The RWS .22 Hornet is ideal for fox and hare hunting because it causes little damage to the game's meat and pelt. For this reason, it is often also used for hunting wood grouse or black grouse. The ideal firing distance is slightly less than 100 m, as this small bullet is a little wind-sensitive. Because of its low recoil, the small caliber is very popular with female and male hunters.

When fired from modern rifles, the .22 Hornet shows excellent precision. Moreover, this RWS cartridge is perfectly suitable for barrel inserts in combination guns, because it does not stress the action that much. It often is the maximum caliber for barrel inserts that can be used in older drillings. For hunting, it is frequently used in precision repeating rifles.

This cartridge, which has been available since 1930, is based on the black powder cartridge .22 WCF (Winchester Center Fire).