22 Rimfire Confusion

There is a lot of confusion around the 22 Rimfire, but in this episode of Ron Spomer Outdoors, we are going to get to the bottom of it once and for all. Follow along in this episode, where I cover the history and differences of the 22 Rimfire.

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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion – the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me – from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.

Produced by: @red11media

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All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.

[algoneby]

Little Story, my older guy friend, grew up poor. Father would give him in grade school age, a few .22 short rounds, and send him to school hiding his .22 rifle in his coat at school He was expected on the way home from school to shoot something for the table at home, and not to waste a single round of ammunition. He shot rabbits, and pheasants. His lunch was usually a piece of bread with mustard on it. So anything he shot with the .22 shorts was greatly accepted for the family food.

[lifeanddaily]

My first 22 was a Winchester 22 pump tube magazine...it would shoot the short, long and long rifle ammo...it was made in 1911 and was handed down to me from my grandfather...he was a WW1 veteran and a great man.

[mlr]

Certainly the most extensive and comprehensive, informative video I’ve EVER seen and it’s much appreciated Ron!

[kevinmarrett]

I think another reason the 22 short doesn’t go away is because many 22 rifles are tube fed, so shorts give you a nice bump in capacity.

[louisgiokas]

I have an old (over 50 years) Savage Stevens bolt action .22. It is a tack driver. Actually, my father is from the Springfield, MA area (Chicopee Falls), and when he decided to buy a gun so that he could go shooting with my brother and I, he called one of his boyhood friends who worked for Savage actually making the guns. These were "right off the line". The other gun, by the way, was a 20GA bolt action shotgun. So, I learned with that, although I also shot lots of military arms since my father's best friend was a collector and had an old pig farm in Winchester, VA. they both had been in the Army in WWII. The first pistol I shot was an actual WWII 1911A1. I could hit a 3 oz Dixie cup at ten yards. I was only 10. I also got to shoot a P-08 Luger and an M1 Garrand. Great times. Over the years I have taken lots of squirrels with that .22. I make a great squirrel gumbo in the crock pot. Sorry to go on about that, but it brings back memories.

[exothermal.sprocket]

There is one rimfire that appears on the market periodically that you failed to mention, called the "22 Winchester Rimfire" or 22wrf. It is the predecessor to the time when 22LR was boosted and gained velocities equivalent to the modern loadings. When the 22LR gained velocity, the 22wrf went by the wayside. Later of course the 22wmr became the true rimfire magnum offering about double the 22LR performance.
The following diameters from SAAMI website:
.22 Short. (.2250") heeled bullet, case diameter same as bullet, straight untapered casing.
.22 Long (.2250") heeled bullet, case diameter same as bullet, straight untapered casing.
.22 Long Rifle (LR) (.2255") heeled bullet, case diameter same as bullet, straight untapered casing.
.22 Winchester Rimfire (WRF) (.2285") straight bullet, inserted inside casing which is larger than bullet, tapered casing (.002" over length).
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) (.2245") straight bullet, inserted inside casing which is larger than bullet, straight untapered casing.

[boingkster]

I hate to say it but at 1:08 you mispoke - its 1857 not 1957 for the invention of the 22 Short. Amazing to think they had it sorted out that long ago! Speaking of external lubrication (common for 22LR) the first internally lubricated round was the .44 Russian of 1870 - also by S&W. They recognised that adding lubrication to the nose of a round promoted misfeeds and barrel wear as it picked up debris in use.

[samsky]

I got a Cooey for Christmas in1974, I was 10. We used to shoot 22 shorts in my 52 foot long basement. My dad was an Army vet who was an awesome shot. I wish I could shoot as good he could. God rest his soul.

[NHGUIDE]

And NOW.... 22 lr at 1850 fps with the 21 grain copper-22 !! there are many different .22 'loads'
Great content Sir, well explained!

[beerhunter]

Just a note on CCI Stingers: the rim is slightly longer, so will NOT fit properly in the Ruger 10-22. That's even stated in the instruction manual. They will fit in most other.22LR rifles, however.

[elvinirons]

One of the most useful piece of hunting n around the farm weapon u can have, got quite a few in my collection !! I have a all metal frame 22, it’s called the Bronco !!

[atch_n_sons]

A Ron Spomer video and a glass of my favorite bourbon ❤

[frankammirati]

I’ve got a old marking glenfield bolt action, I enjoy testing all different kinds of ammo with it just to see how accurate I can’t get a long distance, it’s the perfect cost efficient way to go and also trains me to know my holds .

[adelarsen]

Honesty and Integrity are everything. And health. :-)

[SWMissouriOutdoors]

Great video, wish you would have included more on the 22WRF. I have found it to be a great load in my 22WMR revolver to meet the middle of 22LR and 22WMR power levels. The 22WRF is standard load of 45gr @ 1450fps from a rifle.

[RaisingWolvesBBQ]

I have my dad’s 1936 Winchester Model 67 bolt action. It shoots the short and long rifle really well. My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be but the iron sights work well. Enjoy the content!

[seanmacdermott]

Because the bullet and case are the same diameter, you can chamber a long rifle cartridge in a long chamber. BUT the longer bullet will get jammed into the rifling ahead of the chamber. This may do squirrely things to the pressure.

[Mark-qqcd]

Excellent overview! Cleared up a “muddy” topic. Thanks much. Cheers from Western PA.

[josephdipko]

Several times, I've gotten a great deal on a "22 rifle" that wouldn't shoot good, because the owner was shooting 22 LR in a 22 wmr rifle. Even after telling them they still wanted to get rid of it...their loss, my gain I guess...

[jakemarley]

Loved taking my marlin model 60 when i was a kid and dumping a tube of mixed up 22's crack, pop, ping. Sounded funny and my grandpa would get livid for shooting up his shorts which he saved for the interior wildlife.