Ammo Reports Team
| Primary Use | Target shooting / Plinking / Training |
| Bullet Type | LRN — Lead Round Nose |
| Bullet Weight | 40 gr |
| Case | Brass |
| Primer | Rimfire |
| Packaging | 50 rounds per box · 5,000 rounds per case |
| Typical Price | ~$5–8 / box of 50 (~$0.08–0.10 per round) |
| Closest Competitors | Winchester Super-X 22 LR 40 gr RN · Federal Champion 22 LR 40 gr RN · CCI Mini-Mag 22 LR 40 gr RN |
Official Specs
Manufacturer-stated data. No independent verification — see Submit Your Data below.
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,255 fps | Remington / Ammunition Depot |
| Muzzle Energy | 140 ft-lbs | Remington / Ammunition Depot |
| Bullet Weight | 40 gr | Remington |
| Bullet Type | Lead Round Nose (LRN) | Remington |
| Manufacturer SKU | TB22A | Remington |
| UPC | 047700002507 | — |
Note: Remington does not publish test barrel length or BC for this load. 1,255 fps is listed as high-velocity; the .22 LR cartridge is subsonic at this velocity (speed of sound ~1,125 fps at sea level), meaning the bullet is in the subsonic drag regime from the muzzle. The ballistics table below is calculated from known velocity retention data for this load type.
Ballistics Table
Calculated. Zero: 50 yards. Sight height: 1.5″ above bore. BC (G1): ~0.138.
Important: This table is a calculated estimate, not manufacturer-published data. Real-world results vary by barrel length, temperature, altitude, and lot. Community submissions will provide measured muzzle velocity for comparison.
| Yards | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lbs) | Trajectory (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,255 | 140 | +1.5 |
| 25 | 1,192 | 126 | +1.5 |
| 50 | 1,133 | 114 | 0.0 ← zero |
| 75 | 1,077 | 103 | -3.4 |
| 100 | 1,023 | 93 | -9.0 |
| 125 | 972 | 84 | -17.0 |
| 150 | 924 | 76 | -27.8 |
| 175 | 878 | 68 | -41.9 |
| 200 | 834 | 62 | -59.6 |
| 225 | 792 | 56 | -81.5 |
| 250 | 753 | 50 | -108.1 |
Reading the table: trajectory is measured relative to the line of sight. At 50 yards the bullet crosses the line of sight (zero). Beyond 50 yards the bullet drops below the line of sight — at 100 yards it is approximately 9 inches low, at 150 yards nearly 28 inches low. The .22 LR at this velocity is not a long-range cartridge; practical effective range for target and plinking use is 25–100 yards.
Variants
This page covers Remington Thunderbolt TB22A · .22 LR · 40 gr LRN only.
Remington’s .22 LR lineup includes higher-velocity and hollow-point options under the Golden Bullet and Viper lines. The Thunderbolt is Remington’s value-positioned standard-velocity plinking load — not a match round and not a hunting round. It is one of the most commonly distributed bulk .22 LR offerings in the US market.
Best Uses
Good fit:
- High-volume plinking and recreational target shooting at 25–75 yards
- Training for new and younger shooters — low recoil, low cost, manageable noise
- Feeding semi-automatic .22 LR rifles and handguns for function testing and break-in
- Bulk range sessions where per-round cost is the primary concern
Not the right tool for:
- Small game or pest hunting — the Thunderbolt has a reputation for inconsistent lot-to-lot quality; for hunting, a more consistent load (CCI Mini-Mag, Federal Champion) is more appropriate
- Precision target shooting or competition — this is a budget round, not a match round
- Suppressed firearms — the 1,255 fps velocity rating is above the supersonic threshold in some conditions; for consistently subsonic suppressor use, a dedicated subsonic load is appropriate
- Distances beyond 100 yards — the trajectory drop makes practical accuracy difficult at extended range
Reliability Notes
Not enough community data from this page yet. This section will be updated as submissions accumulate.
General notes from open sources:
- The Thunderbolt has a long-standing reputation in the shooting community as one of the more inconsistent budget .22 LR loads — common complaints include higher-than-average misfire rates and velocity variation lot-to-lot; this is a known characteristic of budget rimfire production, not unique to Remington
- Post-2020 Remington production (post-Vista Outdoor acquisition) has been reported as improved in some lots; community submission data will help establish current production consistency
- Lead round nose bullets produce more barrel fouling than copper-plated designs (CCI Mini-Mag, Federal Champion) — relevant for semi-auto reliability over long sessions without cleaning
- The 5,000-round case format makes this a natural choice for high-volume shooters where a moderate fouling rate is acceptable with regular cleaning intervals
Competitors
| Load | Weight | Bullet | Adv. Velocity | Price / 50 rds | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCI Mini-Mag 22 LR 40 gr RN | 40 gr | CPHP/RN | 1,235 fps | ~$13–15 | Copper-plated, more consistent — the reliability benchmark |
| Federal Champion 22 LR 40 gr RN | 40 gr | LRN | 1,240 fps | ~$7–9 | Direct competitor, similar price, generally consistent |
| Winchester Super-X 22 LR 40 gr RN | 40 gr | LRN | 1,300 fps | ~$18–20 | Higher velocity, higher price |
| Winchester Wildcat 22 LR 40 gr LRN | 40 gr | LRN | 1,255 fps | ~$5–7 | Nearly identical product at comparable price — direct value competitor |
| Aguila Super Extra 22 LR 40 gr RN | 40 gr | LRN | 1,255 fps | ~$6–8 | Mexican-made budget alternative, similar velocity and price |
Report pages for the loads above are in progress and will be linked here when published.
Price Reality
- Typical retail range: $5–8 per box of 50 (US market, 2025–2026) — approximately $0.08–0.10/round
- Case pricing: ~$420–475 for 5,000 rounds — approximately $0.08–0.09/round; the case format is the natural buy for volume shooters
- vs. CCI Mini-Mag: Thunderbolt runs roughly half the per-round cost of Mini-Mag; the trade-off is consistency and copper plating vs bare lead
- vs. Federal Champion: approximately equal pricing — the most direct competitor at the value tier
- Fair price benchmark: under $0.10/round is normal; above $0.12/round for this load is overpriced
Prices change. Check the Where to Buy block for current listings.
Where to Buy
Affiliate links. These do not influence ratings, data, or any editorial content on this page.
- Ammunition Depot — add link
- MidwayUSA — add link
- Brownells — add link
- Walmart — add link (Thunderbolt is widely available in big-box retail)
FAQ
Is Remington Thunderbolt reliable enough for a semi-automatic .22 LR?
It functions in most semi-auto .22 LR platforms, but it is not the most reliable option available. Lead round nose bullets without copper plating produce more fouling than plated alternatives, and budget rimfire loads carry higher misfire rates than premium production. For semi-auto use — especially in pistols that are more feeding-sensitive than rifles — CCI Mini-Mag or Federal Champion are more commonly recommended for consistent cycling. The Thunderbolt is fine for bolt-action and single-shot rifles where a misfire simply requires re-cocking.
What is the practical range of this load for plinking?
The ballistics table above shows the trajectory reality: at 100 yards the bullet is 9 inches below the line of sight (zeroed at 50 yards), and at 150 yards it is nearly 28 inches low. For informal plinking at steel targets or paper, 25–75 yards is the practical sweet spot where holdover is manageable without significant Kentucky windage. Beyond 100 yards the .22 LR at this velocity becomes a challenging proposition for consistent hits on small targets.
Why does .22 LR drop so much more than .17 HMR at distance?
Two factors: velocity and ballistic coefficient. The Thunderbolt leaves the muzzle at 1,255 fps vs 2,550–2,650 fps for .17 HMR loads. Lower velocity means more time in the air covering the same distance, and gravity acts on the bullet for that entire time — resulting in more drop. Additionally, .22 LR round-nose bullets have lower BCs (~0.138) than the polymer-tipped .17 HMR bullets (~0.185 for V-Max), meaning they lose velocity faster. The combination produces dramatically steeper trajectories than any .17 HMR load.
Is the 5,000-round case worth buying?
For dedicated plinkers and range regulars, the case format typically saves $0.01–0.02/round over box pricing — roughly $50–100 on a full case. The tradeoff is storage space and commitment to a single lot. Given Thunderbolt’s lot-to-lot consistency reputation, buying a case means accepting whatever quality that specific production run delivers. If you find a lot that shoots well in your rifle, the case is good value; if the lot has quality issues, you have 5,000 rounds of them.
Remington Thunderbolt vs Federal Champion — which is better?
Both are budget LRN .22 LR at similar price points. Federal Champion generally receives higher consistency ratings in online community discussions — fewer misfires, tighter velocity spreads. Thunderbolt is more widely available in big-box retail (Walmart, sporting goods stores) and often slightly cheaper per round. For plinking where an occasional misfire is a minor inconvenience, either works. For training where reliability matters more, Federal Champion edges ahead. Community submission data on both pages will eventually provide velocity spread comparisons.
Submit Your Data · Real-World Results
Manufacturer velocity figures are measured under controlled lab conditions — barrel length, temperature, and lot number all affect real-world performance. The data below comes from community submissions tied to specific test conditions and reviewed before
publishing.
Once this page reaches 3 approved submissions, aggregate velocity
and confidence level will appear here automatically.
| UPC # | Firearm | Barrel (in) | Avg Velocity (fps) | Shots | Temp (°F) | Chronograph | Lot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shot this load? Share your results — firearm type, barrel length, average velocity, shots fired, temperature. No account required.
All submissions are manually reviewed before appearing on this page.
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Results vary by firearm, barrel condition, ammunition lot, and environmental factors.
Submitted data is for reference only.
AmmoReports does not guarantee accuracy of user-submitted results.
Last updated: April 2026 · Data confidence: Low (0 submissions) ·
