Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.220 Russian
The .220 Russian (5.6x39mm) is a Soviet varmint cartridge derived from the 7.62x39mm military case, necked down to accept .224" bullets.
- Caliber
- 0.2232″ · 5.67 mm
- Introduced
- 1963
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- 7.62x39mm Soviet
- Primary use
- target_shooting, benchrest_competition, varmint_hunting
- Status
- Limited
- Introduced
- 1963
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Inventor
- Lapua / Nammo
- Manufacturer
- Lapua
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Limited
- Availability
- Specialty
- Case capacity
- 28 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:14
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 51,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 300 yd
- Recoil
- 5–8 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Lapua OTM Benchrest 48 gr, 3,500 fps, BC 0.120 G7 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 3497 | 1304 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 3084 | 1013 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 2695 | 774 | -2.2″ | -1.0 |
| 300 yd | 2331 | 579 | -9.2″ | -2.9 |
| 400 yd | 1996 | 424 | -22.7″ | -5.4 |
| 500 yd | 1685 | 302 | -45.0″ | -8.6 |
| 600 yd | 1396 | 208 | -79.7″ | -12.7 |
| 700 yd | 1136 | 138 | -132.6″ | -18.1 |
| 800 yd | 1009 | 108 | -212.1″ | -25.3 |
| 900 yd | 940 | 94 | -325.9″ | -34.6 |
| 1000 yd | 881 | 83 | -479.0″ | -45.7 |
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 .220 Russian 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 · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.67 | 0.223 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.29 | 0.248 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 10.20 | 0.402 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 20.6° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.35 | 0.447 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 11.35 | 0.447 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.50 | 0.059 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 6.50 | 0.256 | ≈ |
| Case length | 38.70 | 1.524 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 48.70 | 1.917 | ✓ |
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. .220 Russian is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 18 active loads across 9 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 19 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapua | OTM Benchrest | 48 | OTM | 3,500 | 1,305 | 0.120 G7 |
| Norma | FMJ Match | 48 | FMJ | 3,500 | 1,305 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | FMJ Training | 48 | FMJ | 3,500 | 1,305 | — |
| PPU | PPU Match | 52 | FMJ | 3,200 | 1,182 | — |
| Lapua | Lapua Scenar | 53 | HPBT | 3,200 | 1,205 | — |
| Sako | Match | 53 | HPBT | 3,160 | 1,175 | — |
| Norma | Match | 53 | HPBT | 3,150 | 1,168 | — |
| Lapua | FMJ | 55 | FMJ | 3,100 | 1,173 | — |
| Norma | Match | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,100 | 1,109 | — |
| RWS | Target | 55 | FMJ | 3,080 | 1,158 | — |
| Graf & Sons | FMJ | 55 | FMJ | 3,070 | 1,151 | — |
| RWS | Target | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,050 | 1,074 | — |
| Black Hills | Match | 52 | Hollow Point BT | 3,050 | 1,074 | — |
| PPU | FMJ | 55 | FMJ | 3,000 | 1,099 | — |
| Lapua | Scenar | 55 | Hollow Point BT | 3,000 | 1,099 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
1 reloading powder listed for .220 Russian, 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
The Soviet firearms industry developed the 5.6x39mm from surplus 7.62x39mm tooling for civilian varmint hunting. The short, fat case derived from the AK case proved to have extraordinary inherent accuracy. American benchrest shooters Lou Palmisano and Cornelius Pindell recognized the cases potential and developed the .22 PPC and 6mm PPC in 1974 by modifying the .220 Russian case with a sharper shoulder and slightly different dimensions. The resulting PPC cartridges dominated benchrest competition for decades.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .220 Russian use?
- .220 Russian typically uses a 1:14 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .220 Russian?
- .220 Russian uses a 0.2232″ (5.67 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .220 Russian still in production?
- .220 Russian is limited; typical availability is specialty.
- What is .220 Russian used for?
- .220 Russian is primarily used for target_shooting, benchrest_competition, varmint_hunting.
- What is .220 Russian based on?
- .220 Russian is derived from the 7.62x39mm case.
- What are the best powders for .220 Russian?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .220 Russian include N135.
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 18 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →