The Rimfire Report: Is .21 Sharp Taking Rimfire Anywhere New?

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and all of its different types of shooting sports, guns, ammunition, and history! This week we’re talking about a subject that I think we’ll be hearing a lot more about in the coming weeks and months in the lead-up to SHOT Show 2025. I’m of course talking about the new .21 Sharp rimfire cartridge.

Every now and again we see new cartridges appear, but seldom are they rimfire cartridges. Even though I was happy to see a new cartridge offering in the rimfire category, I had to stop and ask myself the question “Is this cartridge going to change anything?” Today I want to take you through my thoughts on the .21 Sharp rimfire cartridge and explore some possibilities that the new cartridge might offer rimfire shooters across the globe.

More Rimfire Report @ TFB:

The Rimfire Report: The Last Quackenbush – Bicycle Rifle The Rimfire Report: A Series Of Tubes – The Hamilton Model 11 The Rimfire Report: An (Almost) 100% Aftermarket 10/22

The Rimfire Report: Is .21 Sharp Taking Rimfire Anywhere New?

Despite what you might assume about it, the .21 Sharp cartridge actually has its own dedicated mission statement that lies outside of simple terminal performance. The new 21 Sharp cartridge is actually purposefully designed to eliminate limitations and problems caused by the standard heeled bullet that the common and affordable .22LR case uses. The parent .22LR case remains the same but the projectile now sits entirely within the inside of the case (a 0.210” diameter).

Heeled bullets pose a number of deficiencies especially when compared to more modern cartridges like .17 HMR and .22 WMR. First and foremost is the aerodynamic efficiency of said heeled bullets. The required shape for .22LR bullets leaves a vast majority of available projectiles with a very poor ballistic coefficient. Not only does this make the bullet bleed off velocity faster, but it also limits both the long-range accuracy of the round, as well as the versatility of bullet design and composition – .21 Sharp has none of these drawbacks and adds a few positives as well.

With the .21 Sharp, Winchester has effectively reimagined the rimfire cartridge by eliminating the heeled bullet’s exposed base, a design relic that not only hampers performance but also complicates the adoption of modern materials like lead-free alloys or even almost as ancient FMJ designs. By seating the bullet entirely inside the case, the .21 Sharp achieves a sleeker, more consistent profile that enhances downrange stability and energy retention. This design not only improves ballistic coefficients but also opens the door for a wider variety of projectile shapes and compositions, specifically lead-free projectiles which gives it better suitability as a hunting cartridge, as it should help keep it in line with rapidly evolving environmental regulations and shooter preferences both here and in Europe.

Barriers to Adoption: Familiar Challenges

As with any new cartridge, the first and biggest hurdle to its longevity is widespread adoption—volume keeps the dollars coming in, which keeps the ammo presses running nonstop to keep up with the demand. .22LR has the distinct advantage of already having its own dedicated lines for virtually every step of the process – sometimes even having entire buildings dedicated to the production of only .22LR and nothing else. As of writing, the .21 Sharp is available in 4 different firearm models ( all from Savage), and to match with that, Winchester is currently the only company offering ammunition and as it stands they have the following four loadings of .21 Sharp:

Game & Target 25-grain Copper Matrix: A lead-free bullet designed for enhanced accuracy.Game & Target 37-grain Black Copper Plated: Suitable for economical plinking and general use.Game & Target 42-grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ): Ideal for high-volume shooting with reduced barrel fouling.Super X® 34-grain Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP): Provides improved expansion and energy transfer for small game hunting.

It’s interesting to me that despite the claim from Winchester that this is supposed to entirely embrace modern technology, they are still content with offering only a simple copper plating which is often a copper wash. To be fair, this particular load is marketed as an economical plinking cartridge, so cost-cutting measures are understandable. Eliminating a full copper jacket reduces both production complexity and material expenses, making it a practical choice for high-volume shooters.

.22LR Dominance

.22 LR has an extremely strong foothold in the rimfire market as not only the undisputed king of volume but also longevity. .22LR has had such a strong hold on the market since it was and still kind of is the entire rimfire market with .22WMR, .17 HMR. .17HM2, and 5mm being almost insignificant in comparison. My personal opinion is that .21 Sharp at best will wind up like .22WMR or .17 HMR with limited firearms and ammunition options being available for most of the market.

I think the strongest market for the new cartridge is going to be an even split between the Rimfire PRS/NRL competition market, and varmint hunters. PRS shooters will likely only have to perform a simple barrel swap in order to adopt the new flatter-shooting cartridge. .21 Sharp can currently be found for as low as $0.17 per round which puts it a solid $0.06 higher in price than your typical .22LR ammunition. However, if the new modern bullet design and manufacturing techniques translate to better average accuracy, there might not be a reason to opt for expensive ($0.20-$0.45) .22LR match ammo. To sum it up, .21 Sharp has potential, but it’s facing some pretty tough competition from a very well-established cartridge that everyone already loves and can afford.

Conclusion: A Step Forward or More of the Same?

It can be argued that .21 sharp isn’t anything new and it probably won’t even offer its intended users any distinct advantages over the already widespread .22LR. However, I like it when companies try new things and .21 Sharp is a cartridge I am determined to review thoroughly here on TFB on The Rimfir Report. I think.21 Sharp represents a thoughtful evolution in rimfire cartridge design, overcoming some of the limitations of the .22 LR, particularly concerning practical lead-free options, and increasing its performance and ballistic consistency. While it may not revolutionize the entire rimfire market or even become a modern replacement for .22LR, I think it offers some meaningful improvements for those seeking modern performance in a somewhat familiar pint-sized package. Its success will ultimately depend on market adoption, industry support, and its ability to deliver on its promises in real-world applications.