Best.22 Ammo for Every Application (2023).

Here are the top match, hunting and self-defense options for your.22 pistol or rifle. Here are some of the best options for your.22 pistol and rifle. Self-Defense AmmoCCI Stinger 32 Gr. Plated HPAguila 60 Gr. Sniper SubSonicFederal Punch Personal Defense 29-GrainWhat Are The Top.22 Ammo Options:Range AmmoWinchester 37-Grain Varmint High EnergyAguila SuperExtra 40-GrainCCI Quiet-.22 LRN 40-Grain There is a huge variety of rimfire ammo, and some are better suited for certain tasks. The.22 LR cartridge isn’t the most powerful or accurate, but it’s a jack-of-all-trades that can be used in virtually any shooting situation. The.22 LR cartridge is used for a wide variety of purposes. We will look at the three most popular ones: range shooting, self-defense, and hunting. This cartridge is not just for plinking. It’s also a serious contender for all three arenas. Most outdoor shooting ranges have a carpet of.22 brass that is brown and gray from tarnish. Best in Class: SK.22 LR 40-Grain The Precision Rifle series (PRS) has been booming. It didn’t take too long for a rimfire section to be created. Many of the rifles for this division are just as expensive and precise than their centerfire counterparts chambered with popular rounds like 6mm and 6.5mm Creedmoor. SK Ammunition has a specially-designed long-range cartridge that features a unique bullet with a 40-grain weight. These specially designed and constructed match rifles can deliver performance up to 300 yards. It’s not just for the 100-yard range, but it can be used at shorter distances in your regular.22. Best.22 LR Pistol Ammo : CCI Pistol match 40-GrainThis special target load is designed for competition. It is designed to be used in pistols, but can also be used in rifles. This load is designed for shorter barrels and features a round-nosed bullet. This ammo is commonly used for silhouette matches and pistol bull’s eye. The ammo is packaged in 50-round boxes. Best Bulk Range Ammo : Federal Champion 36 GritThis popular and common load comes in boxes with up to 5,200 rounds. It may not have the same quality as high-end match ammo, but it is still very accurate. It is a huge plus that you can buy more than 5,000 round for less than $200, especially when you consider the price of centerfire ammunition. This ammunition has the lowest number of dud primes and the highest accuracy in my experience when compared to cheaper bulk options. This cartridge is a good all-arounder because it can be used both for small-game hunting and for match shooting. Hunting AmmoOne of.22 LR’s most common uses is for hunting small game. Although there are stories of people shooting bears with the.22 LR, it is not recommended to use this round as a primary round for anything larger than a coyote. Winchester’s 37 grain bullet is rated at 1,400 fps and above. It is designed to deliver maximum energy to your target for a quick kill. It’s great for medium-sized varmints, such as woodchucks, coyotes and foxes. The high velocity of the ammo will give it a flatter path, compared to slower varmint hunting ammunition. Small-Game Hunting with Aguila SuperExtra, 40-GrainThis is one of the best small game loads available. This bullet is copper-plated and feeds reliably in pistols and rifles. Many common ammunition options for this caliber are coated with a waxy substance that can clog up semi-automatic actions. This load is copper-plated to ensure consistency and accuracy, especially for hunters who are hunting small and fast animals like squirrels and rabbits. The round-nosed bullets and high velocity makes it a great choice for pelt hunters. The bullets are 40 grains in weight and travel at 1,200 fps, which is a great advantage for hunters who have to choose between velocity or velocity overweight. It’s impossible to ruin a trap faster than accidentally shooting it! CCI’s Quiet.22 ammo makes a great choice for this reason: It is not only suppressor-level silent without a suppressor but also has a good bullet weight and profile. The round-nosed lead bullet is ideal for a final shot to the head of virtually all trapped game. Pest Control: Federal Small Game No. This entry is dedicated to an ammo that is more niche. This Federal load does not contain a conventional bullet. Instead, it contains No. This ammo is designed for small game and critter hunters. It does not have a lot of power or range, but it has some advantages. This ammo is not recommended for coyotes, but it can be used to kill rats, snakes and other small pests. Birdshot loads such as this are more suited to pest control rather than sport or resource-based hunting. However, they can still be used for hunting. Self-Defense AmmoThe issue of whether or not this rimfire cartridge can be used to defend oneself is hotly debated. Some people believe that it should not be used as a protection weapon in any situation. It’s still a popular choice, no doubt because of its popularity. Some schools of thought view carry ammunition as an “all-in-one” deal. Hollywood has taught us to believe that a single trigger pull will take out any bad guy. This is not true. Many people who carry guns choose the largest caliber that they feel comfortable carrying. This is a completely different person from someone who carries a caliber that they feel most comfortable with. The concept of “stopping-power” and “energy”, however, often results in bullets being too large for a hand which is too small. In the world of ultra high-capacity, micro pistols today, it is hard to see where a.22 fits in when there are so much other options. Many other pistols, even those that are similar in size and weight to the Sig Sauer P365, have been pushed aside by advanced guns. Why would a person choose a.22 when there are better options? The answer is that they have a gun. Many people lack the wrist strength or fortitude to hold a.357 magnum. Many people prefer a small carry gun chambered in.22 LR because it is quiet and has low recoil. It also offers good control. Self-Defense Ammo For Pistols : CCI Velocitor Plated HP Despite being marketed for small-game, this load is deadly from pistols. This small titan is a powerful load that can deliver excellent expansion and penetration beyond its class. It’s also a great choice for revolvers and automatics. This load is perfect for many small revolvers. Ruger’s LCR, and Smith & Wesson J-Frame are great hosts. It should be noted that “Velocitor”, the name of the gun, sounds so much like “velociraptor”, that CCI decided to put a silhouette on the box. Self-Defense Ammo for rifles: CCI Stinger Plated 32-Grain HPCCI has appeared on this list quite a bit. It is no surprise that this company produces the best self-defense load for rimfire rifles. This particular load has a muzzle velocity of more than 1,600 feet per second. It is small and light but it is devastating on tissue. This is especially true when fired from long-barrel rifles. While it’s sold as varmint ammunition, it excels in a close-range/in-the-home situation, because it offers minimal blast and excellent penetration while keeping recoil to a minimum.Self-Defense Ammo for the Woods: Aguila 60-Grain Sniper SubSonicThis is the heaviest load on the list. It won’t kill a bear like a.44 magnum, but it has many advantages for the outdoorsman and backpacker. The bullets are longer than standard.22 ammo and are loaded in a shortened casing, but have the same overall size as normal ammunition. This ammunition is loaded at subsonic speed and works best in bolt-action or revolvers. This ammunition is able to penetrate well and take down game at a medium distance because of its high bullet weight. It is relatively quiet, even without a suppressor, and has a muzzle speed of 950 fps. This is not a self-defense load, but it is a great option if you only have a.22 pistol. If you’re lost and can’t find a trail, you can signal “SOS” by firing three shots five seconds apart. If you space them too closely, people may think you’re just having fun. Repeat the SOS every three to five minute if necessary. Blanks are available but are not the best choice for signaling help. Self-Defense Ammo for Short-Barrels – Federal Punch Personal Defense, 29-GrainOne newer.22 LR load on the market is Federal Punch Personal Defense. Federal designed this bullet with a flat-nosed projectile weighing 29 grains and a nickel-coated jacket to meet FBI penetration tests on ballistic gel. The lower weight of the projectile is responsible for its advertised muzzle speed of 1,070 feet per second when fired from a 2-inch barrel handgun, and 1,650 feet per second when tested with a 24 inch barrel rifle. Federal also went above and beyond to ensure that this round was reliable. The bullet construction is designed to minimize expansion. This allows it to penetrate deep enough to meet defensive needs. Federal claims to have tested this round rigorously and found it reliable enough for defensive use. While rimfire ammunition can occasionally have a dud primer, the company says that they thoroughly tested the round. Nickel-plated cases reduce friction, which is important for reliability. The advertised muzzle power of 75 foot-pounds may be lower than other.22 self defense loads, but the reliability and penetration should compensate. The Smith & Wesson 317 Kit Gun is one of my favorite firearms for general use. This is a double-action,.22 revolver with eight shots that’s almost entirely made of alloy. It feels like it’s made entirely of plastic. The revolver weighs only 11 ounces unloaded, which is so light that many cell phone models are heavier. It has a full-sized rubberized grip and an adjustable fiberoptic sight. The 3-inch barrel offers a similar sight radius to that of many full-sized guns. This makes aiming much easier than with fixed sights on other small revolvers. It does everything a.22 could be expected to do, without sacrificing too much. It is lightweight and can be carried around all day without causing hip pain. It is also quiet enough to not be a nuisance when fired in close quarters. It is also accurate and reliable with most ammunition. It’s a very useful firearm that is not widely known. It is so useful that it falls into the “tool” category. Another excellent option in.22 LR comes from a DIY option. Brownells now offers its own version Ruger 10/.22. The BRN-22 is a well-designed and customizable receiver that comes in many different configurations. The version I built was meant to be used as a military training tool for CMP competition. It is designed to be the exact same size and weight as an M1 Carbine. The rifle features iron sights, just like the originals. Brownells offers all the parts needed to build this rifle. The BRN-.22 will satisfy any rimfire enthusiast. It is fully customizable and compatible with all 10/.22 aftermarket accessories. It’s a great gun for training and competition. It’s also fast and accurate for hunting small game, including coyotes at close range. Many will dismiss it as not powerful enough or accurate enough. However, it is common enough. The ammunition and guns listed may not be the right choice for you. This article was originally published in the January 2020 issue Gun Digest the Magazine. Editor’s Note: Adam Borisenko wrote this article.NEXT: Download your free Storm Tactical printable target pack62 Printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle range in YARDSThis impressive Target Pack from our friends at Storm Tactical includes62 printable targets for rifle and handgun ranges. The target grids and bullseyes are measured in MOA. 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