We were suddenly overrun with brown rats this weekend. Someone nearby must have quit feeding livestock. I shot four with my Marlin 883 .22 Magnum. I was using Remingtons remarkable new 33-grain V-Max .22 magnum load. These little pills are explosive. In our rifle they will shoot under one inch at fifty yards from field rest positions. These loads are for critters and not for anything you want to eat.
We have a nesting pair of Ravens that have been here for over fifteen years. When they hear a gunshot they swing through the yard to pick up a snack. They were happy this weekend.
For heavier critters such as raccoon or porcupine I prefer the Federal Classic 50-grain JHP (#757). This load penetrates well on tough bodied varmints. What are you using in your .22 Magnum?