Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire. Rifles·Pistols·Ammunition онлайн

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As will be discussed in Chapter 9, varmint hunting with rimfire rifles is an entirely different matter since recovery of edible meat is not a factor. While you will almost certainly begin with a 22 LR, there are obvious advantages to the use of the 22 WMR and 17 HMR for the varmint hunter. Either will extend the range of a 22 LR by a considerable margin and will permit taking larger species. The 22 WMR is effective to about 125 to 150 yards while the flattershooting 17 HMR is effective to perhaps 150 to 175 yards with best performance of both calibers at or close to the lower end of the ranges mentioned. As we will now discuss, this performance comes at a price when the cost of ammunition is considered. In this regard, the 22 WMR has some advantage because all ammunition for the 17 HMR is of a “premium” type, which costs more than most of the 22 WMR types, which are not designated as premium ammunition. Although the topic will be discussed in detail in Chapter 9, the 22 WMR is better suited to taking larger species while the 17 HMR is better suited to taking smaller species at longer ranges. The logical approach is probably to choose a 22 LR for plinking and small game hunting then add a 17 HMR or 22 WMR if you wish to get more involved with varmint hunting using only rimfire rifles. However, many small bore enthusiasts do serious varmint hunting with rifles chambered for the 22 LR by limiting the ranges at which shots at game are taken and choosing rifles and ammunition that are capable of giving target-grade accuracy.