What Is a Rimfire Rifle?

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How rimfire ignition works

Every cartridge needs a small charge of priming compound to ignite the powder. In a rimfire cartridge, that compound is spun into the hollow, folded rim at the base of the case during manufacture. When the firing pin strikes the edge of the case head, it crushes the rim against the edge of the chamber, the priming compound detonates, and the powder charge ignites.

That design explains nearly everything about rimfire ammunition. For the firing pin to crush the rim, the case has to be made of thin, soft brass or copper. Thin cases cannot contain high pressure, so rimfire cartridges run at low pressures with small, light bullets. That is why rimfire rounds are small, and why there are no rimfire deer cartridges in common use today.

Rimfire vs. centerfire

Centerfire cartridges put a separate primer, a small cup with its own anvil, in a pocket in the center of the case head. The case can be thick and strong because nothing needs to crush it, which allows much higher pressures and power.

Rimfire cartridges you will see

.22 Long Rifle is the one that matters most. J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company introduced it in 1887, and it is widely cited as the best-selling ammunition in the world by round count. It comes in standard-velocity, high-velocity, subsonic and hyper-velocity loads, with lead, copper-plated and hollow-point bullets.

.22 Short is an older, shorter, quieter cousin still made for some rifles and revolvers. .22 WMR (.22 Magnum) is longer and considerably more powerful than .22 LR, and it is not interchangeable with it. .17 HMR necks a tiny, fast bullet onto a magnum-type case for flat shooting on small pests. .17 WSM is a larger, faster rimfire magnum. If you want the ammunition side in depth, our rimfire rifle guide covers how to think about it as a system.

Is .223 a rimfire?

No. This is a common mix-up because the names look alike and both fire bullets about .22 inch in diameter. .223 Remington is a centerfire cartridge with a thick brass case, a separate primer and many times the powder and energy of a .22 LR. Never load a .22 LR in a .223 rifle: it can slip into the chamber, but it will not fire or function correctly. A .223 will not enter a .22 LR chamber. Treat them as unrelated.

What rimfire rifles are good at

Learning. Minimal recoil and noise mean new shooters learn the fundamentals without developing a flinch. It is why the .22 is the classic first rifle; see choosing your first sporting rifle.

Training for centerfire. Experienced hunters use .22s to practice positions, trigger control and wind reading between seasons. We built a whole plan around it: rimfire for training.

Small game and pests. Squirrels, rabbits and similar small game at modest range are classic rimfire work, where local regulations allow.

Competition and fun. Rimfire precision and steel matches have grown quickly because ammunition is affordable and ranges are easier to find.

What rimfire rifles are not for

Big game. Rimfire cartridges lack the energy for deer-size animals, and most states prohibit them for big game. Long range. Light, slow bullets drift a lot in wind and drop quickly; most small-game shots with a .22 LR are taken well inside 100 yards. Perfect reliability. Because the priming compound has to be distributed around the rim, misfires happen more often than with centerfire ammunition. If a round fails to fire, keep the muzzle pointed safely and wait at least 30 seconds before opening the action, in case of a delayed ignition.

One more caution: a .22 is quiet and mild, but it is not harmless at distance. Many .22 LR boxes warn that the bullet can be dangerous at up to about a mile and a half, so a safe backstop matters as much as with any rifle.

Rimfire rifles by action

Rimfires come in every action type: semi-automatics, bolt actions, lever actions, pumps and single-shots. The action matters for ammunition too. Many semi-automatics need high-velocity ammunition to cycle reliably, while bolt guns and levers will feed almost anything, including quiet subsonic loads.

Choosing rimfire ammunition

Rimfire rifles are famously picky. The same rifle can group twice as tight with one brand as with another, so buy a few boxes of several loads, shoot them from a rest, and then buy more of the winner. Semi-automatic owners should start with high-velocity loads; bolt and lever owners can explore standard-velocity and subsonic ammunition for accuracy or quiet.