"club match" .22 ammos

[Random 8]

Our local club will likely be doing some Sporter class .22 shooting next year. Field positions, open sight or 6x optic. Will be pretty casual shoots, not worth buying premier match ammo for, but looking for better performance than bulk HV stuff.

I know every rifle/ammo is different, and I'll be testing what I try to see which is best, but wondering what some folks have had luck with as far as reasonably priced semi-match grade ammunition. I'd like to grab some samples for testing as I find it available. I'll be shooting a bolt gun, so cycling an automatic is not a concern.

Help me come up with a short list.

Has anybody shot Fed auto match lately? The rifle in question shot this better than anything in a previous test some 10 years ago when I tested some various loads for NRA silhouette. Sadly, that shooting went away locally as fast as it started, and so did 2 of the makes of my short list from that test. It was rumored to be lots of their Olympic biathalon ammo that didn't make the cut or a mass produced version of the same load. Wondering if it is still as good today.

 

[tominboise]

The last batch of Fed Automatch I had did not work well in my 22 pistols. To the point that I sold it off locally. Failure to feed, failure to fire.

CCI Standard Velocity would be a good place to start. Aguila makes a standard velocity round that shoots pretty well. Norma Tac-22 shoots pretty well. None of these will win a benchrest match but will put holes in the target.

Stepping up, the lower priced SK, Eley, RWS, Lapua ammos are all good for basic shooting. Sometimes one can get lucky with a lot that performs above and beyond, but I've not had that experience. Always a few flyers.

There is a thread on rimfirecentral called "50 at 200", which is a 50 shot string at 200 yards. The gentleman has tested a wide variety of ammo on that thread. It's worth searching for your candidates to see how they compare.

 

[d2wing]

Pretty much what Tom said. Lately Norma Tac-22 has been my practice ammo and CCI-SV in my sporters. Lapua in my target rifle.

 

[NuclearMeltdown]

I have the same experience as you with the AutoMatch. Doesn't always extract right in a semi-auto pistol or rifle, but is the top accuracy choice in a CZ bolt action.

 

[Hillbilly Hydrographics]

I might have a dud here and there in a box of federal automatch but I haven't experienced the problems alot have. The few semi auto 22 rifles I have run it just fine and my revolvers and bolt guns eat it up. The ammo my rifles and revolvers likes the best is Remington golden bullet and thunderbolt. Cci always has worked well. Armscor is another bulk rimfire ammo that works pretty good for me but seems to have more flyers then some others. I will never buy Norma tac22 or browning 22lr ammo again. There both coated in a sticky grease that was causing major feeding and ejecting issues for me.

 

[.38 Special]

I add my voice to those suggesting the CCI Standard Velocity stuff. It has worked well for me in a number of guns, and I'm unaware of anything better at that price point.

 

[TonyAngel]

As casual as the match may be, losing still sucks. That, and stuff like CCI SV isn't exactly cheap any longer and for the price, there is better stuff out there.

I've been burning up a lot of SK Semi Auto. At $6-$7 a box, the price to perforce ratio is very good. Of course, this ammo varies from lot to lot, but all of it shoots pretty well.







These were shot at 50 yards with my CZ 457.

 

[N555]

Buy everything you can get ahold of and try it.
I have one bolt action that shoots the cheap federal 40gr lead round nose really well. I can get one hole groups at 25yd with 10 shots with my little nothing special 4x Leupold scope intended for 22lr guns. Which sucks for me because I want subsonic and plated.

 

[TonyAngel]

Buy everything you can get ahold of and try it.
I have one bolt action that shoots the cheap federal 40gr lead round nose really well. I can get one hole groups at 25yd with 10 shots with my little nothing special 4x Leupold scope intended for 22lr guns. Which sucks for me because I want subsonic and plated.

I agree with this to a degree. Of course, it depends on the size of the targets and what distance you're shooting at. For example, on the targets above, assuming that I can hold dead center while accounting for wind everytime, theoretically all I NEED is ammo that will hit a 1/2" target at 50 yards all of the time, minus 2 or 3%. I can achieve this by lot testing the more inexpensive lines of ammo from SK, Eley and the like.

That will allow me to be in the running for a perfect score, but will still leave me in the cold if it comes down to counting Xs. I'm never gonna get this far with Remingron Golden Bullets.

The standard deviations in all cheap ammo make any sort of consistent accuracy impossible. The best I've ever found in a cheap ammo is about a 75% consistency. That was with CCI SV and Federal Auto Match and that result was a product of lot testing as well.

 

[N555]

I agree with this to a degree. Of course, it depends on the size of the targets and what distance you're shooting at. For example, on the targets above, assuming that I can hold dead center while accounting for wind everytime, theoretically all I NEED is ammo that will hit a 1/2" target at 50 yards all of the time, minus 2 or 3%. I can achieve this by lot testing the more inexpensive lines of ammo from SK, Eley and the like.

That will allow me to be in the running for a perfect score, but will still leave me in the cold if it comes down to counting Xs. I'm never gonna get this far with Remingron Golden Bullets.

The standard deviations in all cheap ammo make any sort of consistent accuracy impossible. The best I've ever found in a cheap ammo is about a 75% consistency. That was with CCI SV and Federal Auto Match and that result was a product of lot testing as well.

That's what I used to say. I figured I would buy some cheap 7 cents a shot fed bulk packed ammo for the revolver and just happed to try it in the bolt gun, since it doesn't have a silencer on it yet. I have a homeless gemtech that could go on when it gets threaded.

 

[TonyAngel]

If all you're doing is shooting at 25 yards, almost any decent .22 will do one hole groups with most ammunition. I typically reserve anything 25 yards and in for handguns.

 

[entropy]

Hard to go wrong with CCI Standard Velocity for what you are wanting it for.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I’m a third on the CCI Standard as my base round for modest accuracy. Mostly $50 a brick here but I saw it online today for $40 at PSA

 

[Barnfixer]

CCI for myself but not much luck with the Federal auto match and normally I like Federal in larger bore rifles. I really dislike Remington ammo but years back they had some coated match type .22 rounds in the plastic box with a light blue label. That stuff worked unbelievable in my target .22.

 

[tominboise]

If all you're doing is shooting at 25 yards, almost any decent .22 will do one hole groups with most ammunition. I typically reserve anything 25 yards and in for handguns.

Me, too. I shoot all the ammo that doesn't group well in my rifles, in my pistols at 25 yards. I do shoot some rifle offhand at 25 yards, trying to hold them all on a 2" paster.

 

[LiveLife]

I’m a third on the CCI Standard as my base round for modest accuracy. Mostly $50 a brick here but I saw it online today for $40 at PSA

It's been around $35/500 shipped for a while on lowest 22LR price thread now including SK/ELEY/Wolf/Norma - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-14#post-12720153

CCI SV $3.45/50 + free shipping on $200+ orders - https://shopbfam.com/product/cci-0035-standard-velocity-22-lr-40-gr-lead-round-nose-lrn-50-bx-100-cs

CCI SV $349/5000 + free shipping - https://www.aeammo.com/products/cci-35-076683000354-5c16-case-5666

I know every rifle/ammo is different, and I'll be testing what I try to see which is best, but wondering what some folks have had luck with as far as reasonably priced semi-match grade ammunition.

Has anybody shot Fed auto match lately?

After documenting 5/10 shot groups at 50/100 yards now exceeding 10,000 round count and 25 brands/weights/lots has grown to 47 brands/weights/lots - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...nition-comparison.908102/page-2#post-12733155

My test rifles are accurized 10/22 Collector #3 with factory 18.5" barrel and T/CR22 with 16" KSA bull barrel and recently added BCA 16" heavy barrel AR upper for next round of testing (Will likely push 15,000-20,000 round count. If factory 10/22 barrel shows rifling wear to lose accuracy beyond 7000 round count, I already have a spare barrel) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...22lr-on-the-cheap.898035/page-2#post-12176951

From the 10,000+ round testing, CCI SV consistently produced 1/2"-3/4" groups at 50 yards followed by Blazer 40 gr LRN (Boxed, not loose bulk) and Aguila 40 gr LRN/CPRN (Boxed) produced 3/4"-1" (With LRN producing slightly smaller groups than CPRN).

My recent testing comparing 22LR purchased from 2022-2023 with old stock purchased from 2019 started out with new lot of boxed Blazer 40 gr LRN and initial testing showed larger groups compared to 2019 stock (Which produced around 3/4") - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...nition-comparison.908102/page-2#post-12731537

So it would be hard to beat CCI SV at $3.45/50. If cost is factor, Aguila 40 gr LRN/CPRN would be next at $2.65/50 (These are shipped pricing)

 

[igotta40]

I bought 2 boxes of Eley from MidwayUSA, Force & Benchrest Precision. The Force is impressive in my CZ455, the B P was not. These groups were @ 100 yards. (the black center target hits are from a 30 caliber)

 

[mavracer]

Me, too. I shoot all the ammo that doesn't group well in my rifles, in my pistols at 25 yards. I do shoot some rifle offhand at 25 yards, trying to hold them all on a 2" paster.

Me three hard to distinguish between the better shooting ammo at 25 yards.
I shot Norma Tac, Eley Contact and CCI SV and I really don't see a lot of difference till I get to 50 then my Ruger shows a preference for the contact and the Savage likes TAC, most everything I own shoots CCI SV pretty good. I haven't had good performance from Federal Auto match in a while always get at least 1 flier out of 5.

 

[kidneyboy]

My current "affordable" go to selection -
CCI sv
CCI 36gr mini mags
Norma Tac 22
Eley Force

My brother swears by Federal Automatch but I think he bought a truck load in the early 2000s.

I tend to agree with ammo not making too much of a difference in rifles at 25 yards.

 

[N555]

It looks like there is a run on ammo once again. 9mm and 22lr will be the first ones gone. Better get whatever you are going to get before it's gone.
Once all the cheap stuff is gone the unprepared will happily buy up all the expensive target ammo to burn up in their 10/22s.

 

[Lefty38-55]

Both CCI SV and Aguila SV perform extremely well in all my premium 22LRs!

 

[Laphroaig]

Rimfire Sporter matches? Those are definitely fun!

I'd try CCI SV in your testing mix. I don't think that target ammo is going to get you many points in that COF.

 

[VoodooMountain]

22 rifles can be notoriously picky with ammo. Couple that with 22 lr ammo being inconsistent from lot to lot and you can end up frustrated.

Best bet is to try a bunch of ammo and then buy a bunch of whatever lot/ammo shoots well for you and meets your expectations.

 

[anothernewb]

I bought some S&B 40 grain club ammo recently that was on sale for $2.99/50. Wish I had bought the whole stack now. that stuff worked way nicer than I expected. and was very accurate for me out of a victory, SR22, and a buckmark.

 

[Chuck R.]

I agree with this to a degree. Of course, it depends on the size of the targets and what distance you're shooting at. For example, on the targets above, assuming that I can hold dead center while accounting for wind everytime, theoretically all I NEED is ammo that will hit a 1/2" target at 50 yards all of the time, minus 2 or 3%. I can achieve this by lot testing the more inexpensive lines of ammo from SK, Eley and the like.

That will allow me to be in the running for a perfect score, but will still leave me in the cold if it comes down to counting Xs. I'm never gonna get this far with Remingron Golden Bullets.

The standard deviations in all cheap ammo make any sort of consistent accuracy impossible. The best I've ever found in a cheap ammo is about a 75% consistency. That was with CCI SV and Federal Auto Match and that result was a product of lot testing as well.

Agree!

This image is my B14R with TAC22 while playing with an EC V2 Tuner at 50yds and 5 shot groups.

You can see the group's POI move around as I adjust the tuner and tighten/loosen (the 1st upper left group has a cold bore shot). You can also see that just about every group has a flyer/outlier and that's the issue with the less expensive ammo. With the tuner the overall roup size is smaller, but the flyers don't go away.

Chronographing long strings definitely show the difference in the ammo quality. Single digits Vs double to high double digit SDs.

I can run the same ammo on a Kyle rack and do OK until I get to the 1/4" target at 60yds. Even then I can still get 4 out of 5 hits, until I get a flyer.

Then tyhe "good stuff" no tuner SK long range on the left, Lapua Long range on the right. SK still has flyers and a low double didgt SD. Lapua is a single digit SD and just shoots small..