The .22 BR Remington is a centerfire rifle cartridge, a smaller version of the BR family of cartridges, known for its accuracy and use in competitive shooting and varmint hunting. It is a smaller BR caliber and was developed in the early 1970âÂÂs. The quality of .22 BR Remington is known for being good, usually made of brass.
The .22 BR Remington was developed around 1963 by Jim Stekl, who modified the .308 à1.5-inch Barnes case by necking it down to .22 caliber, lengthening the case by approximately 0.020 inches, and increasing the shoulder angle to 30ð. Remington standardized the cartridge dimensions and introduced brass for it in 1978.
Although never offered as a factory chambering, it has gained traction among benchrest competitors and varmint hunters, especially due to improved ease of case forming from 6 mm BR brass Sierra Bullets.
Despite its smaller case capacity, the .22 BR can approach the performance of the .22-250 Remington, achieving similar velocities (40âÂÂ60-gr bullets) while using 30âÂÂ32 grains of powder compared to 35âÂÂ38 grains for the .22-250. Load data, particularly from Sierra and other ballistic sources, includes velocity-energy tables showing maximum speeds nearing 3,900 fps and energies around 1,400âÂÂ1,600 ft÷lb across various bullet weights and powders.
With its high velocity, minimal recoil, and precision, the 22 BR is well suited for:
Although comparable to cartridges like the .22-250, the .22 BR stands out for better accuracy, longer barrel life, and lower powder consumption. It remains a worthy option among BR family wildcats, despite being overshadowed by the popularity of 6mm BR and .22 PPC variants.