Of all of the factory-made ammo cartridges on earth today, the lowly .22 rimfire is by far the most popular and plentiful. It's also the very first self-contained metallic cartridge ever made! In the midst of the nineteenth century, the very first manufactured cartridges were .22 rimfire BB Caps. "BB" is short for Breech-loading Bullets, and "Caps" were simply percussion caps, fitted with the tiny .22 bullet. The first cartridges didn't even contain any gunpowder! The bullets were propelled only by the priming compound that has been deposited in the hollow rim at the base of the cartridge case. Naturally, the strain wasn't very powerful at all, but it had been suitable for shooting galleries, even indoor ones.

In 1857 Smith & Wesson made a nice little revolver chambered for .22 Short cartridges, the oldest factory-loaded cartridges still in production today. In time, these cartridges became longer and stronger, until they were made good enough to produce sense for use in rifle barrels. Hence, the .22 "Long Rifle" cartridges came into existence in 1887.

Today the .22LR comes in bullet weights anywhere from about 20 to 45 grains, including shot loads. Every imaginable shape of bullet has been produced, from the simple round nose to bizarre, space-age looking projectiles. And just while the fast-food restaurant proudly proclaims, "Billions and billions have been served," there's no way to even start to calculate precisely how many .22 rimfire cartridges have been manufactured and shot through the years.

As the .22 has been historically cheap and plentiful, as well as an easy task to shoot, it's been used-and misused-in an infinite group of circumstances. Opinions on the merits of the .22 vary accordingly 30-30 ammo. Some rate it second to a spit-wad, while others contemplate it suited to inter-galactic warfare. It's neither. Though small, it may effectively kill, and has been utilized in survival and last-resort defense situations. Though lethal, it's most suited to small game, targets, and recreational shooting.

Yes, I'm quite sure some lucky fellow somewhere took 100 direct hits from a .22 LR at point-blank range and survived with nary a challenge, while another fool instantly dispatched of twelve elephants 100 yards away with only ten shots from his .22 pistol! Perhaps you've heard similar stories. We're all better off to disregard such babble, and apply the correct cartridge to the appropriate circumstance, specially when shooting the .22 rimfire.

The current ammo shortage-especially in .22--may have plenty of folks worrying and wondering if they'll ever be able to keep their favorite firearms fed. But I'm sure that things will turnaround soon. In reality, we're needs to see some catching up on the market on the supply side, little by little. So be patient; supplies of .22 ammo will yet again be plentiful and inexpensive, hopefully sooner than later. And be confident that after supplies do increase, we'll have most of the loads you're searching for, for whatever application you need.

Note--This article is part of a series of brief overviews on a few of our very popular cartridges. Our goal isn't to advertise or downgrade any particular load, much less settle any bets it's likely you have with your shooting buddies. We simply want to offer some basic information to anybody who could be interested. If you learn this informative article useful in selecting a certain cartridge for a certain purpose, great! But remember this-every cartridge and load has its limitations and boundaries, and we strongly urge one to respect them religiously. NEVER, EVER, push the limits of safety and good sense, nor use any kind of ammunition by any means apart from what it was made for! No exceptions!