Winchester’s new 21 Sharp aims to knock the .22 LR off its throne

Winchester has introduced a brand new rimfire cartridge, the efficient 21 Sharp, in a bid to improve on the ancient and long-compromised .22 LR and possibly guarantee a future for cheap rimfire ammo as more lead bans are introduced.

By doing little more than plugging a 21-calibre projectile into the .22 LR’s case, Winchester has bettered the .22 LR’s velocity by several hundred feet per second with changing chamber pressure.

Winchester 21 Sharp SAAMI drawing — The 21 Sharp’s dimensions, courtesy SAAMI

The 21 Sharp uses a bullet of .2105” (5.347mm) diameter while the .22 LR measures .2255” (5.728mm), but this isn’t the crucial detail.

The key to the new cartridge is that its bullet doesn’t have a large-diameter mid-section that sits outside the case. The .22 LR’s fat midriff means it requires a heel, that is, a reduced-diameter rear section that fits inside the brass case.

The .22 LR’s design is aerodynamically inferior as well being more complex to manufacture — especially if want non-lead, jacketed or ballistically improved bullets.

The 21 Sharp uses a bullet much the same as almost every other bullet in the world, its body having the same diameter inside the case as just ahead of it, ensuring its is easier to make can be made available in at least as many forms as typical bullets for centrefire rifles.

Winchester 21 Sharp — Winchester produced this image to illustrate the differences between the new 21 Sharp projectile and the ancient .22 LR

This should mean 21 Sharp ammunition will be cheaper than current .22 LR ammo, and Winchester has introduced it at the lower end of the scale compared with its own .22 LR loads.

In places like California where lead has already been banned, and cheap rimfire ammo is therefore almost impossible to get, the 21 Sharp should immediately fulfil a need.

As an example of the 21 Sharp’s improved performance, the Winchester’s 34-grain JHP load does 1500fps (457m/s) at the muzzle, compared with 1280fps (390m/s) from the company’s 36-grain JHP .22 LR rounds.

21 Sharp rounds will chamber and fire in a .22 LR rifle, though the latter’s larger barrel diameter will mitigate against the round achieving its potential accuracy and velocity. A .22 LR will not fit in a 21 Sharp rifle.

Winchester’s Xpert rimfire rifle is being chambered in the new cartridge and other manufacturers are said to be following.

Winchester Australia confirmed that the new cartridge and suitable rifles will be coming to Australia but could not yet say when.