The .22 LR cartridge, humble as it is, is weighed down perhaps with more relative virtues than any other single cartridge.
What it lacks in sheer stopping power and long-range performance, it makes up for in low-recoil, availability, affordability, and versatility.
Because of its many redeeming qualities, it has nearly as many use cases. These are all of the best of them.
Break out the .22, stock up on some .22LR bulk ammo and get ready, here are all of the best uses for this cartridge.
Training New Shooters
Because .22LR is small, easy to handle and unintimidating, and because it produces equally little recoil, it is one of the best cartridges for teaching beginners.
Now, we’re not talking about those that are relatively inexperienced with guns. We’re talking about those people that would like to get into the shooting sports but have literally never picked up a gun before.
It’s the best cartridge out there for that very application.
Getting Flinching Under Control
If you or another shooter you know struggles with flinching and you aren’t comfortable with dry-fire training, break out one of your .22 handguns and drill until you stop flinching.
The great thing about .22’s low recoil is just this: it doesn’t incur a big flinch in the first place, and you can often tell if you flinch while shooting it because of that.
Competition Shooting
There are tons of small-bore competitions that revolve around .22LR, and many .22LR rifles and handguns are tack drivers, despite the low-tech of the cartridge and the simplicity of rimfire actions.
The only thing .22 is really not good for is long-distance shooting. Other than that, it’s great for competition.
Drilling
Whether you’re doing a box drill or a tap-rack-bang drill or something else, pretty much any live-fire drill can be adapted to .22, and it should be, if only to instill those fundamental skills at a competitive price.
Steel Shooting
One discipline at which .22 LR is a choice cartridge is steel shooting, for a few good reasons. With any cartridge, there is a risk of ricochet, but the low power and low speed of .22 somewhat reduce the risk of ricochet provided you are at an appropriate range.
The other thing about .22 that makes it great for steel shooting is that it’s not powerful enough to damage the steel targets. Other centerfire rounds can and will produce a higher risk of ricochet on top of that.
Plinking
Because of the low cost, there is no better cartridge for plinking than .22, especially considering the recent trajectory of ammo prices. Get a whole bunch of .22LR bulk ammo, stock up your ammo cans, and enjoy plinking. It’s the best cartridge for the application.
Range Therapy
Range therapy, like plinking, is basically burning brass at the range with no express purpose other than the enjoyment of shooting. Low weight, low cost, high availability, and the fact that you can carry thousands of rounds in a single ammo can are all great reasons this is the best high-volume cartridge.
Varmint Control
If your home or farm deals with a varmint problem - prairie dogs, groundhogs, and so on and so forth - there’s no better cartridge than .22 for dispatch. It’s easy to shoot, cheap, accurate, suitable for dispatching both small and medium-sized problems, and effective at close and intermediate ranges. Plus, you can “control” those populations all day without making a massive dent in your budget.
Predator Control
Got too many raccoons, foxes, coyotes, possums or skunks around the farm? A shotgun is a great choice, but shells are expensive and range is severely limited, plus they’re loud and produce a ton of recoil. The .22 on the other hand is everything a shotgun isn’t, except effective. That it is.
Small and Medium Game Hunting
Whether you hunt rabbits or squirrels or furbearers, .22 is one of the preferred cartridges for the application, unless you’re routinely committing to shots at several hundred yards. It is quiet, doesn’t spook game, and with proper shot placement can stop pretty much any small or medium game in its tracks. On top of that, one of the reasons .22 is a choice option is because unlike a shotgun or larger centerfire cartridges, typically does minimal damage to meat or pelts.
Trapline Dispatch
There’s no superior to a .22 for a trapline dispatch gun, especially a lever action. Accurate and effective at close ranges, a 22 trapline gun will make short work of your harvests while keeping you at a safe distance and doing little damage to the pelts.
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