First, the price per round is disproportionately high in relation to its performance. However, in the author’s opinion, the cartridge never really took off for three reasons. It is this gap that the 22 WMR should have filled, and on paper the cartridge should have sold better than it did. And that’s a pity, because (as Hornady discovered), the market is ripe for a true 150 yard dog/chuck cartridge, at rimfire prices. So the gap persists, arguably wider than before. The LR has also enjoyed some performance enhancements with the advent of high velocity hollow point ammo but this has been at the expense of bullet weight and accuracy. Due to its modest report and minimal tendency to ricochet, both big pluses in today’s more populated countryside, it‘s a popular cartridge in the Eastern states. For good reason, and despite the horrendous price of factory ammo, the Hornet lives on, and in recent times has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity with the advent of new powders that extend its capability to 200 yards. The maximum point blank range for the Hornet is 188 yards, double that of the 22LR. The Hornet is an honest 175 yard cartridge on dogs, and it has also been used with good effect on turkey and even coyote within that range. The maximum point blank range on a 3” target is 90 yards, assuming perfect accuracy. It’s not a dog cartridge much less a chuck cartridge. In most rifles, accuracy is poor beyond that range. In terms of field use, the LR is at best a reliable ground squirrel stopper at ranges of up to 75 yards. Almost no other bore diameter displays such a chasm between popular cartridges in the lineup. In monetary terms, the gap is similar: 4 cents per round for the LR vs. The Hornet achieves 723 ft.lbs with a 45gr bullet at 2690 fps. The LR, in standard guise, produces 140 ft.lbs of energy via a 30gr bullet taking off downrange at a MV of around 1260 fps. There is a huge gap, in performance terms, between the 22LR and the Hornet as shown below. Visually, at least, 22WMR fills the gap between the ubiquitous 22LR and the Hornet The 17 HMR is perhaps the cartridge the 22 WMR could have been. One just has to note that the 17HMR cartridge, a toddler in comparison to it’s progenitor in terms of years of service, has generated widespread adulation in the outdoor publications, rapid acceptance by shooters, and sales that have outstripped the manufacturers’ ability to produce ammo. The 22 WMR is a cartridge that has never quite lived up to its potential, in terms of market acceptance and field performance. IN SEARCH OF ACCURACY: 22 WMR AMMO PUT TO THE TEST
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