The 22 Winchester Rimfire or 22 WRF, though perhaps technically the forerunner of the 22 Magnum, was introduced by Winchester clear back in 1890. It uses a .960-inch case, thus longer than the 22 Long Rifle, but shorter than the 22 Magnum. In power it falls between the two with a 45-grain bullet at 1300 feet per second. It was dropped in 1950, but due to demand Winchester made special runs in 1986 and 1995, and with continued demand is now loaded by both Winchester and CCI. It is a fine cartridge for small game and small varmints offering greater range than the 22 Long Rifle, easily out to a bit beyond 100 yards. —
Craig Boddington