Today I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to talk about what I think is one of the most controversial cartridges out there...22LR. First I'll go into some details about the cartridge, and then I'll give you some reasons why I think that .22LR is actually awesome.
The history of the .22LR can be traced back to the 1800s, and continues to be a popular cartridge to this day. The 22LR is a rimmed cartridge that is available in velocities that range from subsonic to over 1500fps. Most modern ammunition tends to be right around 1000fps, and most of the variants that I keep around are usually faster than that due to my primary use case being semiautomatic handguns that need the stronger powder charge to reliably cycle the slide.
One of the most easily identifiable traits of the .22LR is the fact that it is a rimfire cartridge. This means that the primer for the round is located in the outer rim of the case, and the firing pin of whatever firearm the cartridge is loaded into strikes the rim to ignite the primer and set the round off. This differs from the centerfire cartridge that most people associate with guns, whereby the primer is located in the center of the cartridge in a dedicated pocket. The .22LR uses a straight walled case, which limits the amount of powder charge that the case can accept and makes it much easier to shoot...more on that later.
The 22LR uses projectiles that are actually the same diameter as the case, which is different from other cartridges. The projectile is held in place by the crimp on the case. You can find .22LR projectiles can range in grain weight from 20 to 60 grains, with projectiles in lead, hollow point, jacketed lead, as well as shot loads for pest control.
Now that we know a bit more about the cartridge, let's jump into the reasons why I think that .22LR is actually awesome. The first reason is the one that I give most people when they ask me why I like the caliber so much is simple: it's really fun to shoot. More specifically, its fun to shoot because it's really easy to shoot. The light projectile combined with the lower powder charge of the cartridge means .22LR generates very little recoil and sound compared to other cartridges. This makes it easy to concentrate on things like grip, trigger control, sight picture and alignment, and other fundamental skills when shooting. Its not quite silent or recoilless, mind you; its still a bullet being shot out of a gun. But it is so tame comparatively that anyone that can operate a staple gun can shot a .22LR gun and enjoy it.
That leads me into the next reason why .22LR is awesome: It brings new shooters into the community. I've introduced a number of new shooters into the shooting community via .22LR guns. The low noise, low recoil, and easy shooting characteristics of the cartridge make it very approachable for new shooters or those that are recoil or sound sensitive, and anything that brings new shooters into the hobby is always a good thing.
Reason number 3 for why .22LR is awesome is another simple one: it's cheap to buy. If you shop wisely and keep an eye out for deals, .22LR can be had for as little as 4 cents per round, meaning a box of 500 rounds is 20 bucks. That is a whole day's worth of shooting for some people, for less than the cost of 1 single box of 50 rounds of centerfire ammunition might cost. Shooting more rounds for less money is always a win for me.
The last reason I want to highlight for why .22LR is awesome is the versatility of the round. As I mentioned before, the cartridge can be found loaded with a number of projectiles and moving at a number of velocities. This means that the .22LR can be found in a similarly wide range of uses in the shooting world. It is used in competitions, for training, for small game hunting, and sometimes even for self defense. Not only is the cartridge itself very versatile, but the guns themselves run the gamut of platforms. You can get .22LR versions of guns raging from the AR15 to the Colt Single Action Army to bolt-action rifles to 1911s and Sig P-series. For many people this means that they can train with the exact same platforms that they use for home defense or home defense, and build up those manipulation and handling skills and that muscle memory for shooting mechanics without taking out a bank loan to pay for all of the ammunition.
So that's just a few of the reasons that I personally think that .22LR is awesome. Its a very versatile round that is easy to shoot and affordable to shoot, even in quantity. If you want to pick up some .22LR ammo or a gun that is chambered in .22LR, check out Brownells. Thanks for stopping in today. Until next time, stay safe!