Best .22 ammo- opinions please

[Norrick]

Wolf match is the best ammo that I am willing to pay for.

Aguila makes some match ammo which I wouldn't say is quite match quality, but it is very very good for the price. All the Aguila stuff I shoot makes a funny smell compared to other 22lr ammo.

 

[JohnBT]

It smells like the Eley primer it uses. The Eley ammo smells too.

 

[Maverick223]

Thanks for the kind words, Caddisflied.

It smells like the Eley primer it uses. The Eley ammo smells too.

Nothin' else in the world smells like that. It smells like..........victory.

 

[Caddisflied]

Your efforts, running the rimfire match, are much appreciated Maverick.
I'm looking forward to trying this months challenging target!

Wolf match is the best ammo that I am willing to pay for.

I just orderred some of that.
It's usually 'out of stock'.
Soon it will be 'out of barrel' .... mine.

 

[Maverick223]

Your efforts, running the rimfire match, are much appreciated Maverick.
I'm looking forward to trying this months challenging target!

I'm glad we were able to keep it going, and I appreciate you folks' support.

BTW, for all those interested...I think we'll be trying a Centerfire Match (starting next month, likely with only one division set at 100yds), that, with any luck and enough interested, will be running concurrently with the Rimfire Match.

 

[Eb1]

Is that any caliber, Maverick223?

 

[Maverick223]

Yes sir, you can use your .10 Eichelberger Squirrel and/or your 4-Bore, and everything in between (or beyond...if you can find any {must be man-portable/shoulder-fired})!

 

[Eb1]

Nice one. I have to get some time to shoot. I really need to be reloading, but I have been lazy lately.

 

[Maverick223]

I'm right there with you. I handload in the shop and it has just been too dang hot to get motivated lately. I have mostly been cranking on the AC in the afternoon, then heading down to do a bit of loading a few hours later (after it cools a bit). Anyway, I appreciate the support...look for the new match in the Rifle Country stickies next month.

 

[Caddisflied]

I think we'll be trying a Centerfire Match (starting next month, likely with only one division set at 100yds),

That's a great idea!
It'll be a good way to see what kind of results people are getting with various loads etc.

 

[Maverick223]

^I think we'll make a stipulation that the target must still exist to be scored ...that'll take care of all of those pesky howitzer shooters.

 

[Motega]

yeah except larger diameter bores are harder to get back on target with during that pesky "timed round".

Back to topic, isn't Tenex pretty much considered the best commonly available stuff?

 

[Maverick223]

Back to topic, isn't Tenex pretty much considered the best commonly available stuff?

IIRC top scores seem to be a fairly even split between Eley Tenex and Lapua X-Act, with RWS R-50 being a distant third.

 

[BrocLuno]

Three of my five .22's do very well with this: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=701474 The other two hate it.

I've also had good luck with this: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=598043

You just have to test and try various brands and batches. Back when I shot club comp (three position 50 yds), I used Winchester T22. Never won anything, but I was shooting well enough to occasionally be in the hunt

 

[Danny Creasy]

I question the oft stated 16" barrel = max rimfire velocity theory

We conducted our barrel length vs velocity test on March 21, 2009 at the North Alabama Shooting Association range in Sheffield, Alabama.

We used five CZ 452 .22 rifles with different barrel lengths and fired six rounds each of six different cartridge types over a chronograph. The chart below reflects the average velocity of the six rounds followed by the standard deviation of the six rounds.

The rifles were:
CZ 452 Ultra Lux with a 28.6" barrel
CZ 452 Special with a 24.8" barrel
CZ 452 American with a 22.5" barrel
CZ 452 FS with a 20.7" barrel
CZ 452 Classic with a 16.5" barrel

The cartridges were:
CB Longs = CB
RWS Subsonic Hollow Points = SSHP
Wolf Match Target = Standard Velocity or SV
American Eagle Solids = Lead High Velocity or LHV
CCI Mini Mag Solids = Plated High Velocity or PHV
CCI Stingers = Hyper Velocity or HypVel

-------CB------SSHP----SV-------LHV----PHV----HypVel

28.6 652/53 968/16 1037/13 1206/16 1188/24 1660/50
24.8 676/34 997/20 1062/13 1219/22 1217/40 1660/47
22.5 653/65 998/08 1069/10 1229/22 1213/24 1708/31
20.7 701/44 957/39 1062/05 1224/14 1190/11 1661/26
16.5 685/22 949/27 1057/14 1205/17 1208/22 1666/39

 

[Maverick223]

BTW from what I understand Wolf is actually made by Lapua.

Nope, Wolf .22LR match is made by SK (Wolf Match Extra is the same as SK Rifle Match, and Wolf Match Target is the same as SK Standard Plus).

Thanks for the information, sheffieldshootr; very informative. That said, each barrel is different, so it is a bit hard to quantify the results. Still interesting nonetheless.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Good point about rifle barrels being different but short of someone sacrificing a rifle to the test, it was the best we could do and like you said, "interesting".

By the way, Lapua owns SK and as you noted Wolf is specially packaged SK.

The Lapua representative was at Camp Perry in 2009 and he proudly claimed all three product lines.

My last case of SK Std Plus had Lapua printed on the cardboard outer box.

 

[Maverick223]

Good point about rifle barrels being different but short of someone sacrificing a rifle to the test, it was the best we could do and like you said, "interesting".

Yeah, I wasn't trying to discount your work...it is certainly a valid comparison, and better than any I have done myself.

By the way, Lapua owns SK and as you noted Wolf is specially packaged SK.

Well that explains the branding on the boxes (both Standard Plus and Rifle Match have it printed on the box); I assumed they were just the importer...I stand corrected.

 

[pikid89]

i really like the Federal Auto Match...it works better in my 10/22, about halfway through my first Appleseed, i switched from federal bulk to auto match and my rifles reliability and accuracy both increased

 

[Caddisflied]

22.5 653/65 998/08 1069/10 1229/22 1213/24 1708/31

Looks like a lot of the HV ammo likes a 22.5" bbl.
Thanks Sheffieldshootr, that's good info.
I didn't realize Hyp. vel. ammo reached those velocities.

Some of my rifles do just as well with CCI SV. But apparently some of the high priced rifles do like Tenex.

Jeff, I just orderred some CCI SV ammo to try out.
If my rifle doesn't like it, I'll trade ya for that crappy Tenex.

 

[jcwit]

At the National Small Bore Meteric Matches held in Bristol IN, last year one of the most popular rounds was Lapua X-Act, and yes it is still available. $25.00 a box.

We'll see whats used this year next month. These folks go for the utmost accuracy as there's big money on the line.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Surely you meant to type $25.00 a box.

 

[jcwit]

Yup, fixed that, thanks. Boy, that would have been a buy.

 

[Caddisflied]

I really have only found one rifle that will shoot it well. Go figure. I guess I need better rifles or something.

Yes, you should probably try to find a rifle that likes ammo that cost's a fortune to shoot!
It's poor shooting etiquette to drive tacks with the 'economical' stuff.

At the National Small Bore Meteric Matches held in Bristol IN

If any of those matches are televised, I hope someone will pass the word around.

 

[jcwit]

No! They are not televised or at least we not last year. They are put on by the NRA.