CCI Ammunition is selling two HEVI-Bismuth rimfire shotshell loads intended for close-range pest control. The line includes .22 LR and .22 WMR versions, both loaded with No. 11 bismuth pellets and both carrying a stated muzzle velocity of 1,000 feet per second. CCI marks each product as new and available on its website. The .22 LR load is listed at $15.99 per 20-round package, while the .22 WMR load is $22.99 per 20-round package.
The two load configurations
The .22 LR version is part number 39CCB. CCI lists a 23-grain weight, No. 11 shot, 1,000-fps muzzle velocity and a 20-round package. Its use field says “Varmint.” The .22 WMR version is part number 25CCB. It retains the No. 11 shot size, 1,000-fps velocity, 20-round count and varmint designation, but CCI lists a 43-grain weight. That gives buyers two chambering-specific options with different stated payload weights rather than one load sold under a broad rimfire label.
CCI describes both cartridges as built on its established rimfire shotshell design. Instead of a conventional single bullet, the loads carry small pellets for close-range pest work from rimfire handguns and rifles. The company identifies the pellets as a bismuth alloy with a density of 9.6 grams per cubic centimeter. It also says the pellets are alloyed and cast in the United States. Those details apply to both cataloged configurations, not just the heavier .22 WMR load.
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What changes with bismuth shot
The product description calls the shot lead-free and “100 percent non-toxic,” and says the No. 11 HEVI-Bismuth payload is nearly as dense as lead. CCI presents that material choice as the central difference between these loads and conventional lead-pellet rimfire shotshells. The company also lists reliable CCI priming as a feature. It does not publish a pellet count, pellet mass, alloy composition beyond the stated bismuth description, or a direct density comparison number for lead on either product page.
For owners choosing between the two listings, the practical split is straightforward. The firearm's chambering determines which product applies, and the .22 WMR listing carries a 43-grain weight compared with 23 grains for .22 LR. Both retain the same nominal velocity and shot size. The published specifications therefore describe more listed weight in the .22 WMR package without claiming higher speed or a larger pellet diameter. CCI does not state that the two loads produce the same pattern or terminal result.
Price is another concrete distinction. At CCI's posted direct-sale prices, the .22 LR package is $7 less than the .22 WMR package, and each contains 20 cartridges. Both pages displayed “Available” when checked, and each offered an add-to-cart control. That is current direct availability on CCI's site, not a promise that local dealers or other sellers have either part number in stock. The pages do not provide a broad retail arrival date or a dealer-by-dealer rollout schedule.
Performance details CCI has not published
The listings stop short of the information needed to compare patterns in particular firearms. CCI gives no test-barrel length, pattern diameter, pellet count, recommended maximum distance or penetration measurement. It also does not publish handgun-versus-rifle pattern results, explain how the listed grain weight is calculated, or identify a preferred barrel configuration. Owners can verify chambering, part number, shot size, listed velocity and package count before buying, but the pages do not support claims about cycling, grouping or effectiveness at a specific distance.
CCI's stated use is narrow: an effective close-range option for damaging pests. The company does not present these as general-purpose rimfire target loads, conventional single-projectile ammunition or a replacement for every pest-control method. It also does not name specific pest species or publish location-specific use guidance. Any rules governing discharge, pest control or non-toxic ammunition still depend on where and how the cartridges are used; CCI's catalog entry does not resolve those questions.
No dated follow-up or additional chambering has been announced on the three product pages. The next verifiable product milestone will be a CCI update covering distribution, added configurations or technical performance data. Until then, the confirmed range consists of part numbers 39CCB and 25CCB in 20-round packages, with the direct prices and availability shown on CCI's own listings subject to change.
About the Author
Nick Sawinyh - Nick Sawinyh is a father, husband, hobby farmer, and gun enthusiast from Kentucky. He founded GunsNation and writes most of what appears on this blog.
