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.22 LR Ammo: Complete Buyer's Guide

.22 LR ammo for plinking, training, small game hunting, and competition. Compare bulk bricks and find the best prices on rimfire.

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Best .22 LR by Use Case

Plinking & Practice

For high-volume shooting, bulk packs (500-5,000 rounds) of CCI Mini-Mag or Federal AutoMatch are the gold standard. CCI is notably more reliable than cheaper brands — fewer duds and dirty bolts.

Top Picks

  • • CCI Mini-Mag 36gr CPHP
  • • Federal AutoMatch 40gr
  • • CCI Standard Velocity 40gr

Small Game Hunting

For small game, choose hollow points at standard or high velocity. CCI Mini-Mag HP and Federal Game-Shok are classics. Subsonic loads work for quiet backyard pest control.

Top Picks

  • • CCI Mini-Mag HP 36gr
  • • Federal Game-Shok 38gr HP

Competition / Target

For precision .22 shooting (NRL22, Olympic-style), match-grade ammo matters. Lapua Center-X and Eley Match are the top choices — expensive, but the consistency is worth it for serious shooters.

Top Picks

  • • Lapua Center-X 40gr
  • • Eley Match 40gr
  • • SK Standard Plus 40gr

Suppressed Shooting

Subsonic .22 LR is extremely quiet through a suppressor — close to pellet rifle levels. CCI Quiet and CCI Standard Velocity (1070 fps) are the best choices.

Top Picks

  • • CCI Quiet 40gr
  • • CCI Standard Velocity 40gr
  • • Aguila Super Extra Subsonic 38gr

What is .22 LR?

.22 Long Rifle — universally called “.22 LR” — is the most popular cartridge in the world. Developed in 1887, it’s the standard training, plinking, and small-game round used in everything from single-shot rifles to semi-auto pistols.

Why Every Shooter Needs a .22

.22 LR is the ultimate training round. Cheap to shoot (bulk packs run $0.05-$0.10 per round), minimal recoil, and the fundamentals translate directly to larger calibers. Serious shooters often put more rounds through a .22 each year than all their centerfire firearms combined.

What’s a Good Price?

.22 LR in bulk: under $0.08/round is excellent, under $0.12/round is fair. 500-round bricks and 5,000-round cases offer the best price-per-round.

  • Ruger 10/22 (rifle)
  • Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 (AR-pattern)
  • Ruger Mark IV (pistol)
  • Smith & Wesson Victory (pistol)
  • Browning Buck Mark (pistol)
  • CZ 457 (bolt action)
  • Tikka T1x (bolt action)

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