Wildcat .22 + polymags

[plinker]

I ran a search and only saw a post about polymags not fitting the wildcat .25 without clipping the point. 

I'm asking if anyone has tried either the polymag regular or shorts in a .22 Wildcat with success. Mainly, do they function properly in the clip, do they damage the breach oring loading over time and are they accurate within 50yards. I'd like to try them given the tissue damage pictures I've seen, but you might save me the time if they haven't worked well for you. If no one has tried them in a wildcat .22 I'll 'bite the bullet' myself, order some, and post some results. Thanks. 

 

[gorgata]

I have a feeling you might be able to get away with using the .22 polly mag shorts since I know for my .25 the jus barely don't fit and it has to do with the indexing

 

[xarus]

I have tried them both and the regulars are too long and the shorts shoot like a shotgun in my wildcat couldn't get any kind of group at 50 yards, but maybe you will have better luck. I have only shot about 40 rounds of the polymags so couldn't say if they damage the oring or not.

 

[plinker]

Thanks gorgata and xarus, that's just the kind of real world experience I was hoping to receive. 

 

[kk4iz]

I have a tin of regulars and they do not clear when we tried them in the mag. Have not had time to see how well they will do if I single feed them

 

[zebra]

Regular polymags don't fit most mags which is why they made the shorts. I have never had much luck with the shorts beyond 30-40 yards though. 

You might be able to use them as single shot though. I do that on the Cricket to fit 55g cast bullets (or at least I tried it a few times and it works). I just push them into the breach before I load and empty mag, then the probe pushes them the rest of the way.

 

[plinker]

KK4iz and zebra, that really helps.

 

[snakengrass]

Only had consistent perf with the shorts mag loaded as well. Furthest I've sent them out was about 75 yards (with a light x-wind), and had no problems with them. For reference, when I crono'd them I made 31ft/lbs with them (shorts). 

 

[glengiles]

I've seen a few guys that shoot polymags after clipping a bit of the red tip off so they fit into their magazine and they still maintain accuracy. Here's one that explains how he does it. 

 

[Smaug]

Something to consider:

When you're going on a hunt or even just preparing for a pest control shot, manually load a long Polymag. Then, if the magazine supports this method, fit the magazine to your gun with the empty chamber behind the breech and close the bolt. You'll have the Polymag loaded for that ever-important first shot, and domes (or other hollow points) ready to follow up.

We used to do this with tube fed magazines on lever action rifles in powderburners. You can't use pointed bullets on these, or the recoil might cause the tip of the bullet to detonate the primer of the round in front of it. But you CAN use a pointed bullet for the first shot; just chamber the pointed bullet manually, THEN load the magazine. In the PB world, the game is always gone after the first shot anyway. Second shots are for mercy or plinking.

Also, I read that H&N just came out with a polymag clone. Might be worth trying. (or asking about!) They're called Hornet, but it looks like they'll be too long also. Maybe the H&N Grizzly is worth a try?