The Best 22LR Ammo for Varmint Hunting

The .22 Long Rifle is the benchmark of the hunting industry. I say benchmark because of two things. First of all, almost all the hunters out there began their hunting career with the .22lr rifle. Secondly, this is still the most favorite rifle to use in hunting the small animals, which coincidentally, are the most hunted of all. And how do you get to choose the best 22lr ammo for your 22 Long Range rifle?

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Factor to Consideration when Choosing Best 22lr Ammo

Pricing

Unlike the case with most of the other products you know off, the price doesn’t necessarily determine the quality of a bullet. I would, therefore, discourage anyone from considering the price of 22lr ammo as a buying prerequisite. Some expensive ammunitions are very reliable, same as with some relatively cheap products.

Velocity

The 22lr rifle has been designed for use in hunting the small and fast animals. In a twinkle of an eye, you can end up losing the rabbit or coyote and other fast and swift animals. Every single minute utilized counts a lot. That is the reason why it is recommendable that you go for the fastest bullet possible. Though a minimal speed of 900 feet per second is the minimum recommended speed for such guns, some bullets are able to travel for up to 1100 ft per second and beyond. I would recommend you go for such.

Bullet Technology

The best 22lr ammo for the 1970s may not be very relevant for the market today. This is because just as technology has been advancing in other sectors, the gun industry hasn’t been left behind.

Some technologies within the bullet industry, such as the AccuTip feature are much sought after today. This is especially when you are seeking to get the maximum destruction of the target. Imagine how much that coyote has been a nuisance to your flock and herd. You don’t want to imagine a scenario where it is just limping to the woods, not sure whether it will die or not. All you want is an instant assurance. The AccuTip feature has been designed in bullets to ensure that the bullet effect expands after penetration thus causing devastating tissue injury.

Durability

How can just a metal have durability as a determining factor? Ammo durability can be defined in two ways. First is about the durability of the ammo itself and secondly, its impact on the gun. Some ammunition are very corrosive, an aspect that can really reduce the durability of your gun barrel and muzzle. This can cause a lot of damage to your pockets. It is, therefore, important to consider going for ammo that is non-corrosive.

On the other side, the ammo itself needs to be able to withstand difficult situations. One important feature that necessitates this is the waterproof performance. All the ammo you know off come with some gun powder. Once the gun powder is soaked, your ammo becomes of no use anymore. You don’t know where rain or any other environmental or accidental occurrence will catch you from. As a result, you want a piece of ammo that is capable of withstanding any form of water and moisture. The best 22lr ammo is, therefore, that which is marked water resistant.

Barrel Energy

In most cases, this will be determined by the barrel type of the 22 long range rifles you own. But upon holding all factors constant, you need to go for the highest energy possible. This is because higher energy ideally means higher velocity and higher penetration power. The force of impact will obviously determine how lethal a shot will be.

The Best 22lr Ammo on the Market

Federal Premium® .22 LR Gold Medal Ammunition

Simmons 511039 3 - 9 x 32mm .22 Mag(R) Matte Black Riflescope

Editor Rating

Champion shooters hold this ammo dearly as it has been their global champion for a long time. The American made loads have been designed to offer the users premium-quality consistency and accuracy for hunting, competitive shooting, and training. It comes with a travel speed of 1080 fps. It is because of its great accuracy and performance consistency that has made it be a choice of all the serious military marksmen and shooters for over two decades. It has won Olympic athletes numerous gold and silver medals.

​Ballistic Information

  • 104 ft. pounds of Muzzle energy
  • Subsonic velocity rating
  • 1080 fps muzzle velocity

Technical Information

  • 22 Long Rifle caliber types
  • Lead Match Bullet Style
  • 40 Grains Bullet Weight

Though quite expensive, this is one of the most durable, easy to use, accurate and best 22lr ammo thus highly recommendable. One other important factor that makes me recommend this piece of product for is its availability. Unlike most of the other ammo types which may be available seasonally, you are almost certain that whenever you want the ammo, you will find it on the market.

Remington® Premier® Varmint Ammunition

Simmons 511039 3 - 9 x 32mm .22 Mag(R) Matte Black Riflescope

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This product produces an unsurpassed combination retained high velocity, accuracy and flat trajectory that is very explosive in the game. The caliber coefficient is extremely small thereby producing a long-range accuracy. And with its AccuTip hollow core on its tip, a high momentum is built before it smashes into the target to produce an explosive fragmentation.

AccuTip bullet design produces rapid expansion thereby transferring energy after penetration. And with the non-corrosive reloadable boxer primed brass case, thus producing one of the most durable ammo within the platform.

Technical Information

  • Brass case type
  • 55-grain bullet weight
  • AccuTip bullet style

It is worth noting that the ammo offers perfect performance within 100 yards. However, only the first few shots will be great on the 200-yard mark. The rest are discouraging. However, just as is the case with other Remington products that are known for quality, this is a valuable product worth using for your shooting expeditions.

Hornady® .22 Magnum Rimfire Ammunition

Simmons 511039 3 - 9 x 32mm .22 Mag(R) Matte Black Riflescope

Editor Rating

This is yet another product featuring as one of the best 22lr ammo. It has been designed for small game hunting and plinking. The ammo features a polymer tip that promotes devastating expansion and enhanced accuracy. The polymer tip also stabilizes the bullet while in flight while at the same time increasing the ballistic coefficient. I will use this non-corrosive new production and still recommend it to a friend.

​Ballistic Information

  • 2,200 fps muzzle velocity

Technical Information

  • V-Max bullet style
  • 30-grain bullet weight
  • 22lr Winchester Magnum Rimfire Caliber

Being one of the best 2lr ammo, it has been designed around the famous hard-hitting performance V-Max bullet Hornady. It is the best bet for the long-range shooting.

CCI® Pistol Shotshell Ammunition

Simmons 511039 3 - 9 x 32mm .22 Mag(R) Matte Black Riflescope

Editor Rating

This 22lr ammunition came into the field with a revolutionary performance. It is a Hollowpoint caliber type, featuring a 32 grain and long case plate for greater powder capacity. This is not at the expense of the product’s overall length. Its design, accuracy and overall performance make it one of the best 22lr ammo for coyote, raccoon, rabbit and fox hunting.

​Ballistic Information

  • 1640 fps muzzle velocity

Technical Information

  • 32-grain bullet weight
  • 22lr Hollowpoint caliber

Seek for the reviews of the users who have used the bullet before. Most of them aren't even able to estimate the number of small animals they have killed with this bullet type.

Norma-USA TAC-22 Rimfire Ammo

Simmons 511039 3 - 9 x 32mm .22 Mag(R) Matte Black Riflescope

Editor Rating

This is yet another great USA made bullet that sets the eyes of its users on precision shooting. This is because it has precisely been designed and manufactured to deliver outstanding performance even after several shots have been made. Its precision thus makes it the perfect solution for target shooting at long ranges and for varmint hunting. To complement its production even further, it features a non-corrosive and new production performance.

​Ballistic Information

  • 40-grain bullet weight
  • Lead round-nose bullet style
  • 22lr caliber type

Technical Information

  • 110 ft lbs muzzle energy
  • 1100 fps muzzle velocity

It is not only because of Norma’s reputation as a superior ammo producing company that I recommend you buy this product. It is because the product itself speaks much as to what accuracy and performance it can deliver.

Conclusion

The CCI tends to carry the day on this list. This is after you consider both the accuracy and performance in relation to the price. It is a very accurate piece of ammunition that you can guarantee its accuracy no matter the varmint or animal you are trying to hunt, and in whatever distance. All in all, the choice of ammo to go for will absolutely be determined by the jury. You are the jury!

3 thoughts on “The Best 22LR Ammo for Varmint Hunting”

  1. I don’t think the shot shell image was meant to have all the text about coyote, raccoon, rabbit and fox hunting and talk about hollow point underneath it.

    Reply
    • Right on all accounts. The .22lr shotshell will chew a nice hole in a venomous snake at about 6-8 feet from a 4” revolver. The blue capsule .38 will work on squirrels at 25 feet from a 4” revolver. I have the red capsule Big 4 shell but haven’t used it yet. What I don’t get is why they recommend solid .22 rounds for varmints. I can’t tell you how many rabbits, squirrels and what ever else I’ve lost with good hits using solids that would’ve been dropped using expanding ammo. Through testing and trial I’ve settled on the Winchester Super-X hollow-point 222, 333,. .fill in the blank. It’s available, affordable, accurate and expands from a 4” revolver. They do suffer from frequent dud rounds. If I could just figure out to pull Wincher bullets and crimp them on CCI Velocitor shells!!

      Reply

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