Best Small Game Ammo: The Proven Guide for 2026

The right small game ammo is the difference between a clean harvest and a wounded animal that scurries into a hole in a tree. It’s also the difference between a squirrel that goes in the stew pot whole and one that’s too torn up to bother with.

The good news: small game hunting is one of the most affordable, accessible pursuits in the shooting world, and the humble .22 LR is the king of it. But not all .22 ammo is created equal, and matching your load to your quarry matters more than most new hunters realise. This guide ranks the best small game ammo by job — and tells you exactly what to buy for squirrels, rabbits, and pests.

First Principle: Match the Ammo to the Job

Before any brand names, understand the core trade-off that governs all small game ammo choices.

You’re balancing three things: enough terminal effect to make a clean, ethical kill; not so much that you destroy the meat or pelt; and — often overlooked — noise, because small game like squirrels come in liberal bag limits, and one loud shot can clear a whole treeline.

That trade-off is why there’s no single “best” load. The right small game ammo for a headshot squirrel hunter is different from what a pest-control shooter or a rabbit hunter needs. Let’s break it down.

Small Game Ammo: The Two Bullet Types That Matter

Hollow points expand on impact, dumping energy into the animal for a fast, humane kill and reducing the risk of the round zipping straight through. This is the default choice for most small game ammo — especially for body shots.

Solid / round-nose bullets don’t expand. They’re superbly accurate (which is why match ammo is almost always round-nose) and they preserve meat beautifully. For a headshot hunter who wants maximum meat and minimum fuss, a good solid load is hard to beat — a .22 to the head is decisive regardless of bullet design.

The rule of thumb: headshots → accurate solids or hollow points. Body shots → hollow points, every time.

The Best Small Game Ammo, Ranked by Job

🥇 Best All-Around: CCI Mini-Mag 36gr CPHP

If you buy one box of small game ammo, make it this. The CCI Mini-Mag 36-grain copper-plated hollow point (~1,260 fps) is the gold standard for good reason: it delivers reliable expansion, consistent accuracy, and enough energy to anchor squirrels and rabbits cleanly out to about 75 yards. Crucially, it cycles flawlessly in semi-autos like the Ruger 10/22, where cheaper bulk ammo chokes. It’s the do-everything load — it hunts and plinks, so you’re not stocking a separate brick.

🎯 Best for Meat-Savers: CCI Mini-Mag 40gr Segmented HP

For hunters who take body shots but still want to eat the animal, CCI’s 40-grain Segmented Hollow Point (~1,235 fps) is genius. On impact the bullet breaks into three pieces, each carving its own wound channel for a fast kill — but because that energy stays inside the animal rather than blowing straight through, it does less “blow-out” damage than you’d fear. It also reduces the risk of over-penetration and ricochet.

🔇 Best Quiet Load: CCI Quiet-22 / CCI Suppressor

Noise is the secret weapon of the serious squirrel hunter. CCI Quiet-22 (a 40-grain segmented HP at just ~710 fps) generates roughly 75% less noise than standard-velocity ammo — quiet enough to take a second and third squirrel from the same tree before they scatter. Pair it with a suppressor and it’s movie-quiet.

For suppressed semi-autos, step up to CCI Suppressor (45-grain hollow point at ~970 fps) — it’s subsonic and quiet, but carries enough energy to cycle the action reliably, which the ultra-slow Quiet-22 won’t do.

⚠️ Semi-auto note: the quietest loads (like Quiet-22 at 710 fps) often won’t cycle a semi-auto — they’re best in a bolt-action or single-shot. If you run a 10/22, choose Mini-Mag or CCI Suppressor.

🐇 Best for Rabbits & Bigger Small Game: Winchester Super-X Power-Point

Rabbits are a bit bigger and tougher than squirrels, and Winchester’s Super-X Power-Point 40-grain hollow point (~1,300 fps) delivers deeper penetration and controlled expansion that punches through brush predictably. It’s also a solid pick for groundhogs and larger pests where you need a little more authority.

💥 Best for Reach & Pests: CCI Stinger / Velocitor

When you need to stretch your range or hit harder, hyper-velocity is the answer. CCI Stinger drives a 32-grain hollow point to a screaming 1,640 fps — the fastest mainstream .22 LR you can buy — for aggressive expansion that drops pests decisively inside 75 yards. For more retained energy downrange on bigger small game, CCI Velocitor pushes a heavier 40-grain HP at 1,435 fps, balancing speed with penetration beautifully.

💰 Best Value: Federal Game-Shok / Aguila Super Extra

On a budget or shooting in volume? Federal Game-Shok (38-grain hollow point) hits hard and expands well at 30–50 yard woodland ranges for less money than premium loads. Aguila Super Extra stretches your dollar further still while remaining a legitimate hunting round.

Matching Small Game Ammo to Your Quarry

The Detail That Wins the Day: Test YOUR Rifle

Here’s the single most important piece of advice about small game ammo, and it comes straight from champion shooters who’ve fired millions of .22 rounds:

Every .22 rifle has its own preferences. The same box that shoots one-hole groups in your buddy’s 10/22 might scatter in yours. Barrels are individuals.

The fix is cheap and easy — and it’s the beauty of rimfire. Buy a few different loads — a 36gr, a 40gr, some hollow points, some solids — and shoot them at a target at your expected hunting range. Your rifle will clearly “tell” you which it likes. Because .22 ammo is so inexpensive, this testing costs almost nothing and pays off with every clean kill afterward.

Then buy that load in bulk. Once you know your rifle’s favourite, stock up — same brand, same lot if you can. Consistency is accuracy.

Small Game Ammo Needs Range Time

The best small game ammo in the world won’t save a shot you haven’t practiced. The wonderful thing about rimfire is that practice is nearly free.

Buy cheap high-velocity bulk .22 for practice, and your chosen premium load for the hunt. Shoot the cheap stuff all summer, dial in your holds and your range estimation, then head into the season confident. A hunter who’s put 500 practice rounds downrange will fill the stew pot far more reliably than one who bought premium ammo and never zeroed.

Small Game Ammo: Know the .22’s Limits

The .22 LR is a superb close-to-medium-range small game ammo choice — but respect its ceiling. The consensus among experienced hunters is to keep shots on small game inside about 60–75 yards with standard loads (a bit further with hyper-velocity). Beyond that, energy drops off, the bullet can go transonic and lose accuracy, and clean kills get harder.

Need more reach for varmints out to 150+ yards? That’s where the .17 HMR and .22 WMR come in — but for classic squirrel-and-rabbit woods hunting, the .22 LR remains unbeaten on cost, quietness, and meat preservation.

The Bottom Line

Choosing small game ammo isn’t complicated once you know the trade-off: match the load to the animal, favour hollow points for body shots and accurate solids for headshots, keep it quiet when you’re after multiples, and — above all — test what your specific rifle likes.

For most hunters, most of the time, CCI Mini-Mag is the answer — accurate, reliable, humane, and equally at home plinking or hunting. Add a quiet load for pest control and a hyper-velocity load for reach, and you’re covered for anything small and furry.

Shop Small Game Ammo at Trigger Ammo Store

Stock up before the season and head afield ready. Browse our full range of .22 LR ammo — including CCI Mini-Mag, Stinger, Suppressor and Quiet loads, plus Winchester and Federal hunting rounds — everything you need for squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs and pests.

Hunting bigger varmints or reaching past 100 yards? Explore our wider rimfire ammo selection, including .17 HMR and .22 WMR. And grab a brick of bulk high-velocity .22 for cheap off-season practice — it’s the best investment a small game hunter can make.

👉 Get season-ready — shop .22 LR ammo now →

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💬 Before You Go — Share Your Setup!

What’s your go-to small game ammo? Drop a comment telling us your favourite squirrel or rabbit load and the rifle you run it in — your real-world results help fellow hunters dial in faster. Heading out without finding what you were after? Tell us what you were looking for — it helps us stock the loads you actually want. Good hunting! 🎯🐿️

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Please buy and use ammunition responsibly and in accordance with all federal, state and local laws. Always check your state’s small-game seasons, bag limits, and legal calibers before hunting. Only take shots within your effective range and skill level for a clean, ethical harvest. You must meet all legal requirements to purchase, and ammunition cannot be shipped to every jurisdiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best small game ammo? For all-around use, CCI Mini-Mag 36gr copper-plated hollow point — it’s accurate, expands reliably, cycles semi-autos, and works for squirrels, rabbits and pests. Match your specific load to your quarry and, most importantly, to what your rifle shoots best.

What’s the best .22 LR ammo for squirrels? CCI Mini-Mag for general use, or CCI Quiet-22 / Suppressor when you want to take several squirrels from one area without spooking them. For meat preservation, headshots with an accurate load, or CCI’s segmented hollow point.

Hollow point or solid for small game? Hollow points for body shots — they expand for a clean kill and reduce pass-throughs. Accurate solid (round-nose) bullets are excellent for headshots and preserve the most meat.

What ammo is best for rabbits? A slightly heavier hollow point like Winchester Super-X Power-Point 40gr — rabbits are a bit tougher than squirrels and benefit from deeper penetration.

Why won’t my quiet .22 ammo cycle my semi-auto? Ultra-low-velocity loads like CCI Quiet-22 (710 fps) don’t generate enough energy to work a semi-auto’s action. Use them in a bolt-action, or switch to CCI Suppressor (970 fps) for a quiet load that still cycles.

How far can I ethically hunt small game with a .22 LR? Generally inside 60–75 yards with standard loads, a little more with hyper-velocity. Beyond that, energy and accuracy drop off. For longer varmint shots, consider .17 HMR or .22 WMR.

Do I really need to test different ammo in my rifle? Yes — it’s the single best thing you can do. Every .22 barrel has preferences, and rimfire is cheap enough to test several loads. Find your rifle’s favourite, then buy it in bulk.