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Rimfire Targets

Do typical 22 rounds have higher SD than other match-grade ammo?

Yes...

It's tough to beat Eley Tenex, but For a lot less money the RWS Pistol Match is very close. I think Tenex for me was around 8 FPS and Pistol Match was around 13 FPS last time I checked.

22LR is finicky though to a variety of influencers that you might not consider at first.

Often 22 ammo is wax coated, and wax is softer in warm weather than cold, so you can expect it to react according to temperature. A certain ammo might work well at 70 degrees but badly at 30 degrees.

In the cold I will often just use Eley Force because it has some sort of hard black coating, probably some sort of graphite or something.

I've had a hankering to test Lapua Polar Biathlon in the cold and will this Saturday.

Shoot a variety of ammo over a chronograph and look for the ones that give the lowest extreme spreads.

Also keep in mind possible ignition inconsistencies due to the firing pin function. You need to keep the bolt clean, so learn how to disassemble and clean the firing mechanism every 300 rounds or so.

Also it takes a while to season the barrel with any ammo change, so don't get too quick to jump to conclusions if switching ammo every 10 rounds.... Shoot a whole box and put the most emphasis on the last 10 or 20 and not so much the first 10 or 20. Then try a different box.

Don't even consider any 22LR ammo that runs faster than 1200 FPS, because accuracy will be crap after it drops into the speed of sound 50 yards down range.
 
Last edited:
Here's a target I use - print on standard printer paper
1/2" @ 50 Yds = 1 MOA dots
 

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