.22 Long Rifle

The .22 Long Rifle is the most produced cartridge in the world and the one almost every Australian shooter starts on. Introduced in 1887, it is a rimfire round, meaning the primer is in the rim rather than a central primer pocket, and it fires a 36 to 40 grain lead projectile at 1,050 to 1,250 fps with negligible recoil and noise.

On the farm it is the rabbit rifle, and it also accounts for hares, feral pigeons and other small pests where a centrefire would be overkill. Its quiet report and low cost per shot make it the cartridge of choice for high-volume pest work in close, and subsonic loads through a suppressed rifle, where legal, are quieter still. It is not suitable for foxes or larger animals beyond very short range.

On the range it carries an entire discipline. Rimfire benchrest, 50 and 100 metre prone, NRL22 and club rimfire matches all run on .22 LR, and premium match ammunition from Lapua, Eley, SK and RWS is graded by lot for consistency. For centrefire shooters it is the cheapest possible way to keep fundamentals sharp between matches, and for new shooters it is where marksmanship is learned.

.22 LR ammunition is not interchangeable with .22 WMR (.22 Magnum), which uses a longer, larger diameter case, or with .17 HMR. .22 Short and .22 Long will chamber in most .22 LR rifles but may not cycle a semi-automatic. Check your rifle's barrel marking before buying.

We stock .22 LR rifles from Tikka, Sako, CZ, Ruger and other leading brands, hold bulk pest, subsonic and match ammunition in depth, and carry magazines, scopes and accessories for the rimfire shooter. Firearms are shipped Australia-wide to your nominated dealer.