Thread: .22LR rechambered to .22 Mag...possible?

If you sold a couple of the old Lithgow singles you'd be well on the way to paying for a 22 magnum. I picked up a very nice Marlin heavy barrel scoped WMR for $370, and it is an absolute tack driver. Its better than me these days with 0.3" groups at 50m - ducking just into 0.2s at best. And 0.7" at 100m. Low price, very accurate, and made for the WMR job.

I'd like on old Lithgow model 12 myself - learned to shoot with one back on the farm many, many moons ago..

My take on this is .22lr dam good bunny buster, cheap amo. My jump up from it would be 22 hornet / 22-250 or the ones in-between, you can reload them, not so with .22mag and it gets expensive per bang. Plus with centre fire you can down load them for cast lead bullets.

Originally Posted by homebrew.357

My take on this is .22lr dam good bunny buster, cheap amo. My jump up from it would be 22 hornet / 22-250 or the ones in-between, you can reload them, not so with .22mag and it gets expensive per bang. Plus with centre fire you can down load them for cast lead bullets.

Yeah, I agree with this.
My JW-15 is set up with an older 4-12x Nikko Sterling Platinum scope for rabbits. One of the Lithgows is set up with a Japanese made Hakko 4x40 with illuminated reticle + topped with an XHP50 torch for spotlighting possums. The other Lithgow I was 'once' thinking of converting to 22WMR...but maybe I'll move it on now.

I wouldn't go out and buy a 22WMR but would jump up to a light 'walk-about' .223 if I was to go up in cartridge.
I already have a heavy barrelled .22-250 in a Boyd's stock topped with 8-32x for the longer-range rabbits.

Originally Posted by Hermitage

Yeah, I agree with this.
My JW-15 is set up with an older 4-12x Nikko Sterling Platinum scope for rabbits. One of the Lithgows is set up with a Japanese made Hakko 4x40 with illuminated reticle + topped with an XHP50 torch for spotlighting possums. The other Lithgow I was 'once' thinking of converting to 22WMR...but maybe I'll move it on now.

I wouldn't go out and buy a 22WMR but would jump up to a light 'walk-about' .223 if I was to go up in cartridge.
I already have a heavy barrelled .22-250 in a Boyd's stock topped with 8-32x for the longer-range rabbits.

That would be what I would do if I was in your shoes. 223 ammo is very close to the price of WMR and HMR ammo, and even without reloading for it, it will do anything a WMR will do and will do it better, and it can do a lot more that the WMR cannot.

Originally Posted by Hermitage

Jezz the last thing I need to do is buy another rifle like a .22 WMR...I've got too many rifles already.

I was only looking at converting one of the rifles I had already, but as @tiroahunta said 'it's a pipe dream'...

How is it possible to have too many rifles? I think your problem is not enough safe.

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I agree with these views. Have been trialing a 22WMR for 6 months or more now - can be very accurate, bit more range than 22LR, and def a hard-hitting little rimfire. Next step however will be a 223 for reasons mentioned above. Only downside is that it'll cost round 3 times price of magnum by time its suppressed - but extra $$ only hurts once!. Will keep my Marlin 22WMR a few more months then on to 223 I suspect..

Over the years I've had 2 Remington single shots rechambered to 22WMR. They were part of the sport master/field master range, possibly the 510. Had double locking lugs and an auto safety. Was an easy job for a gunsmith, and I removed the "auto' part of the safety so it was fully manual. And I had a dovetail milled in to one, and a dovetail rail fitted to the action. Both shot incredibly well! First time out with the original one, I put 7 shots in to a matchbox at 100. Both those rifles performed excellent right through until I sold them. I now have one in std 22LR that I have cut down to make a kids rifle for the grandkids.