The Rimfire Report: Hot N’ Light – CCI Stinger 32gr CPHP
Welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! In this ongoing series, we’ve explored a wide range of topics, from the history of ancient rimfire firearms to reviews of modern guns and ammunition. Today, we’re diving back into ammunition testing with a cartridge that’s earned a strong reputation among varmint hunters: CCI’s Stinger 32-grain Copper Plated Hollow Point.
The CCI Stinger holds a unique place in the world of .22LR ammo, being the first of what many call “hyper-velocity” cartridges. Hyper-velocity 22LR loads like the Stinger are characterized by lighter projectiles and a minimum advertised velocity of 1,400 FPS—faster than the 1,100–1,400 FPS range typically classified as “high velocity.” Introduced in 1975, the CCI Stinger quickly gained popularity among rat hunters, squirrel hunters, and pest control enthusiasts. Today, we’ll put the Stinger through our standard battery of tests, using the Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph and a Bergara B14R rifle. Let’s see how this iconic 32-grain rimfire load performs in 2025.
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The Rimfire Report: Hot N’ Light – CCI Stinger 32gr CPHP
CCI was attempting to provide the rimfire market with something truly novel in 1975. Rimfire ammunition often suffers from a case of being so old that everyone is used to 1250 fps for velocity and 40-grain for weight. CCI attempted to push the relatively slow rimfire cartridge beyond its ceiling of about 1350 fps to a whopping 1640 fps. In order to do this, CCI had to first reduce the weight of the bullet from 40 to 32 grains, and in doing so, they were able to pack in a slightly hotter charge than normal – but that wasn’t enough.
The most distinct thing about CCI’s Hyper Velocity Varmint Eliminator is that its nickel-plated cases are actually longer than typical 22LR cases. The Stinger’s case length is extended from 0.613” to 0.702”, giving the case more room for powder. Additionally, CCI also smooshed the bullet down inside of the case a bit further so that the Stinger would fit into regular 22LR chambers. That being said, in my experience, semi-autos with match-grade chambers and even some off-the-shelf 10/22 rifles don’t behave very well with CCI Stingers, probably because of the longer case.
All of this effort into making an almost entirely new cartridge nets the end user a potential kinetic energy increase from 100 to 140 ft lbs for most standard and high-velocity 22LR loads, up to almost 200 ft lbs – a significant increase in lethal energy. But does the ammo live up to its claims?
Product Overview
Product Link: https://www.cci-ammunition.com/rimfire/cci/stinger/6-50.html
Want something that shoots flat and anchors varmints fast? Fill your mag with CCI® Stinger® 22 LR. The loads smoke out the muzzle at 1,640 fps and are loaded within industry standard pressures. They provide consistent, reliable performance thanks to CCI priming and brass.
- Hyper-velocity leader
- Loaded within industry standard pressures
- Anchors varmints fast
Specs
Caliber: 22 LR
Grain Weight: 32
Bullet Style: Copper Plated Hollow Point
Muzzle Velocity: 1640
Ballistic Coefficient: .084
Package Quantity: 50
Usage: Varmint
Price: $10.99 ($0.22 cpr)
Velocity Data
Right out of the gate, I want to say I am just a little bit disappointed that the average velocity out of the B14Rs 18” barrel didn’t get anywhere close to the advertised 1640 fps listed on the box. I know 20” and 22” barrels exist and are out there but to be frank, they just aren’t as common – even when it comes to Rimfire PRS rifles like the B14R. The advertised velocity of 1640 fps would put the power of the cartridge right around 190 ft lbs, but with the average velocity sticking to around 1550 fps, we’re only seeing a 30 ft lb improvement in performance at 171 ft lbs of force at the muzzle.
As far as consistency goes, CCI Stinger did very well with a standard deviation of about 15 and an extreme spread of only 64.3. These numbers alone give us a good recipe for an accurate round, which is something that a varmint hunting focused cartridge should excel at in addition to having more power than your standard high-velocity 22LR.
Accuracy Data
Even though I am not 100% pleased with these groups, I’m really happy with how accurate the ammo seems to be when paired with the B14R. Out of the 5 groups of 10, two stood out as being particularly good on this rainy day, with one group being right around 1” in size, if not a bit oblong. The remaining three groups were about 2” in size and likely that big because of input errors on my part.
At 50 yards, the CCI Stinger projectile is still carrying about 1,200 fps of energy out of the 18” barrel, and you’d see a similar drop off for shorter, more common 16” barrels. This means that CCI Stinger does give you a distinct energy advantage down range within 100 yards, which is pretty much where most varmint and pest hunting takes place.
Closing Thoughts
CCI Stinger is one of those cartridges that has been around my entire life, and for my entire life, I’ve always thought of it as a pest-hunting staple. A bit on the expensive side but justifiably so, even if only based on the performance I got out of it during this last test. I have blasted countless ground hogs and other small vermin with Stingers over the years and can attest personally to its efficacy at dispatching small critters. At its modern price of almost 22 cents per round, the ammo might not appeal as much to pest species hunters anymore, but the extra cost definitely gives back in a meaningful way, which is why I’d still give it a solid recommendation for serious rimfire hunters.
CCI Stinger 22LR Ammunition
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences with CCI Stinger. I’d be particularly interested in hearing if the cartridge lives up to the legend in your experience as well. As always, thanks for stopping by to read The Rimfire Report, and we’ll see you all next week!
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