Best 22 Mag Ammo For Predators

Though still small in the grand scheme, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and similar creatures are cunning survivors that dwarf the size of squirrels and rabbits typically targeted by rimfire shooters. Not only that, their habits and wary nature mean they’ll usually present longer, more challenging shots than the typical small game. That’s why it’s critical to select the right ammo for one of the most popular rimfire platforms, the 22 Mag. From accuracy and range to power and terminal performance, we reveal the best 22 WMR ammo for predators.

Best Explosive Bullet Designs For 22 WMR

The best 22 Mag ammo for predators usually features a bullet that expands so rapidly on impact with the animal that the results are almost explosive. These bullets usually have thin copper jackets, hollow points and polymer tips, and they’re pushed at high velocities. All of those factors converge to cause the bullet to instantly break up upon hitting tissue.

For predators and varmints, this is ideal. Since even the largest coyote is still a small animal, the bullet and its fragments don’t need to penetrate far to hit vital organs. And with multiple fragments traveling through the tissue, you inflict more damage that brings the animal down fast. Plus, for those who intend to sell hides to a fur buyer, this minimizes the number of bullet holes in the pelt, since the rapid expansion usually eliminates an exit wound.

CCI has the best 22 WMR ammo options for hunters who prefer explosive bullet designs. Consider Maxi-Mag TNT. It blends a 2,200 fps muzzle velocity with the performance of the TNT bullet to utterly devastate anything it hits. Maxi-Mag TNT loads fly flat, hit hard and expand explosively on impact.

To extend the 22 Mag’s effective range to hit more distant predators, check out CCI’s VNT 22 WMR. Like most rimfire predator loads, it features a bullet with an extremely thin jacket to allow for fast expansion on impact—in this case a Speer VNT.

What’s unique about this 22 WMR, however, is the bullet’s polymer tip. This aerodynamic edge flattens trajectories, improves accuracy and boosts available energy at long distances. And when you’re not using it to kill predators and varmints, it makes great target ammo for the range.

Best Segmenting Hollow Point 22 WMR

CCI offers more than just the standard explosive bullet designs, however. Maxi-Mag SHP 22 WMR brings two CCI-exclusive technologies to the table. The first is Clean-22 coating. Instead of a copper jacket, this bullet uses a polymer coating that greatly reduces copper and lead fouling in the barrel.

Another CCI-exclusive is its Segmented Hollow Point bullet. Instead of disintegrating violently on impact like most varmint bullets, Maxi-Mag SHP 22 WMR splits into three equal-size pieces, creating distinct, predictable wound channels. Also, by using a polymer coating instead of a copper jacket, the bullet will separate at much lower velocities and longer distances than conventional designs.

Best Non-Lead Predator Ammo For 22 WMR

And finally, if local regulations or personal preferences have you looking for the best non-lead predator ammo for 22 WMR, you’ll get the performance you need with Maxi-Mag TNT’s counterpart, Maxi-Mag TNT Green 22 WMR. It offers the same accuracy and explosive performance on impact, but with a bullet featuring a thin jacket wrapped around a compressed non-toxic powder core, it meets non-lead ammo requirements.