The 22 WMR is my go-to gun around the farm for pest control, hunting, and general woods bumming and possibly my favorite rim-fire cartridge. I have 2 rifles in WMR, a Marlin bolt action with 3.5x10 Bushnell rimfire scope for the longer shots, and a Henry H001M carbine. The carbine comes out more often as it's lighter and easier to carry, and it holds 7 more shots than the Marlin. Also have a HRR 6.5" with it's permanently installed WMR cylinder for those days when I can't carry my carbine (i.e.; on the tractor or while fishing). The RR is accurate enough that I can hit a possum-sized target at 15 yards, and that's plenty good enough for me. It isn't the prettiest revolver ever made, but it's dead-nuts reliable and will get the job done when needed. These 3 guns do the majority of the pest control around the farm, and have performed supremely well in that aspect. The WMR cartidge punches above it's weight, and for it's size is quite devastating. I have used mine for small game hunting, mostly squirrel and rabbit, and haven't observed any un-due meat damage or waste, provided I make a good shot. On the larger varmints (groundhogs, possums, etc) who cares? You most likely aren't gonna eat them anyway. Hogs and feral dogs don't stand a chance either when confronted with WW's 40 grn semi-jacketed hp round. I have also used CCI's sgb to good effect on the larger critters. It gives good expansion and penetration, though sometimes on the larger hogs it doesn't pass completely through. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about the cartridge.
But with the good comes the bad, too. One downside to the magnum is ammo cost. While the guns themselves are quite a bit cheaper than a comparative center-fire rifle, the ammo is pricey. Figure half again to twice the cost of 22 LR, depending on your location. The 22 mag isn't a "plinking" gun for this reason. Which leads into another shortcoming: since the WMR is "hotter" the the LR, you can expect the barrel of your gun to heat up faster. And when that barrel gets hot, like really hot, your accuracy suffers immensely. After just 24 shots (2 magazines) of WMR in the Henry, even slow firing, the barrel is so hot you can't touch it. So, when sighting in any 22 magnum it's best to take one shot, wait a bit, and then take another. That usually keeps the barrel cooler. Three shot groups generally are ok, and 5 can be acceptable. Any more than that and they'll start to "walk", in my experience. Finally, there's the ammo itself. Some WMR's can be finicky regarding ammo. Luckily mine aren't. But for example, my dad's old Marlin only likes WW hp's; My brother's (nearly identical) Marlin won't shoot 'em for beans, but he can get 5 shots in a dime at 50 yards with CCI hp's, while my (also nearly identical) Marlin bolt action will put 5 shots inside a quarter at 50, with most any 40 grain ammo. It doesn't shoot the 30 grain fodder nearly so well, but 1 to 1.5" groups are possible with it. My Henry will put whatever you feed it into about 1.5" groups at 25 yards; they open up a bit at 50 but are still under 2" until the barrel gets hot, then it can get squirrelly. Is this acceptable? For me, with my aging eyes and un-steady hands, it certainly is. For others here, perhaps not; That's for you to judge.
Having said all that, I leave you with this: the 22 WMR is one the finest small game cartridges available today. In the right gun with the right load, it is supremely accurate. It packs enough power to down game up to wild hog size, and could even be employed as a self-defense weapon should the need arise. So, why not try the Heritage RR? For the price it's cheap enough, and you can find out for sure whether or not you really want to spend the extra money on a "better" 22 WMR. Time will tell, but I feel certain that if you get your hands on one magnum, it won't be long until you want another.
Mac