How do you differentiate all of the 22 rimfire ammo out there? At a basic level, what ammo do you use to just shoot with and what ammo do you use to compete with? How do you judge the difference in quality and accuracy?
Educate me on Ammo
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each rifle likes a certain ammo the best. You need to figure out what ammo yours likes and hope it’s not too expensive, mine likes SK standard but only shoot that when I need to be really accurate. If I don’t need to be then I just run the cheap stuff.
IMO… and in short
Cheap ammo is for plinking
Accuracy.. is in the eye of the beholder and is generally rifle specific. Shoot different brands and grain weights through your guns… the gun will tell you which is best
I’m my experience… CCI Standard Velocity will shoot well and cycle in most guns.
If you have cycling issues, try heavier weights or stinger type ammo.
Cheap ammo is for plinking
Accuracy.. is in the eye of the beholder and is generally rifle specific. Shoot different brands and grain weights through your guns… the gun will tell you which is best
I’m my experience… CCI Standard Velocity will shoot well and cycle in most guns.
If you have cycling issues, try heavier weights or stinger type ammo.
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As said before, match your ammo to your gun as well as your objective. As an example, I like to run sub-sonics at 50 yards through my CZ455 with a suppressor. But they will not group as well at 100 in the 455, nor will they even cycle my 10/22 or my Ruger Mark 2 pistol. So I generally run subs at 50 yards and standard velocity rounds at 100 to 400 yards. If I am going to shoot 500 or farther, then I will usually use a higher velocity round that my rifle likes - usually Federal Auto Match. If you are running a semi-auto, you will probably want to avoid sub-sonics and maybe even some slower standard velocity rounds. If you are running a suppressor, you will at least want to stick with standard velocity rounds, if not purpose loaded sub-sonics, in order to get the sound reduction benefits of the can.
Also as said above, the rifle will tell you what ammo it likes and what it does not. But my advice is that when you go to try different types of ammo, start from a clean bore, then foul the barrel with about 10 - 15 rounds of the specific ammo product you will be testing. Then shoot a few groups to see how it performs. Then, before moving to the next ammo brand/product, clean the barrel and repeat the process with the next round you want to test. Repeat the clean and new ammo testing cycle with each different brand/product until you find a good round that your rifle likes. The reason for this regimen is that the lube and bullet composition varies wildly from bullet to bullet - some are thin, some thick, some are dry, etc. And if you do not work from a clean bore when testing, your rifle may shoot a particular round great in testing after accumulating a mixture of various prior ammo's fouling, but then not repeat the performance with that same round later after you clean the accumulated mixed fouling out of the bore. When you find a round that the rifle likes from clean, you pretty much know how to consistently repeat that accuracy from then on - just clean the rifle and refoul with that preferred ammo and you should be good to go.
Also as said above, the rifle will tell you what ammo it likes and what it does not. But my advice is that when you go to try different types of ammo, start from a clean bore, then foul the barrel with about 10 - 15 rounds of the specific ammo product you will be testing. Then shoot a few groups to see how it performs. Then, before moving to the next ammo brand/product, clean the barrel and repeat the process with the next round you want to test. Repeat the clean and new ammo testing cycle with each different brand/product until you find a good round that your rifle likes. The reason for this regimen is that the lube and bullet composition varies wildly from bullet to bullet - some are thin, some thick, some are dry, etc. And if you do not work from a clean bore when testing, your rifle may shoot a particular round great in testing after accumulating a mixture of various prior ammo's fouling, but then not repeat the performance with that same round later after you clean the accumulated mixed fouling out of the bore. When you find a round that the rifle likes from clean, you pretty much know how to consistently repeat that accuracy from then on - just clean the rifle and refoul with that preferred ammo and you should be good to go.
MacEntyre
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It might help to look at 22 ammo from wimpy to strong...
22 short
22 long
22 long rifle
22 magnum
Shorts can chamber in Long or Long Rifle firearms.
Longs can chamber in Long Rifle firearms.
Only 22 Magnum can chamber in 22 Magnum firearms.
from wimp to speed demon:
Aguila Super Colibri... wimp, primer only with 20 grain bullet, silent in most rifles, might not make it out of a barrel longer then 20"
BB Cap... ancient light load, very quiet
CB Cap short... light load, very quiet
CB Cap Long... light load, very quiet
CCI Quiet-22... light load, full size bullet at 40 grains, silent in most rifles, not likely to get stuck in the barrel.
Subsonic... just under 1000 feet per second
Standard... just over 1000 feet per second, best choice for vintage firearms because that's how 22 ammo was made for a long time
High Velocity... 1200 to 1600 feet per second
22 short
22 long
22 long rifle
22 magnum
Shorts can chamber in Long or Long Rifle firearms.
Longs can chamber in Long Rifle firearms.
Only 22 Magnum can chamber in 22 Magnum firearms.
from wimp to speed demon:
Aguila Super Colibri... wimp, primer only with 20 grain bullet, silent in most rifles, might not make it out of a barrel longer then 20"
BB Cap... ancient light load, very quiet
CB Cap short... light load, very quiet
CB Cap Long... light load, very quiet
CCI Quiet-22... light load, full size bullet at 40 grains, silent in most rifles, not likely to get stuck in the barrel.
Subsonic... just under 1000 feet per second
Standard... just over 1000 feet per second, best choice for vintage firearms because that's how 22 ammo was made for a long time
High Velocity... 1200 to 1600 feet per second
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Price is one indicator. Packaging is another. Bulk card board boxes are usually cheap and best suited for plinking. Plastic boxes with rounds individually seperated are generally more expensive and likely better quality. But nothing is written in stone about that.
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Standard Velocity = Subsonic
…at least when you’re talking about CCI SV.
…at least when you’re talking about CCI SV.
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Well, as mentioned price is going to be the general guideline. But, also as mentioned your gun may like a particular brand/model better regardless of price. What price buys you is consistency from one round to the next versus inconsistency in bulk ammo, where you'll get flyers.
Lapua Center-X shoots really well in my Bergara, but doesn’t do great in my buddy’s CZ 455. Eley Tenex, Eley Match, and Eley Benchrest shoot good in mine. Eley Biathalon shoots the best out of all the Eley I have used in mine. But each rifle is different.
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After carefully rank ordering 22 ammo by velocity, and again by accuracy, it's worth reordering 22 ammo by price...
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This is rather wise and sound advice.
The logic is also likely why Norma TAC-22 has become so popular. It sits at the intersection of these three curves.
Another variable to consider is reliability.
Reliability is why there's so much unsold Federal Automatch in the cabinet at Walmart.
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Whatever gets you close enough for the job you're trying to do. I'll feed whatever through my plinker pistols and ar22, because i'm shooting 8" targets or a torso target, sometimes on the move. at that point it's way more accurate than i am.
If I needed to hunt squirrel to live, I'd probably figure out which ammo my bolt gun likes best, because there is a HUGE difference in ammo drop/accuracy when I'm shooting 70 yards to the woodline
If I needed to hunt squirrel to live, I'd probably figure out which ammo my bolt gun likes best, because there is a HUGE difference in ammo drop/accuracy when I'm shooting 70 yards to the woodline
When I would batch test for .22 prone/3P competition, I would narrow down brands/product lines through clean barrels + foulers + 5 shot groups, usually at three different action torque settings. From there, I would repeat with 10 shot groups to narrow down lots and check for flyers before doing final 5 shot groups.
Once I got that far, I typically would only buy competition ammo of that make/product line, I would just test between lots, primarily because the bolt could become tough to close with certain brands based on the established head spacing, and if I couldn't open/close the bolt with two fingers, it was going to mess up my body or head position slightly.
I would typically stock up on whatever would hold a 0.3" group (5 shots) or better at 50 yards with no flyers, since that would at least hold X ring on our 50m reduced targets.
Once I got that far, I typically would only buy competition ammo of that make/product line, I would just test between lots, primarily because the bolt could become tough to close with certain brands based on the established head spacing, and if I couldn't open/close the bolt with two fingers, it was going to mess up my body or head position slightly.
I would typically stock up on whatever would hold a 0.3" group (5 shots) or better at 50 yards with no flyers, since that would at least hold X ring on our 50m reduced targets.
In a nutshell… roll down to your LGS, grab a few boxes of differ ammo brands and weight bullets and get to work having fun and learning your gun.
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OP- I was getting frustrated while shooting at 50 yards. I felt I was doing everything right but 3 shot would be spot on and then I would get a flyer that wasn’t even close. This happened over and over again. I decided to figure out it it was my rifle, ammo, scope or me.
I bought a box of about every well known ammo I could get my hands on. I then borrowed a lead sled to strap my rifle in so as to take as much of me out of the equation. I mostly shot 5 shot groups after warming/fouling my barrel. If I thought I pulled a shot I would add another shot. You can see my target I posted earlier and the ammo I tested. Once I had my answer I took out of sled and shot again. I replicated the grouping.
This was quite the learning experience and Really made me feel better about my Rifle, scope and my shooting ability.
shameless plug now- we have a rimfire challenge we do monthly. It’s all just for fun but would love some more shooters to come join us. Follow the link and come shoot with us.
carolinafirearmsforum.com
I bought a box of about every well known ammo I could get my hands on. I then borrowed a lead sled to strap my rifle in so as to take as much of me out of the equation. I mostly shot 5 shot groups after warming/fouling my barrel. If I thought I pulled a shot I would add another shot. You can see my target I posted earlier and the ammo I tested. Once I had my answer I took out of sled and shot again. I replicated the grouping.
This was quite the learning experience and Really made me feel better about my Rifle, scope and my shooting ability.
shameless plug now- we have a rimfire challenge we do monthly. It’s all just for fun but would love some more shooters to come join us. Follow the link and come shoot with us.
Dec/Jan 2022 22Lr rimfire 50 yd Challenge
The 50 yard challenge is shoot until you hit the hole. For those with perfect scores of 9, they move the target to 75 yards as a tie breaker. One shot at each hole. The score is how many hits out of 9 shots. As far as ammo for 100 yards, try SK Long Range. Slightly higher velocity in higher...
carolinafirearmsforum.com
With a bolt gun you do not have to worry about it cycling the action like you would with a semi auto.
I would start by buying a sleeves of ammo that you can source locally - buy 50 or 100 round packs of whatever’s available and start shooting. I would shoot off of rest if possible and look to see what your gun likes.
Even if I had an ammo type a gun really liked , lets say that was hard to get and expensive- I would look for the next best option that was readily available in Bulk at a better price.
I would start by buying a sleeves of ammo that you can source locally - buy 50 or 100 round packs of whatever’s available and start shooting. I would shoot off of rest if possible and look to see what your gun likes.
Even if I had an ammo type a gun really liked , lets say that was hard to get and expensive- I would look for the next best option that was readily available in Bulk at a better price.
Litl_Red
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Not really. In fact, the manufacturers price their different products by how accurate they are. So your rifle is probably going to be the least accurate with the cheapest Eley, Lapua, SK, CCI, etc. you can find. With rimfires guns they're usually the most accurate with the most expensive from each manufacturer.
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The short answer is- there is no short answer.
In the world of .22 rimfire, you can take two consecutively produced Savage Anschutz match rifles and find they "like" different ammo and not always the cheapest or the most expensive. Price can be an indicator, but until you test, it's just a guess. I've found my FVSR loves CCI Standard. The other expensive match stuff, well, while not awful, weren't up to what CCI Standard will do out of MY gun. Basically, you're going to have to experiment.
50yd bench, Ely Silhouette
And at 1/2 the price, CCI Standard Velocity, again, 50yd benched.
In the world of .22 rimfire, you can take two consecutively produced Savage Anschutz match rifles and find they "like" different ammo and not always the cheapest or the most expensive. Price can be an indicator, but until you test, it's just a guess. I've found my FVSR loves CCI Standard. The other expensive match stuff, well, while not awful, weren't up to what CCI Standard will do out of MY gun. Basically, you're going to have to experiment.
50yd bench, Ely Silhouette
And at 1/2 the price, CCI Standard Velocity, again, 50yd benched.
So much to consider. Some good advice already noted. Some a little off.
Knowing what you are shooting helped.
Savage Mark II 22 lr is entry level, but can be accurate. If you are still breaking it in, shoot CCI Standard Velocity and try different torque settings on your action to see how it impacts your 5 shot groups at 50 yards. (Don't go super cheap stuff, as noted already) A decent scope helps a lot. 3 x 9 power is minimum for me to plink. A little more power on the scope helps. What is your goal? Target shooting, hunting, shooting tin cans on a Sunday afternoon? If you get hooked on rimfire, then you will find lots of ways to improve the accuracy of your rifle, then you may upgrade ammo, barrels, scopes, triggers, etc. CCI Standard Velocity can be found everywhere and won't break the bank. Read up on the various forums on what others have tried with that rifle. There will be a wide range of info. Most of all have fun! I started with a Ruger 10/22, still have it, but hard to recognize from original. Now shooting a CZ 457, which is hard to recognize from the original. The improvements made them both more accurate, better ammo made them more consistent.
Knowing what you are shooting helped.
Savage Mark II 22 lr is entry level, but can be accurate. If you are still breaking it in, shoot CCI Standard Velocity and try different torque settings on your action to see how it impacts your 5 shot groups at 50 yards. (Don't go super cheap stuff, as noted already) A decent scope helps a lot. 3 x 9 power is minimum for me to plink. A little more power on the scope helps. What is your goal? Target shooting, hunting, shooting tin cans on a Sunday afternoon? If you get hooked on rimfire, then you will find lots of ways to improve the accuracy of your rifle, then you may upgrade ammo, barrels, scopes, triggers, etc. CCI Standard Velocity can be found everywhere and won't break the bank. Read up on the various forums on what others have tried with that rifle. There will be a wide range of info. Most of all have fun! I started with a Ruger 10/22, still have it, but hard to recognize from original. Now shooting a CZ 457, which is hard to recognize from the original. The improvements made them both more accurate, better ammo made them more consistent.
This little tip is a HUGE accuracy multiplier that will also work most other .22lr bolt actions.
Federal Lightning is just about as good 😂😂😂
That looks exactly like the target I used for golden bullets ;-)
Lots of good info here. As people said, in general, the more expensive the more consistent. You judge the difference in accuracy in how it shoots in YOUR rifle.
Before you get started, understand what level of accuracy you need. What are you shooting? Some people say CCI SV is plenty, but in most rifles, it isn’t enough for hitting tiny things consistently. 3MOA targets, sure, but if shooting toothpicks or .25” targets at 50 yards and expecting to hit it most of the time… no.
Try out some different types from different manufacturers, because you will usually find that your rifle likes certain types better. Some of my rifles have preferred Eley brands and others have preferred SK/Lapua. Rarely have they liked both. From there, you can usually choose the models priced low to high for most consistently. My last CZ loved Eley match. My CZ before loved SK Rifle Match and I saved CenterX for tiniest groups.
All that being said, rimfire can be very picky between lots. That rifle that loved Rifle Match loved them until I got a new lot, and it hated the new lot. It was as bad as CCI. Lot testing gets very expensive, but if you are serious, it is the way to go.
I kept a log for a while with my Vudoo showing my scores between types. It was very consistent.
Worst to best…
CCI - not consistent enough to ever use for me
SK STD + - only slightly better but many love it. Could have been lots it didn’t like
SK Rifle Match - informal competitions were great
CenterX - When money was on the line, just better consistency
Before you get started, understand what level of accuracy you need. What are you shooting? Some people say CCI SV is plenty, but in most rifles, it isn’t enough for hitting tiny things consistently. 3MOA targets, sure, but if shooting toothpicks or .25” targets at 50 yards and expecting to hit it most of the time… no.
Try out some different types from different manufacturers, because you will usually find that your rifle likes certain types better. Some of my rifles have preferred Eley brands and others have preferred SK/Lapua. Rarely have they liked both. From there, you can usually choose the models priced low to high for most consistently. My last CZ loved Eley match. My CZ before loved SK Rifle Match and I saved CenterX for tiniest groups.
All that being said, rimfire can be very picky between lots. That rifle that loved Rifle Match loved them until I got a new lot, and it hated the new lot. It was as bad as CCI. Lot testing gets very expensive, but if you are serious, it is the way to go.
I kept a log for a while with my Vudoo showing my scores between types. It was very consistent.
Worst to best…
CCI - not consistent enough to ever use for me
SK STD + - only slightly better but many love it. Could have been lots it didn’t like
SK Rifle Match - informal competitions were great
CenterX - When money was on the line, just better consistency
I have had wonderful luck with RWS Rifle Match and Lapua Center X. I shoot SK Standard more than anything else and it shoots very, very well in my rifle. But my two that I absolutely love is Eley Team and Lapua Midas+. The Eley Team being the best out of the two.
Any good places y’all use online to order ammo?
For bulk ammo/plinking I purchased a little of everything, and tried all of it in all of my .22's. "I" found the federal bulk had the fewest duds across the board, so that's pretty much all that I buy for plinking.
I'm not a 100 yard shooter, or nuts over supreme accuracy, so I use CCI for reliable/accurate .22.
I'm not a 100 yard shooter, or nuts over supreme accuracy, so I use CCI for reliable/accurate .22.
Target Sports has Wolf Match and a yearly membership gets you a discount and free shipping. Whidden has Lapua, but it sells out, so check back often. Killough has Eley. Optics Planet and Midway occasionally have some good 22 lr. Get their notifications and watch for free shipping deals. That is where you save the most.
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I have heard good things on SK Long Range.... Most of these Brands are ran on the same equipment. (Lapua, SK, Wolf (from Lapua to Eley), etc.)
.22's are fun and teach great lessons on what variables you can control when practical shooting. Translates all the way up to the Chey-tac's and other centerfire big boys.
It's been my experience that 22 shorts and longs will not feed in any removeable magazine fed action. They will typically feed fine from tubular magazines. So you are right they will chamber, but I've always had to feed them manually if it wasn't a tubular magazine.
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Ordered a couple of boxes of Eley Match and Eley Club from J&G Sales.
I guess my plan is to shoot 10 rounds to foul, then 2 5 shot groups out of the Tikka and CZ457.
I guess my plan is to shoot 10 rounds to foul, then 2 5 shot groups out of the Tikka and CZ457.
The ones with a hole on the side, and you can see no powder in thar? That's not gonna shoot.
The ones that look like a phillips screwdriver up top? That's a blank.
The ones that look like a see through pill replaced the bullet? That's a snake charmer.
The ones that look like a phillips screwdriver up top? That's a blank.
The ones that look like a see through pill replaced the bullet? That's a snake charmer.