The .22 Long Rifle - the cartridge on which innumerable shooters have been trained, from all walks of life, since time immemorial.
It is one of the oldest cartridges still in production, and is probably the most widespread and most readily available in the world.
There is a good reason for this. It is extremely versatile as a cartridge and has many uses (some of which will be detailed in this article).
But before you go and buy several bricks of .22LR bulk ammo, be sure you know what you’re getting. There’s more to .22 than meets the eye.
Types of Bullets and Acronyms
First, let’s break down all the acronyms you’re likely to encounter on a box of .22 ammo. These are some of the most common:
- FPS: Feet per second, the common unit of measurement for bullet speed/muzzle velocity.
- LR: .22 Long rifle, a specific .22 cartridge (and the most common).
- S: Short, a different .22 cartridge.
- L: Long, another common .22 cartridge.
- WMR: Winchester Magnum Rimfire, another, longer .22 cartridge.
- CB: Conical Ball Cap, a special type of .22 that does not have a propellant charge, and which only uses the primer as propellant.
- LRN: Lead round nose, a common type of bare lead (unplated) bullet type.
- CP: Copper plated, a common type of .22 bullet.
- HP: Hollow-point, a type of bullet that has a void in the nose, designed for rapid expansion and energy transfer, making it popular for hunting and (less commonly in .22 caliber bullets) defensive applications.
These are among the most common acronyms you’ll encounter on boxes of rimfire ammo, although there are others you’ll come across with shotshells and centerfire rifle and handgun ammo.
(Important note: While some .22 cartridges can be chambered interchangeably, it is critical that you only fire ammo that the manufacturer of your gun has indicated is compatible with it.)
A Note on Muzzle Velocity
Generally speaking, there are four broad types of .22LR loads, with respect to velocity. These are:
- Subsonic: Subsonic .22 rounds are those that fire the bullet at less than 1100 FPS. Sometimes marketed as “quiet .22,” these produce very little recoil and are extremely quiet. They hardly make a pop. This makes them great for hunting so as not to spook wary game, and they can also be practical as trapline rounds. However, most semi-automatics won’t cycle subsonic .22 LR ammo.
- Standard velocity: Standard velocity .22 rounds have muzzle velocities between (around) 1120 and 1135 FPS. These are great for high-volume target shooting and are generally affordable. Most semi-automatics have no trouble cycling standard velocity .22 rounds.
- High velocity: High velocity .22 rounds generally have muzzle velocities between 1200 and 1300 FPS. They produce more recoil and shoot flatter at slightly greater distances than standard .22, which makes them slightly better for competition and hunting.
- Hyper velocity: Hyper velocity .22 ammo will produce muzzle velocity in excess of 1400 FPS. These are the flattest shooting, hardest-hitting of all .22 rounds, and as a result are suitable for competition and hunting. For those who consider .22 acceptable for defensive applications, hyper velocity is usually considered the best option.
Appropriate Uses for .22LR Ammo
Another thing that makes the .22 LR such a great cartridge is its versatility. Here are some of the best uses for .22:
- Teaching new shooters: Because .22LR produces basically no recoil and little muzzle volume, and since the cartridge is unintimidating and easy to handle, it’s a great cartridge for teaching new shooters about gun safety.
- Drilling and training: Reliable, accurate, and affordable, .22LR is a great cartridge for drilling and training that will require high-volume shooting.
- High-volume shooting: Since .22LR is so cheap and easy to find, it is an excellent cartridge for basically any high-volume shooting discipline.
- Competition: This cartridge can be exceptionally accurate at close and intermediate ranges with a good gun, and many competitions specifically focus on rimfire shooting.
- Predator and varmint control: Low-cost, accurate, quiet, and easy to carry, the little .22LR is a great predator and varmint cartridge.
- Trapline dispatch: Cheap and practical, .22LR will also do little to no damage to a pelt, making it an excellent trapline cartridge.
- Hunting small game: There are some that would say .22LR is the definitive squirrel cartridge, and they have a point. It is cheap, accurate, small, light, quiet, produces little recoil and pop, and has plenty of power for small game, squirrels and otherwise.
Other Things That Make .22LR Popular
In addition to what has been mentioned here, there are plenty of other considerations that make .22LR a great cartridge. Among these are:
- Low cost: This is probably the most affordable of all commonly available cartridges, rimfire or otherwise.
- Low recoil: .22LR produces less recoil than almost all other commercially available cartridges.
- Low volume: This cartridge is very quiet, even the hyper-velocity rounds.
- Small size and weight: You can carry hundreds of .22LR cartridges in a small space, like a pocket.
- Power: Though anemic by comparison to most centerfire cartridges, this rimfire cartridge still produces more than enough power to take nearly all small game with proper shot placement.
- Wide availability: One of the great things about .22LR is that you can get it at big box retailers, convenience stores, hardware stores, gas stations, and everywhere else in between - not just gun shops.
- Highly accommodating: There have been a wide range of platforms developed around this cartridge, including single shot, repeating, and autoloading rifles and handguns, as well as revolvers.
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