.22 LR - Remington Thunderbolt versus CCI Blazer?

[Old School]

Remington Thunderbolt:
Innacurate
smokey
& pretty much useless.
I have tried it in two rifles and a revolver and none of them liked it.
I like the Federal Golden Bullet, the Aguila Supers and also the Federal American Eagle if you don't mind lead bullets.

 

[22-rimfire]

I like to shoot Remie Thunderbolt ammo periodically. It makes me appreciate the more expensive stuff. Thunderbolts get about .75" at 50 yds. There always seems to be a flyer in just about every 5-shot group. The fail to fires get old however. Years ago, there was little difference between golden bullets and thunderbolts. Now Golden Bullets are more consistant and shoot better than thunderbolts.

I shoot the Federal bulk stuff periodically. Shoots a bit more consistantly. Have not shot any American Eagle or CCI Blazers in quite a while. I do have a few bricks of Blazers lying around.

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

Federal Bulk 550 packs at Wal-Mart is all I buy now for 22 ammo, my 22/45 really likes this stuff, accurate, reliable, very good bulk ammo in my experience. 5500 rounds of this stuff would come out to about $130 + tax.

 

[CRITGIT]

Thunderbolts are garbage! Seriously, "free" is about $2.00 too much!
Fed Bulk are good but 12 months ago it was 8.69(550) at Wally World. Today after two price increases they are now $13.97.

Watch for skyrocketing prices and fewer shooters!

CRITGIT

 

[Clipper]

I made the mistake of buying a brick each of Remington Cyclone HPs and Thunderbolt solids...They are by far the dirtiest, most misfire-prone rounds I have ever used, and I'm now stuck with several hundred rounds of ammo I don't use...The federal HPs and the Winchester stuff are much better. I want to try the Blaser and Aguila stuff.

 

[wally]

I quit buying Thunderbolt after they switched from the "waxy" lube to a dry polymer -- had horrible leading after a few hundred rounds in a variety of guns. Academy was selling it for $8/500 at the time. Prior to the lube switch I had no issues with it and shot it often. I suspect that is why you will hear mixed reports about it. Now if they switch back to the old lube I'd try it again.

+1 to the Federal Bulk pack from Wal*Mart. All my guns like it and not too many duds. I find the Remmington bulk generally has many more duds than the Federal, but otherwise its pretty decent.

The CCI Blazer appears to be the same ammo as the Federal Champion in different cardboard boxes. I've had very good luck with both but to me neither is worth the ~$4/500 extra compared to the bulk packs.

--wally.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Navy,

I am in the middle of shooting up some 2,500 rounds of the CCI I got on a "deal". Works just fine in everything except the 22lr conversion for my Glock26. For that I need a weee bit more punch ... CCI minimags do the trick.

But for general all purpose plinking, the Blazers are just fine. I'd buy them again.

 

[Lady with a Gun]

I have been using the Thunderbolt and other promo ammo for practice. Then, I use CCI MiniMags to shoot in matches. It's too hard to find standard velocity loads at the local store.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Am I the only guy thinking that .22LR is a great way to go now that ammo prices are through the roof?

Rimfires were a great way to go way before ammo prices soared. Even a little more so now. Rimfires rock!

Go with CCI, definitely, if you are hunting, if for no other reason than ignition reliability.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

I have put many hundreds of rounds of Remington Thunderbolt through my 10/22 without a single hiccup and the accuracy has been more than good enough for me. Maybe I just haven't shot enough?

 

[CRITGIT]

I have put many hundreds of rounds of Remington Thunderbolt through my 10/22 without a single hiccup and the accuracy has been more than good enough for me. Maybe I just haven't shot enough?

Consider buying a few lottery tickets!

CRITGIT

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Navy_Guns, that looks like the stuff exactly. While I find it costs another buck or two per box over the Remingtons, I have yet to have a failed primer ignition, something that happens all to often with the Rem bulk packs.

I'm gonna have to remember to try that Fed Champion stuff. The other Fed bulk 550 packs are junk. I had a lot of failures in mine. So far the Rem GB bulk is great, but the Win Xpert is also, and that's another I'm hearing a lot of failures for. Sounds like this bulk stuff, no matter the maker, is hit and miss.

I have put many hundreds of rounds of Remington Thunderbolt through my 10/22 without a single hiccup and the accuracy has been more than good enough for me. Maybe I just haven't shot enough?

Is it old ammo? I went through many bricks of T-bolts without an issue, but the last one I bought was a long time ago. Sounds like the T-bolts everybody complains about are what's being sold now.