.22 Rifle Accuracy

[Walkalong]

One thing to remember, you don't have to buy the ammo your rifle likes best if it's the expensive stuff, many match shooters practice with
"cheaper" match ammo. I know one guy who shoots CCI-SV in his CZ at NRL-22 matches and does very well. Never has a misfeed either.

Take this target I shot with the CZ. Ok, it liked Center X the best, going for $150ish plus for 500 these days (Crazy). Do you always need
that level of precision with every shot you take? Depends on it your in a match, shooting tiny targets for fun, etc. Shooting at a 3" plate
at 50 yards? Every shot on the 2.25" bulls on the target is good for that. That's small to some folks. If you have a miss and you know you
broke the trigger clean and the wind didn't do it? Forgetaboutit, chalk it up to .22 ammo behavior and move on, have fun.

 

[Walkalong]

Also a carbon ring ahead of the chamber is common in old guns.

See if there is a carbon ring just in front of the chamber.

Speaking of such........first time cleaning this Proof .22 LR barrel. Three 100 round matches, some playing around, getting drops/setting up the gun in the Kestrel.
So.....400/500 rounds?

Before cleaning: first couple of inches. (Bottom right in pics is buggered up lens)


Ran two patches with Bore Tech C4 through the bore. Let it sit five minutes (looked much better). Ran a patch with Iosso bore paste into
the barrel and did 4/5 back and forths in the first 3 to 4 inches of the barrel, then pushed it through, then two more wet patches with C4,
then two dry patches.


Here's what came out, not much really. Beats the heck out of cleaning a centerfire PRS rifle!

 

[Walkalong]

Since we moved I have more space and put together a tool box of gun cleaning supplies.
(Hospital was throwing the "Med Cart" away, upgraded) I'm a die hard scrounger.

 

[maxxhavoc]

One thing to remember, you don't have to buy the ammo your rifle likes best if it's the expensive stuff, many match shooters practice with
"cheaper" match ammo. I know one guy who shoots CCI-SV in his CZ at NRL-22 matches and does very well. Never has a misfeed either.

I ran over 40 different ammo types through my oldest 10/22. It REALLY liked Wolf and one of the Eleys. But it liked Winchester White box "555" almost as much (of all things.)

So of course, when going to my first Appleseed, I took a big box of Winchester. At the end of day, I had shot rifleman and folks were comparing gear. There was LOTs of match ammo there. One of the ladies had sourced thousands of rounds of the same lot number of some very expensive Lapua and was very concerned over running out.

When I told them I was running a stock 10/22 with Tech-Sights, sling Swivels, Extended mag release, and a Volquartsen hammer they thought I was joking. I had to explain that the WWB was the result of hundreds of rounds of testing.

I just wish that the Match ammo makers didn't change up so much. The old match ammo test kit I put together is almost useless, since many of the varieties are not available any more.

 

[epags]

Agree with all earlier recommendations.....however saw no mention of checking the crown of the barrel....one that old may have had some damage due to handling or excessively aggressive cleaning....just food for thought.

 

[Chief TC]

Agree with all earlier recommendations.....however saw no mention of checking the crown of the barrel....one that old may have had some damage due to handling or excessively aggressive cleaning....just food for thought.

Crown is in perfect condition. Cleaned the barrel again last night and all looks good. Will run some CCI SV at 50 and 100yds and go from there. Thanks everyone!

 

[Ritchie]

When testing ammo, I have observed in real time that a different brand/load will take at LEAST 10 shots to season the bore to the new load. The groups
will settle into a different size, and in a different place on the target.

 

[epags]

When testing ammo, I have observed in real time that a different brand/load will take at LEAST 10 shots to season the bore to the new load. The groups
will settle into a different size, and in a different place on the target.

Yes, I posted some 22LR test results on another forum and received 'advise' as to the same issue.....ranged from 5 ro 10 rounds of the new ammo before testing for accuracy.

 

[Varminterror]

@Chief TC - don’t let folks discourage you into expecting less from your 22’s than they deserve.

I trot this photo out to remind folks not to let themselves be hemmed in by mental limitations. Yes, 22LR’s drop a lot, yes, 22LR’s get pushed around a lot by wind, but a marksman can keep control of a 22LR out past 300 yards. Here’s a 6 year old with a $180 rifle in a $90 stock with a $50 bipod and $50 optic shooting Rem Golden Bullet garbage ammo at 300yrds on a 4moa target, and you can tell by his hair how much the wind was blowing. We told him he could hit the target, so he did. Getting older and using better ammo, he’ll hold onto 8”, ~2.5moa targets at 300 now.



Shooting irons past 100yrds, or even AT 100 yards can be tough, but that’s not a function of the 22LR. That 241 should like some “affordable” ammo like the Aquila or CCI SV and be able to hold onto 1-2moa at 100yrds, and under 3-4 out to 300.

 

[Gun-Reck]

Sounds like Precision, and not Accuracy, is the issue, and ammo can be a big part of that in a .22 LR.

As a field shooter, where match precision and extended ranges are not required, have found some very reliable ammo for the 1.5"/75 yards (2 MOA) desired.

These are all supersonic field loads out of a carbine.

- Aguila Super-Extra 40 gr. PRN
- CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr. PRN
- CCI Mini-Mag 36 gr. HP
- Federal AE22 38 gr. HP

Target precision requires sub-sonic ammo.

 

[mavracer]

Thanks for bringing up wind reading. Just read an article on that in BP Cartridge Magazine and shooting in BPCR competitions, there is an important wind reading component and "shooting in the condition" Amazing how fast the human brain can work when it has the ability to process the data.

I've had the good fortune of shooting with some high level competitive shooters, the more you ingrain the basics as reflexive the better you can focus on other details.

 

[mm93]

.22RF rifle ammo is all over the place when it's run of the mill cheap ammo. As the quality goes up the groups will tighten up too, IF the rifle is capable of great accuracy. Older .22's or non target rifles will never usually reach the level of a good target rifle's accuracy. But even high grade target rifles wont shoot well with cheap ammo.
Some of my higher grade target rifles will shoot extremely well with good standard velocity .22LR ammo, and better with match ammo. But I just try various known ammo until I discover what each likes best. I'm fine with shooting just standard velocity ammo for fun shooting, or plinking, but if it's match shooting I step up to something better if it's shown to really increase accuracy in a particular rifle.

 

[Hookeye]

CCI Blazer is my plinking ammo.
When I want to get sub half inch at 50 yds its SK Standard Plus or Rifle Match

 

[Chief TC]

Used .22LR CCI SV - BIG DIFFERENCE! 2 MOA at 50yds and 3 MOA at 100yds. The name "thunderduds" is quite earned. Will try more types of ammo when I get an opportunity. Thanks everyone.

 

[CraigC]

Not knowing your ability, open sights on a Speedmaster with cheap ammo, 5MOA at 100yds is probably a realistic expectation. I'd definitely suggest better ammo and testing at 50yds.

 

[TonyAngel]

Hey Chief .... I say find some better ammunition and don't start pulling your hair out about it. About the worst thing you can do that will turn the shooting sport/leisure into a headache is to take rimfire too seriously. I started with a stock 457 and put a $500 barrel on it and still have to spend $15 for a box of ammo to consistently get MOA at 100 yards, assuming I do my part. Just find some ammo that keeps it fun. CCI Standard Velocity is a solid goto for lots of folks. Try it out. I shoot a lot of Federal Auto Match. I can hit a clay pigeon 8 out of 10 times at 100 with that ammo.

 

[Spats McGee]

Used .22LR CCI SV - BIG DIFFERENCE! 2 MOA at 50yds and 3 MOA at 100yds. The name "thunderduds" is quite earned. Will try more types of ammo when I get an opportunity. Thanks everyone.

I’ve got about 37 different kinds of bulk HV ammo in my stash, and none of them seem to be particularly accurate. I have started using CCI or Aguila SV ammo, and both seem more accurate than the HV ammo. I suspect that’s a result of the SV ammo being better quality-controlled & consistent, but can’t say that for sure. In any event, I still use HV for plinking, but stick to SV for target shooting.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I've had the best results in HV 22lr so far with Federal American Eagle, CCI Blazer, CCI Mini Mag, and SK High Velocity at 50yrds, something happens between there and 100yrds and only the Federal American Eagle, CCI Blazer and SK HV stays accurate, at 200 they are not dependable. Testing SV ammo I've had the best results with SK, CCI, Norma Tac, and Eley, Each holds 1/2" or less at 50 with the Eley and SK staying a little above 1" at 100 and around 3 or 4" at 200, and Norma Tac close behind. I have some more ammo coming to try out to see if I can get better, I'm concentrating my current test with Eley and SK.
I have heard about needing to shoot 5, 10, and even 20 rnds between brands of ammo, I've never tried that. Does running a dry patch down the bore between brands make a difference? I could tell a difference when I cleaned my barrel, first 5 rnds were more like a shotgun IC pattern, next five were more like full choke.

 

[Walkalong]

something happens between there and 100yrds and only the Federal American Eagle, CCI Blazer and SK HV stays accurate, at 200 they are not dependable.

We have a guy who shoots CCI-SV in NRL-22 matches (And does very well), but he says accuracy falls apart around 150 yards.

 

[CraigC]

We have a guy who shoots CCI-SV in NRL-22 matches (And does very well), but he says accuracy falls apart around 150 yards.

How far are you guys shooting in NRL? I 'almost' pursued it but it just didn't materialize.

 

[Walkalong]

NRL-22 is 100 yards and in. Altus always added five more stages PRS style/longer. Now they are switching to PRS-22,
so I assume it will all be that way now. We shot out to 350 on one stage in the Finale a couple of weeks ago, but the Finale
is always harder (longer/smaller targets) than the matches leading up to it. We had the five NRL-22 stages, and seven PRS
style stages. Most was under 200 yards, but we had the one long one with a target at 300 and at 350 yards.