.22 LR

From The D Archives

The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as a .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have been manufactured in this caliber. For many decades, it has been a very popular cartridge around the world. It is one of the few cartridges that are accepted by a large variety of rifles, as well as pistols. Virtually every manufacturer of cartridge firearms makes at least one model chambering it, and this has been true for more than a century. The .22 Long Rifle and related cartridges use a heeled bullet, which means that the bullet is the same diameter of the case, and has a narrower "heel" portion that fits in the case.

The low cost, minimal recoil, and low noise make the .22 LR an ideal cartridge for recreational shooting, and it is often purchased in bulk. The standard box of .22 LR contains 50 rounds, and .22 LR is often sold by the brick, containing 10 boxes for 500 rounds, or the case containing 10 bricks for 5000 rounds.

.22 LR ammunition is available in a very wide variety, and a very wide price range. Bullet weights range from 30 to 60 grains (1.9 to 3.9 g), velocities from 350 to 1750 feet per second (110 to 530 m/s). "Promotional" loads for plinking can be found for under US$10.00 per brick ($0.02 per cartridge), while precision target rounds can cost US$80.00 per brick. Currently, a standard box of 50 rounds goes for $2-3 US. For comparison, a box of 9x19mm, another popular and relatively inexpensive round for semi-automatic handguns, costs closer to $8-10 USD per box of 50. It's common to shoot well over a hundred rounds on a single shooting range visit, and savings add up quickly. For rifle shooting, the price difference is even more dramatic.