Hunting with the .22-Caliber Rimfire: The Best firearm Cartridge Ever Produced

The .22-caliber rimfire is the most successful firearm cartridge ever produced. There have been many that have been quite popular, but the .22 beats them all, hands-down. Some may argue that military rounds such as the .223 or the 7.62x39 might surpass the little round but the .22 clobbers them all. In the history of firearms the double deuce has outlasted black powder flintlocks, cap and ball, all the center-fires, and even some onslaughts by other rimfire pretenders. To many many people their first real firearm is the little round.

Not only is the .22 rimfire extremely popular the world over it has proved itself on the target range and in the hunting fields. In fact this little bullet has been credited with taking everything from a chipmunk to a Kodiak bear to an elephant. This is not some type of myth because these instances though remarkable and rare have been documented. But small game like rabbits or squirrels exemplify the type of game normally hunted with this round. It has been used on bobcats and even turkey.

As a target round the .22 is used in several type of shooting matches in the Olympic Games such as the Biathlon. With special target ammunition it is one of the most accurate rounds in existence.

The .22 is really special. It should be known as the Universal Round because it is used in every corner of the world. Chances are the readers of this article know somebody who owns a .22. And millions more have shot or hunted with it.

Many credit a man named Flaubert as inventing the rimfire when he was designing parlor guns. He simply stuck a .22-caliber ball into a primer and voila the rimfire was born. Smith&Wesson introduced the .22 short in one of the first pistols that held self-contained cartridges. Now it comes in short, long, or long rifle. The most powerful and most popular is the long rifle but the others have their specialized uses. The weight of the bullet is typically from 29 grains to 40 grains. There are low, medium, and high velocity rounds available in many guises from solid lead projectiles to super fast hollow point bullets meant for hunting. There are even very low powered BB and CB caps when less noise or power is required.

The .22 rimfire is a great round used for survival, small game hunting, pest shooting, running a trap-line, or target shooting. It has also been used by the U.S. Military for training and other operations. It has been around for a long time and despite some inroads by other rimfire rounds it seems destined to be used for many more. There simply is no other round that fulfills it's utility or niche.

Besides, it's the .22. Everyone knows what the .22 is