looking for ammo suggestions

Steve

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Kinda overwhelmed with all the 22lr ammo out there with all the grain options. Had no idea.

I bought a M&P 22lr compact and am not sure what kind of ammo to get for it so looking for suggestions. I'd just like clean ammo for the range.

And self defense loads.

Thanks
 
1. CCI minimags are always the answer, because they usually go bang every time and they're fairly clean for rimfire
2. for self-defense, I would suggest getting something else but it's better than a sharp stick. Rimfire ignition isn't one I would stake my life on unless it was a revolver with 8+ capacity. You'll need all 8 lol esp if one doesn't go bang when you need it too.

Anyhow here's a relative video

Full disclosure: I love 22lr. I love rimfires and I have tested and shot a metric shat-ton of ammo. My wife carried a 22LR after getting her CHP until I could get her out of it. I would never ever suggest doing that.
 
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I'm going to stay away from the defense load.... IMO .22lr is a last defense backup, suppressed in the home or car... I suggest you try a small group of what ever brands peak your interest and see what your rife likes.
Good video about additional ammo/ ballistics







CCI Standard - works well in almost every pistol and rifle I have
Winchester M22 - runs okay in my pistols and okay in rifles good for plinking and cheap bulk

My preferred
Federal HV Match
Wolf Match Target
CCI Pistol Match
SK Standard
 
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As already said above MiniMags are dang good 99.44% of the time (my old Mossberg 44USD don’t like ‘em for accuracy but they cycle great since it’s a bolt gun) in my rimfires.

As to clean ... rimfire anything is not going to be real clean but again CCI MiniMags are somewhat cleaner.

As self defense with a rimfire ... it has been said above not my 1st choice either. In a revolver you can pull the trigger again and the cylinder will advance onto another round but semiautos you need to be ready for tap-rack-bang just in case you have a failure to fire or such. There are other factors I personally that wouldn’t make it my first choice but I also wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a round or 8+ of it either ...
 
Also just to put this out there, rimfire from a 16" barreled rifle moving at 1200fps is wayyyyyy better for HD/SD than rimfire from a 3.5-5" barrel moving at barely 800-900fps.
But even that amount of muzzle energy from the rifle is less than a good .380 SD round from a micropistol lol. And I am no fan of the .380 at all. Hate those lil Kurz cases contaminating my brass pickup at the range.
 
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Kinda overwhelmed with all the 22lr ammo out there with all the grain options. Had no idea.

I bought a M&P 22lr compact and am not sure what kind of ammo to get for it so looking for suggestions. I'd just like clean ammo for the range.

And self defense loads.

Thanks

I concur with @Ikarus1 and @NCFubar on the CCI mini-mags. I have no comment on self-defense loads.
 
I'm carrying a shield 45 but its kinda obvious to me that I'm having trouble managing the recoil. I'm sure with practice I can overcome it but it's not very useful to me now if I can't reliably hit what I'm aiming at. Really wish I could carry my 1911, lol. So, while I figure out what to replace it with, I at least have the M&P 22lr as an option.
 
22lr ammo about the only thing I will buy anymore is CCI mini mags or Blasers as they work all my pistols with no problems I do buy CCI SV for the S&W 41
 
I'm carrying a shield 45 but its kinda obvious to me that I'm having trouble managing the recoil. I'm sure with practice I can overcome it but it's not very useful to me now if I can't reliably hit what I'm aiming at. Really wish I could carry my 1911, lol. So, while I figure out what to replace it with, I at least have the M&P 22lr as an option.
why cant you carry your 1911 I do
 
I have a M&P 22 and an M&P 22 compact. Both have eaten every round of Blazer, Fed Automatch and M22 I’ve fed them...along with some of the Federal blue box/can stuff. Mainly suppressed, but not 100% of the time.

I use my CCI SV for the suppressed bolt guns.
 
One thing to consider, and its a bit off topic, but if this is a carry gun then the size of a .22, .380, and 9mm firearm isn't going to be terribly different. So instead of dropping from .45 all the way to .22lr, take a few pit stops along the way. The 9mm shield is a very easy shooting choice, the Sig P365 is getting rave reviews, and the Glock 43 is a favorite.

Also...I have never heard anyone comment on recoil after a self defense shoot. The panic, adrenaline, and excitement usually drowned out "feeling recoil".

My advice to the .22 ammo choice: Once you pick a firearm, fire as many brands as you can, find one that is reliable in your firearm and go with it. >In my opinion< in .22 reliability trumps expansion characteristics, because even with expansion, a .22lr makes a wee tiny hole. So make sure you can make a BUNCH of wee tiny holes to make up for the lack of size.
 
I'm carrying a shield 45 but its kinda obvious to me that I'm having trouble managing the recoil. I'm sure with practice I can overcome it but it's not very useful to me now if I can't reliably hit what I'm aiming at. Really wish I could carry my 1911, lol. So, while I figure out what to replace it with, I at least have the M&P 22lr as an option.

drop down to 180gr ammo and you'll probably shoot that gun a bit better if recoil is the problem. I have found in subcompact guns that the sight radius is the problem. They're great for instinctive shooting though ;)
 
I carry a Shield 9mm. If you want to come to the Mebane area some time you can test fire it. Along with a few other options.
 
Cheap, readily available, reliable and typically accurate rimfire is always CCI. I use a ton of Mini Mags but always keep standard velocity around as well as Stingers and Velocitors...they have a little more oomph for something like a chubby groundhog when getting out a 22Mag or 223 isn't a good idea. They even make CCI Quiets.

I have no good suggestion for SD ammo in 22LR. I personally would not recommend using it for SD but as already mentioned it does beat a sharp stick. If I had to pick ammo for that use I think I would stick with what I mentioned above for the same reasons.
 
1. CCI minimags are always the answer
We found out here that if your gun doesn't run on these...get shed of it...As I sit here typing I have my feet braced on 20,000 with another 40+ Thousand a few feet away.
That said,,,I also have a Folgers coffee can around here somewhere that's about half full of .22s with heavy firing pin strikes and no Bang! I have NO unfired .25s. I love me some .25s and .32s. Those of you who have visited have seen our treated 2x12 board shot with everything that is No Good for self defense..22,25 auto,32 short,32 long,32 auto, 38S&W, .380,38wads, and so on. They ALL whizzed right through.
Remember the great Wild Bill carried 2 Colt Navys that shot 80 grain balls and about 775 fps. Deadly is as Deadly Does.
 
Personally, if I were going to use a .22 for self defense, I would forget CoM and focus on the triangle between the arm pits and the top of the head. Actually, the vertical centerline of that triangle and keep shooting until the target disappears from view. Practice, practice, practice.

For ammo, a HV 40gr solid, Mini Mags being the gold standard. You'll want maximum penetration. Buy several brands and see what your gun likes and is most reliable with, then standardize on that. I would not go with reduced velocity target or semi-target ammo. Gun reliability ties into this.

Otherwise, if you can't manage the .45, trade it for a 9mm in the largest size you can comfortably carry.
 
Carry the 22. Spend more time and practice on drawing the gun and putting rounds on target.
One rd of 22 that hits its target is better than a 1000 rds of 45 that doesn't.
With enough rds down range you will figure out what ammo your gun like best. Do your own testing and don't rely on Videos to save your life.
 
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The 22 is something I already own so switching to that while I decide which 9mm to carry. Most likely will be a shield 9mm but choosing a new gun is almost as fun as shooting it so don't want to rush the process. I just had no idea what kind of ammo to put in it.
 
I carry a Shield 9mm. If you want to come to the Mebane area some time you can test fire it. Along with a few other options.

thanks for the offer, had tried the shield as a rental from calibers http://calibers.net/rental/
cz was nice so taking a look at the p10s, then there are some sig p938's forsale in the classifieds I am drooling over.
 
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For ammo, a HV 40gr solid, Mini Mags being the gold standard. You'll want maximum penetration.
cci mini mags never let me down
Cheap, readily available, reliable and typically accurate rimfire is always CCI. I use a ton of Mini Mags
22lr ammo about the only thing I will buy anymore is CCI mini mags
I concur with @Ikarus1 and @NCFubar on the CCI mini-mags.
CCI minimags are always the answer
Ask and ye shall receive...……..go, and sin no more...……………...
 
CCI and Aguilla. Federal HV Match. My preferences for the .22LR rimfires I own.

They all go bang, pretty much every time. Aguilla and CCI also offer some hyper velocity loads.

HV Match and Aguilla can be had pretty cheap if you watch the sales.

As others have said, pretty dirty stuff. I had a Marlin Model 60 smoking like a musket one day with Aguilla. Smoke rings. I cleaned it after that session.

Carry the most gun you can safely handle. While the .22LR ammo is cheap, your life is priceless.
 
I'm carrying a shield 45 but its kinda obvious to me that I'm having trouble managing the recoil. I'm sure with practice I can overcome it but it's not very useful to me now if I can't reliably hit what I'm aiming at. Really wish I could carry my 1911, lol. So, while I figure out what to replace it with, I at least have the M&P 22lr as an option.

Jim,

I live in Winston-Salem too. Just as soon as I can get my Dad out of the hospital (which I think will be in the next week or so), I would be happy to host you at PHA for a day of trying out different 9mm handguns. I have more than a few and it should help you decide what you might buy next (yes, I am an enabler:eek:). I do not currently have any Glocks but I have a bunch of other stuff you can try.

A M&P Shield in 45 is a whole lot of handgun for most people but if we do meet, I would hope you will bring it. I'll supply the ammo. Shoot me a PM if you think you might be interested.
 
Jim,

I live in Winston-Salem too. Just as soon as I can get my Dad out of the hospital (which I think will be in the next week or so), I would be happy to host you at PHA for a day of trying out different 9mm handguns. I have more than a few and it should help you decide what you might buy next (yes, I am an enabler:eek:). I do not currently have any Glocks but I have a bunch of other stuff you can try.

A M&P Shield in 45 is a whole lot of handgun for most people but if we do meet, I would hope you will bring it. I'll supply the ammo. Shoot me a PM if you think you might be interested.
I can possibly meet you there with full-size, compact and subcompact Glocks. ;)
 
I can possibly meet you there with full-size, compact and subcompact Glocks. ;)
If the poor guy is gonna drive all the way from Winston, at least provide some interesting guns. :p
 
Want to thank you again for hosting me at PHA. It's a really impressive setup over there and really enjoyed trying out all your handguns. You definitely are an enabler and I am now shopping for a P365

These are my favorites.
1911 EMP - still can't believe how short the trigger reset is
Sphynx 9mm
Canik L120

Also shot M&P's, Walther, Taurus, S&W's, and others I no longer remember.


Jim,

I live in Winston-Salem too. Just as soon as I can get my Dad out of the hospital (which I think will be in the next week or so), I would be happy to host you at PHA for a day of trying out different 9mm handguns. I have more than a few and it should help you decide what you might buy next (yes, I am an enabler:eek:). I do not currently have any Glocks but I have a bunch of other stuff you can try.

A M&P Shield in 45 is a whole lot of handgun for most people but if we do meet, I would hope you will bring it. I'll supply the ammo. Shoot me a PM if you think you might be interested.
 
I am now shopping for a P365.
You’re doing what?
Haven’t you read all the critical online posts from people who’ve never owned one????? :D
 
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