.22 calibre rifle cartridges for hunters and sport shooters: 22 LR, 22 WMR and 22 Hornet loads for range training, small predator hunting and pest control. The category carries RWS, Geco, Norma, Winchester, Hornady and Remington ammunition with FMJ, HP, SP and subsonic bullets.
.22 calibre cartridges are the most flexible small-bore ammunition a hunter owns. They let you train cheaply on the range, hunt small predators and control pests around farmland. This category covers three distinct calibres: the classic rimfire 22 LR, the stronger 22 WMR and the centerfire 22 Hornet. All of them run in rifled barrels, but their working distance and energy in the field differ, so it pays to know what each one does before you buy.
Small-bore cartridges suit hunters who shoot small predators, control pests and train often. The 22 LR has minimal recoil, a quiet report and a low cost per shot, so you can fire a hundred rounds in one session without hurting your budget. The 22 WMR and 22 Hornet carry more energy and work farther out, where the 22 LR runs short.
In practice these loads see most use on foxes over bait, on martens and other small predators, on corvids where regulations allow it, and for the humane dispatch of trapped animals. Small bore is also the best way to teach a young hunter: no flinch develops, and correct habits form fast. Before taking a small calibre out hunting, check the current hunting regulations, because permitted calibres and quarry species are defined by law.
The category holds three calibres: rimfire 22 LR and 22 WMR plus the centerfire 22 Hornet. On top of that come different bullet types: full metal jacket FMJ, expanding HP and SP heads, and subsonic versions for quiet shooting. Each combination covers its own distance and task, so we look at them one by one.
These are the accuracy loads for training. RWS Club 2.6 g is the classic range choice, Geco Rifle is built for long barrels while Geco Pistol suits short ones. Norma TAC-22 was designed for sport shooting and groups well in most rifled barrels. Standard velocity stays below the sound barrier, so these rounds fly consistently and react little to temperature swings.
Winchester Subsonic 42 gr and RWS 22 LR Subsonic HP 40 gr are made for suppressed rifles. The bullet never breaks the sound barrier, so the crack disappears and you hear mostly the bolt cycling. A quiet shot spooks game less at a bait site, which means more time on foxes. The HP head expands and dumps its energy inside a small target.
When you need more energy from the rimfire, pick RWS 22 LR High Velocity 40 gr, Winchester Super X LHP 37 gr or Winchester Wildcat Dynapoint. Winchester M22 Round Nose is meant for high-volume shooting, and Remington ThunderBolt and Remington Viper 36 gr come in bulk packs, the Viper in boxes of 225 rounds, which suits heavy pre-season training.
The 22 WMR, also called 22 Mag, works out to roughly 125 metres. RWS Magnum FMJ 2.6 g and Winchester Super X FMJ 40 gr fit situations where you want minimal fur damage, the RWS SP version expands better, and Hornady V-MAX 30 gr with its polymer tip flies flat and acts fast on impact. It is a sound calibre for foxes in open ground.
The 22 Hornet is a centerfire calibre and reaches the farthest of the whole category. Winchester HP 46 gr and RWS SP 3.0 g 46 gr let you take a small predator reliably at 150 metres and beyond, where rimfire energy has already faded. For a fox hanging back at the edge of a crop field, it is often the only realistic answer.
The choice comes down to the task, the distance and your rifle. The same barrel groups different loads differently, so the right path is to narrow the field by purpose and then test a few candidates in your own gun. Work through it in this order:
The biggest gains come not from the price of the round but from zeroing and consistency. Zero a small-bore rifle at 50 metres, because that is the realistic working distance with a 22 LR, and always confirm your groups with the exact load you will hunt with, not with a cheaper training substitute.
Buy one box each from several makers and compare groups from your own rifle: the gap between the best and worst pairing often reaches several centimetres already at 50 metres. When you switch from standard to subsonic loads, record a new point of impact, because the slower bullet drops lower. On winter bait sites remember that cold reduces rimfire velocity, so keep the rounds in an inside pocket until you load. Store ammunition dry and in its original boxes, since moisture degrades rimfire priming.
Six proven makers fill this category. German RWS and Geco ammunition is valued for consistent quality and accuracy, Swedish Norma produces the sport-oriented TAC-22 line, and American Winchester and Remington offer a wide range of high velocity and subsonic versions at fair prices. Hornady V-MAX represents the modern varmint school with its polymer-tipped bullet. All of these makers have a long record in hunting ammunition, so their boxes deliver the same quality batch after batch.
If you need stronger calibres for larger game, see the .222 Rem., .223 Rem., .243 Win. and 6.5x55 cartridge categories. If you are unsure which load fits your rifle, write to us and we will advise.
