The .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR) round is widely regarded as a relatively weak cartridge with very little penetrating power. Compared to most centerfire ammo that’s certainly true. But the venerable .22 LR actually packs more punch than you might expect. A recent test by rimfire specialist 22Plinkster demonstrated that the little .22 LR has enough power to drive a bullet through multiple walls.

In this video, 22Plinkster tests two types of .22 Long Rifle ammo, seeing how far a .22 LR bullet will pass through sheets of 1/2″-thick drywall. He shoots CCI Velocitor and CCI Stinger ammo types from both a pistol and a rifle. The results may surprise you. Shot from a pistol, the CCI Stinger ammo penetrated Nine (9) drywall sheets. Out of the rifle, the CCI Velocitor Ammo passed through Eleven (11) sheets, while the CCI Stinger stuck in the eleventh board, after passing through Ten (10) sheets.

The rimfire ammo’s penetrating power surprised .22 Plinkster: “I was really surprised that [the ammo] went through as many [dry wall boards] as it did. I was thinking four, maybe five tops …” He points out that the rifle penetration of 11 sheets was “equivalent to five walls, maybe six walls. If you were shooting in your house, and you had 1/2″ drywall, it would go through five walls. Now, that’s pretty scary that a .22 Long Rifle could do that.”

Would drywall be as effective? Surprisingly, the answer is “no”. A bullet fired from the .50-Cal Desert Eagle passed through all 24 sheets of drywall, exiting out the last sheet. Lesson learned? Don’t expect the drywall in your house to offer much protection. The makers of the video caution: “This video shows you how much damage your weapon can do….”

Bullet-Proof Vest Ratings
The BulletSafe vest tested is a Level IIIA model. Level IIIA is the thickest Kevlar laminated, flexible body armor available to the general public. Priced at $299.00, this Level IIIA vest is rated to stop most handgun rounds, buckshot, and shotgun slugs. You can get even more protection by adding a ballistic plate made from ceramic and/or metal. Fitted to a Level IIIA vest, BulletSafe’s $169.00 ballistic plates can stop some rifle rounds.

Plywood Stopping Power Test
The vest-makers also did a test with plywood. A box was constructed with 24 layers of 3/8″ plywood. The bullet from a .50-caliber Desert Eagle past through twelve layers of plywood before being halted by the thirteenth panel. So, you can say the BulletSafe vest is as effective at stopping this round as 13 layers of plywood. CLICK HERE for Plywood Stopping Test Video.