In part one of my investigation into the terminal performance potential of the .22 LR, I tested and examined a variety of subsonic loads for the world’s favorite rimfire round. Among the more interesting results yielded from that round of tests were those of the Aguila 60 grain Sniper Subsonic round. The bullet, which was far too long and heavy to be stabilized by 1:16 rifling twist typical of most .22 LR rifles, apparently rotated end over end during its trip through the gel block creating a cavity far wider than those carved by most .22 LR loads.

The second part of the investigation focused on much speedier .22 LR loads. Velocities of the tested rounds ranged from a fairly middle of the road 1,215 f/s to speeds just shy of 1,600 f/s.  All shots were fired from a Savage Mark IV with a 16-inch barrel into blocks of 10 percent gelatin from a range of ten feet. Results are detailed below.

Winchester 36-grain hollow point

This fairly typical, inexpensive, round for the .22 LR impacted the gel block at a velocity of 1,215 f/s. the hollow tip of the bullet fragmented into tiny lead shards while the stem of the projectile penetrated to a depth of 10-inches. Maximum cavity width was approximately 1-inch and the primary bullet fragment was .272” in diameter with a retained mass of 24-grains. Being cheap and abundant, these basic Winchester hollow points are more than up to the task of pest control and are perfect for vaporizing fun plinking targets such as old fruit and vegetables.

CCI 36-grain Mini-Mag hollow point

In spite of being in the same standard weight and velocity class as the Winchester hollow point, the CCI Mini-Mag yielded noticeably improved performance over its sister round. Such a performance increase is, however, reflected in the higher price of the Mini-Mags.

The bullet impacted the block at a velocity of 1,284 f/s, penetrated to a depth of 10-1/4-inches, and opened a cavity that had a maximum width of 1-3/4 inches. Unlike the Winchester bullet, the Mini-Mag bullet did not fragment but opened up to a diameter of .308” and retained 34-grains of mass.

Above: The cavities carved by the CCI Mini-Mag (top) and the Winchester hollow point (bottom).

Aguila 30-grain Supermaximum hollow point

In spite of an advertised velocity of 1,700 f/s, the Aguila Supermaximum only reached 1,589 f/s from my savage, putting it on par –in terms of velocity – with the CCI Stinger round. To be fair, I only had time to fire and chronograph a single round from the box of 50 and the low velocity figure may have been an isolated issue.

Still, the performance of the Supermaximum in the gel block was hardly unspectacular.  The light, fast, hollow point bullet fragmented explosively upon impact with the smaller bullet shards penetrating to a depth of about 6-1/4 inches. The stem of the bullet came to a rest after traversing 8-1/2 inches of gel. The maximum cavity width was two-inches and the bullet stem was .253” in diameter with a mass of 16-grains.

Above: the Aguila Supermaximum in the gel block

Remington 36-grain Viper truncated cone

In many respects, the Remington Viper outperformed all of the other .22 LR tested during the session. The 36-grain bullet impacted the block at a velocity of 1,385 f/s and completely penetrated the 12-3/4 inch length of the block. The maximum width of the cavity it tore in the gel was two-inches. Unfortunately, the bullet stopped when it collided with the wax backer block placed after the gel, rolled off the test stand, and was never found. I was thus unable to analyze a recovered bullet.

The Viper was the only .22 LR round I tested that penetrated the entirety of the gel block and also carved a two-inch wide cavity. It is clearly one of the more potent .22 loads available.

Above: The path the Remington Viper took through the gel block. The entry point is at the right of the frame.

CCI 40-grain Velocitor hollow point

The CCI Velocitor ran a very close second to the Remington Viper in terms of both penetration and cavitation in the gel block. After impacting a velocity of 1,306 f/s, the bullet cleared the entire 12-3/4 inches of gelatin after tearing a 1-5/8 inch cavity. In a manner similar to the Viper, the Velocitor rolled off the test stand, never to be found. It certainly would have been nice to have been able to examine the condition of the recovered bullet, but the damage done to the gelatin is evidence enough that it held together and did its job.

CCI 32-grain Stinger hollow point

The CCI Stinger is probably the best-known of all the available hyper-velocity 22 LR hollow point rounds and has a well-deserved reputation as a highly effective varmint load. In all honesty, testing the Stinger was an exercise in redundancy, but I had the gelatin and I had the rounds, so why not have a little fun?

The bullet hit the block at a velocity of 1,595 f/s and, as expected, violently fragmented into small pieces shortly after impact. The resulting cavity in the gel was a shade over two-inches in width and the largest fragment (bullet stem) penetrated to a depth of 8-1/4 inches. The largest recovered bullet fragment was .271” in diameter and weighed only 14-grains.

Above: The channels carved through the gel block by the CCI Velocitor (top) and the CCI Stinger (bottom).

Above: Recovered bullets from left to right; the Winchester hollow point, CCI Mini-Mag, Aguila Super Maximum, and the CCI Stinger.

Above: results summary table.

If these informal terminal performance tests demonstrate nothing else, it is the wide range of applications for which the .22 LR is capable. With the proper ammo and a competent operator, the .22 can take small game without destroying an inordinate amount of meat, quickly and humanely dispatch destructive vermin, or in the gravest, most desperate of circumstances, take large game animals and defend life and limb.

Related Article: The venerable .22 LR vs. gelatin part I: subsonic rounds (22)

In spite of its diminutive size and low energy figures, the ubiquitous .22 Long Rifle has remained one of the most useful cartridges in existence since its introduction in the late nineteenth century. When employed at reasonable distances, the round is capable of taking all manner of small game and varmints without inflicting excessive meat or pelt damage.

Additionally, the round has been successfully used to kill large game animals. In fact, according to the 1996 John Krakauer novel, Into the Wild, ill fated outdoor adventurer Chris McCandless used a Remington semi-automatic rifle chambered in .22 LR to kill a moose prior to his death by starvation in the Alaskan Wilderness.  While the .22 LR would not be any ethical hunter’s first (or even hundredth) choice as a moose round, it’s clear the little cartridge is capable of doing more than it’s meant to in a pinch.

With this in mind, I decided it would be an interesting (and fun) exercise to fire various and sometimes unusual .22 LR rounds into gel blocks and compare the results. Given the wide variety of .22 LR ammunition currently in production, I decided to tackle the project by testing a selection of ammo from three different categories: subsonic (under 1,126 f/s MV), standard velocity (1,126 to 1,300 f/s MV), and high velocity (over 1,300 f/s MV). Up first were the subsonic loads.

All shots were fired from my Savage Mark II (16-inch barrel, 1:16 twist rate) into blocks of ten percent gelatin from a distance of ten feet. A chronograph was placed just in front of the gel blocks in order to record impact velocity. Results are detailed below.

20-grain Aguila Super Colibri

The Super Colibri is one of several interesting .22 LR rounds offered by the Mexican munitions manufacturer Aguila. The round is completely free of powder, instead relying only on the pressure generated by the primer to propel its 20 grain projectile to muzzle velocities of 500 to 600 f/s. The Super Colibri and its even milder cousin, the Colibri endow the .22 LR with the ability to perform like an air rifle in terms of velocity and report. Such a light and quiet load makes the Colibri useful for target practice and the control of small garden pests in places where a firearm can be safely discharged but the noise of gunfire is frowned upon.

From the muzzle of my Savage, the Super Colibri impacted the gel block at a velocity of 607 f/s and penetrated to a depth of four inches. The maximum diameter of the damage cavity was approximately 5/8-inches and the projectile did not noticeably expand or shed weight. As long as ranges are kept reasonably close and shots placed well, the Super Colibri should be capable round for game up to the size of rabbits.

Above: The Aguila Super Colibri in the gel block.

40 grain CCI Quiet-22

While the CCI Quiet wasn’t exactly silent, it was noticeably quieter than most standard velocity .22 LR rounds I’ve fired. The bullet impacted the gel block at a velocity of 752 f/s and penetrated to a depth of 8.5-inches. Maximum cavity diameter was approximately 3/4-inches and the bullet showed no visible signs of deformation. The round clearly penetrates enough to kill small game at reasonable ranges, but the lack of expansion means that shots should be chosen carefully.

I have personally witnessed small game animals hit in the heart/lung/liver area with non-expanding .22 LR rounds and run off. Some were recovered while others were not. I am of the opinion that the design of the CCI Quiet could be improved by the addition of a hollow point.

Above: The cavity carved by the 40-grain CCI Quiet in the gel block. The entry point is at the right of the frame.

40-grain Winchester .22 Long Rifle Subsonic Hollow Point

The Winchester subsonic round moved considerably faster than the previous two competitors, impacting the block at a velocity of 1,026 f/s. The bullet broke into five fragments with the largest penetrating to a depth of 9.5-inches. As a consequence of the bullet’s expansion and ultimate fragmentation, the damage cavity in the gelatin was approximately 1-3/8-inches at its widest point. The largest recovered bullet fragment was .261-inches in diameter at its widest point and weighed 26.5 grains.

It is likely that at longer ranges, after the bullet sheds some velocity, the projectile will not fragment as dramatically, instead expanding into the classic mushroom shape.

Above: The Winchester subsonic in the gel block. The bullet ultimately fragmented into five pieces and carved a fairly wide cavity in the gel.

38-grain Remington Subsonic Hollow Point

The Remington subsonic load was just barely subsonic – impacting the block at 1,104 f/s – and subjectively seemed to be the loudest round fired during the range session.  Although it impacted at a greater velocity than the Winchester round, the Remington’s shallower hollow point allowed the bullet to expand into a mushroom shape rather than fragment. The bullet penetrated to a depth of 9-3/8-inches and the resulting cavity in the gel block was 1-7/8-inches in diameter at its widest point. The recovered projectile weighed 37-grains and was .344-inches in diameter.

Above: The Remington 38-grain Subsonic Hollow Point in the gel block.

60-grain Aguila Sniper Subsonic

The Sniper Sub Sonic (SSS) is another odd round from Aguila. Rather than sporting a .22 bullet of in the typical 30 grain to 40 grain weight range, the SSS pushes a 60 grain projectile at a velocity in the 800 to 900 f/s range. In order to make the round cycle and chamber in a standard 22 LR action, the case had to be shortened significantly, to the point where the projectile itself accounts for more than half of the overall cartridge length.

While the long, heavy, bullets could not be stabilized by the 1:16 twist rate of my Savage (they key-holed) I figured they might make an interesting cavity in the gel block.  Indeed, the SSS bullet – which impacted the gel block at a velocity of 813 f/s – penetrated deeper and left a larger cavity than any of the other rounds fired during the range session. The bullet penetrated 11-inches of gel and tore a cavity that was 2-1/8-inches in diameter at its widest point. Since the bullet did not expand or deform in any noticeable way, I am assuming the comparatively large cavity was the result of the bullet tumbling, end over end, through the gel. It would be interesting to see how the Sniper Subsonic performs when fired from a rifle capable of stabilizing such a heavy bullet.

Above: The bullet from the Aguila Sniper Subsonic round in the gel. The comparitively wide cavity in the block may have been the result of the bullet tumbling.

Above: The recovered .22 LR subsonic bullets. From left are the Aguila Super Colibri, CCI Quiet, Winchester Subsonic HP, Remington Subsonic HP, and Aguila Sniper Subsonic.

Above: A summary table of the .22 LR subsonic terminal performance tests.

Related Article: The venerable .22 LR vs. gelatin part II: Standard and high velocity rounds (31)

Among the many types of articles featured on this site, some of my favorites to compose are based on terminal performance tests of various kinds of ammunition. Not only do projects of this nature yield visually interesting results, but they can also yield valuable information on how a projectile is likely to perform in a hunting or personal defense situation.

Since the nature of my terminal performance test are very different from those done by a professional lab, I thought a quick FAQ piece explaining my process would be a worthwhile exercise.

Q: Are your tests scientific in nature?

A: No.  In order to make my terminal performance tests scientifically valid, I would have to fire each round tested into multiple gelatin blocks and then calculate averages and standard deviations for various aspects of the results. While I would love the opportunity to be so meticulous, I simply cannot afford the amount of materials necessary for scientific testing. Additionally, without a climate controlled indoor ballistics lab, keeping environmental conditions from skewing results is impossible.

Q: If your tests aren’t scientific, why bother with them?

A: First and foremost, firing bullets into things and observing the results is just plain fun. It’s the grownup analogue to melting glass bottles in the coals of a campfire or putting pennies on railroad tracks (don’t do the latter as it could possibly derail the train.) Subjecting materials to extreme conditions is simply interesting. Second, even non-scientific testing can yield useful information about a load if results are compared directly to another projectile. For example, if I want to know if my handloaded, home-cast 12 gauge slug load will penetrate deeper than a factory slug in a given test medium, the only way to answer the question is to fire both rounds into the same batch of medium on the same day.

Q: Is a bullet’s performance in a test medium indicative of performance on a game animal?

A: Yes and no. Game animals are composed of a variety of different tissues of varying densities that cannot be easily simulated with inanimate material. That being said, like most animal tissue, blocks of 10 percent density (or greater) gelatin are elastic and comprised mostly of water and is the closest reasonable tissue analogue available.

Q: What does your test setup look like?

A: Basically, it’s a ten percent density gelatin block approximately 12-inches in length backed up by a bullet arrestor box full of ballistic wax (which is wax that has been made soft and malleable by various additives). I know from experience that while 12-inches of ten percent gelatin won’t stop most centerfire rifle and pistol rounds, it will provide a record of the widest part of the cavity created by the bullet. The wax backer blocks – which are highly effective at stopping a bullet that has already defeated a gel block – finish the job by bringing the projectile completely to a halt. Results are then measured by adding the amount of gel the bullet penetrated to the amount of wax penetrated. In some instances, a chronograph may be placed in front of the test setup to measure impact velocity.

Q: What sorts of ammo do you test?

A: Pretty much every category of ammo I can get my hands on. That being said, I will focus mostly on testing loads that are new, unusual, or assembled by me at my workbench. Most common factory loads are tried and true for their intended purposes, so it’s a little redundant at this point to run them through gel blocks. However, common factory ammo will be occasionally tested alongside more exotic ammo and will act as a basis for comparison. (11)

 

Among the new and interesting types 12-guage shotgun ammunition to hit the shelves of gun shops and big box retailers in recent years is the Winchester PDX1 12 Defender. This 2-3/4-inch load sports a buffered payload consisting of a 1-ounce, foster style slug underneath three copper plated size 00 buck pellets and, according to literature printed on the box, is intended to, “provide optimum performance at short and long ranges while compensating for aim error.” Being a fan of all things 12-gauge, I recently obtained a box of PDX1, mixed up a batch of gelatin, and headed to the range for a test session.

At a glance, the Winchester PDX1 load seems as though it could have been modeled after the buck and ball loads sometimes used by infantrymen in the 18th and early 19th centuries. When firing into a column of enemy troops at relatively close range (as was a common combat scenario of that era) a soldier who loaded his smoothbore musket with one large round ball and a small number of buckshot could potentially take more than one enemy out of the fight with a single pull of the trigger.

While such a load made sense for the days when combat consisted of dense columns of troops engaging in volley fire, I am not sure what advantage it offers in a modern home defense situation over a standard buckshot or slug load. Still, the concept is interesting and I had long wanted to fire a round of Winchester PDX1 into some ballistics gel and see what happened.

Needing something to which I could compare the terminal performance of the PDX1 and having a perpetual desire to one-up factory ammo with ammo of my own creation, I also brought along a 12 gauge buck and ball load of my own design. The handload consisted of a three-inch hull stuffed with a 550 grain, .715” diameter round ball topped off with three size 0000 (.380” dia.) buckshot. Total payload weight was approximately 1-7/8 ounces making it a very potent 12 gauge load.

Above: The payloads of the Winchester PDX1 (left) and the author’s own buck ‘n ball handload (right).

Once at the range I conducted both pattern tests and terminal performance tests for both the PDX1 load and my handload. All shots were taken using my Benelli Nova tactical with an 18.5-inch barrel and an improved cylinder choke. The results follow.

Pattern tests

To determine how each load would group their slugs and/or round balls and pattern their buckshot, I fired three rounds of each into targets first at distance of 15 feet and then at 25 yards. At fifteen feet, three PDX1 rounds tore a ragged cloverleaf shaped hole through the bullseye and all buckshot pellets clustered within eight inches of the target’s center.

My handload was similarly accurate at fifteen feet though the round balls printed a slightly larger group and impacted just high of the point of aim. The buckshot from all three rounds stayed within a seven inch circle.

Above: The 15-foot, three round group/pattern yielded by the author’s handload (left) and the Winchester PDX1 (right).

Upon moving the targets to 25 yards, I found that groups and patterns widened noticeably. The slugs from the PDX1 printed a three-inch group just above the bullseye, but only three out of 21 buckshot hit the14x22-inch poster board I was using as a target. Similarly, the round balls from my handloads grouped into a triangular pattern that was four inches long on a side and only three buckshot pellets hit the poster board. It is likely that firing at a target 25 yards distant in a real world situation would leave many large projectiles unaccounted for and that’s never a good thing.

Above: The 25 yard, three round group/pattern yielded by the author’s handload (left) and the Winchester PDX1 (right).

Terminal performance

The pattern tests out of the way, I fired one round each of the PDX1 and my buck and ball handload into my terminal performance test setup at a distance of ten feet. Each payload made short work of the 11-inches of gelatin blocks and imbedded in the ballistic wax backing blocks. The slug from the PDX1 round penetrated 11-inches of gel and an additional 1-1/2 inches of wax while the three 00 buckshot pellets penetrated the entirety of the gel block and an average of 1/3 of an inch of wax. The slug expanded to a maximum diameter of .750 inches. The maximum width of cavity caused by the PDX1 load in the gel was 6-inches.

After firing my handload into the test setup, I was very pleased with myself as the round ball components of the load out-penetrated the PDX1 load by a significant margin. The .718” diameter round ball zipped right through the gelatin and then went on to penetrate 3-1/2-inches of the wax backer. The 0000 buckshot pellets defeated the gel block and penetrated to an average depth of ¼” in the wax backer. The payload created a cavity in the gel that was 5-3/4-inches in diameter at its widest point and the recovered round ball showed little deformation excepting two divots where buckshot pellets were compressed into it during firing. While the performance of the round was impressive, over-penetration could be an issue in some real world situations.

Above: A cross section of the damage the buck and ball loads did to the gelatin. The top “wound” was made by the author’s handload while the bottom “wound” was made by the Winchester PDX1 load.

Above: The wax backer block after absorbing two buck ‘n ball loads.

Above: The recovered projectiles from the handloaded buck ‘n ball load (left) and the Winchester PDX1 (right).

While modern, 12-gauge, buck and ball loads like the Winchester PDX1 are undoubtedly interesting and incredibly powerful, I can’t help but question their practicality. At close ranges (typical of most home defense scenarios) the pattern yielded by such loads offer no improved hit probability over standard buckshot or slug loads – if a shooter can hit a target at 15 feet with a buck and ball load, he or she can probably also hit it with a slug or hail of buckshot. At longer distances, it is likely that even a dead-center hit will still send some buckshot pellets off into the background, which is a potential safety issue. (21)

In a recent article I wrote about the capabilities of a short barreled, home defense or utility shotgun as a close range bird gun. In addition to yielding useful patterns out to about 25 yards at the range, my own utility gun, a Benelli Nova Tactical, was instrumental in the taking of two ruffed grouse from the thick Maine woods.

While two birds for the grill is evidence enough that a utility shotgun is a capable bird gun, I was curious about the practical limits of my current favorite birdshot load (2-3/4-inch Remington Express loads pushing 1-1/4 ounces of size 7.5 shot) in terms of terminal performance. To find out, I cast some ballistic gelatin into blocks approximately the size of a grouse’s kill zone and shot one at 10 yards, one at 25, and one at 35. All shots were taken with a Benelli Nova Tactical with an 18.5-inch barrel sporting a fixed, improved cylinder choke.

 10 Yards

At ten yards, due to shooter error, the center of the pellet storm missed the block. Still, approximately half of the cloud struck the block and many cleared the entire 3.5-inches of gelatin. I was able to recover 22 pellets total and additional pellets likely exited the block completely. Clearly, a hit at ten yards will result in a dead bird and a direct, dead center hit will likely ruin a substantial amount of meat.

Above: The gelatin block after being struck at ten yards with a 1-1/4 ounce load of of size 7.5 shot.

25 yards

Penetration was slightly diminished at 25 yards and naturally, lower pattern density at that range meant fewer pellets hit the block. The 11 pellets I was able to recover penetrated between two and three inches of gelatin. I’m confident that the Remington Express load would reliably kill small game at this distance out of an open choked gun, but it does seem like 25 yards is the ethical, maximum range for the gun/load combo with the sweet spot being distances of 10 to 20 yards.

35 yards

Performance was iffy at best at 35 yards. A mere five pellets struck the block and they only penetrated to a depth of about two-inches. Would a small game animal hit with the gun/load combo at such a distance be killed instantly? Possibly, but it seems just as likely that the animal would escape with an ultimately fatal wound and become food for the crows and blue jays.

Above: A gel block after absorbing a few birdshot pellets at 35 yards.

Conclusion

When using smaller shot sizes I will try to keep shots on grouse-sized game to less than 25 yards. Under most hunting conditions I’m likely to encounter, this is more effective range than I need. That being said, ruffed grouse do often venture onto abandoned logging roads to obtain crop stones and sun themselves. Such birds can be spotted at distances well beyond 35 yards. In such situations, a larger shot size may offer more penetration at longer distances. However, switching to larger shot means fewer pellets per shell, thus decreasing the changes of a hit. (22)