CALIBER WIKI
What is .22 LR?
5.6mm rimfire — The world’s favourite starter caliber — cheap and quiet.
.22 LR (Long Rifle) is a tiny rimfire cartridge: cheap, quiet and nearly recoilless. It is the default first caliber for learning to shoot worldwide.
Note the split: .22 airguns below the legal energy limit need no license for adults (18+), but .22 rimfire firearms always need a valid arms license in India.
Quick facts
- Bullet diameter: 5.6 mm
- Typical bullet: 36–40 grain lead
- Famous guns: countless trainers and match rifles
- Cost: the cheapest shooting there is
.22 rimfire firearms need a valid arms license. .22 airguns below the energy limit do not (18+).
Buying guides
Technical specifications
Representative standard loading: Standard 40 gr high-velocity solid. Figures from Wikipedia.
| Bullet diameter | 5.7 mm (.223 in) |
|---|---|
| Case length | 15.6 mm (.613 in) |
| Bullet weight | 40 gr solid (2.6 g) |
| Muzzle velocity | 366 m/s (1,200 ft/s) |
| Muzzle energy | 178 J (131 ft·lbf) |
| Origin | United States |
| Designer | J. Stevens Arms |
| Test barrel | Rifle test barrel |
.22 LR vs other well-known calibers
Typical muzzle energy — bars to scale. A .177 airgun pellet hits with roughly 1/25th the energy of a 9mm round.
| Caliber | .22 LR | .177 / 4.5mm | .32 ACP | 9mm Luger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet Ø | 5.7 mm (.223 in) | 4.5 mm (.177 in) | 7.9 mm (.3125 in) | 9.01 mm |
| Bullet weight | 40 gr solid (2.6 g) | 8 gr pellet (0.52 g) | 71 gr FMJ (4.6 g) | 7.45 g FMJ (115 gr) |
| Velocity | 366 m/s (1,200 ft/s) | ≈244 m/s (≈800 ft/s) | 276 m/s (905 ft/s) | 360 m/s (1,180 ft/s) |
| Energy | 178 J (131 ft·lbf) | ≈15 J (typical; Indian license-free limit is 20 J) | 175 J (129 ft·lbf) | 481 J (355 ft·lbf) |
Bullet size, to scale
Front view of each bullet at true relative size.
.22 LR 5.7 mm
.177 / 4.5mm 4.5 mm
.32 ACP 7.94 mm
9mm Luger 9.01 mm