The .22LR (Long Rifle) has been around for more than a century. With roots dating back to the mid-1850s, the .22LR was first officially introduced as a standardized rimfire cartridge in 1887 by the J. Stevens Company. Since then, the .22LR has become a staple of the American shooting diet among young, old, new, and experienced shooters alike. Rimfire cartridges are a fun plinking and target round with .22LR solid bullets (round nose, not hollow point) being the ideal loading for range days. However, few of us have sat down and dug through the semantics of .22LR solid bullet performance.
Anyone who’s shot .22LR for a minute knows some cartridges are more reliable than others. Since it’s not practical for most of us to spend a day comparing .22LR solid bullet brands and loads, I went ahead and did it for you. For our purposes, I evaluated accuracy, velocity (consistency of loading), and reliability as the main factors for comparing .22LR. For now, here’s some guidance in comparing .22LR solid bullet performance!
.22LR Solid Bullets — Brands and Loads
There’s a massive variety of .22LR available on today’s market. A quick internet search yields 37 different load options for .22LR on Winchester’s website. Meanwhile, CCI has 31 options, while Federal carries 19 different .22LR loadings. In the course of just three manufacturers, that’s nearly 100 cartridge loadings. The reality is comparing every possible .22LR solid or hollow point cartridge produced is beyond the realm of most financial and time commitments. However, that doesn’t mean a few can’t be selected and tested for evaluation. I tested seven common .22LR solid bullet offerings from three companies: CCI, Winchester, and Federal.
The tested .22LR solid bullets spanned several velocity ranges. .22 velocities are roughly categorized into four ranges: subsonic, standard velocity, high velocity, and hypervelocity. Subsonic cartridges operate below the speed of sound (1,125 feet per second) and tend to err on velocities below 1,000 feet per second (fps). Standard velocity cartridges overlap into the subsonic range, measuring between 900 to 1,110 fps. High-velocity .22LR cartridges normally exceed 1,200 fps. There are a few hyper velocity cartridges available, like CCI Stinger hollow point, that exceed 1,300 fps and push into 1,600 fps. In most cases, higher velocity cartridges are copper jacketed.
For most .22LR solid cartridges, velocities range between subsonic and high velocity. None of the cartridges reviewed here had an advertised velocity exceeding 1,300 fps. However, as you’ll soon learn, there isn’t always truth in advertising. Advertised ballistics occasionally don’t translate to real-world results due to a multitude of factors such as barrel length, weather conditions, and barrel twist rate.
Rifle and Testing Parameters
In a perfect world, I’d test several hundred rounds of each cartridge. While a lot of fun, time, finances, and logistics limit such tests (for now). Nevertheless, the chosen .22LR solid loads evaluated several parameters :
- Quality – appearance, frequency of failure to fire, quality control
- Cost – performance versus price
- Velocity – consistency (standard deviation) and obtained versus advertised velocity
- Accuracy – 10 shot groups obtained at 100 feet
The rifle chosen to evaluate this plethora of rimfire offerings was a Ruger 77/22 Target. This particular rifle featured a 24-inch medium profile tapered target barrel and runs on Ruger 10/22 magazines. The rifle is topped with a BSA Sweet 22 3-9x scope. Over the last few decades, this rifle has sniped its fair share of squirrels and other small-to-medium varmints and predators. It’s a proven tack driver and perfect for providing a level playing field. Now, with all of that out of the way, let’s get into how this array of .22LR solid cartridges performed.
.22LR Solid — Ammo Quality
What defines quality? Upon reflection, the answer is somewhat subjective. Nevertheless, when it comes to ammunition, quality is determined by consistency and reliable performance. It’s no secret that rimfire ammunition has its quirks — among those being a measure of unreliability. Rimfire primer ignition means occasional misfires. While the 77/22 is exceptionally reliable, some .22LR ammo just won’t go “bang.” Of the 20 rounds fired from each loading, I experienced only one failure to fire from Winchester Target & Plinking ammunition. Furthermore, the 50-round box included one cartridge with a dented case and another where the bullet had a chunk missing. This failure rate is not ideal.
The remaining ammunition had no obvious defects or issues. While a small sample size, the absence of obvious defects and inconsistencies in quality control was a net positive. Before denouncing Winchester Target & Plinking white box ammo, I should note quality control varies significantly with bulk rimfire ammunition. Cheap rimfire will have issues, and that’s an accepted norm among .22LR cartridges. Ammo can also vary depending on what lot (production run) it came from. Some lots are just better than others.
.22LR Solid Ammo Consistency
The seven loads were chronographed with 10 shots per type. The 10 shots evaluated how consistent each load’s velocities were, developed an average velocity across multiple shots, and provided a standard deviation across the velocities. The standard deviation is a measure of how consistent each individual cartridge is as a whole. The greater the standard deviation, the more inconsistent the powder charge, primer ignition, or case quality of the cartridge. Ideally, no standard deviation is an impossible but desirable goal.
The testing day was a bit chilly, so I moved the chronograph and shooting bench into the garage to minimize temperature variation (and my discomfort). Ammunition was stored at room temperature before testing. With a longer rifle barrel, I hoped to maximize testing velocities. Overall, the vast majority of the ammunition was performed within proximity to advertised velocities. These velocities decrease significantly when fired from shorter-barreled rifles and handguns. CCI MiniMag, Winchester Super X, and Federal Auto Match significantly overperformed advertised velocities. Surprisingly, CCI AR Tactical was the most consistent loading in both standard deviation and loyalty to advertised velocity. In an even greater shock, Winchester Target & Plinking performed well — on paper — in those same categories.
The small case capacity and rimfire ignition source of .22LR doesn’t lend to consistency. This is largely why most modern cartridges for defense, hunting, and target shooting are centerfire. The small case size of a .22LR only allows about two to three grains of powder. A variation of a tenth of a grain has a far greater impact on the cartridge’s velocity than something like 5.56 NATO, which averages around 25 grains of powder. Minimal variation in powder charge is critical to consistent performance from a cartridge.
Accuracy
Before delving into the accuracy data, remember your results may vary. Twist rate, barrel profile (e.g. thickness), chamber tolerances, and action type affect the achieved accuracy from a cartridge. As with any firearm, one gun may shoot a particular cartridge better than one produced right in line with it. Accordingly, the provided accuracy measurements are a guide for assessing what is acceptable performance and why a particular cartridge may perform better than another.
The .22LR solid ammunition was tested alongside several hollow point offerings that I’ll discuss in another writing. The 10-shot groups were fired from a bipod and sandbag on a bench rest at 100 feet. .22LR is certainly capable of surprising accuracy at distances out to and exceeding 100 yards. However, most shooting involving .22LR takes place at 50 yards and closer. 100 feet was also convenient for shooting into the berm from the comfortable warmth of my garage.
Accuracy is a relative assessment depending on the involved firearm, its intended use, and caliber. For .22LR, I’ve accepted that sub-inch performance at 100 yards is unrealistic most of the time. The tested ammo produced groups as big as 1.65 inches (CCI Quiet-22) down to clusters in the half-inch range (CCI Standard Velocity and CCI AR Tactical).
CCI AR Tactical, the most consistent and reliable performer tested, produced a beautiful 0.56-inch group, while CCI Standard Velocity won the accuracy portion with a 0.54-inch group. Federal Auto Match performed well with a sub-inch group. The only subsonic cartridge tested, CCI Quiet-22, produced the largest group at 1.65 inches. This result isn’t necessarily a byproduct of poor quality as much as it’s the ammunition’s design.
CCI Quiet-22 had an average velocity of 700 fps while the others measured 1,000 to 1,300 fps. The lower velocity of Quiet-22 requires a faster twist rate to properly stabilize the bullet. Unfortunately, most .22 pistols and rifles have barrel twist rates designed around velocities over 1,000 fps. The slower speed reduces the “spin” on the bullet and hampers its stability over distance. For sports fans, this is akin to little to no spin on a thrown baseball or football.
Cost Versus Benefit
For those of us on a budget, we want our dollar to go as far as possible while keeping as much, if not more, in our pocket. However, cheap doesn’t always lend itself to quality. For the reviewed ammunition, I compared group size to individual cost per round. When ranked, the cost didn’t necessarily translate to performance. The highest-cost cartridge performed less than stellar in accuracy testing. Meanwhile, some of the cheapest cartridges performed the best in all categories — especially with accuracy.
Ultimately, when looking for the best .22LR solid ammo for your rimfire rifle or pistol, I recommend expending the upfront cost to see what loadings your firearm(s) prefers. While it may be a bit of a headache to collect a bunch of different cartridges, the payoff comes in finding the best possible fit for your firearm. If anything, this evaluation opens your options to more than one load that performs within your firearm and budget.
The Final Verdict on .22LR Solid Options
Of the seven loads tested, the best-performing .22LR solid was CCI AR Tactical. While CCI Standard Velocity grouped a little tighter, CCI AR Tactical is originally for reliable semi-auto rimfire operation. For range time, it’s a solid performer. However, this doesn’t take anything away from the other cartridges tested.
This testing isn’t comprehensive by any means. As I discussed earlier, there are hundreds of available options. I plan to revisit this same testing — and then some — in the near future with .22LR hollow points. While it may be a lot of work, testing rimfire ammunition to see how it fairs and what performs best is an eye-opening and intriguing experiment. Either way, who doesn’t enjoy a day plinking America’s favorite cartridge?
.22LR Hollow Point – Brands and Loads
Not unlike target and plinking ammo, the options for .22LR hollow points are endless. While not a particularly powerful cartridge, the .22LR is a capable caliber on the range and in the field. For hunting and varmint eradication, .22LR is potent enough to work on small game up to and including raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, and other similar-sized animals. When hunting, the .22LR loading should be capable of a quick and humane kill. This requires the bullet to transfer as much energy as possible into the target (e.g. terminal ballistics). In this case, .22LR hollow point cartridges are perfect for the job.
For this review, I compared six common .22LR hollow point cartridges from several reputable manufacturers. While dozens more rimfire hollow points are available, these cartridges were selected based on current popularity and availability. Winchester, Federal, CCI, and Remington are among those brands represented. All of these cartridges were, in one way or another, copper-jacketed loads. The only exception is Winchester Ballistic Silvertip .22LR, which is advertised as a plated segmented hollow point (more on that later).
Speaking of Winchester Silvertip, this cartridge’s advertised velocity of 1,060 fps (feet per second) is notably slower than the other .22LR hollow point loads tested. Winchester obtained their advertised velocity from a handgun barrel rather than a rifle barrel length (more commonly used for testing). With the exception of CCI Stinger’s blazing advertised velocity in the 1,600 fps range, the remaining cartridges were in the 1,200 fps range.
Rifle and Testing Parameters
In the previous iteration of testing, I focused on .22LR solid projectiles. In this section, the testing will focus on similar parameters while adding an additional caveat presented by .22LR hollow point ammunition. The rimfire hollow point parameters tested were:
- Quality – appearance, frequency of failure to fire, quality control
- Velocity – consistency of velocity (standard deviation) and velocity obtained versus advertised
- Accuracy – 10 shot groupings obtained at 100 feet
- Terminal Performance – three shots fired from a pistol into water to observe the expansion
As in the previous testing, the rifle chosen to evaluate this plethora of rimfire offerings was a Ruger 77/22 Target. This rifle has a 24-inch medium profile tapered target barrel and BSA Sweet 22 3-9x scope. Over the last few decades, that rifle has sniped its fair share of squirrels and other small to medium varmints and predators. In the past, it performed exceptionally well utilizing CCI Stinger ammunition.
In the terminal performance category, I used a Ruger 22/45 Lite pistol equipped with a Yankee Hill Machine Mite suppressor. I chose this particular pistol because its short barrel reduced velocities significantly compared to the rifle. Effectively, the lower velocities hindered .22LR hollow point expansion and demonstrated if the ammunition would provide reliable expansion at lower velocities, such as those fired from handguns. Why the suppressor? Well, why not? Let’s review the results from a day of shooting cardboard and water.
.22 LR Hollow Point Quality
The quality of .22LR is largely defined by the ammunition’s reliability. While I didn’t run into ignition issues (e.g. misfires) with any of the tested .22LR hollow points, there were issues with terminal performance, which I’ll discuss later. Accordingly, none of the tested ammunition failed to fire, nor were there any glaring issues with bullet or case construction. While discussed at length in the .22LR solids review, I’ll briefly revisit the need to inspect your ammunition before firing it. Bulk rimfire ammunition can have issues with ignition and overall consistency in production.
Quality is partly in the eye of the beholder — and that entails the firearm it’s used in. What shoots well in one firearm, may not perform well in another. If one lesson is taken from this testing, it’s to measure your ammunition’s performance in your firearm before using it for its intended purpose. In the case of hollow point ammunition, it’s probably some kind of varmint hunting. Accuracy and reliability are measured with little cost other than some ammo and time spent on the range.
.22LR Hollow Point Ammo Consistency
The six loadings tested were ran through a chronograph with 10 shots per type. The 10 shots evaluated how consistent each load’s velocities were, developed an average velocity across multiple shots and provided a standard deviation across the velocities. Standard deviation measures the cartridge’s load consistency. The greater the standard deviation, the more inconsistent the powder charge, primer ignition, or case quality of the cartridge. Ideally, no standard deviation is an impossible, but desirable, goal.
By using a longer barreled rifle (24 inches), I hoped to maximize each .22LR load’s velocity. Overall, the vast majority of the ammunition tested performed within an acceptable range of advertised velocities. These velocities decrease significantly when fired from shorter-barreled rifles and handguns. While most ammunition tested had advertised velocities in the 1,200 feet-per-second (fps) or more range, Winchester Ballistic Silvertip was advertised at 1,060 fps.
Overall, Remington Golden Bullet (-66 fps), Federal Champion (-26 fps), and CCI Stinger (-70 fps) underperformed from advertised velocities. Meanwhile, CCI Mini Mag (74 fps), Winchester Super X (36 fps), and Winchester Ballistic Silvertip (199 fps) overperformed. When tested, the Silvertip provided velocities in the range of 1,260 fps. This dramatic discrepancy is because Winchester’s advertised velocities were calibrated for a handgun with a 3.5” barrel.
Accuracy
While I’ve probably beat this disclaimer to death, I’ll touch on it again — your results may vary. Twist rate, barrel profile (e.g. thickness), chamber tolerances, and action type all affect a cartridge’s achieved accuracy. One gun may shoot a particular cartridge better than one assembled immediately after it. The same argument is made for ammunition since quality control and components vary from lot to lot.
I obtained 10-shot groups at 100 feet from a bipod and sandbag. The vast majority of groups hovered around the one-inch range, with Remington Golden Bullet providing comparatively abysmal accuracy (nearly two inches). The 36-grain copper-plated hollow point CCI Mini Mag set the standard with a 0.540-inch group at 100 feet. Out of the 13 different hollow point and solid cartridges tested in this series, CCI Mini Mag was the best performer for accuracy and made me re-think my long-ingrained belief that CCI Stinger was this rifle’s magic cartridge.
Despite faster velocities, CCI Stinger grouped lower on the designated target compared to its counterparts. Interestingly, CCI Mini Mag, cruising several hundred feet per second slower than the Stinger, also grouped low. Meanwhile, all of the other cartridges are grouped around the bullseye. This difference is why it’s important to verify your rifle’s zero — especially when rimfire is involved.
Terminal Performance
Ballistics has three phases: interior, exterior, and terminal. Interior is what happens while the projectile is inside the barrel, exterior occurs between the muzzle and target, and terminal is what happens upon impact of the projectile on (and in) the intended target. The vast majority of this discussion has revolved around exterior (and somewhat interior) ballistics. While external ballistics are important, today’s focus is on terminal performance.
The Winchester Ballistic Silvertip undoubtedly took the cake in the performance category. The segmenting hollow point was dramatic upon entry into the makeshift hydraulic testing tank (e.g. a large plastic tote. Sorry, I blew the budget with ammo). The hollow point’s pedals consistently fragmented into three portions with the base expanding as well. CCI Stinger was an excellent performer and consistently expanded into what my son colloquially refers to as the “forbidden mushroom.” Squirrels can confirm this from my experience.
Winchester Super X and CCI Mini Mag took a very close backseat with relatively reliable expansion. However, their performance was not quite as consistent as that observed with the Silvertip or Stinger loadings. In an interesting observation, Remington Golden Bullet and Federal Champion were cautious reminders that bulk .22LR hollow point, while inexpensive, isn’t guaranteed to perform. Federal Champion grossly underperformed out of the Ruger 22/45 with virtually no expansion. Remington Golden Bullets expanded — some — but exhibited nowhere near the consistency of the other loads tested.
The Final Verdict on .22LR Hollow Points
Going into this testing, I had some preconceived notions about rimfire hollow point performance. CCI Stinger, while a tad pricier, has been my go-to rimfire varmint cartridge for over two decades. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an accurate cartridge and a consistent performer. Nevertheless, Winchester Silvertip is one I’ll need to test in the future the next time I grab a rimfire to handle a varmint problem or dispatch a few squirrels for some homemade dumplings (quite delicious).
Overall, CCI Mini Mag was the best performer for accuracy and terminal ballistics. The consistent expansion, reliable accuracy, and minimal variation in velocity gave it top marks in the rimfire hollow point category. This testing isn’t set in stone. After all, these cartridge’s performance may vary through different firearms. Nevertheless, this illustrates the importance of knowing how a particular cartridge will perform in a firearm for a given purpose. In this case, CCI Mini Mags were a pleasant surprise. In retrospect, I may have to change up my hunting loads. Ultimately, what hollow points will you settle on for your next varmint venture?
