I was just wonder what the pros and cons where of each.  

Well, I just recently joined the Pistol and Rifle Club at Purdue and that is the first time I had heard of rimfire.  I have been around plenty of guns in the past and was just wondering about the difference, does it make a difference in accuracy and any other information or opinions that people had.

The 17HMR is a very kewl rimfire...
But then again so are the competition type rounds out of my CMP Mossberg M44 and of course the .22 mags out of the old AMT Automag II....

But if you want to know rimfires are restricted because the cases can not hold as much pressure as centerfire cases. This limits them to lower power levels. However the single piece case of the rimfires are constructed in a way that makes them far less expensive than the multipiece case of the centerfires.
In the end they both have their purposes and as such neither can nor will ever knock the other out of the market.

In rimfire the firing pin hits the rim of the casing where a primer mix resides, causes a reaction and propellant ignites and forces bullet down the bore.

In centerfire, a primer (boxer) removable type contains the mixture and when struck with a firing pin ignites the propellant via flash hole in case and bullet goes out.

Centerfire is reloadable

Rimfire is not.

That's the best I can do for you tonight.

EDIT: Welcome to the board!

HTH

Danny

Welcome to ARFCOM and welcome to the shooting sports. You've found one of the best places going if you're after solid, factual information. The down side of that is you can lose entire days just reading the Q&A threads.

As to your question, there isn't much to discuss. There's only one popular rimfire cartridge, the trusty old twenty-two.

Pro's:
Twenty-twos are great for practice. You can shoot all day for pennies and you don't make half the noise so finding a place to shoot where it won't upset the neighbors is easier.

Con's:
Twenty-twos are no good for defensive use and aren't any good as hunting arms for anything bigger than a rabbit.


Everything else, including shotguns, is center fire.

Pro's:
The sky's the limit on power, range, and accuracy.

Con's:
The sky's the limit on noise, recoil and $$$.

Quoted: Centerfire is reloadable Rimfire is not.

I taking that reloadable means reusable.  Is they any major price difference then?  

price diffrence is vast.

500 rounds of .22 cost 11-15$ at walmart in bulk packs. more accurate target and hunting .22 ammo is available for a few bucks per 50 or 100 round pack.

centerfire varies from cheap surplus and import milatary calibers starts at about 2.50 a box depending on source. standard production hunting rounds in most centerfire rifle calibers start at about 13$ per 20 and go up. (there are cheaper alternatives, im talking about the big name makers there)

since no one else got into specifics, i guess i will. s stanard .22lr rimfire can be pretty accurate to about 50 yards, and sometimes reasonably accurate to about 100 yards. In compairison centerfire cartrages are capable of 600 yard and greater shots.

 

Quoted: Quoted: Centerfire is reloadable Rimfire is not. I taking that reloadable means reusable.  Is they any major price difference then?

Reloaded ammo is a lot cheaper but most of it is also a lot less reliable since most reloaders don't use the quality control systems used by large commercial producers.

For practice/plinking reloads are great. For serious work or competition you need to stay with high quality commercial or military surplus.

My "Handloaded" ammo is so reliable and accurate that I only use it in my Hunting and Precision Target Rifles. I get excellent results, with well over 20,000 rounds loaded (single stage press) and fired without 1 ammo related failure, ever.

All my .223-.308-.30-06- Match ammo-& .50BMG, I load.

Most of my firearms have never seen a factory round.

I buy cheap plinking ammo for some of my AR's, .22 LR for my .22's, and all of my shotgun ammo from the various factory offerings.

But, for the good stuff.... It comes from me, myself and I.

And that is the ammo I trust the most.

Danny

I think I should clarify the difference between 'reloads' and 'handloads'.

Reloads are cartridges produced by commercial manufacturers. They use automated machinery that installs new bullets, powder, and primers in used casings. Some commercial reloaders use components from military surplus ammo that has been taken apart. They produce in mass quantities but can't afford the quality checks that the big guys use. They achieve low cost at the expense of quality/consistency. They are good for practice/plinking. I wouldn't use them for tactical or competitive shooting.

Handloads are built one at a time with manual equipment. Handloaders achieve superior quality at the expense of time/volume. They use new or used casings depending on what they are after. Handloads are the way to go when ammo quality and consistency is critical or when you want a cartridge tailored to your specific needs. That's why so many serious competion shooters 'roll their own'.

edited because the spell checker has lulled me into a false sense of security

Danny