Ballistics By The Inch Adds .22 Magnum
If you have not heard of them before, The Ballistics By The Inch project tests cartridges by shooting them through a rifle-length barrel, noting the velocity, then cutting an inch off the end of the barrel and repeating until the barrel is just 2″ in length. This provides valuable information because the velocity published by ammunition companies come from measurements through a long test barrel. For example .22 Magnum bullets are usually tested by the manufacturer with a 24″ barrel. Nobody these days shooting .22 Magnum with a 24″ barrel, and the .22 Magnum has a growing following among revolver and pistol shooters who are shooting with 4″ or shorter barrel.
The BBTI project have just published their tests of the .22 Magnum with barrel length ranging from 19″ to 2″. They have also tested the cartridge in a number of real-world guns.
Looking at these figures, I have to wonder if there is any point in owning a snub-nosed revolver or derringer in .22 Magnum instead of .22 Long Rifle, since the velocity/energy is going to be the same. The only “advantage” is a bigger fireball.
I founded TFB in 2007 and over 10 years worked tirelessly, with the help of my team, to build it up into the largest gun blog online. I retired as Editor in Chief in 2017. During my decade at TFB I was fortunate to work with the most amazing talented writers and genuinely good people!
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Without chrono statistics it is hard to say but my naa mini does significantly more damage to water jugs in 22 mag than 22lr. Same thing comparing my pmr30 to my glock 19 with 22lr conversion. One thing is for sure, the quality of the ammo is dramatically better in 22 mag. I have washed many 22mag rounds in my pockets over the years and they have always fired afterwards. I know this is not scientific but the proof in the seat of the pants, pun intended.
Having fired both, I think you are missing the one major difference between .22 Magnum and .22 LR. .22 Magnum is loud. Really loud. If a suspect arrives in the ER with a .22 sized hole and is deaf, it was a .22 Magnum.