Do .22 LR HPs Expand?

It depends, but yes, it'll expand. I've recovered some 22lr from targets over the years that were nicely mushroomed out to almost double the original size. However , the last squirrel I shot with a lead round nose was dead before he hit the ground. I don't have a strong preference for HP or RN in 22. Admittedly, I do more target shooting than hunting with it.

They have always expanded from rifles for me in the past. The lead is dead soft and usually the hollow point it deep. Seemed like penetration was not super deep - maybe 4-6 inches tops. Made a world of difference in performance versus round nose solids on woodchucks and birds (mostly pigeons).

I would also agree that it depends on what they hit. I think most small game which should be rightfully hunted with .22LR should drop dead whether hit with 36gr hollow points or 40gr solid points. I prefer to shoot the solid rounds myself.

Gary: I use throat lozenge tins for making and storing char cloth. Up here I usually get mine at the flea markets for about $.25 each, much cheaper than buying pellets...... And, we do have .22LR available in northern Colorado, although a lot of it is of Filipino ancestry.

Sorry what is char cloth for?

Yes they do expand though I have seen some HP ammunition where the the actual hollowpoint was too small to open up properly. Have found CCI MiniMags HP consistently expand when used in all of my .22s.

Crowcifier666 said:

Sorry what is char cloth for?

Click to expand...

Used as fire starter.

I used to shoot a lot of jackrabbits. Varmint control in alfalfa fields and pastures. Any decently placed shot with a hollowpoint 22 LR resulted in a quick kill and usually a knock down at that. Solid points resulted in a lot of rabbits that ran off to die later so I didn't use them.

Yes the hollow points will expand as long as your velocity is there for 22LR . If you want some penetration shoot the solids. I now that some on here will not believe this but shooting cci minimags from a target 10/22 I was able to get on the paper at 500yds. Conditions were perfect and I had a spotter, I can shoot 2 to3 time's before the bullet impact. I wouldn't shoot anything but paper or steel whatever at that range with the 22LR.

Most RN 22lr doesn't have any surface that'd catch on the animal, like plain FMJ in a handgun or rifle it tends to slip through with minimal damage. HP's tend to have a shoulder, like flat nose FMJ.

If you plan to hunt with 22lr RN do yourself a favorite and trip the tip off to create a flat tip or take a knife blade and create a "x" on the tip of the bullet to flare out the bullet to create a flatter front face.

Unless you are making headshots, my 55 years of small game hunting experience has shown a huge difference in the killing power of the two. Hollow points are MUCH more effective on small game. They also damage much more meat, a characteristic I will put up with to insure humane kills.

Yes, .22 hollow points expand. I find Winchesters expand TOO much for squirrel hunting, almost cutting a squirrel in half with a hit in the chest cavity.

As others have noted, if you've ever hunted rabbits much, you've seen a dramatic difference.
I don't hunt cottontails, so meat damage on our jacks is not an issue, and I would not use solids on 'em.

HPs are dead hits, solids tend too much to be through & through run-aways.
Denis

.22 LR HV HP long rifle high velocity hollowpoints do expand, some brands more that others. I have found .22 Winchester hollowpoints in two styles: in one the hollow is small and the bullet nose more rounded, and in the other the hollow is broad enough to qualify as a flatnose bullet.

Also, in decades of plinking at a local rock quarry, I found .22 LR HV HP are less likely to ricochet and more likely to break up on impact

I've fired a number of different .22 lr hollowpoints into homemade gel block and found that the cheap bulk Winchester HP ammo formed into a classic mushroom after impact. The hyper velocity extra light HP's (CCI stingers etc.) Rapidly fragment in the gel.

We used to shoot scores of red squirrels as pests when I was a kid. Unless a brain shot was scored, the HPs would kill more reliably than round nose. Sometimes a round nose would just drill through the boiler room and the squirrel would run off to die elsewhere. The stingers and yellow jackets made a gory mess.

I have generally found pretty good expansion from Winchester HPs at rifle velocities. The cavity is bigger than average.


Some ammo has a HP cavity that looks kind of like the round was simply pierced with a large needle or straight/safety pin. These tend not to expand nearly as well in my experience.

Yes, even from handguns.

We used to shoot rabbits by the hundreds. I too see a huge difference in the effect between a good hollowpoint and roundnose solids.

you can change your solids into hps with the "paco kelley accurizer". i've used one and it does a good job.

murf

Recently performed tests with a 22LR Ruger LCR (1.87" Barrel) with 22LR Jacketed Hollow Points in 10% ballistics gel.
Penetration test averages: Winchester Super-X 40g (9.5") CCI Stinger 32g (11.16") CCI Mini Mag 36g (12.75") CCI Velocitor 40g (14.08")
The Win Super-X was the only one to expand, and that is reflected in the lesser penetration.

Note the affect of the short barrel: With the CCI cartridges, the heavier grain = further penetration.
Appears that velocity is significantly diminished when it comes to the 1.87" barrel.

Decided to perform my own testing with my wife's LCR after watching this video. Really wanted to know specifically how a particular ammo would perform in her revolver.

thewillweeks said:

Most RN 22lr doesn't have any surface that'd catch on the animal, like plain FMJ in a handgun or rifle it tends to slip through with minimal damage. HP's tend to have a shoulder, like flat nose FMJ.

If you plan to hunt with 22lr RN do yourself a favorite and trip the tip off to create a flat tip or take a knife blade and create a "x" on the tip of the bullet to flare out the bullet to create a flatter front face.

Click to expand...

Say What?

I have a short barrel 22 lr handgun and I would use CCI mini mag solid for a defense load.

Hunted lots of gray and fox squirrel and cotton tail rabbits. Used solid points on squirrels with good results. Used HP's on rabbits as they are bigger and solid points didn't seem to have the same knock down power as did the HP's.