Just like you can' t shoot a 30 carbine, 308, 30-06, 300 Win mag, 300 dakota mag, 300 Wea. mag out of the same barrel. While all of these rounds use the same bullet, the cases are different and will not fit into the others barrel.

If I' m not mistaken the center fire 22' s use a slightly larger (.224" ) diameter bullet than the 22 long rifle.

The best way to see for yourself is go to a sporting goods store and look at the different cartriges yourself and you will be able to see the differences.