If you’ve ever shopped for .22 ammo, there’s a chance you’ve come across more than just the popular .22LR. For example, it’s not uncommon for newer shooters to mix up the .22 Long with the .22 Long Rifle.

In order to help you keep things straight, we’re going to take a closer look at the different types of .22 ammo.

.22 Ammo Size Chart

Caliber	Year Designed	Bullet Diameter	Case Length	Overall Length	Max. Pressure	Parent Case
.22 Short	1857	.222"	.421"	.695"	21,000 psi
.22 Long	1871	.222"	.613"	.888"	24,000 psi	.22 Short
.22 LR	1887	.223" - .2255"	.613"	1"	24,000 psi	.22 Long
.22 Extra Long	1887	.223"	.750"	1.16"	26,000 psi
.22 WRF	1890	.2285"	.965"	1.180"	19,000 psi
.22 WMR	1959	.224"	1.055"	1.350"	24,000 psi	.22 WRF
.22 Hornet	1930	.224"	1.403"	1.723"	44,000 psi

Types of .22 Ammo

Some of the types of .22 ammo you might come across include:

• .22 LR
• .22 WMR
• .22 WRF
• .22 Long
• .22 Extra Long
• .22 Short

Now let’s take a look at these types of .22 ammo available.

.22 Short

The .22 Short is the oldest American cartridge. Smith & Wesson first introduced the .22 Short in 1857 for use in their First Model revolver. The original round used black powder and a 29- or 30-grain bullet, but was eventually converted to smokeless powder. 

The round was originally intended for self defense, but is now popular as a short range plinking round. Because of its light recoil and relatively quiet blast, .22 Short became a popular choice for shooting galleries at arcades and fairs. It was even used in the Olympics ISSF 25 meter rapid fire pistol event up until 2004.

While the .22 Short is not a great all-around varmint hunting round, high velocity loadings are adequate on birds and small-game like squirrels under 50 yards.

You can shoot the .22 Short in guns chambered for .22 LR, however, most semi-autos will not function properly with the shorter round.

.22 Long Rifle

Names: .22 Long Rifle, .22 LR

The .22 Long Rifle, or .22 LR, is the most popular type of .22 ammo. If you have a modern .22 pistol, it’s more than likely that it is chambered to shoot .22 LR ammo. 

American gun manufacturer J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company first introduced the .22 LR in 1887 by combining the case of the .22 Long with a 40-grain bullet. This gave the round a longer overall length, faster muzzle velocity, and improved performance. The .22 LR is a rimfire round using a heeled bullet, meaning the bullet is the same diameter as the case. 

The .22 LR is the most popular rimfire round in the country, commonly used in all sorts of firearms, including semi-auto pistols, revolvers, bolt rifles, semi-auto rifles, and more. 

.22 Long

The next caliber, .22 Long, is often confused with .22 Long Rifle, however, it is actually 16 years older than the Long Rifle. Originally, the .22 Long was a black powder cartridge designed for use in revolvers. Its design is based on the .22 Short and was originally made for use in revolvers, but also saw use in rifles as well. 

High-velocity .22 Long rounds have velocities between the .22 Short and .22 LR, however it is not as accurate as either round. It is a short-range, small-game round that is slightly more powerful than the .22 Short.

Many guns chambered for the .22 LR will also fire the .22 Long, however the .22 Long’s lower pressures are generally not strong enough to cycle semi-autos.

.22 Extra Long

A sub-caliber of the .22 Long is the .22 Extra Long. The .22 Extra Long used 40gr. outside-lubricated bullets (later adapted for the .22 LR) with 6 grains of black powder in a .22 Long case. This gave it a longer overall length and higher muzzle energy than the .22 Long.

Because of its length, the .22 Extra Long does not fit in .22 LR chambers. However, you can shoot .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle through a .22 Extra Long chamber. 

.22 WMR

Names: .22 WMR, .Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .22 Magnum, .22 Mag, .22 WMRF, .22 Win Mag

Winchester introduced the .22 WMR round in 1959 as a more powerful .22 WRF. The .22 WMR is one of the more popular types of .22 ammo in the modern day. The round is more powerful and nearly twice as effective at distance than the .22 LR. That being said, it is also more expensive, louder, and more destructive on small game than the .22LR as well. 

You cannot shoot .22 WMR ammo through a .22 LR gun. A .22 WMR round will not fit in the chamber of a .22 LR because of its greater length and width. You can also not fire a .22 LR round out of a .22 WMR gun as it could result in swollen or split cartridges. 

There are many modern rifle and pistols chambered in teh caliber, giving shooters many options for shooting .22 WMR.

.22 WRF

Names: .22 WRF, .22 Winchester Rimfire, .22 Remington Special

Winchester introduced the .22 Winchester Rimfire in 1890 for its Winchester M1890 slide rifle. The round is nearly identical to the .22 Remington Special, with only the bullet shape differentiating the two. Unlike the .22 Short, Long, Long Rifle, and Extra Long that use heeled bullets, the .22 WRF uses a flat-base inside lubricated bullet, giving it a larger case diameter. 

Its velocities are roughly 400fps faster than original .22 LR loads, and is more reliable than .22 LR on small animals out to 75 yards. 

In modern times, the .22 WRF is not very popular as there are no modern guns chambered in the caliber. The .22 WRF can be fired in guns chambered in the more powerful .22 WMR.

Other Types of .22 Ammo

While we’ve covered some of the most popular types of .22 ammo, there are also some other less-common .22 rounds you may stumble upon. For example, the .22 Winchester Automatic can only be used in one gun, the Winchester Model 1903 rifle, and is now a collector’s item.

While some of the .22 calibers look close in size, it’s important to use the correct ammo in your .22 gun. You may be able to use some .22 ammo interchangeably, but you should check with your gun’s manufacturer or a gunsmith before using it.