.22lr Rimfire Ammunition Questions

[ZombiesAhead]

With rising ammo prices, I am about to throw down a few hundred dollars on .22lr.

I'm thinking:
50% Golden Bullet/Cheap High Velocity bulk stuff for plinking, just to keep around in case
30% clean/copper plated High Velocity CCI Mini Mags
20% clean/copper plated subsonic (CCI Mini Mag standard velocity is subsonic at 1075 fps I believe)

My questions:

Is it worth buying the hyper-velocity rounds or will CCI high velocity hollow point mini mags at ~1260 fps work for mostly plinking, occasional (very) small game hunting (rabbits, etc)?

Does the Hollow Point/Solid Point difference really matter in .22lr? Does that little indent on a .22lr bullet really expand in flesh?

(this ammo will be used in a CZ-75 .22lr conversion pistol; Ruger 10/22 rifle; and rarely in a Walther P22 pistol)

 

[glockman19]

I have CCI 40 grain mini mag High Velocity, CCI 40 grain mini mag Sub Sonic and CCI 29 grain CB's.

The high velocity are great for target practice. I routinely put 10 rounds in the size of a dime @ 100 yards. The Sub Sonic hollow points are great for target practice and small rodents/birds/snakes. The CB's are baically primer only, has a quieter report than BB or CO2 guns, and is accurate out to about 50'. Fun if you live in the city or the burbs and don't want to bother the neighbors.

Is it worth buying the hyper-velocity rounds or will CCI high velocity hollow point mini mags at ~1260 fps work for mostly plinking, occasional (very) small game hunting (rabbits, etc)?

YES they'll work just fine.

Does the Hollow Point/Solid Point difference really matter in .22lr? Does that little indent on a .22lr bullet really expand in flesh?

YES. Before the day of Hollowpoints, in teh 1970's, we used to use a razor blade and score the point of the round. It worrked great. A bird on the wire would literally explode leaving just feathers. My guess is the HP's will have similar expansion.

 

[Ske1etor]

I have been using CCI Minimags for squirrels and rabbits for years. Does 'em in well. I have only lost a handful of small woodland creatures and I have chalked them all up as "A bad shot".

 

[Harley Quinn]

I like the high velocity 40 grain myself because it works the action better in my autos. Any 40 grain is better than the 36 (HP) for my money.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

The high velocity are great for target practice...The Sub Sonic hollow points are great for target practice and small rodents/birds/snakes.

But the CCI high velocity HP (1260ish fps) are better than CCI subsonic HP (1075 fps) for both target and hunting, right?

The only reason to go standard velocity/subsonic/1075 fps would be:
a. Quieter report
b. Gun can't handle high velocity
c. ???

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

.22lr HPs do expand and work fine.
Buy a small box of a bunch of different brands first to find out which your gun likes before shelling out the $$ for a case (or brick).

The only reason to go standard velocity/subsonic/1075 fps would be:
a. Quieter report
b. Gun can't handle high velocity
c. Suppressor

 

[Jubjub]

I would not recommend the Remington ammo for use in a 10/22. The bullet lube is kind of waxy and very heavily applied, and it gums up the magazines very quickly. Remington works fine in tube magazine guns, but Federal bulk pack or CCI Blazer is the way to go for cheap stuff in the 10/22.

 

[Chester32141]

Where's the best place to buy bulk Federal .22lr online ?

 

[Brian Dale]

The only reason to go standard velocity/subsonic/1075 fps would be:
a. Quieter report
b. Gun can't handle high velocity
c. ???

Another possible answer "c." is that one of these is the most accurate in your guns.

.22LR firearms are famous for having individual ammo "preferences," even within a particular make and model. Before buying a few hundred bucks' worth of .22LR ammo, I strongly recommend that you buy a couple of boxes each of as many different kinds as you can easily find. Try them all in each of your weapons.

Decide which is the most accurate overall in each weapon, and look for the most accurate high velocity round for each. Consider price, too.

Then go out and buy a stack of the ammo that you'll be happiest with for your particular firearms.

 

[NGIB]

Where's the best place to buy bulk Federal .22lr online ?

When I have other ammo to order, I've bought the Federal 745 from wideners.com...

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

The best ammo I have found to run through my Ruger 22/45 is the Federal 36gr HP's, 550 round bulk pack for $11.97 at Wal-Mart. I've tried several different brands, the Federal's run the best by far.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

Yeah, I just picked up a bundle of Federal Champion High Velocity Hollow Point from Widener's.

Now just need to think about where to get this CCI/good-quality stuff and what exactly to get.

 

[hanno]

.22LR firearms are famous for having individual ammo "preferences," even within a particular make and model. Before buying a few hundred bucks' worth of .22LR ammo, I strongly recommend that you buy a couple of boxes each of as many different kinds as you can easily find. Try them all in each of your weapons.

+1
Agreed.

When I first bought my M44US, I tried several types of .22 (including the expensive Eley target stuff) through it to find out which ammo the rifle "liked' the best. It turns out this particular rifle does best with the cheap CCI .22.

 

[JWarren]

I've done well with the cheapo Federal hollowpoint bricks at Wal-Mart.

1,100 round in the last month or so, and I could probably count the misfeeds on my hands. That's about par for any 10/22 I've ever shot.


-- John

 

[Jim K]

Brian Dale gives good advice. Buy a couple of boxes of each and invest in a batch of whatever works best.

If using a handgun, note that for accuracy there is ammmunition specially made for pistols that usually gives better accuracy in short barrels.

That "little indent" in hollow point ammo is really a rather deep cavity, and yes, it does result in good expansion.

Jim

 

[12many]

I agree that one may work better than the other, but, if it was me, I would just buy all CCI Mini-mags. Depending on your use, different ammo will change the point of impact. All I use is CCI Minimags and every gun is sighted in for the same velocity and bullet weight. Just something else to consider.

 

[boatbod]

20% clean/copper plated subsonic (CCI Mini Mag standard velocity is subsonic at 1075 fps I believe)

CCI Standard Velocity rounds are plain lead, not copper washed, and I think you'll find that's true of most standard/subsonic ammo.

 

[32winspl]

It might depend on the model of rifle you buy. Mine has a "Match Grade Chamber" and the owner's manual specificly prohibits the use of the CCI Mini-Mags, as they are longer than the standard Long Rifle round.