Winchester Announces New 21 Sharp Rimfire Cartridge

Winchester Ammunition officially announced the new 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge today, which the company said has “an innovative design that provides significant benefits for recreational shooters and small game hunters.”

Winchester’s new 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge is touted by the company to provide enhanced accuracy and on-target performance with both lead and lead-free projectiles. Ammunition manufacturers have tried for years to incorporate lead-free projectiles into the venerable .22 Long Rifle cartridge. While those products are available, none have ever met the accuracy and on-target performance that a lead projectile can provide due to the original .22 LR design. The new 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge from Winchester was purposefully designed by Winchester to provide top performance with lead-free projectiles rather than accommodating them later.

The new 21 Sharp rimfire cartridge allows for multiple bullet types, including full metal jacket (FMJ), copper matrix and plated-lead options. Jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets will also be available in 21 Sharp.

At launch, Winchester is offering four 21 Sharp loads. The first is Game & Target 25-grain, Copper Matrix with a Winchester-designed, lead-free, rimfire bullet capable of producing sub-1.5-MOA groups at 50 yards. Velocity from the muzzle is 1,750 f.p.s. and energy is 170 foot-pounds.

The next load is Game & Target 37-grain, Black Copper Plated. Winchester said this bullet is the “most comparable to a standard .22 LR offering with improved accuracy and offers an economical round for plinking applications.” Velocity from the muzzle is 1,335 f.p.s. and energy is 146 foot-pounds.

Pictured above is the 21 Sharp Game & Target 42-grain, full metal jacket load. Velocity from the muzzle is 1,330 f.p.s. and energy is 165 foot-pounds, dropping to 1,152 f.p.s and 124 foot-pounds at 50 yards.

For high-volume range sessions there is the Game & Target 42-grain, FMJ load. Velocity from the muzzle is 1,330 f.p.s. and energy is 165 foot-pounds.

Finally, the Super X 34-grain, JHP load is a solid choice for small-game hunting, with muzzle velocity of 1,500 f.p.s. and 170 foot-pounds of energy.

Winchester said the 21 Sharp Super-X 34-grain jacketed hollow point “outperforms its rival, the .22 LR, in terms of accuracy, expansion and impact energy on small game.”

All four 21 Sharp offerings from Winchester Ammunition are available in 100-round boxes and 1,000-round cases.

“The 21 Sharp cartridge offers significant advantages in the rimfire category, which is one of the more popular types of firearms and ammunition used by millions of people throughout the world,” Winchester Ammunition’s Senior Director of Product Innovation and Strategy Kyle Masinelli said. “Winchester leadership in cartridge development spans more than 100 years and as the global leader in ammunition design and manufacturing; it’s our job to serve our customers with innovative products that fit their needs now and into the future. That is what has been done with 21 Sharp.”

Learn more at the Winchester Ammunition website.