Winchester’s New Subsonic 22 Mag Ammo

The 22 Mag, more properly known as the 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (22 WMR), is a fine old cartridge. Since its introduction in 1959, it’s been a great round for bridging the gap between the 22 LR and centerfire rounds. Heck, I even like it for squirrel hunting.

If the 22 WMR has one shortcoming: its noise. It’s just so dang loud! Fired from a short-barreled single-action revolver, the 22 mag sounds as loud as a 357 magnum, if not louder.

For 2017, Winchester is coming out with a new Super X 22 WMR load that has less bark. Although it was created to serve the growing number of shooters who use silencers/suppressors, it will also make less racket when fired from a non-suppressed firearm.

Cartridge: 22 Win Mag
Load number: X22MSUB
Bullet weight: 45 grains
Bullet style: Non-jacketed hollow point
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.102
Muzzle Velocity (MV): 1060 fps

Additionally, Winchester calls for 986 fps & 276 ft-lbs at 50 yards, and 920 fps & 207 ft-lbs at 100 yards.

This stuff looks great for the way I use a 22 mag, i.e. for hunting small game in a non-suppressed rifle, and it should be even better for suppressed guns.

While the muzzle velocity is considerably slower than other Super-X 22 Mag loads (which use 40-grain bullets rated at 1480 fps), this new ammo should still hit with authority. I know I’m looking forward to trying it out if I get the chance.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.