<P> Available for this round are AR - 15 upper receivers and M1911 slide assemblies . Many handgun manufacturers have an upper pistol conversion kit to make it shoot . 22 ammunition . These rimfire conversions allow shooters to practice inexpensively while retaining the handling characteristics of their chosen firearms (with reduced recoil and muzzle blast). Additionally, . 22 conversion kits allow practice at indoor ranges which prohibit high - power firearms . Owners of guns that use gas systems, such as AR - 15 sport style rifles, normally avoid firing non-jacketed . 22 LR ammunition, as the use of unjacketed ammunition may lead to lead fouling of the gas port inside the barrel and costly gunsmithing procedures . </P> <P> Annual production is estimated by some at 2--2.5 billion rounds . The NSSF estimates that half of the US production of 10 billion cartridges is composed of . 22LR . Despite the high production figures there have occasionally been shortages of . 22 LR in the continental United States, most notably during the 2008--13 United States ammunition shortage . </P> <P> Performance varies between barrel length and the type of action . For example, bolt - action rifles may perform differently from semiautomatic rifles . The . 22 LR is effective to 150 yd (140 m), though practical ranges tend to be less . After 150 yd, the ballistics of the round are such that it will be difficult to compensate for the large "drop". The relatively short effective range, low report, and light recoil has made it a favorite for use as a target - practice cartridge . The accuracy of the cartridge is good, but not exceptional; various cartridges are capable of the same or better accuracy . A contributing factor in rifles is the transition of even a high - velocity cartridge projectile from supersonic to subsonic within 100 yd (91 m). As the bullet slows, the shock wave caused by supersonic travel overtakes the bullet and can disrupt its flight path, causing minor but measurable inaccuracies . </P> <P> When zeroed for 100 yd (91 m), the arc - trajectory of the standard high - velocity . 22 LR with a 40 - gr bullet has a 2.7 - inch (69 mm) rise at 50 yd (46 m), and a 10.8 - inch (27 cm) drop at 150 yd (140 m). A . 22 LR rifle needs to be zeroed for 75 yd (69 m) to avoid overshooting small animals like squirrels at intermediate distances . </P>

What is the range of a 22 caliber bullet