Converting a 22LR Youth to 22 Mag. ?

[klr]

My brother has a Rossi youth 22LR/.410 and wanted to convert the 22 barrel to 22 mag. What do you think?

[GasGuzzler]

Only the firing pin is the same. The chamber and bore is different although the bore is very close.

[Annubis]

Why would you want to? The only difference is about 600fps, at a cost of $0.15-$0.30 per round more. What more can you do with it that can't be done better and cheaper with a different round? Or is so much better that it justifies the cost?

[HarryAlonzo]

Annubis has a point. I do not own a 22 Mag, and I've always been curious about its usefulness. I'm all ears.

[GasGuzzler]

22% heavier bullet at 53% more velocity on average.

It's like going from a 158 grain .357 at 1200 FPS to a 193 grain at 1836 FPS.

The cost issue is real but so would be the difference in the example above. .22WMR costs about 5.5 times .22LR. My Marlin 25MN would hold a half dollar size group OF TEN shots from 75 yards.

[Ohio3Wheels]

My current 22WMRs are convertible single six single actions. Now a days the longer barrel one gets used for an occasional groundhog hunt. I have been know to hung squirrels with the 22LR cylinder installed.

Make smoke,

[GasGuzzler]

I too have an Old Model Single Six and it can shoot anything from a CB short to a magnum. It's a pretty wide range of power.

[Ohio3Wheels]

My long barrel is a new model, the shorter one is an old model that Ruger hasn't touched .

Make smoke,

[klr]

A 22 Mag has a lot more power in a round that we don't have to reload, but, I think the best reason is that my brother and I have way more guns than we need and this is just another project to keep us interested.

Another reason is that it offers more reach and killing power in that small and light Rossi single shot.

So, Brownells had a reamer on sale for around $50. We polished the pilot down until it fit snugly in the barrel and cut the new chamber on an old drill press I have set up for rechambering.

Result: It's accurate and a blast to shoot. Sighting the scope in at 75 yds I was getting quarter-sized 5-shot groups.


BTW, with what round can you gain 600 fps on a 22lr better and cheaper?

[HarryAlonzo]

Glad to hear it!

If the 22LR is sufficient for rats, squirrels & bunnies, what size critter needs this next size up? Groundhogs, I suppose, but they can be long shots. I'd be inclined to jump to 223. Is there a tweener beast?