Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.22 PPC
The .22 PPC (Palmisano and Pindell Cartridge) is one of the most inherently accurate centerfire cartridges ever designed, developed by Dr.
- Caliber
- 0.2244″ · 5.7 mm
- Introduced
- 1974
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .220 Russian
- Primary use
- benchrest_competition, target_shooting, varmint_hunting
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1974
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Lou Palmisano, Cornelius Pindell
- Manufacturer
- Sako, Lapua, Norma
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Specialty
- Case capacity
- 28 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:14
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 54,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 300 yd
- Recoil
- 5–8 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Sellier & Bellot OTM Match 52 gr, 3,600 fps, BC 0.118 G7 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 3597 | 1494 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 3171 | 1161 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 2768 | 885 | -2.0″ | -1.0 |
| 300 yd | 2394 | 662 | -8.6″ | -2.7 |
| 400 yd | 2048 | 484 | -21.3″ | -5.1 |
| 500 yd | 1729 | 345 | -42.3″ | -8.1 |
| 600 yd | 1432 | 237 | -75.2″ | -12.0 |
| 700 yd | 1163 | 156 | -125.2″ | -17.1 |
| 800 yd | 1016 | 119 | -201.1″ | -24.0 |
| 900 yd | 945 | 103 | -310.3″ | -32.9 |
| 1000 yd | 884 | 90 | -458.8″ | -43.8 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open .22 PPC ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.70 | 0.224 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.24 | 0.246 | ~ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 10.95 | 0.431 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 30° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.26 | 0.443 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 11.30 | 0.445 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.50 | 0.059 | ~ |
| Neck length | 7.20 | 0.283 | ≈ |
| Case length | 38.48 | 1.515 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 49.78 | 1.960 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .22 PPC is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 19 active loads across 9 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 19 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sellier & Bellot | OTM Match | 52 | OTM | 3,600 | 1,496 | 0.118 G7 |
| Norma | OTM Benchrest | 52 | OTM | 3,600 | 1,496 | 0.118 G7 |
| Sako | OTM Benchrest | 52 | OTM | 3,600 | 1,496 | 0.118 G7 |
| Lapua | OTM Benchrest | 52 | OTM | 3,600 | 1,496 | 0.118 G7 |
| Norma | Match | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,350 | 1,296 | — |
| RWS | Target | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,300 | 1,257 | — |
| Lapua | Scenar | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,300 | 1,257 | — |
| Black Hills | Match | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,300 | 1,257 | — |
| Sako | Benchrest | 52 | HP | 3,265 | 1,231 | — |
| Lapua | Scenar | 52 | HPBT | 3,260 | 1,227 | — |
| Sako | Gamehead | 52 | Soft Point | 3,250 | 1,219 | — |
| Berger | Loaded | 52 | HPBT | 3,250 | 1,219 | — |
| Wolf | FMJ | 55 | FMJ | 3,250 | 1,290 | — |
| PPU | FMJ | 52 | FMJ | 3,250 | 1,219 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | FMJ | 52 | FMJ | 3,250 | 1,219 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
3 reloading powders listed for .22 PPC, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Palmisano and Pindell began experimenting with modified .220 Russian cases in the early 1970s, seeking to optimize case geometry for benchrest accuracy. The resulting .22 PPC and companion 6mm PPC dominated competitive benchrest shooting from the late 1970s onward, breaking existing records and holding them for years. Sako of Finland commercialized the cartridge, offering factory rifles and ammunition. The SAAMI-standardized .22 PPC-USA version follows slightly different dimensions than the original wildcat.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .22 PPC use?
- .22 PPC typically uses a 1:14 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .22 PPC?
- .22 PPC uses a 0.2244″ (5.7 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .22 PPC still in production?
- .22 PPC is active; typical availability is specialty.
- What is .22 PPC used for?
- .22 PPC is primarily used for benchrest_competition, target_shooting, varmint_hunting.
- What is .22 PPC based on?
- .22 PPC is derived from the .220 Russian case.
- What are the best powders for .22 PPC?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .22 PPC include AR 2205, Norma R1, H322.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawingsarchived
- StandardC.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 19 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →