MkII mag/match ammo problem?

[pepperbelly]

During Monday's bullseye match I ran into a problem. I had several rounds of both the RWS and Eley .22 ammo I was using for 50 yard slow fire fail to feed. I noticed that the round wasn't pointing up far enough to go up the feed ramp. It wound jam against the bottom of the ramp. I could gently push the round up and it would feed. Not every round would jam, and I tried different mags with the same result. I noticed that the Super-X I use at 25 yards did not jam. The Super-X is not lubed like the match ammo.
When I got home I wiped some crud out of the top of the mags just under the feed lips.
Is it likely that the lube on the match ammo combined with the powder residue in the mag to prevent the round from taking the proper position to feed?
Has anyone else had this happen? If so, what did you do to prevent it from happening again?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[cdrt]

My HS Victor will feed Federal 711 and 714, Aguila, T22 and Remington without any problems, no matter how dirty the mags are. It will not consistently feed CCI std velocity. .22 ammo does vary on rim thickness, etc. and some ammo will just not work in some guns.

Having said that, now that you've cleaned the mags, you need to try the ammo again and see what happens. That may have fixed it, but you'll need to do some testing first before we try and figure out why there is a problem.

 

[pepperbelly]

I will test the match ammo again asap, but that will probably be after the rinfire portion of the plate match Saturday. I am not going to risk loading the match ammo just before a speed match when I really need to rely on the ammo feeding.
BTW, after I cleaned the mags I left them dry. During the bullseye matches I shoot I have noticed a couple of the other shooters putting a small drop of oil in their mags at the feed lips. I was told to leave them dry. Should I be oiling the mags?

Jim

Jim

 

[cdrt]

What a lot of Bullseye shooters do, is put a small drop of oil on the top cartridge after they load the mag. It's supposed to ensure that the first round ejects, since the oil will raise the pressure in the chamber when the round goes off.

I have NEVER done that and have never had the first round fail to eject. I'm not sure when the whole oil thing started since I had a break in Bullseye shooting from 1989 until 2003 (long story).

I do not use any oil on my .22 mags. I just wipe them off with an oily rag when I'm doing the same thing with my target pistols. Noticed down here in Texas with the humidity that I can get surface rust on them, if I don't wipe them off after a match.

Short answer, unless you're having a problem with rounds ejecting, I would not bother. Just one more thing to worry about when you're trying to concentrate and shoot the best you can in a match.

 

[LeadPumper]

feeding issues...

I currently use a Ruger Mark II (stainless competition target lower) with a Tactical Solution forged aluminum upper as a rimfire Bullseye gun.

I have had trouble with some hollow point ammo getting caught up on the bottom of the feedramp (built to Ruger specs), as well as poor ejection and mis-feeds after 2-300 rounds of certain match type ammo (e.g.: Ely sport). I suspect the lower recoil (standard velocity) combined with the crud build-up increases the friction enough to start having problems. A small drop of lubricant (Hoppes oil, etc.) on the top round in a loaded mag will temporally help this matter. I've found over the years that Rugers like to be run wet, while other types of rimfires will choke on too much oil. You may have to experiment with your particular firearm to find the best combination.

As for mag feeding issues, you're already on the right track with examining the bullet profile. The Super-X you were using (that didn't jam) is built to different specs than the RWS and Eley, which may not be a bad thing. In the end, you have to use the ammo that is the most reliable, even if it's not the most accurate. Clearing a jam under slow fire is one thing, timed and rapid fire is something else entirely.

It may be that the feed lips on the magazines need to be opened up a smidge. If the Eley ammo is nose-diving into the feed-ramp, it may be pointed 'too low' in the mag, and occasionally hang up. Spreading the feed lips ever so slightly may help the bullet point 'up' at a slightly greater angle, helping it feed better. (and I do mean slightly, pick one mag to try as this seems to not be a magazine specific failure).

Ultimately, you'll find the right combination of reliability and accuracy, When you do, you'll be able to concentrate on your shooting and worry less about the gun. And when you do find an ammo that suits your needs, buy several cases of it from the same run. I used to use Federal Gold Match 711B in my Sig with much success, until Federal changed the formula of the ammo. I picked up a case of the 'new' stuff (still labeled 711B) and noticed a difference in the first box. Less accurate, and more failures. Currently I'm using CCI standard velocity and doing well, but not as well as I'd like.

Keep trying, don't get discouraged. .22's are rewarding (though cantankerous) and require some finesse. Your patience will pay off, though you may have to try several types of ammo before you get there.

Shoot safe, and keep 'em in the X-ring.


-LeadPumper