The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR), often called .22 Mag, was introduced by Winchester in 1959. Soon after the new cartridge rolled out, Ruger. 22 WMR is a serious 125-yard stopper for 2- to 20-pound critters and even larger game and varmints when a head shot is possible

22 Magnum handgun be effective for self-defense? Sure! If it’s all you had or if it’s what you can tolerate in terms of recoil, then it’s viable enough. However, there is also the caveat that IF you can stand to use a handgun with one of the traditional self-defense calibers, you should use that instead