Here we take a quick look at the short, stubby and screaming fast .22 PPC-USA cartridge.
The .22 PPC-USA was developed in 1974 by Dr. Louis Palmisano and Ferris Pindell, primarily for use as a benchrest cartridge. Although originally a wildcat, Sako of Finland introduced commercial rifles and ammunition late in 1987. Norma followed suit in 1993 with loaded ammunition.
Because the .22 PPC-USA is an American development, it’s listed here as a current American rifle cartridge, with the “-USA” appended, rather than as a European cartridge. The cartridge is based on the .220 Russian case, which is a necked-down version of the 7.62x39mm Soviet military cartridge.
The Wichita Engineering and Supply Co. made the first rifles for both the .22 and 6mm PPC cartridges. Many custom rifles have been built around this cartridge. In 1993, Ruger announced its No. 1V and M77 varmint rifles in this cartridge as well.
The originators altered the .220 Russian case by giving it a 10-degree body taper and 30-degree shoulder angle, as well as expanding the neck to accept the standard .224-inch diameter bullet used in the United States. The cartridge cases are made in Finland by Sako, or in Sweden by Norma, and use small-rifle primers.
Although the .22 PPC-USA is a short, rather stubby case only 1.51 inches long, it nevertheless develops ballistics superior to some larger, longer cartridges such as the .222 and .223 Remington. The 52-grain bullet can be pushed out of the muzzle at more than 3,500 fps, and this definitely places the .22 PPC-USA in the varmint and small-game class. A 1:14 twist has become standard for these rifles, although a 1:12 twist can sometimes be found.
.22 PPC-USA Loading Data and Factory Ballistics
| BULLET (GRAINS/TYPE) | POWDER | GRAINS | VELOCITY | ENERGY | SOURCE |
| 40 Nos BT | Varget | 29.5 | 3,560 | 1,125 | Hodgdon |
| 52 HP | BL-C2 | 28.3 | 3,400 | 1,335 | Speer |
| 52 HP | W748 | 28.0 | 3,300 | 1,258 | Speer, Nosler, Hornady |
| 55 SP | H335 | 27.0 | 3,200 | 1,251 | Speer, Nosler |
| 55 SP | W748 | 28.0 | 3,200 | 1,251 | Hornady, Nosler, Speer |
| 52 Sierra MK HPBT | FL | 9.1 | 3,340 | 1,288 | HSM 22PPC-1-N |
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt of Gun Digest’s Cartridge’s Of The World.
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