Best .22LR ammo for handgun hunting?

You really don't need expansion for small game.

Imagine a bullet scaled up from .22 compared to a squirrel, versus a projectile of the same proportions compared to a man -- you're talking 155mm howitzer size.

CCI Velocitors, 40 grain bullet, 1435 fps from a rifle. Work great in my Kimber conversion and out of my old Rem 550-1.

I knew someone would say that. I've shot grey squirrels squarely in the chest with plated round nose and lead round nose bullets enough times to know that they just don't work. They run away and die somewhere where I will never find them.

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A gray squirrel that runs away was not hit squarely in the chest.

I've killed a boxcar load of squirrels with Winchester Wildcat solids and never had a problem.

You're kidding, right?

A .22 solid through a squirrel's chest breaks bones, blows lung tissue out the exit hole, and leaks blood like a fire hose.

Best ammo.......What ever you, and your gun likes.

Amen. What shoots well in your gun is best for small game.

Hogwash, I want a little expansion, even on small game. Plain round-nosed bullets just flat do not put down small game and varmints as quickly as a good hollowpoint. For this, I really like Remington GB's or CCI Mini-Mags.

Of course you will have to find the ammo that's most accurate in your pistol but I've come to like the CCI SGB ammo. (Small Game Bullet) It's made with a 40gr flat nose bullet @1235 and works well on squirrels without destroying a lot of meat.

German-made RWS Dynamit-Nobel High Velocity 40g HP Copper Plated #2132494 (yellow & black box).

They are EXTREMELY consistent, POWERFUL, and cost about $7 - $8 for a box of 50.

You get what you pay for and you do not get what you do not pay for.

The price went up since I bought mine over ten years ago, I see: http://budsfirearms.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=73&products_id=2048

of course you will have to find the ammo that's most accurate in your pistol but i've come to like the cci sgb ammo. (small game bullet) it's made with a 40gr flat nose bullet @1235 and works well on squirrels without destroying a lot of meat.

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.22 fight! Ahhh!

ArchAngel beat me to it but he is right CCI SGB ammo. (Small Game Bullet) a 40gr flat nose bullet @1200 ft/sec is what you probably want most.

Since .22 lr is so inexpensive I'd just carry a few different types of ammo with me in the field and try them out. Some inexpensive .22 LR HP's and some hyper velocity.

Shoot a squirrel or rabbit with an hp, make it a head shot or you will be missing half the meat. When I was a kid, I only had a .22 to plink and hunt squirrel with so I got pretty decent at head shots. They do tend to sit kinda of still and watch you and if you are stealthy and slow enough, you can tag'em all day. And the .22 doesn't scare off half the population like a shotgun will.

I've had good success with CCI Minimags.

I also use to use a mini-mags solid many years ago and allways shot at the head. Turns them right off. Problem with ruger 10/22 and shooting soda cans all day long at 100 yards and never missing as someone said they can do is. You can put more than a couple squirrel heads in a can so miss's are very easy . And when standing next to a tree or free standing and shooting it would be very easy to have a clean miss at closer disatnce's to. I used a 410 shot gun for some time when young till I got tired of pick'n lead out but darn sure hard to miss.

Squirrels? You don't need high velocity/hp stuff. A .22 short cracks their head like a walnut....As far as the OP's question, whatever ammo your gun feeds and shoots accurately is all you need.

You are convinced that hollow points are necessary. Okay, go with hollow points. I would suggest you buy an assortment of ammo and shoot it with the 22/45 and see which ammo seems to shoot best for you. Try the hyper speed rounds out. I like CCI Velocitors the best with Stingers coming in second for accuracy. You don't need them over a HV HP round, but give them a try. My suspicion is you will likely settle on CCI HV HP's, but shoot some of the others too.

You will generally get more consistancy and accuracy from standard velocity (SV) rounds. After shooting some of the HV stuff you buy, try out a box of Wolf Match Target and see how you gun shoots with them. You might see an improvement in accuracty at a middle price range for target ammo.

yep like 50% smaller groups with wolf/sk over some faster less accurate ammo.
strangher If you can hit the head at 30 yards then there is no need for anything but ole slow accurate solids.

I might try CCI SGB Ammo. It has a nice flat nose, and is a little faster than the standard velocity stuff I've been using. Round nose bullets, especially when expansion is absent, almost seem like they are designed to do as little damage as possible. They also do not punch very clean holes in paper. Why they are so prevalent is a real headscratcher to me.

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I think you will like that ammo. It seems to kill quickly and it's been accurate in my guns.

The head shot guys are right, of course any slug to the head is lights out for squirrels/rabbits. No loss of meat no running away problem solved. It's also a little bit of a challenge and forces you to make the best shot you can.