# 22 LR vs. 223 Remington: Rimfire Against Centerfire 22-Caliber Faceoff

**URL:** <https://sixguns.com/t/22-lr-vs-223-remington-rimfire-against-centerfire-22-caliber-faceoff/2324>\
**Category:** Public Shooting Range\
**Created:** [April 9, 2026, 4:44am UTC](https://sixguns.com/t/22-lr-vs-223-remington-rimfire-against-centerfire-22-caliber-faceoff/2324 "2026-04-09T04:44:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ammodotcom](https://sixguns.com/user_avatar/sixguns.com/ammodotcom/32/1880_2.png) [@Ammodotcom](https://sixguns.com/u/Ammodotcom)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 4:44am UTC](https://sixguns.com/t/22-lr-vs-223-remington-rimfire-against-centerfire-22-caliber-faceoff/2324/1 "2026-04-09T04:44:58Z")

</div>

When I was assigned to write this article, my initial thought was probably the same as your own. “22 LR vs. 223 Rem? It’s a little strange to compare a rimfire to a centerfire cartridge, isn’t it?”

But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. The two rounds do share the same bullet diameter. You can fire either in a 5.56 AR-15 with minimal modification. They’re both intensely popular. Yet despite these similarities, the two rounds have very different applications, ballistic performance, and stopping power.

## Popular 22 Long Rifle Ammo Options & Uses

- Target Shooting: [Eley Match 40 grain LFN](https://ammo.com/rimfire/22-lr-ammo#eley-22-lr-ammo-50-rounds-40-grain-lrn-22-lr-ammunition-from-eley-3)

- Plinking: [Remington Standard V 38 grain LRN](https://ammo.com/rimfire/22-lr-ammo#remington-22-lr-ammo-550-rounds-38-grain-lrn-22-lr-ammunition-from-remington)

- Small Game Hunting: [CCI Mini-Mag 36 grain CPHP](https://ammo.com/rimfire/22-lr-ammo#cci-22-lr-ammo-100-rounds-of-36-grain-cphp-ammunition); [CCI 31 grain #12 Shot](https://ammo.com/rimfire/22-lr-ammo#cci-22-lr-ammo-20-rounds-of-31-grain-12-shot-ammunition)

- Self-Defense: [Federal Punch 29 grain FN](https://ammo.com/rimfire/22-lr-ammo#federal-22-lr-ammo-50-rounds-29-grain-fn-22-lr-ammunition-from-federal)

## Popular 223 Remington Ammo Options & Uses

- Target Shooting: [PMC Bronze 55 grain FMJBT](https://ammo.com/rifle/223-rem-ammo#pmc-223-rem-ammo-20-rounds-55-grain-fmj-bt-223-rem-ammunition-from-pmc)

- Plinking: [Federal American Eagle 75 grain TMJ](https://ammo.com/rifle/223-rem-ammo#federal-223-rem-ammo-500-rounds-75-grain-tmj-223-rem-ammunition-from-federal)

- Varmint Hunting: [Winchester Varmint X 40 grain Polymer Tipped](https://ammo.com/rifle/223-rem-ammo#winchester-223-rem-ammo-20-rounds-40-grain-polymer-tipped-223-rem-ammunition-from-winchester)

- Home Defense: [Hornady Critical Defense 73 grain FTX](https://ammo.com/rifle/223-rem-ammo#hornady-223-rem-ammo-20-rounds-73-grain-ftx-223-rem-ammunition-from-hornady)

## 22 LR vs. 223 Rem

| **22 LR Is Best For** | **223 Rem Is Best For** |
| --- | --- |
| Learning to shoot | Varmint hunting/ranch protection |
| Plinking | Plinking |
| Small game hunting | Learning to shoot |
| Backup personal defense | Backup home defense |

### Cartridge Specs

 ![22 LR cartridge beside a 223 Remington cartridge for size comparison](https://sixguns.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/edde727cc47a849963deeaf19893567dbe71cca6.jpeg)

| | **22 Long Rifle** | **223 Remington** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Parent Case | 22 Long | 222 Rem |
| Bullet Diameter | 0.223" | 0.224" |
| Neck Diameter | 0.226" | 0.253" |
| Base Diameter | 0.226" | 0.376" |
| Case Length | 0.613" | 1.760" |
| Overall Length | 1.000" | 2.260" |
| Case Capacity | 10.5 grains H2O | 28.8 grains H2O |
| Max Pressure (SAAMI) | 24,000 psi | 55,000 psi |

### Recoil

The [22 LR](https://ammo.com/rimfire/22-lr-ammo) and [223 Rem](https://ammo.com/rifle/223-rem-ammo) have little recoil, making them excellent options for beginners who are learning proper shooting mechanics, as well as advanced shooters honing their craft. However, there is a drastic difference in recoil between the rimfire and centerfire cartridges.

Recoil is an important consideration when purchasing a new firearm (and cartridge). A round with heavy recoil is more difficult to control, and slows the rate of accurate follow-up shots.

Felt recoil is subjective. It varies from shooter to shooter, which is why we determine a cartridge’s actual recoil by measuring its free recoil energy. It is determined by four factors: muzzle velocity, propellant charge weight, bullet weight, and firearm weight.

When fired from a 6 pound rifle at 1,255 fps muzzle velocity, a 40 grain 22 LR bullet generates ~0.19 ft-lbs of recoil energy. When a 62 grain 223 Rem bullet is fired from an 8 pound rifle at 3,025 fps muzzle velocity, it generates about 4 ft-lbs.

Despite this apparent large disparity, no one would argue that 223 Rem has high recoil. Anything under 15 ft-lbs is pretty manageable to most shooters. As one of the weakest cartridges, the 22 LR’s recoil looks extremely low compared to pretty much anything.

_Continue reading [22 LR vs. 223 Remington: Rimfire Against Centerfire 22-Caliber Faceoff](https://ammo.com/comparison/22lr-vs-223) on [Ammo.com](http://Ammo.com)_

[https://ammo.com/comparison/22lr-vs-223](https://ammo.com/comparison/22lr-vs-223)