Sectioned examples of .

22 rinfire cartridges (courtesy of Paul Smith)

Left- .22 short with hollow point bullet
Center- .22 Long with solid bullet
Right- .22 Long Rifle with hollow point bullet.
All are examples made by Dominion Cartridge Company, headstamped "D".

Subsonic rounds have a muzzle velocity of 330 meters (1080 ft) per second or
less. These rounds are sometimes equipped with an extra heavy bullets of 46–
61 grain (2.9–3.9 gram) to improve the terminal ballistics of the slower projectile.
Conversely, the rounds can contain little more than primer and an extra-light
bullet.

Subsonic rounds are favored because of slightly superior accuracy and reduction
in noise. Supersonic rounds produce a loud crack which can scare away animals
when hunting. Accuracy is improved with subsonic rounds, because any
supersonic bullet (or projectile) that slows down from supersonic to subsonic
speed undergoes drastic aerodynamic changes in this transonic zone that might
adversely effect the stability and accuracy of the bullet.

***Because the speed of sound in air at 68 °F (20 °C) is approximately

1126 feet (343.4 m) per second, the subsonic round's muzzle velocity is close to
the speed of sound, or only very slightly below it, under many hunting conditions.
However, under cold air conditions at 32 °F (0 °C), the speed of sound drops to
331.5 meters (1088 ft) per second, essentially the same speed as the muzzle
 velocity of what was otherwise a subsonic round. Hence, a "subsonic" round
used in those kinds of temperatures would no longer actually be subsonic, and
when its speed passes from supersonic to subsonic, it may become unstable,
reducing accuracy. To counteract this, some cartridge manufacturers have
lowered the speed of their subsonic ammunition to 1030 feet (315 m) per second,
or significantly less, while other manufacturers still sell subsonic ammunition with
a velocity only slightly less than 1082 feet (330 m) per second.

Some subsonic rounds do not work well in most semi-automatic .22 LR firearms,
often failing to cycle the action because there's not enough recoil energy. Other
subsonic rounds use heavier bullets that achieve lower velocities in order to
ensure that, with a more massive bullet, there is enough energy to cycle any
common blowback action. An example of this is the Aguila .22 LR "Sniper" round,
which has a 60-grain (3.9 g) bullet. However, this can cause other problems: the
more massive bullet of the Aguila cartridge, being longer, requires a tighter barrel
twist (by the Greenhill formula) to ensure that the bullet remains stable in flight.