There is no doubt that the .22 Long Rifle is among the most popular cartridges ever developed; since 1884 the little “twenty-two”, or “two-two” (depending on your birthplace), has been making shooters happy. While the classic rimfire cartridge, replete with its heeled bullet, is absolutely going to be with us as long as there are firearms, there is room for both alternatives and improvements. The successes of the .17 HMR, .22 WMR, and .17 WSM have proven that the rimfire world is open to options.
Winchester now puts a slightly different spin on the classic .22 LR, with the new 21 Sharp. As the .22 Long Rifle uses a bullet the same diameter as the exterior of the case (called a ‘heeled’ bullet because a stem of smaller diameter is inserted into the case), any modification would require either a larger case or a smaller bullet diameter. Winchester opted for the latter; using the .22 Long Rifle’s case, but now mated with a .210-inch diameter bullet. This allows the use of the popular case, as well as the rifles designed for the .22 Long Rifle, with just a barrel change. Yes, the 21 Sharp will fire in a .22 LR chamber, but that smaller bullet is going to rattle down the barrel.
The 21 Sharp has four initial loads, including the 34-grain jacketed hollowpoint, a 37-grain copper-plated lead bullet, a 42-grain FMJ, and (a perfect fit for the lead-free areas) a 25-grain Copper Matrix monometal copper bullet. That lead-free bullet solves a problem long-associated with the .22 LR, and should prove a welcome addition, running at a muzzle velocity of 1,750 fps. The lead-based projectiles are loaded to velocities between 1,500 fps for the 34-grain load, and 1,330 fps for the 42-grain FMJ.
But it isn’t the enhanced velocity which sets the 21 Sharp so far apart from its parent; it is the shape of the projectiles. The conical profile of the 25-grain Copper Matrix sees it strike 3.4-inches low at 100 yards when zeroed at 50 yards; having the ability to use a higher Ballistic Coefficient bullet shows all sorts of promise for the new 21 Sharp. Will it survive in a world dominated by the 140-year old .22 LR? Only time will tell. Learn more at winchester.com.
