Most people’s first time shooting is with a .22 LR firearm.
But what .22 LR ammo do you choose?
There are dozens, even hundreds, of brands and types, so what is the best one?
Is there a best one? As with any other type of ammo, what .22 LR you buy depends on what you want to do with it.
But don’t worry; I’ll walk through my favorite rounds for cheap plinking, hunting, accuracy, and even going subsonic.
Here are the current best options, with the most budget options coming in around 6 cents per round.
.22LR Ammo In Stock
Lucky Gunner also has more obscure varieties, and Creedmoor Sports has more competition loads.
Table of Contents
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Best .22LR Ammo
For Plinking
1. Remington Thunderbolt
Usually, the cheapest rounds…but some guns don’t like them.
Mine have no complaints, but I read enough about them that I would test them out first before taking the plunge and stacking deep.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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2. Federal Auto Match
With this one, you get 325 rounds of affordable .22 LR that’s mostly available nowadays. No complaints in my bolts or semi-autos.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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3. Federal Champion
I’ve shot the most with Federal Champion (and most of my .22 LR ammo reserve is this brand).
For hunting, the name of the game is to get a quick/clean kill without making too much of the meat inedible.
Usually, this means going with a high-velocity, hollow-point (HP) bullet.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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What do you think of Federal Champion? Be sure to rate it below!
For Hunting
4. CCI Stinger
CCI is the gold standard in small game hunting — fast, accurate, and deadly with its copper-plated 32-grain hollow point bullet.
Can’t go wrong with this one, and has enough oomph to cycle semi-autos.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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5. CCI Standard Velocity
Again, CCI makes this list — this time in the form of the Standard Velocity.
To be honest, this is one of my favorite all-around loads in terms of price and reliability.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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For Suppressed Shooting
6. CCI Subsonic HP
Are you seeing a pattern here? CCI hits our list again with the Subsonic HP variant. This one happens to be my favorite overall subsonic round.
You get the accuracy and reliability of CCI, and it’s not so slow (1,050 feet-per-second) that it can’t run on semi-autos.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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7. Aguila Super Colibri
Powder? Who needs powder?
These rounds run off only the primer meaning they are super quiet and super slow (420 feet-per-second).
Downside is…they won’t run in your semi, though.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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For Long Range Precision
8. Lapua Center-X
This is generally accepted as the gold standard for long-range .22 LR shooting. If you’re ready to spend some money and get the best, Lapua Center-X is the first you should try.
It won’t be the absolute best for every rifle — but odds are it’s at least in the top three for your rifle.
Center-X is exclusively what I shoot at matches of 100 yards or longer.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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9. SK Ammo — Standard Plus, Rifle Match, Long Range Match
Frankly, I have no idea what the difference is between these three. I’ve tested all three, and my results depend on the rifle. But all of my rifles love at least one of them.
SK Rifle Match and Long Range Match are both 1 MOA for me at 100 yards; Standard Plus opens up a little but has a better standard deviation normally.
Pick one or all three and give them a try!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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10. Norma TAC-22
I like this one since it works well in my semi-auto guns, like the 10/22 and .22 LR AR clones.
If you’ve got a suppressor or want to be a little quieter…going subsonic is the way to go.
It sounds like a cap gun instead of having the *CLAP* of a faster-than-sound bullet.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Match Your Ammo To Your Use
From plinking to hunting to long-range, we have all of the recommendations.
Broadly speaking .22 LR fits into a few use cases:
- Plinking
- Hunting
- Suppressed
- Long-Range Precision
Plinking is just what it sounds like. It’s learning how to shoot or teaching others. It’s keeping your skills sharp. Or maybe you just want to turn some money into noise and have a good time!
In any of those cases, you want reliable ammo strong enough to cycle semi-auto guns and hopefully cheap.
Hunting might be super- or sub-sonic for use with suppressors. Either way, you want reliable ammo and should be willing to pay a few more pennies for it.
Suppressed is its own category since the ammo is weaker than normal. Sometimes a little weaker, sometimes a lot. You can hunt with it if the critter is small enough and you’re close enough, or you can just have fun with it.
Long-Range Precision is gaining a lot of popularity with NRL22 and NRL22X! We’re going to assume that you want to shoot at least 100 yards with your .22 LR, but 400+ isn’t out of the question, either. You’ll want very consistent ammo that is reliable and sub-sonic. This…won’t come cheap (for .22 LR).
“But what about self-defense!” you might ask. Unfortunately, .22 LR cartridges can’t be relied upon to effectively stop a threat or go off every single time.
Modern .22 LR is decent, but we don’t consider it reliable enough for self-defense — not when other options like 9mm and .45 ACP are out there.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it…our roundup of the best .22 LR for plinking, hunting, accuracy, and even sub-sonic.
As with anything ammo-related, try a box out before you commit to a case or more, as some .22 LR guns are notoriously picky when it comes to ammo.
Did we miss any that you really think belongs here? Let us know! If you’re looking for a new .22 LR, take a look at the 7 Best .22 LR Rifles! And for more calibers, check out Best Places to Buy Ammo Online.
67 Leave a Reply
I had very good results shooting the Aguila Super Colibri ammo out of my Ruger Wrangler birdshead revolver with a 3.75 inch barrel at 5-10 yards. Accuracy was better than I expected, considering most of the writing on the box was not in English. Very good accuracy at 5-10 yards. This ammo was much quieter than CCI 22lr Quiet Semi-auto or CCI 22 short ammo. The 22 short ammo was not as quiet as I expected, and maybe slightly louder than the Quiet Semi-auto ammo out of a 3.75 inch barrel. As a comparison, 22lr Blazer ammo was louder than any of these.
Do you know of .22 LR that will work on a lighter firing pin strike? Trying to find something that will work on a conversion kit without having to change to a heavier hammer spring.
Thx
Brant
ERIC I NEED TO KNOW WHAT 22 AMMUNITION WILL PERFORM IN A 22 LONG RIFLE WILL BE USED FOR RODENNTS THANKS AGAIN VANCE
Eric, I've been using TargetSportsUSA for a while now and was surprised they didn't make your list. . .
You didn’t mention Eley. This article is pretty bad if it doesn’t mention Eley.
Erick, I am using a .22LR Ruger 10/22 semi rifle and a .22 LR Ruger Mark II Target. I believe the CCI Stinger has a longer casing than the standard .22 LR shells. Is there a problem with using the CCI Stingers in the rifle and handgun I have?
Thank You, Steve
Can't believe that Remington Thunderbolt .22lr made you list of best .22 ammo. It simply will not process in either my pistol or rifle without problems!
Thank you for posting this Eric!
I have a Taurus TX22 that is not very picky. I mostly use Federal Range Pack — probably 4,000 rounds so far. Good value and if I keep my gun — and magazines — clean, it runs all day long with rare failures (say 1 in 200-300 rounds). All CCI is fine, as is Norma TAC22. The gun HATES Remington — Golden Bullet, Thunderbolt, you name it, if it’s Remington, my gun chokes constantly. I have Federal Punch and Winchester Silvertip at home for backup self defense.
This info was super helpful. I just picked my TX22 yesterday. Can't wait to put it to the test!! Thank you.
We are primarily plinkers, and put economy over performance...so our shelf is full of thunderbolts, golden bullets, federal range pack,champions, and automatch, blazers, aguila, and some select cci...the stash is cci and norma...the one brand we don't care for is winchester, it seems their quality control sorely lacking...
How can you have such a huge range of 22 ammo and not have one word about the 22 cal shot shells? Which by the way, I cannot for the life of me, find anywhere. Yeah, CCI blue capsules are available but they do not do the job of the old crimp ended ones. If you are going to pay from 50 cent to almost a dollar a piece, a person wants what he wants not a substitute. Great article, otherwise.
What do you think of Eley?
Eley Team is all I use for NRL22 and NRL22X matches. Runs great, sub-MOA at 100 and spins a KYL rack like nobody's business.
Very surprised that CCI Minin mag nor Aguila Super Extra weren’t in the mix. Both cycle semiautomatic rifles and pistols with exceptionally high reliability. Copper cladding reduces fouling. Forty grain at 1200 FPS is huntable too. Why the omission?
Reliability is my #1 criteria in buying ammo. .22 firearms in general are just finicky, and that goes double for semi-autos that need enough blowback gas to cycle properly. I have found that 40 grain bullets rated for 1200 fps provide enough force to cycle just about any semiauto, including the notoriously picky Walther P22. Also, copper plated rounded bullets tend to feed better in stock guns than plain lead round noses, which can get hung up on just about any sharp edge or feed ramp imperfection. Finally, hyper velocity rounds like the Yellow Jacket cause problems with some of my guns with unpredictable case ejection issues and unburned powder flares.
Some companies like Norma put a lot of lubricant on the outside of the rounds to improve feeding and ejection in tight match chambers. I find this messy and annoying.
My go-to ammo for reliability? CCI Mini-Mags or CCI Velocitors. They just never fail to feed, fire, or eject. After that I'll take any high velocity (1200 fps class) copper plated round nose ammo from a reputable company like Winchester, Fiocchi, or Remington. I stay away from 22 subsonic ammo, super-light bullets, odd bullet shapes, and especially no-name brands. For me there's just no point in ammo that won't cycle the action properly, no matter how cheap, accurate, or novel.
Absolutely! I’ve recently added Aguila Super Extra to my CCI Minimag stock. Over 400 rounds in my semiautomatic pistols and rifles with rarely a failure to eject feed or fire.
Yes those are pretty good also. The gold standard for reliability is CCI MiniMags/Velocitors/AR Tactical. I've also had perfect reliability from Fiocchi Performance and Federal Champion. But I would put Aguila Super Extra (both 36 and 40 grain) right up there near the top for reliability as well.
Love CCI Stingers, too. High velocity HP that seem to feed and extract well. They’re not cheap anymore, but what is these days?
All the .22 LR I have is CCI Stingers and Standard Velocity. I have a small coffee can of mixed randoms for when I need to put down a chicken or cat.
I am one of your faithfuls in Australia. I do not know if you have SK ammo in America. Here I use the SK Rifle Match and Pistol Match. Excellent. Never had a failure, accuracy is great, you should try some if available.
Love SK ammo!
This article is very out of date and will be updated soon!
Eley ammo from England makes a very nice ammo. Cleaner burning than most and my GSG Firefly LOVES it.
Remington Thunderbolts are DIRTY. You really have to CLEAN your weapon after 50-100rds and I mean CLEAN IT. The barrel will get fouled and the breach is so dirty, it's ridiculous. I'm working on my last boxes and... never again.
The Federal 800 box is a good buy and seems to run well.
Before the Covid drought on ammo, I was able to regularly get Armscore 22lrhp rounds for $19.99 for a 500 round brick at Rural King, which is (was) a great price. Accuracy wise it was right in there with CCI Mini Mags. It shoots about one moa out of my Ruger 10/22 target. Fortunately, I had bought a few bricks before the drought hit. If I had known it was going to be like it is now however, I would have bought a whole lot more. It's the best. 22lr "bang for the buck" I've found anywhere. I absolutely can't wait until they're back on the shelf.
The "RWS" is the only brand and item i have not tried in your list and normally use the CCI and Fiocchi as well as the Winchester. Although i was hoping ot see a mention of a few 22WMR brands that are as good? I do already buy CCI and Fiocchi in the WMR but any other brands really good for target competition shooting?
Plinking is no fun if you can't hit what you're shooting at. Not all ammo needs to be match grade, but: In my experience shooting both with a Ruger Precision Rimfire and a Henry H001 lever-action, the Remington Auto Match ammo is terrible. Flyers everywhere, making you chase your targeting when it's actually your ammo that can't hit s**t. It's cheap but not worth the frustration.
Correction: I intended to say Federal Auto Match. I have a box (less about 50 rounds) that I will never shoot because it is just terrible.
Agree the automatch is flunky ammo, but at about 6.5 cents a round we buy it anyway...when we use it we have an easy excuse for lousy shooting, and making cheap noise is still fun...
Auto Match truly is horrible ammunition. I can not think of one plinking session where I have not experienced multiple different issues. I have never had a squib but every once in awhile I hear a low pop rather than the typical 22lr report which requires time down for a safety inspection. I wouldn’t even bother with them if I didn’t have a good supply that were purchased for a few cents a round. Good enough for plinking with family and it certainly offers good opportunities to teach others how to handle random malfunctions properly and safely.
Remington everything does the same things in my 22's. Model 60s, 10/22s, RPR, Henry lever all like CCI.
What about Eley Tenex? All my Anschutz rifles live this and it wins international matches.
HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE update to this article coming soon! Not positive that will be on the list but we're trying!
You should definitely add Eley Tenex to the list!
Growing up on a farm where we butchered our own meat the bullet of choice as a .22 short fired point blank from a single shot rifle. No mention was ever made of other bullet specs only that the bullet had to be a .22 short otherwise the bullet could travel into the shoulder meat.
If today's kids had to watch or participate in this up close and personal style of animal slaughter and see the results of being shot then there would be far fewer kids playing with guns.
Yep, I can still remember my dad using my Marlin .22lr rifle for a head shot at very close range to kill our hog to start the process.
The 'gator hunters cable show also mostly use .22 rifles to kill them with a head shot.
Joining late to the discussion, but I have found Remington bulk stuff consistently gums up my autos, pistols and rifles alike, and frequently fails to extract or cycle, with failure to fire problems caused by what I speculate is hard brass primed rims. My Browning Auto22 is the worst victim of this with its bottom ejection of gunk down through it bolt and rail system. Very disappointing ammo. The Winchester T22 bulk stuff is even worse, with regular failure to fire from 'bad' primers, even in my various bolt actions, including a Win. 52C.
I also found that the only 'general use' brands consistently reliable, 'good' cycling, clean and accurate are the Federal Auto Match and Champion you mentioned, and CCI throughout their line. It is all I will buy, when on sale if possible.
Eric, the Aquilla Super Extra is a high velocity round. The one you're thinking of is the Aquilla Super Colibri, that is the one that is driven by only a primer charge. To make it a little more confusing, the Aguilla Colibri is driven by the primer plus a very small powder charge.
My favorite low power round is the CCI Super Quiet, it is a .22 short powder charge in a .22 LR case, it sounds and hits like a magnum pellet rifle, it won't cycle but it's fun in my bolt action.
Good catch! Thanks for pointing that out, I've fixed it.
actually the Colabri is the slower at 420 ( pistol only) the super calabri is 520 (most rifles have chance to clear bore, older tight bore rifles may not but listed as pistol only), I use the super daily for squirrel, get the job done with ear and eye shots!
The Remington ammo left my gun FILTHY! Not to mention the rounds themselves are covered in lead powder. I also have had cycling problems with this ammo. I would not recommend.
SK rifle match ammo! Nothing else
Maybe you should update this? Thunderbolt? Really? Have you ever shot Thunderbolts, and pulled chunks of lead out of the barrrel? Meanwhile Federal 550 is selling for 20 bucks at Walmart and they are loaded with them, and I just shot over 700 in my pistol, without cleaning, and may go a few hundred more. And not one dud. You are lucky to shoot 10 Thunderturds without a dud. Maybe that's why you get them at Luck Gougers. I have a brick of Thunderbolts I may give away, if anyone will take it. I seriously doubt they are the best value for anything, except screwing up your firearm.
You are absolutely correct. I keep my thunderbolt as shtf barter ammo. It is the worst for reliability. CCI rarely ever lets me down.
Good assessment. Thunderbolts are the worst rounds I've ever fired. I just bought a case of Armscor 22 lr ammo that's been treating me very good!!
Peter,
Same experience with Thunderbolt here. At about one hundred rounds, they began to keyhole my targets and became very inaccurate. Took forever to remove the lead from my relatively new MP 22 and ruined a new bore brush. Thank goodness I had bore snake that finished the job. Shoot cci and Agulla and never have inconsistency and leading issues that that I had with TB.