.22 ammo

[bfm1851]

Some fellows I shoot with are starting a little rimfire competition this year so I got out my Ruger 10/22. It has been damn accurate shooting Wolf Target Match but I'm thinking I should try other types to see if I can gain anything more from it. I know that .22 are very ammunition fussy about what they shoot well. That being said what have you guys found to be good and where are you getting the best deals?

 

[Longshot231]

I did a make-over for a friend's 10/22. Basically cleaned it up to look like new, replaced stock and scope. I sighted it in with CCI standard velocity. I was able to get 1/4 inch groups at 50 yards when I held her just right.

To reemphasize this point, the rifle needed to be held a certain way when I benched it. The trouble was with me trying to remain consistent with the hold.

Don't forget that at 50 yards even a 5 MPH crosswind will make the bullet drift almost 3/4 of an inch.

I say all this because I shoot precision .22LR a lot and it's forced me to watch the wind carefully even at my local range which is enclosed with berms and trees on all sides.

For everyday practice, nothing can beat the CCI standard velocity ammunition. I get mine from Target Sports USA.

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/cci...ammo-40-grain-lead-round-nose-0035-p-884.aspx

I also like Norma ammunition. This stuff is hard to get but shoots great out of my bolt guns.

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/norma-usa-match-22-lr-ammo-40-gr-lrn-2318980-p-58594.aspx

If you are shooting a 10/22 also try this stuff.

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/nor...-lrn-high-performance-target-ammo-p-4382.aspx

A note about Target Sports USA. Consider signing up for the prime membership. It is $95 per year but you can get some deeply discounted prices and free shipping. It paid for itself with my first order from them.

The CCI standard velocity ammo, for example, will cost you four cents per round with the prime membership.

Also remember that they will charge you sales tax for the state that you live in. You aren't going to get around that. More online retailers are charging sales tax because of a Supreme Court decision a couple of years ago.

By the way, a friend shot the CCI standard velocity ammo out of his Ruger Precision Rimfire with a can on it. All we heard was the firing pin drop when he pulled the trigger. We were also hitting a cow bell at 300 yards that day. We didn't hit it every time but could hear it ring about 5 out of 10 shots!

Sorry for the long reply but good luck.

PS: Some of the guys at my club have been shooting SK ammo in their highly customized 10/22s with amazing results.

 

[bfm1851]

Thank you for your quick reply. Notice that the smallest lot is 500 rounds. Prices seem very good but I was wanting to try a little smaller lots, maybe a few boxes to try out. Really don't want 450 rounds left over that don't shoot in my gun ?

 

[Longshot231]

Thank you for your quick reply. Notice that the smallest lot is 500 rounds. Prices seem very good but I was wanting to try a little smaller lots, maybe a few boxes to try out. Really don't want 450 rounds left over that don't shoot in my gun ?

Agreed, but it may comfort you to know that the guys at my club with the 10/22s use the CCI standard velocity to practice a lot.

With any other ammunition, I could see buying only a box of 50 or 100 for testing. However, the CCI stuff would be something that you could take a chance on. Even if you got nothing better than 3/4 inch groups at 50 yards you could still use it up for offhand practice at steel plates or tin cans.

For fun we've taken to shooting golf balls at 100 yards. Shooters are able to hit these things with the 10/22s and CCI ammo.

We drill a hole through the ball then pull string through it with a crochet needle. We use about 5 feet of string. The needle hooks the midpoint of the string and is pulled through the ball.

Once pulled through the ball, the doubled string is tied in a double or triple knot. This keeps the string from getting pulled back out of the hole.

The two ends of the string are tied to a couple of hooks screwed into the roof of a bunker at 100 yards. We use the bunker for shooting steel plates. Anyway, we're able to suspend three golf balls at 100 yards. We do this so we are not constantly running down range to set the golf balls back in position.

If you want to see something funny; watch a bunch of old men giggling and laughing like teenage boys when they hit a golf ball at 100 yards.

I say all that because, you may be surprised at the CCI ammo's capabilities.

BTW, the holdover for 40 grain standard velocity ammo from a 50 yard zero to 100 yards is about 6.5 MOA.

 

[bfm1851]

Understood, so maybe I need to get a brick of CCI standard (and some golf balls )

 

[littlepod]

Understood, so maybe I need to get a brick of CCI standard (and some golf balls )

Goodshootinginc.com you buy individual boxes of different brands.

What I did was bought
Eley Target
Eley Club
Eley Contact
SK Standard Plus
SK Flatnose Match
SK Rifle Match
SK Long Range Match
SK Pistol Match Special
Lapua Pistol King
Lapua Center-X

The highest I was going to go was the $11 for Center-X as my match ammo.

Shipping is reasonable. They didn't charge me tax.

After doing that initial batch, I realized that Eley didn't shoot well out of my ammo. But SK did and Lapua did. Center-X was the most consistent, and SK had the same DOPE as center-x for half the price. I then asked to do lot testing for Center-X and SK+, I was sent 4 different lots of Center-X, and 3 different lots of SK+. 1 lot of SK+ out performed the others, 3 of the 4 center-X were pretty much similar. I then bought 2000 rounds of Center-X and 7000 of SK+ (training)

I like to train with ammo that is similar in dope as my match ammo, that way when you're doing holdovers for a competition, you don't have to re memorize what you did during all your training.

I used to shoot CCI SV for practice, but now I only own SK+ and Center-X

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Not that what I say really matters but I did want to point out that both advices make sense for different reasons. If bragging rights are of the utmost importance OR if you shot at different distances then I'd go with littlepod's advice and find the best of the best. I also buy from Good Shooting and recently placed an order similar to what littlepod posted above.

If you just want to have fun and keep it inexpensive then the CCI SV is a great choice "it's what I use". I buy CCI SV by the case because it is fairly accurate in all my guns and very reliable. If you really want to get a good deal go to GunBroker and try and bid on the case ammo there. In the past I bought 4 cases at $200 shipped, each. Last case I bought I had to go to $225 shipped. That's still only $2.25 a box of 50.

In the end....it's only money. It's just how much do you want to spend for the satisfaction the money spent will give you.

 

[SCRAM2013]

Some fellows I shoot with are starting a little rimfire competition this year so I got out my Ruger 10/22. It has been damn accurate shooting Wolf Target Match but I'm thinking I should try other types to see if I can gain anything more from it. I know that .22 are very ammunition fussy about what they shoot well. That being said what have you guys found to be good and where are you getting the best deals?

Disclaimer: I do not shoot as a professional and I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have only 2 10/22's. Iron sights, my homemade bolt buffers and VQ triggers. I did barrel free float. Played with bed screws and ensured stock and action fit is right.

I have a target of one large ragged hole at 50 yrds with 5 rounds using the blasphemous CCI mini mag RN. Still the most accurate ammo through it and I've tried a list like above.

My boys were hitting "pennies" and "dimes" at 35 yards (off hand) with it and one of the 452's the other day.

They were using CCI SV, CCI MM and CCI select. All of the 452's love Select and Greentag

E


ETA: I know this is the internet and there are two large statements in this post. It's no BS. I'll find that target if needed and I have the "dimes and "pennies".

 

[SCRAM2013]

I have to eat my words, Men. I found that target. It is NOT at 50. It is 25 yrds.

My apologies. It was 13 years ago. I couldn't do it again on my best day now.

Here it is.

 

[bfm1851]

Think I may have found what works in my Ruger 10/22. I tested several boxes on .22 the other day. I had Wolf Target Match, Eley Club and SK standard. This target is shot from 50yds off bipod and rear squeeze bag. All .22's shot pretty well, but wolf seemed to be better. One thing I noticed is that each time I changed ammo the shot pattern opened up some but then closed back down. I did no cleaning between ammo. I still want to get some other ammo and continue testing though.

I am also sending the entire target, not just the best shots. As you can see some "flyers" are all my fault, still working on the that.

 

[SCRAM2013]

Think I may have found what works in my Ruger 10/22. I tested several boxes on .22 the other day. I had Wolf Target Match, Eley Club and SK standard. This target is shot from 50yds off bipod and rear squeeze bag. All .22's shot pretty well, but wolf seemed to be better. One thing I noticed is that each time I changed ammo the shot pattern opened up some but then closed back down. I did no cleaning between ammo. I still want to get some other ammo and continue testing though.

I am also sending the entire target, not just the best shots. As you can see some "flyers" are all my fault, still working on the that.

Would you mind posting a pic of that weapon?

Here is the specific rifle for that target and what the boys were using

 

[bfm1851]

Here is my 10/22 that shot that target two day ago. Bought used about 15 years ago I installed an old Tasco Custom scope I had from a trade and installed a Harris bipod.

 

[SCRAM2013]

bfm...

Thanks. That is a good looking piece. The old "stock" 10/22 can shoot.

I have this one in my log without a purchase date. My target is 28DEC06. Rifle is around your vintage.

E

 

[bfm1851]

I guess I just got lucky with this rifle when bought. Got it for a good price and it looked to be in good shape. Worth the effort of finding what works well in it.

 

[HUNTERVASSER]

I recently picked up a CZ 457 and some various ammo. I never really considered that 22 ammo could make a difference.

I was truly amazed that SK fired the best. Eley and some others were okay, but for my rifle, SK rocked it. FWIW, over 10 round strings, I was consistently hitting under dime size holes with the SK.

 

[SCRAM2013]

I will pay it forward to anyone close.

You can have all of my "try" ammo. It ain't much, but if it can save you some coin I do not mind. A good man and Brother did the same for me a long time ago.

It has been stored in sealed cans with desiccant.

LMK. I'll provide an inventory you can make the call

E