The year was 1996. Upstate Vermont was in the adorable clutches of a red squirrel population boom. The outbreak got so bad that the little buggers started chewing through my house’s window screens to pilfer its contents. The poor dog almost had a brain aneurysm when he discovered a red squirrel stealing bread off the kitchen counter. It was time to stock up and find powerful 22 LR ammo to rid the family of this nuisance.
I was issued a single-shot bolt-action rifle, a box of 22 LR (22 Long Rifle) cartridges, and the order to terminate anything that chittered with extreme prejudice.
If every ten-year-old was told to shoot as many squirrels as they like, all squirrel-related issues would permanently cease within a week. I was like the Terminator out there, and the squirrels were bouncing off the branches like pachinko balls. Any that survived the fall still had to reckon with the dog, who cherished a particular vendetta against their kind after the intrusion that sparked The Great Vermont Squirrel Massacre of ‘96.
Why the 22 LR Is Great
It was no coincidence that I used a 22 LR rifle back in ‘96 and not my father’s 30-06. I was small back then (but much bigger now thanks to food), and the 22 LR is famous for its very manageable recoil. The small cartridge’s soft report didn’t rattle the windowpanes when I fired it next to the house. The 22 LR wasn’t overkill for such delicate game, and its price tag lined up with what my father was willing to invest in a campaign against squirrels.
Low recoil, low sound, low power, and low price: These are why the 22 LR is great. Obviously it isn’t the one cartridge to beat them all. Some shooters do use the 22 LR for self-defense – and we’ll get to why in a moment – but most hunters wouldn’t even attempt to bag a coyote with one. So when should you fire the 22 LR, and what kind of cartridge should you pick? Funny you should ask, because that’s exactly what I planned on writing. But first lets cover the 22 LR basics.
Brief History of .22 LR
In 1887, J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company introduced the first .22 Long Rifle Cartridge. Drawing inspiration from prior variations of the cartridge, J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company combined the advantages of each type into one.
- Utilized the casing of the .22 Long cartridge (1871)
- Included 40-gr bullet from the .22 Extra Long (1880)
As a result of the redesign, the .22 LR had length and muzzle velocity that was superior to previous designs and became the ideal cartridge for recreational shooting and small game hunting. Ideally, the .22 LR is great for novice shooters because of the low amount of recoil and noise. Thanks to advancements in firearm technology, .22 LR rounds can be used in handguns and other rifles through simple modifications.
Performance and Power
While .22 LR isn’t known for its overwhelming power, the right round in the hands of an experienced shooter can be very effective. Typically, .22 LR is used for teaching, target practice, or small game hunting; however, it has been used to accomplish a very impressive feat. In 1953, Bella Twin was credited with taking down a world record grizzly bear with a single-shot .22 rifle.
There are a few factors that will influence the performance and power of the round and they include barrel length, action type, and load type.
For a baseline perspective, the .22 LR is generally effective up to 150 yards but is much more effective at less. With distances over 100 yards, the ballistics of the bullet makes it difficult to account for the drop at that distance.
22 Long Rifle Bullet Drop
| Category | Bullet Weight (Gr.) | Muzzle Velocity (fps) | Velocity at 100 Yards (fps) | Bullet Drop at 100 Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subsonic | 29 | 770 | 682 | -15.1 inches |
| Standard-Velocity | 40 | 1150 | 974 | -6.4 inches |
| High-Velocity | 40 | 1255 | 1016 | -5.5 inches |
| Hyper-Velocity | 40 | 1435 | 1084 | -4.3 |
- Barrel Length
In simple terms, a longer barrel will increase the accuracy of the rifle. The reason for this is because the inside of the barrel has helical grooves called “rifling” that cause the bullet to spin. The spinning of the bullet creates gyroscopic stability, which means that it flies straighter.
To get a sense of this difference, we fired a Smith & Wesson 43C handgun with a short, snub nose barrel along with a Ruger 22 LR rifle with a 18.5″ barrel. The same ammo gave us very different results.
| S&W Snub Nose | Ruger Rifle (18.5″) |
|---|---|
| 940 fps | 1219 fps |
| 955 fps | 1161 fps |
| 957 fps | 1201 fps |
| 932 fps | 1218 fps |
| 893 fps | 1227 fps |
| 944 fps | 1204 fps |
| 937 fps | 1228 fps |
| 957 fps | 1192 fps |
| 964 fps | 1225 fps |
| 966 fps | 1202 fps |
You can see in our testing, the longer barrel gave us about a 263 foot per second higher muzzle velocity than the snub nose revolver. In this case, it came out to be about 28% difference, which we believe is quite significant.
However, there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to the length of the barrel. Too long of a barrel and too much of the forward momentum will be converted into angular momentum and the bullet will lose velocity. Typical velocities for .22 LR range between 1000-1600 feet/second, and it depends on a variety of factors including barrel length, ammunition grain, etc.
- Action Type
There are five common types of .22 rifle actions and each one impacts the performance and power of the rifle a little differently.
-
- Bolt-action
- Lever-action
- Pump-action
- Semi-automatic action
- Break-action
- Ammo Load
This is the most influential factor when it comes to determining the power of the .22 LR round. There are four main categories that .22 LR loads are broken down into:
-
- Subsonic- below 1100
- Standard-Velocity- 1120-1180
- High-Velocity- between 1,200-1,310 ft/s
- Hyper-Velocity- greater than 1,400 ft/s
Generally, subsonic is used in target shooting and competitions, while higher velocity loads are used for small game hunting. There is a rather large market for self-defense usage with .22 LR in handguns due to the fact that they are compact, lightweight, and easy to shoot.
There are some civilians who do carry .22 LR but it is generally not recommended as a primary carry weapon. In most cases, the .22 LR chambered pistol would be seen as a back-up firearm in the event a larger caliber pistol could not be accessed for some reason.
The Most Powerful 22 LR Ammo
What is the most powerful 22 LR ammo? Theoretically the most powerful 22 LR round would combine the heaviest possible bullet and highest possible muzzle velocity. These would give the cartridge the highest possible muzzle energy, the raw measure of a round’s power.
The heaviest bullet you can find on a 22 LR weighs 60 grains. But as Aguila’s Sniper Subsonic round its muzzle velocity is only 950 fps, so its muzzle energy is a mere 120 ft lbs.
The highest muzzle velocity you can get from a 22 LR is 1,850 fps. This is CCI’s COPPER-22 round, but its bullet weighs only 21 grains – nearly half the average weight for its caliber. That lightning fast muzzle velocity only gives so light a bullet a muzzle energy of 160 ft lbs!
Currently the 22 LR ammo that strikes the best balance of bullet weight and muzzle velocity to achieve the greatest power is CCI’s Stinger 22 LR Ammo. This round has a 32 grain CPHP bullet loaded to a muzzle velocity of 1,640 fps. The hyper-velocity Stinger cartridge boasts a whopping 191 ft lbs of muzzle energy. It furthermore remains supersonic past 75 yards, so it delivers an impressively flat trajectory. Shoot a squirrel with a Stinger and it’ll stay shot.
But CCI’s Stinger isn’t necessarily the best choice for self-defense. For self-defense you would want a heavier bullet that retains the requisite momentum for deeper penetration. To that end CCI’s Velocitor cartridge serves better against human-sized threats. Its 40 grain CPHP bullet is loaded to a muzzle velocity of 1,435 fps for a muzzle energy of 183 fps. Not quite the Stinger’s power level, but the Velocitor’s heavier expanding bullet has a greater chance of penetrating to a depth where it can find a vital organ.\
With this information in mind, now you can make a more informed decision and answer, “what is the most powerful .22 LR ammo?” We’ll give you a few good examples of some popular categories, to begin with, and it’ll be up to you to do the research/shooting and figure out the best .22 LR round for your needs.
Other 22 LR Picks:
- Best .22 LR ammo for target shooting – Federal Gold Medal 40gr LS
- Best .22 LR ammo for accuracy in hunting – CCI Stinger 32gr Copper-Plated Hollow Point
- Best .22 LR for self-defense – CCI Velocitor 40gr Copper-Plated Hollow Point
- Cost-effective Performance .22 LR – Remington 22 Thunderbolt 40gr LRN
The 22 LR is one of the smallest rifle and pistol cartridges on the market. Its low recoil, soft report, limited power, and accessible price tag have all helped to make it one of the most popular rounds in the world. Optimal for target shooting, plinking, and varmint hunting, essentially anyone with functional arms can enjoy shooting the 22 LR.
Whether you small game hunt or you’re looking for the best ammo to teach your kids with, we have everything you’re looking for. Click here to see our large selection of .22 LR ammunition.
Can I buy ammunition from you if I live in Huntington Beach, California?
Hi Ron, thanks for checking us out. Unfortunately, we can’t ship 22 long rifle ammo directly to customers in California. Because of the state’s background check laws, we’d have to ship through an FFL so we elected to pull back until we hear more from the courts on the legality of the law. Sorry for any disappointment.
I can’t say take a trip to Vegas but that’s the best choice just make sure the production date is old enough to say you had it left over from last trip make sure you throw away your receipt. No way to prove. Again this is illegal but when you live in a communist state this is what happens thank you
22LR is the champ, the best SHTF round, the stuff you can stock up oodles of it and great for overall practice. It’s amazing how you can get most (not all) 22’s to shoot nearly 1 hole groups at 5-10 yards with open sights to work on your marksmanship fundamentals yet enjoy it at longer ranges to push your skills and because it’s fun lobbing what seems like slow moving mortar shells falling from the sky at a few football fields away.
You do get bored of shooting “just 22’s” after a while but it’s so cheap you can switch a 22 or two into every range trip with your bigger stuff and rotate them according to what you can afford and ammo availability. While every darling cartridge has had its moment in the sun, the 22 is the oldest currently still active cartridge in the inventory and, like bacteria, cockroaches, sharks, ants and horseshoe crabs, probably outlive everything else. While its ethical and self defense capabilities are limited (but not zero, feel like getting shot with one?) it also has the highest body count owing to the ubiquity of this long lived cartridge and has been known to harvest an interesting assortment of game.
I suggest buying 22’s by the case in between “events”, shootings, elections, crises, whatever. I remember seeing 4 cases of CCI mini mags selling for the price of 3 right around $750. If you can snap ’em up in large amounts you can plink indefinitely!
What’s the best .22 long rifle hollow point ammo to purchase for home protection?
Hi Joseph – thanks for the question. Generally speaking, 22 long rifle isn’t a great round for home protection. It’s relatively light compared to the popular, small, handgun rounds like 380 ACP and 9mm. That said, if you rely on 22 long rifle – it’s better than nothing. We’d suggest you go with a relatively high velocity round that will give you good muzzle energy. Our rationale for this is that you’ll have ammo that offers enough penetration into a potential target. CCI’s Velocitor ammo is a good place to start. You can typically find it on this page of our website: https://www.ammoforsale.com/cci-22-lr-ammo-for-sale-22lr40cphpvelocitorccimm-5000.
I finally found a hens tooth! I was able to purchase a Keltec P17 just a couple of hours ago. Of course, the gun store only had low velocity ammo. Thank you for the chart as I now know what to look for. I’m surprised at how many brands hawk the LRN ammo in this caliber. Isn’t that pretty rough on the barrel? I do clean my guns after every range session. Should I stay away from this ammo anyway?
I just purchased a Keltec P17 today. A lot of available 22 LR ammo is LRN. Isn’t this pretty hard on the barrel? I clean my guns after every range session. Is it ok to use or should I stay away from it? Thank you for the handy charts by the way.
Congrats on the new Keltec Ted! I wouldn’t be too worried about the lead round nose bullets we find in most of our 22 lr ammunition. This lead is fairly soft and while it might lead to more fouling inside the barrel, it sounds like you’re cleaning your pistol regularly. (That fouling shouldn’t do much damage to the barrel, it’s just kind of messy.) We’re here to help if you run into any other questions – thanks for checking us out!
You guys are great gave me quite a bit of information I just bought a 22 pistol a shot I want to know what’s the best bullet for my protection for home use I guess Can you help me find it can I call you on phone to give you my order?
Hi Mike – congrats on the new pistol! Yes, we can absolutely help if you give us a call or shoot us an email. Many shooters consider 22 lr on the smaller side to stop a threat in your home but we can definitely point you toward the best options out there that we have in-stock at that moment. Our phone number is 800-581-0293 and our email is customerservice@ammoforsale.com. Thanks for asking!
What about segmented CC’ing bullets for self defense
Good question Richard. I know some guys are big fans of segmented in bullets but in general, I’m not a big believer. Especially in a relatively small caliber like 22 long rifle, you’re going to struggle to get the type of penetration most self-defense experts deem ideal. (Remember, the amount of energy a bullet arrives with at your target is determined by its velocity and its weight. If you take a bullet and cut its weight, your energy goes down significantly — which hurts how far into your target it will travel. This potentially means you won’t reach vital organs or inflict the type of blood loss required to neutralize a threat.)
red squirrell massacre of 96….you sold me….LMAO
Never forget Michael!
Not sure where you got the idea that a longer barrel increases accuracy – or that a longer barrel increases the spin of the bullet. A longer barrel, up to a point, will increase velocity, and increasing the barrel length beyond that point will begin to decrease the velocity as friction forces predominate over residual barrel pressure.
A longer barrel does increase, all other things being equal, the gun’s sight radius, which helps to provide less angular error in sighting. But that has to do with the shooter – not any inherent function of the internal ballistics related to barrel length. But a longer barrel does not “convert more of the forward momentum into angular momentum” – in fact, I’m not sure what that even means, as it implies that the rifling is progressive – i.e. the twist rate increases with length, which it most certainly does not in production rifles.
Obviously, as velocity increases, for a given rifling twist, the revolutions per second of the bullet will increase, imparting stability to a radially symmetrical bullet – but once a bullet is stabilized sufficiently over its external ballistic path through to the target, increasing the rate of spin can actually decrease accuracy by imparting forces not coaxial with the barrel or line of flight axis.
Spin decays at a much slower rate than velocity, so unless – in the case of .22 rimfire, for example – you are shooting at a range far exceeding the practical limit for .22 LR, and the bullet either passes through the transonic barrier and drops into the subsonic range, the turbulent effects of which can impart bullet gyrations, and/or the spin rate decays below the rate at which the bullet is gyroscopically stabilized, the bullet will continue flying straight and true.
Hope this contributes to the post, and clarifies some of the physics and ballistics. Now – let’s figure out how to get the manufacturers to increase production!
Can I order a case of your CCI Velocitor rounds in Texas?
Hi Michael – Definitely. When we have the Velocitors in-stock, we ship to Texas. It’s typically a two day shipment to both the Dallas and Houston metro areas.
It is extremely interesting to see all the hoopla surrounding the lethal velocity of a .22 round.
Actuality the US army back in the 40’s or 50’s thought 36 ft lb of energy was lethal. Now the most current estimate is 50-55 lbs of energy is lethal. Today, a .22 long gun can deliver lethal rounds with the right ammo out to 150+ yards, some out to 300 yards, A hand gun in a 10 foot shooting distance with subsonic 40 grain, sleep forever@.
A point worth making is in the case of semi auto .22 pistols tthe power of a cartridge can affect the functioning of the gun.
I have a chiappa 1911-22 which works perfectly with Winchester M22 ammo 40gr. 1255 fps. copper jacket round point.
With winchester T22 40gr. 1050 fps. its next to useless. stovepipes 50 percent.
many people advise minimags but imo. its overkill and could damage the gun. many .22 pistols use alloy parts.
If you have a pistols that cycles badly, experiment with more powerfull amo and remember that feed ramps might only feed round nose bullets.
A self defense consideration is also that a physically big gun scares an assailant more than a small one, if someone points a 1911 at you you dont stop to check out the caliber!
When I was on the rifle team we used Remington target ammo exclusively. With an Anshutz target rifle we were able to hit the bull’s eye (the size of a pencil eraser) consistency at 50 feet.
Dear sir, I need a 22 lr round that has plenty of power (so I’m told). My Chiappa 1911-22 hand gun is Constantly hanging up with Stove Pipes, no fires and not ejecting shells.
What would you recommend? It is new.
Hi Daniel – thanks for checking us out. It sounds like you know this but I’d be very careful as you work through finding a good ammo choice.
One recommendation that immediately comes to mind is the Aguila Super Extra — we have it in 36 grain and 40 grain in-stock right now. These are loaded a little bit hotter than standard 22LR loads so you should get the power you need to cycle appropriately.
https://www.ammoforsale.com/aguila-22-lr-ammo-for-sale-22lr40lrn1b222332aguila-50
I’m a big fan of CCI Velocitor! They BANG 💥 every time and shoot pretty flat even at about 110 yards (using a 36 yard zero). Too expensive to shoot all the time.
My advice is to shoot a decent inexpensive CPHP. Then on range day use some (plastic box or two) of CPHP mini mags to get some practice in. After making sure your zero is still close, switch to a box or two of the Velocitors to get some practice in with your personal protection .22’s. With a .22, shot placement is everything! Slow down, take your aim , and squeeze off your rounds. Get good at hitting your target. 25 yards on a 5” target (tighten your groups). Once you have perfected or become proficient at this then go back to your more inexpensive ammo and try rapid fire. See how many you put in or on that 5” target (acting as if your life depended on you getting all 10 on target). I carry a Glock 44 (.22) around my home in the Country. I use only Glock 44 magazines!
I also own a Ruger 22/45 for target shooting. I can hit a 5” steel plate at 125 yards using almost any 1200-1300 fps round. However, it’s a highly modified, w/ a 2 MOA red dot, and competition parts gun, with a 5” barrel and compensator.
Again, I say the key to a .22 is shot placement. Take your time, learn to shoot, find your correct aiming point and hammer it over & over again.
Lastly, if you practice with a .22, you’ll be amazed at your proficiency with a larger pistol. Peace, & be safe. Use your safety if you have one. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot!
Hello, It was a great insight into . 22 ammo. By any chance can you sell .22 ammo in India.
I’m sorry, we can only ship and sell ammo to the United States.
I realize this article is a few years old, but I also see people are still talking about it, so I figured I’d do the same. First of all, I very rarely comment online about anything, but I loved the article, as I can wholly relate to the red squirrel nightmare. Athough for me, it’s groundhogs! It’s been an annual reoccurring nightmare for about two decades now! A .22LR does almost as much yard work as my riding mower in the warmer months.
I’ve probably shot over 100 different 22s and owned close to 30 in my life, so far. I say so far, because I do have one or two on my wish list currently. I learned basic firearm safety and marksmanship at the age of 4, using a Belgium made Browning .22 take-down, which my dad purchased for me before I was even born. I’ve most likely sent over a million.22LR rounds out the end of one barrel or another, and hope to send at least another million before I die!
I don’t claim to be anyone, or know anything, but I would like to share what I have observed or learned over the last half decade, or so.
My go to for groundhogs, which obviously get much larger than a red squirrel, is the CCI subsonics, without a doubt. I would prefer a heavier bullet like the Aguila 60gn., but I don’t like that the smoke from firing them burns my eyes and nostrils. Seems like sulfur to me. Also, I found that the CCI to be more accurate, at least in my preferred ground hog-getter. Double bonus. I have also found the CCI subsonics cycle my semi autos more consistently than the Aguila’s ever did! Speaking of which, let me address that, briefly. If you find a (any) subsonic rimfire round that cycles your semi-auto .22 out of the box, please let me know!
If you want to run subsonic/hyper-velocity through a semi auto, it’s a good chance you’re going to have to change out the springs (lighter for subsonic, heavier for hyper velocity). If you can’t find them online somewhere, like Wolff springs, you’re gonna have to have them custom-made. It’s either that, or stick to standard/hi-velocity.
I’m reading all this talk of a .22lr pistol for self-defense, and it kind of makes me nervous. I never want to be shot or stabbed with any caliber of anything, ever again, but I’m also approximately 110% certain I would never choose a .22 as a defensive weapon if ever there was anything else available! Yes, a 22 is capable of killing a human, but the odds are stacked so much against you if that’s all you have! 99.99% of the people that killed large game or a human with 22 rimfire were skilled, practiced, professionals… you get the idea. These days, a small, compact 9mm can be had pretty cheap, and is a far superior defensive caliber! Truth be told, I’m a huge .45 fan, but currently have two 9mm (one, full-size, and one subcompact) for defensive carry.
I have, I do, and I recommend using a .22 for marksmanship and defensive drills extensively, and then using a larger caliber for less frequent drills/training, and for the real job, if and when the need arises, although we all hope that day never comes!
After having said all that, I absolutely agree with everything else in this article, especially when it comes to the .22 being the perfect trainer for new shooters,, the low price, a great round four varmints, especially red, squirrels, and groundhogs.
Also, now that I found this website, and they stock some of the ammo I’ve been having a hard time finding, I’ll be doing some shopping here soon. Another bonus!
Happy Easter, happy hunting, and have a great night.
.22 is a has very unpredictable trajectory once it enters anatomy I knew a guy who was shot in the buttocks with a pistol at 35ft and the bullet exited his lower neck.he didn’t make it…22 tends to bounce off bones and wreck havoc.
What’s with demeaning 22lr for home protection. If I shoot you in your eye at close range your brain’s gonna tell you to find another game.
Whilst a .22 does more damage to the internals of a human head compared to a .45, if you miss and hit the chest area that close range may turn into a blade in your eye.
Self defence doesn’t leave you with much time to remain relaxed and shoot on point.
I WILL STICK TO MY .22 MAGNUM FOR SELF DEFENCE….WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A 22 MAG. FOR SELF DEFENCE ?…THANK U
.22 MAGNUM IS THE WAY TO GO……
What is the most powerful 22 that can be used in a DM-101 .22 Derringer HI-STANDARD for or protection?