I have had a .22 mag for so long I think Moses gave it to me when he sailed away. I just recently sold it & bought a Ruger 77/17. This caliber has allowed me to add almost 50-75 yards on varmints I did not have with the .22 mag. I do not have any velocity or ballastics info, just know what it did when hunting groundhogs this summer. You can get this caliber from several of the gun makers, & the cost is pretty reasonable as well. Good luck.
Be safe.
p.s.; I am in agreement with most everyone else, leave this at home if you are going after mountain lion or black bear.
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Against a tree'd Mt Lion, where you can shoot carefully, the 22 mag will work just fine. Over the years it's taken lots of deer, beaver, coyote and other small game.

For things with teeth and claws that can actually eat you, such as lion on the ground or feral dogs, I'd suggest something with a little more oomph. A 12ga with decent rifle sights and buckshot or slugs would be my first choice.
 
In a more serious vein, I believe I recall reading where Mt. Lion hunters were shooting treed lions with .22 Magnums.

If it's my azz, I believe I'd use more gun.
 
tyr_shadowblade said:
Depends on the dog, and shot placement is critical. Country vets used to dispatch carstruck dogs with a single contact shot from a .22 behind the ear.

Dogs are tough, and if you are being attacked you want multiple follow up shots. One shot from a 9mm or 38 can stop a dog, but it is unlikely to kill it immediately.

.22 from a distance would probably not be a quick kill, and might just make it mad.
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I seem to remember someone posting that even .45 ACP is not reliable for stopping guard dogs (drug houses) and that buckshot it called for?
 
Yes, placement and accuracy are key factors. If you shoot an alligator in just the right spot on it's head with a .22, a place no bigger than a dime, it will die immediately. Any other place and it will just get mad.
 
PDE said:
Yes, placement and accuracy are key factors. If you shoot an alligator in just the right spot on it's head with a .22, a place no bigger than a dime, it will die immediately. Any other place and it will just get mad.
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I imagine shooting a baby alligator would be a pain in the ass. :confused:
 
lol get a kel tec pmr30. 30 rounds of 22 mag in a 4 in pistol that weights less than 1 lb loaded. 1 shot may not effect them but 30 should be pretty effective :)

i am just joking there are much better options than a 22 mag for sure. get the mares leg lol

http://www.maresleg.com/maresleg.htm
 
tyr_shadowblade said:
Depends on the dog, and shot placement is critical. Country vets used to dispatch carstruck dogs with a single contact shot from a .22 behind the ear.

Dogs are tough, and if you are being attacked you want multiple follow up shots. One shot from a 9mm or 38 can stop a dog, but it is unlikely to kill it immediately.

.22 from a distance would probably not be a quick kill, and might just make it mad.
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I never said a .22 was a perfect weapon to put down a dog, just that it would. If I were the OP, I would get and carry a .357magnum. But I'm not old enough to own one, so I cannot.
 
In my opinion, if you are willing to carry a rifle, and are carrying it for self defense, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU CARE ABOUT THE RECOIL from a lever action 30-30? I mean its like when people want to carry a .25 pistol instead of a .45 since a subcompact .45 kimber would hurt their hand after firing. Heres an update people, you may fire that weapon how many times in your lifetime? (other then target practice) Most likely NONE, and if you do, by the time you fire at an animal or 2 legged predator, your adreneline will be so high it would not matter.


For gods sake, is a sore shoulder not worth saving your @ss when the chips are down?
 
Erasmus said:
In a more serious vein, I believe I recall reading where Mt. Lion hunters were shooting treed lions with .22 Magnums.
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Poachers used the 10/22 to shoot treed black bear. This kills the bear because it is trapped, its heart is racing, and it bleeds out. Slow kill. Very cruel. Such poachers should be smacked in the head with a bear trap.
 
grunt soldier said:
lol get a kel tec pmr30. 30 rounds of 22 mag in a 4 in pistol that weights less than 1 lb loaded. 1 shot may not effect them but 30 should be pretty effective :)

i am just joking there are much better options than a 22 mag for sure. get the mares leg lol

http://www.maresleg.com/maresleg.htm
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...how do you aim with that thing (with the stock cut off)? :confused:

If nothing else, the steerhead spurs have me interested.
 
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I should probably get me a .223 (low recoil, lots of destruction) for evil humans on the trails and a spray for wildlife. After all, I would feel bad for years if I had to shoot a bear, or something as beautiful and graceful as a mountain lion.
:( :(

LionMother_Cubs.jpg
 
Something like this would interest me, if it had iron sights. Scopes are ok, but they can break easier than iron sights. A gun with no iron sights just seems like a bad idea.

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WOW i would NOT be picking a .22mag, cool caliber, but i have a 6.5x55 swede mauser thats been butchered to weigh 6.5 lbs, id much rather have this gun than a small rimfire.
 
SkinnyJoe said:
Is that a triple-barrel longarm like they use in Europe?
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No, it is a single shot arm that has multiple matched barrels. So, you could carry say the 20ga and the 44mag barrel in your pack. A 44Mag or 20ga slug to the head or chest of a bear would do it, keeping in mind that reloading would be a problem.
 
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