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Rimfire Ammo

.22 WMR Ammo

In stock from $0.22 / round · 9 of 11 products available now

More reach and more authority than .22 LR at several times the price per round: a working rimfire rather than a plinking one.

In stock today

Cost per round
$0.22 to $0.50
3 Brands
CCI, Speer, Winchester
Bullet weights
30, 40, 46 grain
Pack sizes
50, 125, 200, 500, 2,000 rounds

Order before 4:00 PM ET on a business day and it ships the same day, then 1 to 5 business days in transit depending on how far it travels. You will see the arrival date before you pay.

Learn more about .22 WMR

At a glance

Also known as
.22 Magnum, .22 Mag, .22 WMR
Common bullet weights
30, 40 and 45 grain
Typical use
Varmints and small game past .22 LR range
Before you buy
It will not chamber in a .22 LR rifle, and .22 LR must never be fired in a .22 WMR chamber
Age to purchase
21+ (the federal licensed-dealer minimum for ammunition suitable for a handgun, applied as TAS policy)

.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (.22 Magnum, or .22 WMR) is what you buy when .22 LR runs out of reach. It fires a similar-diameter bullet from a longer, larger-capacity case at substantially higher velocity, which extends the useful range on small game and varmints considerably and hits with meaningfully more authority when it gets there. It costs several times what .22 LR costs per round, it is louder, and like all rimfire it cannot be reloaded. It is not a plinking cartridge; it is a working one.

What to know before buyingCommon questions

Before you buy

What to know about .22 WMR

What people buy it for

  • Small game and predator hunting past .22 LR range
  • Pest and varmint control on farms and property
  • Trapline and utility rifles
  • Compact defensive revolvers and pistols, in short-barrel loads

It is not a hot .22 LR, and the chambers are not shared

.22 WMR uses a larger-diameter case than .22 LR. A .22 LR cartridge dropped into a .22 WMR chamber sits loose and can rupture on firing; .22 WMR will not chamber in a .22 LR gun at all. Some revolvers ship with two cylinders so they can shoot both; that is the only correct way to do it. Never assume a ".22 magnum" gun will safely fire .22 LR.

Barrel length changes the value proposition

.22 WMR is loaded with slower powder that needs barrel length to burn. From a rifle it delivers what the cartridge promises. From a short revolver or pistol barrel, a great deal of that velocity is never realised and arrives instead as blast and flash, which narrows the gap to .22 LR considerably while keeping the higher price. If your .22 Magnum is a handgun, look for ammunition designed for short barrels.

30, 40 and 45 grain do different work

30gr loads are the fastest and flattest and come apart readily: a varmint choice. 40gr is the standard general-purpose weight, jacketed hollow point for game and FMJ where you want penetration and less damage. 45gr loads are slower and heavier and give the deepest penetration. Match the bullet to whether you want the animal stopped or the pelt intact.

Rimfire means no reloading and lot variation

As with all rimfire, the priming compound is spun into the case rim rather than seated as a separate component, so occasional duds are part of the deal and the cases are consumables. Different lots can group differently in the same rifle. Buying a consistent quantity of one lot for anything that matters is worth doing.

Questions

Common questions

Can I shoot .22 LR in a .22 WMR firearm?

No, not unless the gun has a dedicated .22 LR cylinder or barrel made for it. The .22 WMR case is larger in diameter, so a .22 LR round sits loose in the chamber and the case can split or rupture when fired. Some revolvers are sold with convertible cylinders specifically to allow both. Absent that, keep them apart.

Is .22 WMR worth the extra cost over .22 LR?

For work that .22 LR cannot do (small game and varmints at longer range, more decisive terminal effect), yes. For volume plinking and teaching new shooters, absolutely not; .22 LR costs a fraction as much and does that job better. Most people who own both use them for entirely separate purposes rather than treating one as an upgrade.

Why is my .22 Magnum revolver so loud?

Because the powder is designed to burn in a rifle barrel and a short handgun barrel does not give it the distance. What is not converted into velocity leaves the muzzle as pressure, which you experience as blast, flash and noise. Manufacturers make .22 WMR loads specifically optimised for handgun barrels; they are worth seeking out if you shoot one.

Can .22 WMR be reloaded?

No. It is a rimfire cartridge: the priming compound is distributed inside the case rim during manufacture, and the case is deformed by the firing pin when it fires. There is no primer pocket to reprime. Every rimfire case is a consumable, which is part of why the per-round price matters so much.

How much does .22 WMR cost per round?

.22 WMR runs from $0.22 to $0.50 per round in stock right now. Every price on the page carries its cost per round beside it, so the comparison is one glance rather than arithmetic.

Is it cheaper to buy .22 WMR by the case?

Usually, yes. We stock .22 WMR from 50 rounds up to 2,000, and the cost per round beside each price is what shows whether a particular case actually beats the box. It is not automatic: a discounted box sometimes wins.

Which brands of .22 WMR do you stock?

CCI, Speer and Winchester are in stock in .22 WMR today. Stock changes as the feed runs, so the list on the page is the current one.

What bullet weights does .22 WMR come in?

The .22 WMR in stock runs 30, 40, 46 grain. Weight changes how the round feels and where it prints more than most shooters expect, so it is worth matching what you already shoot.

Is .22 WMR in stock?

9 of the 11 .22 WMR products we list are in stock right now. Out of stock items stay on the page rather than disappearing, so a link you saved still works and you can see what normally sits here.

Related calibers

Further reading