Best .22 ammo- opinions please

[shootr]

No disrespect meant, but IMHO & E, no need to go terribly high end on ammo for a more or less common .22.

These days, most .22s are pretty good shooters with the ammo they like, and the Marlin is known as a good shooter. While you can certainly find a high-end brand your gun likes, you're as likely to find a less-expensive brand that will work well. You can experiment until you find a regular brand of ammo that works well -- and you'll find it too.


Thing to remember is a match .22 will have a match chamber and so the tighter tolerances, closer attention to detail etc., of match ammo will work better in those guns that are optimized for such loadings rather than more pedestrian brands. Generic sporters do not have match chambers and so really can't maximize the potential of match loadings.

My Ruger .22 shoots Winchester bulk ammo like no tomorrow. I'm sure I could play around and find something more expensive that it will like - but I see no point in doing that unless I were to do other things to maximize accuracy; such as a trigger job, maybe bedding and a new barrel. But, the Ruger is my "fun gun" and plinker, so I see no point because it will make one ragged hole with the bulk stuff.

Ditto a Charles Daly / Zastava .22. It likes plain old Federal and shoots into maybe 3/8 of an inch if I do my part.

OTOH, my Kimber 82s both seem to shoot anything fairly well, but prefer Wolf ME. So, when shooting competition, that's what I'll use and the Kimber is optimized to get the most out of target rounds.

All that said, IME the more expensive match ammo is more consistent.

 

[k4swb]

Most .22 rimfires are as picky about ammunition as teenage girls are about how they look. Buy a box of everything you can find and shoot it all - but be warned the first five or ten shots from each new type should be discarded for accuracy purposes.

I have also found this to be true. It may actually take more than ten rounds, especially if you go from lead bullets to copper splashed or the other way around.

I've always liked PMC .22lr ammo, especially the Target. When they discontinued PMC I heard it was now Aguilla.
I have been testing the various sub types of Aguila and am finding it to be very accurate in my firearms, especially the Target and Match loads.

 

[TonyAngel]

It really surprised me when I took my 10/22 out to the range and tried to shoot groups with it. All of the high velocity stuff wouldn't group worth a darn. It was fine for shooting clay pigeons and stuff, not for shooting small groups. I suppose that what is considered accurate is relative.

The owner of my local range started up a rimfire match a while back and he wanted as many people participating as he could get. People were shooting a vast range of equipment. From 10/22s and other semi autos to bolt guns. The bolt guns ran the gambit from Marlins and Savages to the likes of Anshutz and Remington 40Xs. He didn't want an elite class to get started because he wanted everyone participating and the be able to be at least competitive. Since he couldn't dictate what rifle each person would shoot, he limited the type of ammunition that could be used.

When shooting his match, everyone shoots Wolf Match Target. The ammunition required to shoot the match is included in the price of the fee. Although it may not be the very best ammunition for any particular rifle, most rifles shoot it well enough to be able to hit the dime size 100 pt portion of the target, at 50 yards, if the driver does his job.

Dollar for dollar, the Wolf stuff is probably a good way to go. Like I said, it may not be the best ammo for your rifle(s), but odds are that it will perform, at the least, well. At around $60 a brick of 600, the cost isn't too bad either.

 

[dagger dog]

See if you can locate some Agulia Super Extra 22 Long Rifle Hollow Point, some of the older stock is Ely primed and is accurate. The Super Extra name does not mean it is hyper velocity but rather, super extra accurate, it is sub sonic in velocity.

 

[clutch]

I took some Federal Automatch out to the range and tested it. After the first 5 shots at 50 yards, I was inspecting the crown of my Marlin 925 for damage.

So I tried some CCI MiniMags that I normally don't have and fired 5 into another target. Well, that was much nicer. Maybe my rifle isn't broke.

So just to be thorough, I put another 5 rounds into the first bull with AutoMatch followed by 5 more rounds of CCI MiniMags in the second bull. At least with this rifle, AutoMatch isn't worth buying.



I'll have to test this with my 10/22 next time. Maybe I'll get lucky?



Clutch

 

[Overkilll0084]

http://www.chuckhawks.com/marlin_model_60_rifles.htm
Excerpt:

All rifles are individuals, so you will have to do your own ammo testing to find your Model 60's preferred ammunition. When you do, sub 1" groups from a bench rest at 50 yards become common.

You will also likely discover that it will probably shoot well with ammo that doesn't require a second mortgage. You just need to find it.

 

[CraigC]

While one can reasonably assume that any .22LR will shoot better the more you spend, there is really no way to predict how any given firearm will shoot with any given load. Every firearm is a law unto itself and you'll have to shoot it to find out what it likes. Case in point, I've got a CZ 452FS that piles the much-maligned Remington Golden Bullet HP into a half inch at 50yds but only does 1/10" better with Wolf MT.

 

[TonyAngel]

Are you looking for the absolute most accurate ammunition, or do you care to qualify that with a price range? Match .22 ammo can get stupid expensive.

I recently started participating in a local .22 match and thank goodness that one of the rules of the match is that you HAVE to shoot the provided Wolf MT ammunition. This rule was a part of the owner's effort to level the playing field, since the rifles being used range from 10/22s to 40Xs.

What I saw was that all of the rifles shoot the Wolf really well. So...in terms of bang for the buck, my nod would have to go to the Wolf MT/SK Standard Plus ammo. You can get it for around $50 a brick and it's worth it. For just clowning around, I shoot either Federal Auto Match or Federal Gold Medal Target.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Ely Pistol

 

[Hangingrock]

 

[BADUNAME37]

I clamp my .22 into a well-padded and immovable vice. I set up a target (indoors, in my basement) about 50' away and shoot five rounds of each bullet. Since the gun is not moving at all, any discrepancy is the bullet's grouping. When I get five bullets going through the same hole, that is the bullet I buy by the brick-load!

 

[wingman]

quote(Agulia Super Extra 22 Long Rifle )quote


Excellent ammo, there Rifle match is better then wolf match in my rifles. I long ago gave up Remington, winchester, federal,and CCI for accuracy, ok for tin can plinking.

 

[chicharrones]

I don't have match grade rifles and the few times I tried match ammo, it just didn't make my guns shoot magically better.

However, there is one .22LR cartridge that has made me look like a good shooter from several common platforms, whether handgun or rifle. I get really consistent accuracy from Winchester Super-X Power Point 40 grain ammo (X22LRPP). It's not the cheapest, but it is not the priciest either.

 

[rr2241tx]

Oddly enough CCI Blazer 40gr lead round nose often works far better than its price might suggest. The last case ran me $176 delivered. It runs all my semi-autos flawlessly.

My last case of fodder for the Anchutz was $1,900 plus shipping. Stupid expensive is almost an understatement.

 

[Maverick223]

Well this is a fairly old thread, but a question that oft comes up, so I figure it is deserving of a reply. IMO there are three basic grades of rimfire ammo: Match, Target, and Plinker/Hunting.

For match use you really have try a great deal of ammo to find what your rifle likes, but high/hyper velocity rounds needn't apply. The ones to try are various match grade offerings made by: Eley, Lapua, Dynamit Nobel/RWS, & SK/Wolf. Currently RWS Rifle Match is doing the best for me.

For target use look to the target and sporting lines from the aforementioned as well as Aguila Match Rifle (which has been doing outstandingly well for me for the price).

For plinking/hunting cartridges you can use most anything (though a high-velocity HP is best for hunting/varminting), but Federal Champion seems to be about the best bulk that I have found. Winchester 333/555 and Federal Value Pack also perform adequately well if Champion is unavailable (and some rifles seem to prefer the copper-clad ammo for reliable functioning).

 

[Tennessee Ned]

You've just got to try as many as you canand see what works best. I did the same with my CZ and it loves Federal and just about anything subsonic.

 

[KevininPa]

I didn't read all the responses so...

......I don't know if this was mentioned. I did see a lot of people mentioning sub-sonic. You may not have to go that low. Try the standard velocity .22s . I believe your original post was stating higher velocity rounds. Standards run a couple of hundred FPS slower. I learned this with an old H&R revolver. The normal .22 rounds are usually higher velocity. I don't know, worked for me.

BTW, how's the crown on the muzzle? It's probably OK, but if it's dinged that will throw it off.

 

[SeekHer]

Do you really think that sticking a target grade ammo in your stock Model 60 or 10/22 will make them shoot one hole groups at say Rimfire BR range of 50 yds?

That's like putting high octane racing fuel in a stock Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and thinking it will compete in a NASCAR race.

You want accuracy then get accurate guns otherwise except the limitations of your specific model...If it produces ¾" groups at 50 yds then that's what it will do and learn to shoot around that fact...I don't expect a Mosin Nagant to produce anything better then 2" groups at 100 so I wouldn't compete against a USMC armourer built M24 with it.

Every rimfire likes something it likes...I have three Ruger 10/22s, all tricked out with all the toys for Truck Challenge etc. events and not one likes the other's fodder!

I have a box of every brand and type of ammo available and I shoot a five shot group with each brand and type, compare the results and then go out and buy five to ten bricks of ammo (50 bricks of Eley for my BR rifle), from that production run, for that gun and only that gun...I label them and stick them on the shelf--one reason I have 200+K rounds in the house.

Any ammo that's left over in the initial 50 rd box, from when that production run is exhausted in the stores, I use them for plinking and having fun or for hunting.

Also, the speed of sound (sonic) is 343 mps/1,236 kmh/768mph/1,126 fps through an elastic medium in dry air at 20°C (68°F)...When a bullet goes sub-sonic is when all kinds of bad ju-ju happens to it--from changing course slightly to tumbling--depending on the bullet design and velocity it started out at...You want to keep all your shots in the sonic range for optimal accuracy, find out what that is for your ammo and rifle combo and keep to that range--if it's 75 yds then keep all your shots within 75 yds...If you start out at sub-sonic then it's just gravity and loss of momentum that you have to worry about.

 

[fbernar]

Yesterday I was at the range with my new Ruger 10/22 and I bought a Ruger banana magazine (these just came out). The Federal ammo from Wal-Mart was jamming in the magazine sometimes, but I don't know why. It worked the first 75 bullets I put through it just fine then all of a sudden it jammed on one magazine a few times. I cleaned the gun before firing so I am blaming the magazine/ammo combination.

 

[moonpie]

my guns always tell me what's best. you should listen to yours

 

[nathan]

The Winchester brand has always been good. ANy thing in bulk is fine as is the fun factor.

 

[aka108]

Bet Carbine85 is more confused now than ever and probably wishes he'd never asked the question. Enough answers here to make you head spin.

 

[ThePunisher'sArmory]

Both my .22 target guns like Wolf match grade ammo.

 

[Maverick223]

......I don't know if this was mentioned. I did see a lot of people mentioning sub-sonic. You may not have to go that low. Try the standard velocity .22s . I believe your original post was stating higher velocity rounds. Standards run a couple of hundred FPS slower. I learned this with an old H&R revolver. The normal .22 rounds are usually higher velocity. I don't know, worked for me.

BTW, how's the crown on the muzzle? It's probably OK, but if it's dinged that will throw it off.

I agree that standard velocity averages a bit better (when kept within supersonic range, which can sometimes be quite close) than most of the high/hyper V, however for the utmost accuracy (particularly at long range) I have to agree with the folks that claim that subsonic generally outperforms faster ammunition.

Standard velocity ammo is pretty much always sub-sonic AFAIK.

Nope, a great deal of SV is slightly supersonic (at standard temp. & pressure). The problem is that it often enters the transonic zone pretty quickly, which often leads to poor accuracy.

 

[Deus Machina]

I have yet to have any luck with anything Remington, and so far nothing 'match grade' has agreed with my rifles.

What my rifles love so far (including a Marlin 60) is Winchester Dynapoint GT. From 50 yards, Wolf Match tends to give me 1" or slightly larger groups, but I can get that Dynapoint around 3/4". Even down to 3/8", from my scoped Savage Mark II, on a good day. And it comes in 500-round bricks!