Two of the most popular uses for .22LR are as a trapline gun for dispatch, as well as for hunting small game like rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, foxes, raccoons, possums, and even coyotes. Truth is, there is no caliber, rimfire or centerfire, better for squirrels than .22LR.
But the truth is also that, while .22LR is uncontested in the world of actual firearms, there is a growing number of hunters that have taken up the air gun in preference of the .22LR. There are benefits and drawbacks to this, which will be explored here.
Let’s break it down. Maybe you’d better save that brick of .22LR bulk ammo for a different application!
The Advantages of .22LR
Let’s talk about some of the relative advantages of .22LR first, specifically with respect to hunting small game like squirrels, which is arguably its most popular sporting use.
For one, .22LR is available. You can get it nearly anywhere, and that doesn’t just mean gun shops. You can carry a lot of it, too. A single pocketful could be hundreds of rounds.
It is affordable, too, one of the cheapest rounds available. It also produces very little recoil so it’s suitable for basically any shooter.
It’s also quiet. The crack of a .22LR rifle might scatter squirrels, but they’ll be likely to get right back to their business in a few minutes unless you’re hunting in a heavily pressured area.
Also, a big advantage of .22LR is that it doesn’t do a lot of damage to the meat. This makes it attractive when hunting squirrels, or when shooting furbearers like foxes whose pelts would be damaged by more high-powered rounds. Shotguns incur more damage, too, but that’s not directly relevant here.
So we have some strong draws of .22LR - but before you go and run for .22LR bulk ammo, let’s talk about how air guns, both .22 and .177 models, stack up.
Why .22 and .177 Air Guns Might Be Better
While these virtues of .22LR are strong in their own right, we would be remiss in the name of fairness not to offer a word on air guns as an alternative.
First, let’s talk about power. The power of a .22 or .177 air gun simply is not on par with a .22LR, but that might not matter, especially if you’re targeting game like a squirrel or a rabbit.
Sure, it’s harder to hit one of them with an air gun than with a scattergun, but the round will do less damage to the meat than either a load of shot or a .22LR hollow point, while still making an ethical dispatch with proper shot placement.
Then, let’s talk about cost. Though .22LR is attractive because it’s cheap, air guns have the market cornered by orders of magnitude. Let’s say 5 cents per round is a stellar price for .22LR, with prices like 10 cents being more reasonable. You can get a tin of air gun ammo, engineering the price down to a penny or two per shot.
That means you can bring home more game more affordably.
On top of that, while .22LR is low in recoil, air guns are lower. They’re even easier to shoot.
Volume is another huge thing. Yes, .22LR is quiet, but it has nothing on an air gun. They produce basically no report, which is why some models are cheekily named things like “whisper.”
This can actually be a game changer in areas where game is heavily pressured, as the near-silent muzzle pop of an air gun is far less likely to startle game than a rimfire.
Then we have safety and regulations. While overtravel is less of a concern with rimfire rifles than with centerfires, a bad shot with a .22 rifle can be dangerous. It’s safer to hunt in some areas with an air gun simply because there’s less danger of overtravel or overpenetration.
And, on that note, some states have enacted changes to their seasons to allow the use of air guns where hunting with a rimfire is restricted or not allowed at all. This opens up opportunities to hunters with air guns that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
So, as you can see, there is a time and a place for each.
There Are Benefits and Drawbacks to Both: Stock Up on .22LR Bulk Ammo Here
Does this mean that air gun hunting is superior to hunting with a rimfire? Far from it. The .22LR still has the market cornered on power and range when compared to an air gun. But when the goal is keeping noise down, hunting safely in pressured areas, and engineering prices down to the pennies, you just can’t write off the air rifle.
Perhaps you should keep one of each in your safe and use them opportunistically as the season permits. For that, we’re here to do our part by making .22LR bulk ammo accessible. Stock up here and save.