On his Facebook page, Tactical competitor Bryan Sikes posted a photo of a rimfire rig we really liked. Brian works at GA Precision. He and fellow GAP gunsmith Anthony Soukup built this rifle. With a modified Rem 40X action, Manners stock, Bartlein barrel, and Mack Brothers suppressor, this rig has top-quality components stem to stern. And Bryan tells us this rifle performs as good as it looks: “This is the baddest little .22 LR trainer ever. I’m stoked about it. With the barrel length and can, it’s the exact length of my regular comp rigs.” With length, balance, and ergonomics near identical to Bryan’s centerfire competition rifles, this 40X is a superb training tool.

Many readers wanted to know about the bottom metal and the detachable box magazine. Bryan Sike reveals: “The magazine setup is designed specifically to replicate my actual competition rifles. The bottom metal is for use with AI magazines and uses a standard M5 type inlet just like any centerfire completion rifle. In this case with the .22LR, Mike Bush designed a high reliability rimfire magazine using the same outside dimensions as an AI magazine. This rifle was built no different from any other. The action was modified and trued, barreled, fully bedded, etc. using ALL components common to centerfire match rifles.” The Rem 40X action was modified by Modacam Custom Rifles to work as a repeater with box mags.

Bryan adds that a new rimfire action is in the works: “My preference is modified Remington 40X actions and the soon-to-be available, V-22 action from Mike Bush. Both of which are TRUE repeaters and don’t feed from a Savage magazine. This rifle feels nothing like a .22 LR and that was the whole point.”

Why You Need a .22 LR Tactical Cross-Trainer
Many guys who shoot long-range tactical matches practice with .22 LR rifles of similar configuration. Rimfire ammo is way more affordable than centerfire, you do not need a big range facility, and shooting rimfire saves wear and tear on your centerfire rifle. Further, for learning how to read the wind, there really is no better training tool than a .22 LR, even as close as 50 yards.

Our Friend “DesertFrog”, who shoots tactical matches in Southern California, explains: “I used to shoot an average of 200 rounds of .308 Match ammo a month for training (50 per weekend). These days I shoot maybe an average of 50 rounds of .308 Win per month and probably around 600 rounds of .22 LR. Using mainly the .22 LR for practice did NOT hurt my standings in actual competitions. I shot my .308 just as well in matches, but saved the cost of hundreds of rounds of .308. If I didn’t reload and was still buying boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Win [at $1.90/round], this would be a savings of [$350 per month on the centerfire ammo.]” Money saved is money earned.

Targets for Rimfire Cross-Training

SPECIAL BONUS–Rimfire Tactical Precision Targets These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .ZIP archive.

This article was originally written by noted rimfire gunsmith Bill Myers. Sadly, Bill passed away in May 2010, but his legacy lives on. He pioneered many advancements in rimfire gunsmithing and Myers-built guns still win matches in benchrest competition.

Crafting competitive rimfire benchrest rifles is considered an art as much as a science. The smith must understand subtle, yet critical aspects of vibration control, barrel tuning, and rifle balance. In the United States, only a handful of gunsmiths consistently turn out rimfire BR rifles that consistently run at the front of the pack at major matches. Bill Myers was one of those master craftsmen. In this article Bill discussed the process of building a winning rimfire BR rig. He reveals some interesting secrets, including his procedures for testing bedding performance and his barrel indexing system. Bill’s methods obviously work, as the Suhl-actioned rifle featured here won a truckload of trophies in its very first match.

Building a Match-Winning Rimfire Benchrest Rig

by Bill Myers
In my opinion, a winning rimfire benchrest rifle is probably twice as difficult to build as a competitive centerfire rifle. The relatively slow .22 LR bullets stay in the barrel much longer than centerfire bullets. This means that vibration control is critical. Likewise bedding is critical. Bore finish and lapping are very important. The amount of bore taper or “choke” can have a huge effect on accuracy. Ignition is also very important and above all, rimfire BR rifles need a very stable stock that tracks perfectly. A rimfire that shoots great is a marriage of all components and the shooter’s need to be aware of everything possible.

Click Photo to Zoom

The rifle featured in this article was built from scratch with attention to all the details that go into accuracy. The goal was to build a gun that could win from the get-go. This would be a “Spec Gun”, meaning a rifle that was personally tested and tuned by me for optimum performance before it went out to the customer.

The Suhl trigger is as good as it gets so no change was needed. It easily adjusts down to about 2 ounces.

Baer Stock in Bubinga Wood
There are many choices when you start to build a complete rifle. It has to shoot well and it has to catch ones eye, or it’s just another rifle on the line. I prefer wood stocks on rimfires for two reasons: they are very stable if the right wood is used and they have a certain traditional appeal to many shooters. I chose Bubinga wood for this particular gun because it is very stable and heavy, it has a very dense grain and a very pronounced figure with a natural red color. The Bubinga is a very forgiving wood to work with.

Gerry and Bruce Baer in Pennsylvania do all my stock blanks. I do all my own inletting and bedding. The blank weighed 4.5 pounds when it came off of Bruce Baer’s duplicator. This Bubinga wood is so hard that it did not need pillars, but I put them in anyway. I bed all my stocks with Loctite Steel Bed liquid and add filler to desired thickness. The final bedding is done with an aircraft tooling epoxy that does not deteriorate over time. The stock has an ebony butt plate and 6 coats of automotive clear, polished to a high finish.

Suhl 150-1 Action
Accurized and BN-Nickel Plated
I used a new, unfired Suhl 150-1 action. As explained in the sidebar below, the Suhl 150 actions were originally crafted in East Germany for position rifles. They have a very fast lock-time and come with an outstanding trigger. However, they need some work when adapted to a modern BR gun. The action needed to be accurized and threaded. I have a special tool that I use to accurize actions. It uses two sets of spiders for dialing-in the bolt raceway. After the bolt raceway is running true, one can thread and true up all bearing surfaces so that everything is in perfect alignment with the action raceway bore.

BN-Nitride Plating on Action
I decided to plate the action and all bolt parts with Boron Nitride nickel plating. I bough the BN Electroless Nickel Kit from Caswell Plating and did the job myself. I started by bead-blasting the action so that it would end up with a “satin” finish. The plating material is then applied in a tank. The Boron Nitride goes directly into the plating solution, but you need to use a pump to keep the solution agitated so the BN distributes evenly.

Once the action is completely ready (the metal must be perfectly prepped, with no contaminants), the process goes easily and can be completed in about half an hour. The end result is a very slick, low-friction finish, that is .0002″ (two ten-thousandths) thick and hard as glass. The Boron Nitride makes everything very smooth. After the plating job, the action was noticeably slicker than before.

The cone breech (photo below) permits the barrel to be INDEXED (rotated around bore axis) to any position on the clockface. You then test various rotation settings to find the best accuracy. The system does work. Some barrels shoot best in a particular rotational setting. E.g. with index mark at 3 O’clock vs. 12 O’clock.

Fitting and Chambering the Barrel
As for a barrel, I had two good choices: one Shilen 1:16″-twist, 4-groove ratchet and one Benchmark 1:16″-twist, 3-groove. Both barrels were very accurate and at the end, I decided to leave the Shilen on the rifle because I wanted to put the Benchmark on another Suhl I’ve set aside for myself. I chambered the barrel for Eley flat nose EPS. We’ve found the gun also shoots the new Lapua X-ACT ammo very well.

The barrel finished at 25″ long and features a tuner by the Harrell brothers of Salem, Virginia. I use a flat 90° crown–it’s the most accurate and its gives a good seal against the tuner. I also use a 45°, 12-flute cutter that leaves no burr when cutting the crown. This chamfer protects the crown when cleaning the barrel. There is no sharp edge for the brush or jag to hit on the return stroke. The barrel was headspaced at .043″ and I use a tapered reamer ground by Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge in Oregon. The chamber leade area is lightly polished to remove reamer burrs. The breech end of the barrel is machined with a 1/2″ ball end mill to produce what I call a “Myers cone breech.” Technically, it has a sloping radius as you can see, rather than a straight-sided cone. Finishing the breech in this fashion facilitates indexing the barrel, as the barrel can be rotated to any position (on the clockface), without requiring new extractor cuts.

Accuracy Testing with Both Barrels
I tested the rifle indoors at 50 yards at the Piney Hill Benchrest Club range. There was no finish on the stock, but it shot well in my one-piece rest with the Benchmark 16-twist, 3-groove barrel and no added weight on the tuner. I shot 30 rounds of Eley Match EPS Black Box (1064 fps) and had 25 Xs and five 10s on the IR 50/50 style target. Not too shabby for a new barrel with no special break-in.

When the Shilen barrel arrived, I installed it on the rifle. By this time the stock had been clear-coated and finished, and the action had been polished and plated. I shot the Shilen barrel outside since it was too hot in the building. The first target was a 250-19X with a new lot of Eley Match EPS Black Box (1054 fps). The gun shot well. My friend Tony Blosser asked to shoot the gun, and he drilled a 250-20X in a steady wind using the same Eley ammo. See target at right.

Trial by Fire — Shooting the Gun in Competition
After semi-gluing in the action, the rifle was shooting great. So, I decided to take it to the Maryland State Unlimited Championship to see if it was truly competitive — whether it could “run with the big dogs”. As it turns out, the Bubinga Suhl was more than just competitive. The rifle won three of the six cards and won the meters championship. In the photo below you can see all the trophies the gun won in its very first match. One of the other competitors in Maryland, dazzled (and perhaps a bit daunted) by the Bubinga Suhl’s stellar performance, told me: “Sell that gun Bill. Whatever you do, just get that darn rifle out of here.” Confident that this was a rifle capable of winning major matches, I packed up the rifle and shipped it to Dan Killough in Texas. Killough has shot some impressive scores with the gun.

* Bill Myers actually created his own clamping rimfire action to facilitate barrel indexing. CLICK HERE to view Myers Rimfire Action. To index the barrel, Myers simply loosened three clamping-bolts and rotated the barrel in the action. Because there is no thread to pull the barrel in or out, the headspace stays the same no matter how much the barrel is rotated. With a threaded action, you might have to use shims to test different rotational positions, or otherwise re-set the shoulder with each change.

Winchester’s new “Introduction to Ammunition — Ammo 101” is a four-part series including custom illustrations and information for four major ammunition categories: rifle, pistol, rimfire, and shotshell. The Ammo 101 series provides a detailed overview of centerfire rifle, centerfire pistol, rimfire, and shotshell ammunition, showcasing ammunition construction, components, calibers, and common usage. The Ammo 101 resource is free to download from Winchesters.mediaassets.com. Or, simply click one or more diagrams below. Each image will launch a large PDF which you can print or download.

TIP: Click Each Image for Full-Screen Printable PDF

Shown below are the first four ammunition information sheets prepared by Winchester. These show all the key components of cartridges and shotshells, and explain the functions. These diagrams are useful for training, and for persons getting started in reloading.

Ammo 101 Centerfire Rifle Cartridge Diagram (click for PDF)

Ammo 101 Rimfire Cartridge Diagram (click for printable PDF)

Ammo 101 Pistol Cartridge Diagram (click for printable PDF)

Ammo101 Shotshell Diagram (click for printable PDF)

About the Ammo 101 Series
The FREE Ammo 101 resources can help instructors nationwide who introduce new entrants to the shooting sports and hunting. Instructors can incorporate these resources into their training presentations, use them as handouts, or have them printed locally.

“The basics of ammunition… is what we want to deliver with the Ammo 101 series,” said Matt Campbell, Winchester V.P. of Sales & Marketing. “With millions of people across the United States starting their journey in the shooting sports as new firearm owners, providing easy-to-understand information on ammunition types is one way we can help educate our customers.”

In recent years, the ranks of first-time gun buyers have grown dramatically. Millions of Americans have purchased their first-ever handgun. With so many handgun options (from derringers to Desert Eagles) many first-time buyers have trouble making a choice. What should those millions of new gun buyers have acquired first? Perhaps it should have been a rimfire revolver. Here is why…

The Argument for a Rimfire Revolver
Some years back, a close relative contacted this Editor. Wanting to get started in handgunning, he sought my advice on purchasing his very first handgun. “Should I get a Glock?”, he asked. “No” was my response. “Well how about an M&P?” he inquired. “Better ergos” I said, “but ‘No’ is still my reply.” “OK, how about a KelTec, they’re cheap…”

“Absolutely not”, I replied.

I could tell he was getting annoyed, when he said “OK, Mr. know-it-all, so what handgun should I get?” Calmly, I replied: “Get a .22-caliber rimfire revolver. You will never out-grow it. You will learn sight alignment and trigger control. You can practice with inexpensive ammunition. A good .22 revolver will be considerably more accurate than 90% of the self-loading pistols you could buy. If you get a Smith & Wesson, you will keep the gun for the rest of your life and pass it on to your kids. If you or your heirs ever wear out the barrel or cylinder, Smith & Wesson will replace the parts for free, forever.”

First Handgun Choice — Consider a .22 LR Wheelgun

A very good choice for a first handgun is a Smith & Wesson .22 LR revolver, such as the S&W Model 617. The current model 617 is extremely accurate, with a crisp trigger and good sights, and a handy 10-round cylinder. Choose 4″ barrel model, the 6″ barrel version, or the 4″ barrel wood-grip M617 Mountain Gun.

This Editor’s first really accurate handgun was a .22 LR Smith & Wesson Model 617 that could easily stack ten shots in a dime at 10 yards. It remains my favorite and most-used handgun. What can we say about the Model 617? The single-action trigger pull is superb, and the accuracy surpasses most any semi-auto rimfire pistol, except for a few, very expensive target pistols. We like the 6″ version for the longer sight radius, but the 4″-barrel 617 is also very accurate, and it balances better.

Hickok 45 Demos a 4″ Model 617. See also Hickok 45 m617 Part 2:

You can learn all the fundamentals with this ultra-reliable handgun, shooting inexpensive .22 LR ammo. The model 617 is rugged, durable, and can give you a lifetime of shooting fun. Once you have mastered the basics of shooting with a .22 LR, you can move on to larger caliber handguns suitable for self-defense. Below is a slide-show illustrating a S&W model 617 ten-shot, with 6″ barrel. S&W also makes a 4″-barrel version of this revolver. (See: Shooting Demo Video with 4″ model 617.)

Another .22 Revolver Option, the Smith & Wesson Model 63

The current S&W Model 63 is a J-Frame .22 LR with 3″ barrel and fiber optic front sight. The Model 63 is compact enough for comfortable carry and well-balanced. The older Model 63, aka the “Kit Gun”, is an appreciating classic.

Today’s Saturday video showcase is a wheelgun extravaganza. We offer eight videos covering some of the most famous double-action revolvers in existence. Check out reviews of Colt, Smith & Wesson, Korth, Dan Wesson, Ruger, and other models, in a variety of chamberings, both centerfire and rimfire. We think every serious gun enthusiast should have at least two revolvers in his collection — one centerfire and one rimfire. This Editor owns a stainless, 10-shot .22 LR Smith & Wesson Model 617. It has probably shot more rounds than all my other pistols combined, and it is still performing flawlessly after two decades.

Multiple Revolver Line-up: S&W, Colt, Ruger, Taurus, Dan Wesson, Chiappa, Charter Arms, Webley and More

This 12-minute video provides a quick introduction to eleven interesting wheelguns: Smith & Wesson Model 29 (00:22), Colt Python (1:22), Ruger GP100 (2:25), Taurus Model 66 (3:40), Smith & Wesson Model 686 (4:38), Charter Arms Bulldog (5:41), Chiappa Rhino (6:32), Webley Revolver (7:27), Dan Wesson 715 (8:21), H&R Model 929 (9:59), Taurus Judge Public Defender (10:52). NOTE: This video also includes a review of the Bersa .380 which is NOT a revolver, so the video title is a little misleading. There are 12 handguns, but only 11 revolvers.

Colt Python .357 Mag 1000-Round Test

How well do modern wheelguns hold up to extended use? This video provides an answer. Honest Outlaw’s testers put 1000 rounds through a new-generation Colt Python chambered for the legendary .357 Magnum round. The Python showed outstanding accuracy, and the tester praised the trigger. Testing was done indoors and outdoors, both rapid-fire and slow-fire. After a couple hundred rounds, the Python needed a thorough cleaning of cylinder and barrel, but otherwise the revolver performed really well.

Hickok45 Shoots the New Colt Anaconda in .44 Magnum

Hickok45 is a respected YouTube video reviewer. In this detailed 19.5-minute video, Hickok45 reviews and tests a new generation Colt Anaconda revolver, chambered for the powerful .44 Magnum cartridge. This is one of the most popular wheelgun videos on YouTube, having logged over 1.4 million views.

Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR Revolver

This TFB Showtime episode examines the new .22 LR rimfire Colt King Cobra Target. The King Cobra Target .22 LR features a 10-shot cylinder, and the same adjustable target sights as the .357 Magnum version.

At the NRA Annual Meetings in 2022, Colt Manufacturing introduced an impressive rimfire revolver — the King Cobra Target .22 LR. Colt states: “From competition to plinking and small game hunting, this baby Cobra does it all and packs 10-rounds of .22 LR in its cylinder”. The King Cobra Target 22 LR is available with 4.25-inch and 6-inch barrel lengths, both with 1:16″ RH rifling twist. MSRP is $999.00.

The Massive Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum X-Frame

If bigger is better, then a Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum should be in your collection. This jumbo-size wheelgun shoots a huge 50-caliber cartridge, the .500 S&W Magnum. Even with compensator slots on the end of the barrel, the recoil is massive — enough so that we would NOT recommend this big revolver to novice shooters.

For more information read the American Rifleman article The .500 S&W Magnum: Most Powerful Handgun Round In The World. S&W currently produces six different 500 Magnum models, including a huge 4.975-pound Performance Center Model with 10.5″ barrel.

In 2003 the engineers at Smith & Wesson wanted to deliver maximum power for serious handgun hunters. The power they sought required an entirely new frame, the massive “X-Frame”. That became the basis for the new Model S&W 500, the most powerful production revolver in the world.

Colt vs. Smith & Wesson

Here’s a pretty informative video, with two qualified experts, Bill Wilson and Ken Hackathorn. This covers the basic differences between Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers. This video explores the classic “Ford vs. Chevy debate” of the revolver world. Both S&W and the Colt revolvers have their die hard loyalists. In this episode, the Gun Guys weigh the merits of Bill’s Colt Shooting Master and Ken’s S&W Registered Magnum.

Korth Super Sport STS Revolver — $5,572.00 Wheelgun

Germany’s Korth Arms makes some of the best revolvers on the planet. Korth’s machining tolerances are second to none. The triggers are superb and the accuracy is excellent. For high-end Bianchi Cup-type competition Korth offers a “badass” black heavy-barreled wheelgun, the Super Sport GTS Revolver. This features a full-length scope rail and vented sides. Note this video was originally in the French language so there is an English voice-over. NOTE: If the English sound-track doesn’t work on your platform, click the “Watch on YouTube” option and/or click the settings button and set the audio track to English.

You’ll need serious bucks to buy a Korth Super Sport GTS. Currently the GTS model in .357 Magnum with full multi-barrel performance kit sells for €4,730.00 Euros (about $5572.00 U.S.).

Smith & Wesson Model 648 in .22 WMR

We love Smith & Wesson rimfire revolvers. We have put thousands of rounds through S&W Model 617 revolvers, with 4″ and 6″ barrels. These stainless .22 LR handguns are accurate, superbly reliable, and they hold their value. In general we’ve found that Smith & Wesson rimfire revolvers may be less fussy with ammo, and more trouble-free than typical semi-auto rimfires. Bottom line, we feel that everyone should have an S&W rimfire wheelgun in their collection.

Along with its .22 LR wheelguns, S&W now offers another very impressive Rimfire Revolver option — the “revived” Model 648 in .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire). This stainless Model 648 brings a more powerful cartridge to S&W rimfire revolver fans.

“22 Plinkster” is an avid shooter who has produced a number of entertaining videos for his YouTube Channel. In the video below, he tackles the question “Why Do Misfires Occur in .22 LR Rimfire Ammunition?” This is the most common question posed to 22 Plinkster by his many viewers. He identifies four main issues that can cause .22 LR misfires or faulty ignition:

1. Damaged Firing Pin — The dry firing process can actually blunt or shorten the firing pin, particularly with older rimfire firearms. Use of snap caps is recommended.

2. Poor Ammunition — Some cheap brands have poor quality control. 22 Plinkster recommends using ammo from a manufacturer with high quality control standards, such as CCI and Federal.

3. Age of Ammunition — Rimfire ammo can function well for a decade or more. However the “shelf life” of rimfire ammunition is not infinite. You ammo’s “lifespan” will be shortened by heat, moisture, and humidity. You should store your rimfire ammo in a cool, dry place.

4. Mishandling of Ammunition — Tossing around ammunition can cause problems. Rough handling can cause the priming compound to be dislodged from the rim. This causes misfires.

Preventing misfires is essential if you want to succeed in NRL22 competition and other rimfire competition disciplines run “on the clock”.

Top Image courtesy Cheaper Than Dirt Shooters Log.

Today’s showcase shows how CCI, Federal, and Remington .22 LR rimfire ammunition types are produced in large American factories. CCI and Federal, until very recently, were part of the Vista Outdoor Kinetic Group. In December 2024 CCI and Federal along with other Vista ammo brands were sold to a Czech company, CSG.* Most CCI rimfire is produced in Idaho, while most Federal rimfire ammo is produced in Anoka, Minnesota. Here we feature videos from CCI, Federal, and Remington ammo plants. Watch and learn how rimfire ammo is made.

The Manufacturing Process for .22 LR Rimfire Ammunition
Shooting Sports USA explains: “Rimfire cartridge cases are the oldest self-contained cartridge in existence, having been in continuous production since the mid-1850s. Rimfire cases are drawn from a thin piece of brass and formed with a hollow rim. A priming compound is then forced into the case using centrifugal force, where it is charged with powder and a bullet is seated in the mouth of the case. The case is then crimped around the bullet to ensure sufficient push and pull when the round is fired. When the firing pin strikes the thin brass rim of the case, the hollow rim is crushed and the primer is ignited.” Source: SSUSA.org 9/2/2017.

Photo courtesy BulkAmmo.com.

.22 LR Ammo Production at Federal Ammo Plant in Minnesota

Note to Viewers — After Starting Video, Click Speaker Icon to HEAR audio!

A while back a Field & Stream writer toured the Federal ammunition production facility in Anoka, Minnesota. This large plant produces both rimfire and centerfire ammunition. While touring the plant, the reporter was allowed to capture video showing the creation of .22 LR rounds from start to finish. This is a fascinating video, well worth watching. Click speaker icon for sound.

22Plinkster Tours CCI/Speer Idaho Factory

Trickshot artist and YouTube host 22Plinkster was able to tour the CCI/Speer production facility in Lewiston, Idaho. This large plant produces both rimfire and centerfire ammunition. While touring the plant, 22Plinkster was allowed to capture video showing the creation of .22 LR rounds from start to finish.

This revealing video shows all phases of .22 LR ammo production including cupping, drawing, annealing, washing, drying, head-stamping, priming, powder charging, bullet seating, crimping, waxing, inspection, and final packaging. We really recommend you watch the video from start to finish. Well worth watching, this excellent video has logged 3.2 million views on YouTube.

Remington Factory Produces Millions of Rounds of Rimfire Ammo

Billions of .22 Long Rifle rounds are produced every year, and Remington Ammunition in Lonoke, Arkansas produces a significant share of the rimfire ammunition used worldwide. This “American Rifleman Television” feature shows the full ammo production process. At the start, brass cups are stamped out of large sheets of brass, and the cups then move on to have the headstamps applied and rims formed. Next, the rounds move on to be annealed and rinsed. Then the cases move onto priming. A wet priming pellet is then pressed into each empty .22 case, and the case is spun rapidly, spreading the pellet mix into the inner cartridge rim. The primed cartridges are then sent to a drying house, where they’ll sit for several days to allow the priming mixture to dry. The Remington factory is very efficient, with “some of the fastest rimfire-making equipment on the planet”.

Do you know the actual BC (Ballistic Coefficient) of your rimfire ammunition? Well Applied Ballistics has the data, thanks to a comprehensive, marathon ammo testing session. Some years back, in an effort to determine the “real world” BCs of various rimfire ammo types, Bryan Litz and his team at Applied Ballistics did an extraordinary, in-depth shooting test. Litz and company tested over fifty types of .22 LR ammo, using five different twist-rate barrels. This was one of the most comprehensive and through rimfire ammo tests ever done.

Bryan tolds us: “We tested many types of .22 rimfire ammo for the 2nd Edition of the Ballistic Performance of Rifle Bullets book. We used a pair of Oehler chronographs to measure velocity at the muzzle (MV) and velocity at 100 yards.” With these numbers (average and SD) Bryan can calculate G1 BCs for all the 50+ types of rimfire ammo. What’s more, because every sample is shot through five different barrels (each with a different twist rate) Bryan can also determine how velocity is affected by twist rate.

The tests are primarily to determine velocities for BC calculations — this was not an accuracy test. Bryan explains: “Our tests are not really looking at accuracy, mainly because that’s so subjective to different rifles. Our testing is primarily focused on measuring the BC of rimfire rounds from different twist-rate barrels. The MVs and BCs from the different twist test barrels was then published by Applied Ballistics in print books. Bryan Litz told us: “The .22 LR Rimfire data was originally published in Ballistic Performance of Rifle Bullets, 2nd Edition, which is now out of print. The 3rd Edition of that book doesn’t have rimfire data. The rimfire testing results and data were re-published in Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting – Volume II (along with many other topics).

Bringing Science to the Rimfire World
Bryan’s goal with this project was to increase the rimfire knowledge base: “We hope to give the world of .22 LR rimfire a good dose of science. How is the BC of .22 rimfire ammo affected by barrel twist? Do subsonic rounds have more consistent BCs than supersonic or transonic rounds? What brands have the highest BCs? What brands have the most consistent MVs?”

Data from two Oehler chronographs is recorded in a computer. Ammo samples were tested in five (5) different barrels (of varying twist rates). Give credit to Dane Hobbs who supplied a test rifle, multiple barrels, and most of the ammo types for the test.

.22 LR at 300 Yards?
Bryan also conducted some longer range rimfire tests. His interesting findings have appeared in the Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting book series. Bryan notes: “While .22 rimfire isn’t typically considered ‘long range’, we were able to consistently hit a two-MOA steel target at 300 yards with the trajectory predicted by AB software and the measured BC of some standard .22 LR rimfire ammo. The info we’’re generating may make it possible to push the range of target engagement for a round that’s not seen much advancement in many decades.”

The famed Bianchi Cup pistol match is featured today on Shooting USA television. This event, the top action pistol match on the planet, celebrates its 45th year in 2025. The CMP Bianchi Cup attracts the world’s leading pistol shooters, and this year the Cup added a new .22 LR rimfire pistol division. Adding rimfire competition is a big, positive update to this venerable competition.

Shooting USA TV Broadcast Times on the Outdoor Channel
Wednesday 12/3/25 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 PM Central on Outdoor Channel. If you miss the broadcast you can view the episode at any time for $0.99 on Vimeo. Or, subscribe to see all Shooting USA shows on Vimeo as often as you wish for $2.99 per month.

Bruce Piatt Wins 2025 Bianchi Cup
At the 2025 Bianchi Cup competition, Legendary competitive shooter and Team Vihtavuori member Bruce Piatt claimed his eighth Bianchi Cup title, securing victory at the 2025 Bianchi Cup with the only perfect score of 1920 in the match.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) now oversees the Bianchi Cup competition, previously run by the National Rifle Association. The 2025 Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Bianchi Cup, known as the gold standard in action pistol shooting, was hosted once again at the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri, May 20-23, 2025. Participants from all over the world competed in the Falling Plates, Moving Target, Barricade, and Practical events.

This video features the 2025 CMP Bianchi Cup at the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri. This video showcases the new class for .22 LR pistols. Watch talented rimfire pistol competitors firing .22-caliber pistols at steel plates. The new rimfire class allows much more affordable competition. High quality .22 LR match ammo is available for $11.50 for 50 rounds (just 23 cents/round). By contrast, a good box of .38 SPL match ammo can cost $0.60 to $1.10 per round (or more).

For centerfire ammo, you can choose from dozens of flip-top boxes, storage bins, or milsurp-style ammo cans. For rimfire ammo, there are not so many good choices. Our preferred rimfire ammo carrier is the MTM SB-200 Small-Bore Fitted Ammo Box. This flip-top plastic box holds 100 rimfire rounds in black grids on the left and right. Each side has five rows left to right, holding ten rounds per row front to back (for 50 rounds per side). In the center is a storage area that will hold another 100 rounds in factory boxes.

You can purchase this MTM rimfire ammo carrier for $19.32 on Amazon (blue). At MidwayUSA the price is $16.49 for blue or $18.49 for “Rust” orange (see below).

Versatility for ALL Types of Rimfire Ammo
MTM’s SB-200 box is not just for .22 LR ammunition. This handy carrier will hold .17 HMR rounds, as well as .17 Mach 2, .22 Short, .22 Win Mag Rimfire, and of course .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR). This box is a winner — it has a low profile, holds rounds securely, and the center storage feature is smart.

MTM Case-Gard 200 Round Smallbore Box
This is really the only product of its kind on the market. It allows you to conveniently and securely hold 200 rimfire rounds, and also segregate your ammo by brand or bullet type. These boxes fit all types of popular rimfire ammunition. The vertical clearance of the lid is sufficient to hold the longer .22 WMR Rounds, and 17 HMR (as well as .22 LR naturally). The lid fits securely so you don’t have to worry about your rimfire ammo spilling out on the way to the range.

If you don’t have one of these boxes yet, we recommend you order one or two. They cost less than $20.00 and are available in Blue or “Rust” (a brick color).

Bottom image courtesy Mountain High Trading Company eBay store.