(Photo courtesy of Winchester Ammunition)
September 19, 2024
By Game & Fish Staff
With the .22 LR cartridge taking up a lion’s share of the manufactured ammo in the U.S., it’s hard to think that another cartridge could take its place. While Winchester isn’t quite that ambitious, they have delivered a one-upper with the introduction of the 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge.
Designed to increase performance with both lead and lead-free projectiles, Winchester is staying ahead of the curve for any future bans on lead-free bullets. The round is a bit peppier and snappier than a .22 LR and gives shooters and hunters another economical option. Winchester offers the new cartridge with four options: 25-grain copper matrix, 37-grain black copper plated, 42-grain FMJ and 34-grain JHP.
Per Winchester’s press release:
The new cartridge is an evolution in rimfire technology and performance. Winchester engineering expertise is at the core of the 21 Sharp design, built from the ground up for enhanced accuracy and on-target performance with both lead and lead-free projectiles. Ammo manufacturers have tried with little success to incorporate lead free projectiles into use in the venerable 22 Long Rifle (LR) cartridge. While those products are available, none have ever met the accuracy and on-target performance that a lead projectile can provide due to the original 22 LR design. The new 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge from Winchester was purposefully designed by Winchester to provide top performance with lead-free projectiles rather than accommodating them later.
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The new cartridge allows for a wide range of bullet types including full metal jacket (FMJ), copper matrix and plated-lead options. Jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets will also be available in 21 Sharp, delivering extreme expansion and energy transfer.
“The 21 Sharp cartridge offers significant advantages in the rimfire category, which is one of the more popular types of firearms and ammunition used by millions of people throughout the world,” said Kyle Masinelli, Senior Director of Product Innovation and Strategy for Winchester Ammunition. “Winchester leadership in cartridge development spans more than 100 years and as the global leader in ammunition design and manufacturing; it’s our job to serve our customers with innovative products that fit their needs now and into the future. That is what has been done with 21 Sharp.”
