[NativeTexan]

I found 3 boxes of Speer Gold Dot 40 grain JHP for short barrels at the hardware store in Hallettsville! Now, you think .22LR is scarce, it's got nothing on .22 mag! AND, this Speer Gold Dot came out about 3 years ago and I never find any to try in my NAA Black Widow. Who'd a thought I'd find it at True Value!? Well, that's why I always check. You just never know. Price wasn't bad, either, $17.95. Bought two boxes, one to test with. I gave $16.95 for the Hornady CD I have BEFORE the big shortage, so the price is decent.

So, in testing, it fired 3.5" at 25 yards from the bench same as the CCI Maxi Mag and Hornady CD. I had one failure to fire, fired on the follow up strike. That concerns me a little, but it was the only failure, so might be a fluke, the hazards of rimfire. I plinked with it, put 25 rounds through it, hit well off hand shooting at 4" swingers from 15 yards.

They had some CCI standard velocity there in 50 round boxes for $5,49. I have a good stash I got for cheaper, so I passed on that stuff. Only had 3 boxes and I might have got it, but they had the Speer .22 mag that I wanted worse and didn't see spending 11 cents a round for SV CCI when I can routinely get it on line for 7 cents a round and in bulk, all-be-it with 10 or 12 bucks shipping, usually. They've been coming down on prices, though, at that hardware store. That and watching wikiarms.com I've got hope that maybe supply is catching up with demand slowly, but surely. This is the first .22 mag I've seen in a LONG time at a store and it was THE load I've been wanting to try in my Black Widow since I bought it. I'm giddy.

 

[Sekol]

It's like finding gold in them thar hills! Congratulations on your 22 mag find! Enjoy!

 

[jonrjen]

I didn't realize that the 22mag was a difficult find now day. But, then I haven't looked either. I did pocket my little NAA 1 1/8" revolver with me today as I headed out the door. I do like that folding handle and pocket clip combination for a quick easy conceal carry. I had to grab some 22mag to load it up, but that was only a closet walk away. Guess I'll have to start keeping my eyes open more.

 

[AOCM.RET]

 

[NativeTexan]

I didn't realize that the 22mag was a difficult find now day. But, then I haven't looked either. I did pocket my little NAA 1 1/8" revolver with me today as I headed out the door. I do like that folding handle and pocket clip combination for a quick easy conceal carry. I had to grab some 22mag to load it up, but that was only a closet walk away. Guess I'll have to start keeping my eyes open more.

Well, I had some CCI maximag and some Hornady CD, but I've been wanting to try this Speer Gold Dot for short barrels since it came out. At first it was impossible to find and then the shortage hit. .22 magnum of ANY kind is rare as hen's teeth, far harder to find than .22 LR. I ain't gonna hoard the stuff because it's pricey compared to .22LR, but I HAD to get a couple of boxes of this to try.

 

[McE]

When I had my NAA 22mag, it was stocked with Winchester Super-X 40grn JHP, widely considered the best performing 22mag round for mini revolvers, but this was before the Gold Dots came out.
Saw it regularly at Wally world for $10.47/box.
I think I read a comparison between it and the Gold Dots, identical performance, just different price.

Would like to see pics of this 22mag gold dot short barrel, though.

 

[revosteve]

Sweet find! 22 mag is an awesome round.

 

[NativeTexan]

When I had my NAA 22mag, it was stocked with Winchester Super-X 40grn JHP, widely considered the best performing 22mag round for mini revolvers, but this was before the Gold Dots came out.
Saw it regularly at Wally world for $10.47/box.
I think I read a comparison between it and the Gold Dots, identical performance, just different price.

Would like to see pics of this 22mag gold dot short barrel, though.

Midway seems to have it.... Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Ammo 22 Winchester Mag Rimfire (WMR) 40 Good pic of it there.

I have tried Winchester's new PDX1 .22 Magnum defender for short barrels. I had about 1 or 2 duds per 5 rounds, not good. So, I gave it up. I don't have this problem with CCI or Hornady, just that Winchester stuff. The gun has a new hammer spring in it, too, straight from NAA due to the fact that I bought it used, it had a limp spring. Anyway, I don't mess with Winchester, though it was accurate when it fired.

 

[jonrjen]

Well, I had some CCI maximag and some Hornady CD, but I've been wanting to try this Speer Gold Dot for short barrels since it came out. At first it was impossible to find and then the shortage hit. .22 magnum of ANY kind is rare as hen's teeth, far harder to find than .22 LR. I ain't gonna hoard the stuff because it's pricey compared to .22LR, but I HAD to get a couple of boxes of this to try.

Guess I'll have to tuck that 500 rounds I have in the closet a little deeper in the closet.

 

[NativeTexan]

I'm thinkin' they run batches off on the same machinery at the factories that they use for .22LR, just change dies/adjust things, for the run. As busy as they've been with turning out .22LR, i'm guessing .22 mag has suffered production shortages. That's just a guess, nothing, but my imagination to back it up. What I'm hoping is that finally finding some .22 mag on the shelf is a good sign, but that's probably my imagination, too.

Now, all through this shortage if I'd owned a rifle in .17, I'd had NO problem...go figure, lots of 17, not a drop of .22 mag.

 

[Cariwine]

There's been lots up here at our local Gander Mountain. It ain't cheap but they got it.

 

[McE]

Midway seems to have it.... Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Ammo 22 Winchester Mag Rimfire (WMR) 40 Good pic of it there.

I have tried Winchester's new PDX1 .22 Magnum defender for short barrels. I had about 1 or 2 duds per 5 rounds, not good. So, I gave it up. I don't have this problem with CCI or Hornady, just that Winchester stuff. The gun has a new hammer spring in it, too, straight from NAA due to the fact that I bought it used, it had a limp spring. Anyway, I don't mess with Winchester, though it was accurate when it fired.

I can't say anything about the PDX stuff, but I have had zero duds with Super-X in my NAA, out of 150 or so rounds over the years. And it was accurate, as I had the Laserlyte laser on mine. No point in paying for fancy designed bullets, though, chances are high these bullets are tumbling when shot from the NAA minis.

 

[GreenWolf70]

Since last Thanksgiving my LGS has had a waist high stack of cases of "Troy from Swamp People" Choot'um in .22 Mag for sale. I haven't been looking for .22LR or .22Mag but they have had an assortment of each for several months now.

 

[NativeTexan]

I can't say anything about the PDX stuff, but I have had zero duds with Super-X in my NAA, out of 150 or so rounds over the years. And it was accurate, as I had the Laserlyte laser on mine. No point in paying for fancy designed bullets, though, chances are high these bullets are tumbling when shot from the NAA minis.

Why would you think they'd tumble? They don't out of MY NAA nor do .22LR out of my little 1 5/8" one. If they tumbled, I couldn't hit squat with the Black Widow at 25 yards, yet it consistently shoots 3.5" groups at that range off the bags and none tumbling, nice clean holes. The only reason my little .22LR can't shoot any better is the primitive sights and shorter sight radius, not tumbling. i can shoot into 7 or 8 inches at the same 25 yards with it, takes some concentration. I've head shot snakes and shot other vermin with it and even shot several rabbits at 15 yards and in with it. NAA revolvers are really quite accurate, though the shooter can have problems. My Black Widow, though, has nice Novak sights and a 2" barrel and if you hold it up to a .38 M85 Taurus, the sight radius isn't a whole lot shorter. It's not surprising to me that it shoots almost as well as that 85.

 

[NativeTexan]

Since last Thanksgiving my LGS has had a waist high stack of cases of "Troy from Swamp People" Choot'um in .22 Mag for sale. I haven't been looking for .22LR or .22Mag but they have had an assortment of each for several months now.

Wow, that's a good sign. I watched that swamp people thing for about 5 minutes, seem to recall 'em using a .22 mag on a gator.

 

[Jake3501]

I don't own a .22 magnum and am glad I fought off the urge to buy a lever gun years ago. I'm probably as good at scrounging ammo as anyone, and the .22 mag is just nearly non existent other than for short barrels like the Gold Dot. It is about 1,300 fps as opposed to 1,600 fps + for regular .22 mag. That is great for handguns and mini revolvers, just not the added umph you want in a long gun. I still have one box of the Winchester short barreled .22 magnum I paid over $16 for over a year ago I need to find someone local to get my money back. I took a box to Native Texan at Sand Lake last year, along with a good .22 care package, I wish he'd bought both boxes.

 

[NativeTexan]

I don't own a .22 magnum and am glad I fought off the urge to buy a lever gun years ago. I'm probably as good at scrounging ammo as anyone, and the .22 mag is just nearly non existent other than for short barrels like the Gold Dot. It is about 1,300 fps as opposed to 1,600 fps + for regular .22 mag. That is great for handguns and mini revolvers, just not the added umph you want in a long gun. I still have one box of the Winchester short barreled .22 magnum I paid over $16 for over a year ago I need to find someone local to get my money back. I took a box to Native Texan at Sand Lake last year, along with a good .22 care package, I wish he'd bought both boxes.

Well, if you come to sand lake again and still have it, I'll buy it off you. I wanted to test it for the Black Widow, but it didn't work out, guess the priming is too hard for the light hammer. I do have a rifle I can shoot it in that i don't shoot much due to the scarcity of the ammo. I love that rifle, REAL accurate. It's a Remington 597 magnum.

Want weak ammo, try Winchester dynapoint. Stuff is pathetic. Anything will work for Black Widow practice, though.

 

[NativeTexan]

Oh, the .22 care package kept me shooting. I still am hoarding that Federal bulk as it shoots best in my NAA mini and I change ammo out in that gun weekly to keep it fresh. I've since found ammo here and there, but Federal bulk, that NAA's favorite, is still scarce. I treasure that hoard.

 

[McE]

I noticed some tumbling from my 1 5/8" 22mag, or the targets just tore in a way that looked like they did

 

[NativeTexan]

I noticed some tumbling from my 1 5/8" 22mag, or the targets just tore in a way that looked like they did

Any given round, your gun might not like. I've had a few rimfires over the years that didn't like a specific round at all. I always try a variety to see what the particular gun likes.