22 Ammo Testing Procedures

[Afkirby]

What are people doing to test 22 ammo for long range shooting? I’m shooting the Lapua Practical Rimfire matches at Peacemaker so the longest targets are just shy of 300 yards. What sort of ES and SD would be considered good in rimfire? Also are the better brands consistent enough lot to lot to judge from just one or two boxes?

 

[Afkirby]

I was thinking of testing ammo at 50, 100, and 200. Chronoing all the shots as well as comparing groups. I’d imagine that at longer ranges it would be better to compare vertical spread to try and eliminate the wind from the equation.

 

[straightshooter1]

Since with 22 ammo we're dependent on the manufacturers to produce consistency in ammo, we need to look as those who are consistent at producing such ammo that one can depend on. And to determine that and how a particular brand, type or lot best performs in an individual's gun, one must fire a lot of rounds and record as much information as one can. As you're probably well aware, the data I get from my gun(s) can be significantly different that for your's. But even someone else's data can at least help one along the line of avoiding wasting time trying out ammo that just has not hope of performing well. To that end, I've collected 627 lines to date of chrono data on various 22 ammo (mostly what one might find at their local sporting goods store) out of various guns and barrel lengths and continue to add as I get hold of something I haven't fired before.

When it comes to 22 ammo, I see ES's and SD's as the primary key when testing this kind of ammo. For distances beyond 100 yds, a bullet's BC's become a particularly important additional factor for consideration for me. Applied Ballistics has been working on a project for 22lr bullet data, which I found interesting.

Vertical spread should correspond to rimfire's ES's and BC's, so I feel I can draw some conclusions based on that along with good SD's. And I don't think I really need to fire at really "long" distances to read vertical spread. Though, on days with little or no wind, testing at long distance can give me some good data.

 

[Rolltide]

I can't speak for the matches, but when I've shot extended ranges, I have found that the ammo that groups best at 50, may not be the tightest round at 200, so in my mind, it's better to test at the various ranges and choose the round that gives the best performance across all ranges.

 

[RTH1800]

I test at 50, 100 and 200 yards. I really have no need to shoot a 22 RF beyond that distance.

 

[Rob01]

Yup you have to test at longer ranges. Just because at 50 it shoots good doesn't mean it will farther. I test at 50, 100, 150 and 230 on steel as those are the ranges I have. I don't chrono all of it but enough to get numbers like with centerfire.

I wasnt to keep my SD in single digits. Found a few that do it consistently but they aren't the cheapest.

 

[Tiger_Shilone]

Lash and others have done this work for you all ready. Two good current threads, I'm sure there are more:

https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...trajectory-charts.6880935/page-2#post-7025128
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/vudoo-ammo.6880952/#post-7061017

 

[justin amateur]

I spend most of my time when at the range
shooting rimfire at 200 yards.
My basic rule of muzzle velocity
determined using a chronograph
is very simple...

Shooting match grade 22lr:


At 50 yards 10 fps difference in MV
produces 7/100ths inch vertical spread.
At 100 yards 10 fps between shots
shows 1/4 inch of vertical spread.
At 200 yards 1 fps creates 1/10th inch
and at 300 yards 1 fps difference in MV
shows 7/16 inch of vertical spread.

You can prove this for yourself with
a ballistic calculator. So just like with centerfire
tight MV's produce better results.

Match 22lr with a 40 fps ES will show about

1/4 inch spread at 50 yards
1 inch spread at 100 yards
4 inches at 200 yards
18 inches of vertical spread at 300 yards.

Without tight MV's your results will be annoying.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Without a chrono, I'm verifying how annoying it truly is when testing.

I bought a decent little assortment like CCI SV, mini mag, sub sonic, federal match, federal hv match, Lapua Center X, Eley (club, target, and something else), and other cheap brands.

Out of all of them the CCI mini mags perform the best (.35" @ 50) out of my stock 455 varmint but I'm worried that it isn't going to perform consistently at 200, enough to deter me from buying the lapua center x which shoots about the same. Both make good groups on steel at 100-200 yards, but without a chrono I can't take a finer look at ES.

Has anyone observed CCI ammo in terms of consistent velocities through a chrono?

 

[straightshooter1]

Out of all of them the CCI mini mags perform the best (.35" @ 50) out of my stock 455 varmint but I'm worried that it isn't going to perform consistently at 200, enough to deter me from buying the lapua center x which shoots about the same. Both make good groups on steel at 100-200 yards, but without a chrono I can't take a finer look at ES.

Has anyone observed CCI ammo in terms of consistent velocities through a chrono?

Now sure which CCI Mini Mags you're referring to, but . . .

I have a lot of chrono data on 22lr and I'm using a Magnetospeed that provides pretty accurate measurements and for CCI Mini Mag RN 40gr, the ES's range from 47 to 57. Mini Mag HP 36 gr is, for the most part about the same. CCI Green Tag RN 40gr has ES's ranging from 30 to 50. CCI SV's have ES's about the same as the Green Tag.

Now, when looking at Center-X, out of 90 rounds fired in sets of 10, the ES's range from 21 - 36 (had one, which was the worst with an ES of 48). Center-X tends to produce the best SD's of the ammo I've recorded as well as for the assortment you've bought.

Federal UnltraMatach had ES's ranging from 25 - 55

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Now sure which CCI Mini Mags you're referring to, but . . .

I have a lot of chrono data on 22lr and I'm using a Magnetospeed that provides pretty accurate measurements and for CCI Mini Mag RN 40gr, the ES's range from 47 to 57. Mini Mag HP 36 gr is, for the most part about the same. CCI Green Tag RN 40gr has ES's ranging from 30 to 50. CCI SV's have ES's about the same as the Green Tag.

Now, when looking at Center-X, out of 90 rounds fired in sets of 10, the ES's range from 21 - 36 (had one, which was the worst with an ES of 48). Center-X tends to produce the best SD's of the ammo I've recorded as well as for the assortment you've bought.

Federal UnltraMatach had ES's ranging from 25 - 55

That's very good info.

The CCI mini mag is the copper plated 40 grain 1235 fps.

 

[straightshooter1]

The CCI mini mag is the copper plated 40 grain 1235 fps.

OK, then that is the CCI Mini Mag RN 40gr I first mentioned.

 

[kurtispalu]

I would suggest getting your rifle lot tested. I had mine tested with eley edge and saw signifiant differences in group size among different lots. The one I am running consistently has 10 shot sd’s of around 8. Can’t remember the es off the top of my head. Grabbing a random lot off the self somewhere is like rolling the dice in my opinion.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

I have a lot of chrono data on 22lr