A Rimfire Speed Ladder: From 700 to 3,000 Feet per Second

Author : zab nabs | Published On : 02 Nov 2026

Rimfire cartridges are best understood by speed. A slow bullet is gentle and quiet, a fast one is flat and loud, and the speed decides what each cartridge is good for. The ladder below runs from the lowest velocity to the highest.

The slow rungs: about 700 to 1,250 feet per second

The .22 Short, with bullets of about 27 to 29 grains, runs from roughly 700 to 1,100 feet per second depending on the load. CCI's .22 Short loads are at cci 22 short ammo.

The .22 LR runs from about 1,070 feet per second in standard-velocity loads to about 1,250 in high-velocity ones. Anyone who wants to buy 22lr ammo will find the velocity printed on the box.

The middle rung: about 1,300 to 1,750 feet per second

The .21 Sharp, announced by Winchester in 2023, is reported to push a 37-grain bullet at about 1,335 feet per second and a 25-grain bullet at about 1,750. Its 25-grain loads are at 21 sharp 25 grain ammo.

The fast rungs: about 2,100 to 3,000 feet per second

The .17 HM2 fires a 17-grain bullet at about 2,100 feet per second, and its loads are at 17 hm2 ammo for sale. The .22 WMR, introduced in 1959, fires a 30-grain bullet at about 2,200, and Winchester's loads are at winchester 22 wmr ammo.

The .17 HMR sends a 17-grain bullet at about 2,550 feet per second, and its loads are at 17 hmr ammo. The .17 WSM, introduced in 2012, sends a 20-grain bullet at about 3,000 and is marketed as the highest-velocity rimfire. Its loads are at .17 wsm ammo.

Shotshells on the same ladder

Shotshells sit near the middle of the ladder. Buckshot and steel loads typically leave the muzzle at about 1,200 to 1,500 feet per second, and slugs are usually faster. Winchester's buckshot loads are at winchester 12 gauge buckshot ammo. Steel shot shells from Federal are at federal steel shot shells.

Twelve-gauge slugs, at 12 gauge slugs online, are single heavy projectiles for deer-sized game at short range.

Why speed matters

Speed trades against noise, drop and range. Faster rimfires shoot flatter but are louder, and every rimfire bullet can travel a long way: a .22 LR bullet can carry well over a mile. Know your target and what is beyond it.

Velocities are nominal, from makers' data, and vary with barrel length and lot. Check the box, and confirm current stock and state shipping restrictions before ordering.