What is the point of .22LR hollow point plinking ammo?

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CraigC said:
A little information goes a long, long way. Firstly, .22LR is copper washed, not plated. Secondly, HP ammo is no more difficult to manufacture than roundnose, because it's all just soft swaged lead. Third, some of us would like to be able to hunt with the same ammo we plink with. It simplifies everything. Fourth, it DOES expand and it DOES make a difference. Of course, I've only been doing it for 35yrs so maybe I missed a trick somewhere.


This is why I use the Remington GBHP for virtually everything, except when I need subs from a rifle. These were all fired from a pistol, except one. From left to right they are: CCI Minimag, CCI Velocitor, Browning high velocity HP, Remington Golden Bullet, Norma Subsonic HP (pistol/rifle).
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What does "copper washed" even mean? I think you will find it is an electroplating process. Sure the coating is thin, but the application method is still electroplating.
 
In over 50 years of shooting 22LR I have had far less ricochets using the hollow point. I use the same bulk ammo (CCI) to hunt gophers and such. It has proven more effective with bigger wounds sustained by the critters resulting in quicker deaths.
 
I've often thought of this myself. My guess is that it probably isn't an expensive additional process to put a little hole in the end of a 40 grain piece of lead, so squirrel hunters and pop can assassins can have a dual purpose round.
 
As a small game hunter for the last 42 years I can tell you the little hollow points do expand and create more damage than any round nose solid could. Add hyper velocity to it and you have a winner. If you don't believe us do your own testing. Gallon jugs of water back to back, wet telephone books will tell you all you need to know.
 
Charliefrank said:
As a small game hunter for the last 42 years I can tell you the little hollow points do expand and create more damage than any round nose solid could. Add hyper velocity to it and you have a winner. If you don't believe us do your own testing. Gallon jugs of water back to back, wet telephone books will tell you all you need to know.
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Why would I not believe you? I don’t even know you. Do you have a reputation for prevarication?
 
I read several statements from people believing hollow points do not expand. I disagree. My disagreement is based upon fact. That is all sir.
 
I find the hollow cone of the Winchesters open wonderfully. The round nose with a slight drill hole of the Armscor, not so much. And the segmented Stingers just come apart. Pretty amazing for such little guys.:thumbup:
 
Circa 51yrs ago, my older brother and I would eagerly await Saturday mornings. We would do our chores (raking leaves, cutting grass, ect.) and then we’d get on our bikes and ride downtown. On the way we’d pick up any discarded soda bottles to collect the 5cent deposit. We’d stop at a Gulf Oil Co. service station and collect the deposit. Sprite was the new brand and if we took 6 bottle caps to the theater, we could get into the Saturday afternoon matinee for 25cents (regular.50). We’d ask the service station attendant to open the coke machine to gather the bottle caps.

We’d use our allowance to get a coke and candy bar at the theater. (.15 and .25 respectively. Haven’t prices changed!) After the shows ended, we’d cross the street to Anniston Sporting Goods and gaze/dream at the goodies on the gun racks. (I craved a Marlin M67A in .30carbine, but the $67.95 represented about 5yrs allowance, I was 11yr old). Then we’d go half a block down to the Otasco Economy Auto store. They sold Imperial brand ammo (CIL brand, Canadian Industries Limited). It was superlative ammo. The .22shorts sold for .25 a box. .22Longs were .41 a box and .22lr were .56 and .22lr-hp .59. We bought the .22short HP for .29/50. They had a decidedly greater “pop” on impact and were as accurate as anything I’ve ever shot since. Small hp, lead with a soft waxy lube. We killed many squirrels, rabbits, and misc critters, bottles and cans shooting them through a Mossberg 341KA bolt action.
One of my early disappointments in life was when I was told I couldn’t buy ammo due to passage of the ‘68 GCA.

I haven’t voted for a Democrat since, voting for Charles Wood, apposing George Wallace for governor of Alabama. Yep, that long ago (except for Charles Wrangell to apose Hillary Clinton in a primary, because the Republican candidate was a shoo in.).
We knew even back then that the HP’s killed better! Was worth 4cents a box more, poor as we were...

Added: I’m really enjoying getting used to being the oldest person (and usually wisest...) in the room.
Enjoy telling about the bad-ole-days.... now, are the good ol’ days!!! Enjoy them while we have a Republican majority. Won’t last forever. .
 
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Except some of us don't drink.......:)



For the same price or almost the same price I will take the HPs over the RNs every time.
One of my .22s likes the standard vel RNs a bit better, the other is not as picky, both are accurate for anything I want to do with .22.

Been I long time since I was shooting smallbore rifle in the Army Jr Rifle Club (club for the kids.)They did have some really sweet Anschutz rifles.
It was a shock when I started shooting other things, wow you mean all triggers aren't like that........:eek:
Anschutz match rifle .22 trigger is a thing of beauty to be appreciated.:)
 
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Hollowpoints are probably better for most shooters, and are probably easier to sell. The prospect of hyper velocity is very exciting for the layman, and there is also the association with expensive centerfire HP's.

Then, there is the lead saving. 4 grains doesn't sound like a lot, but that's 10%, or a box per brick. At 4 million rounds a day, that's a lot of lead.
 
Dudedog said:
Except some of us don't drink.......


For the same price or almost the same price I will take the HPs over the RNs every time.
One of my .22s likes the standard vel RNs a bit better, the other is not as picky, both are accurate for anything I want to do with .22.

Been I long time since I was shooting smallbore rifle in the Army Jr Rifle Club (club for the kids.)They did have some really sweet Anschutz rifles.
It was a shock when I started shooting other things, wow you mean all triggers aren't like that........:eek:
Anschutz match rifle .22 trigger is a thing of beauty to be appreciated.:)
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I don't drink, but just think of all the wild top I could come up with if I did. :evil:
I buy both the HP and RN bulk 22 ammo. Sometimes because it's prices right and other times because it shoots great in one of my 22s.
I have a CZ 513 Farmer that just loves Federal Champion RN ammo. But I have a few 10/22s that shoot great with the Federal 550 bulk HP. Then my Kimber 22 conversion that I have on a Rock Island frame just eats up the Federal 22 Auto Match. I have plenty of the Winchester HP in the 333 bulk packs that I use as general plinking ammo because, no matter what gun I shot it in, it makes soft drink cans, filled with water, explode better then RN ammo.
I really don't care why manufactures make cheap 22 ammo in both HP & RN, I just like them because they'er cheap and some shoot good enough, in some guns, to hunt or target shoot with.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
I sometimes wonder if some topics are alcohol induced.o_O
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Let me propose an alternative explanation. Let’s talk about the USA you would like to see, the USA where a majority of residents own guns, not just the traditional minority.

In that situation you will find folks who never owned a BB gun or a .22 rifle as a kid, never hunted, never shot a varmint (whatever that is), never ogled rifles in the window of the LGS when growing up. You will find some folks who never shared in the honor of military service. In short you will find grown up novices.

Some of them (at least one, me) will not be embarrassed to ask basic questions about guns and ammo on this relatively new-tangled resource we have, the Internet forum. The question is, why are such questions met with so much snark. That is not how you convert the USA from a minority gun ownership country to a majority one.
 
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rpenmanparker said:
Let me propose an alternative explanation. Let’s talk about the USA you would like to see, the USA where a majority of residents own guns, not just the traditional minority.

In that situation you will find folks who never owned a BB gun or a .22 rifle as a kid, never hunted, never shot a varmint (whatever that is), never ogled rifles in the window of the LGS when growing up. You will find some folks who never shared in the honor of military service. In short you will find grown up novices.

Some of them (at least one, me) will not be embarrassed to ask basic questions about guns and ammo on this relatively new-tangled resource we have, the Internet forum. The question is, why are such questions met with so much snark. Thst is not how you convert the USA from a minority gun ownership country to a majority one.
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My God man, lighten up, it was a joke. Plus I did not say that your topic was alcohol induced.
Here it is as simple as I can put it. You asked a question, it was answered. You stated that you still didn't understand, it was explained. It appears that cheap bulk HP copper coated 22 ammo gets under your skin. Why? Who knows, but hell, My Ex wife does't bother me as much as bulk pack HP copper coated 22 ammo seems to bother you.
I don't post on gun forums to brag, show off, or let everyone know that I'm right. or just to be cranky. I post on gun forums because I love guns and I enjoy talking about them with like minded people. If posting about guns was not fun, I would stop.
 
My two cents: I grew up on a farm and anything that took away from a crop was done away with. I have no idea of the number of pest animals I've shot with a 22 rimfire and that includes jack rabbits, prairie dogs, ground squirrels. an occasional gopher, crows, and numerous other grain eating birds. I just wish I could have shot the weeds as that would have been fun instead of the work of swinging a hoe for long hours. I quickly learned that HP ammo expanded and did it's job where solids resulted in a much slower demise. I only remember Remington and Winchester as the available ammo in those days. I now have over 70 years of hunting and plinking experience with 22 rimfire now.

Today there are more brands of 22 rimfre available than I can keep up with. I used to buy the cheap bulk to plink with and for the grandkids to shoot. Now I'm buying it for the same reason except the kids are the great grand variety. If I'm doing more serious accuracy plinking I buy more expensive ammo. I don't hunt anymore so I don't care about expansion at all. It's all plinking to me now.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
My God man, lighten up, it was a joke. Plus I did not say that your topic was alcohol induced.
Here it is as simple as I can put it. You asked a question, it was answered. You stated that you still didn't understand, it was explained. It appears that cheap bulk HP copper coated 22 ammo gets under your skin. Why? Who knows, but hell, My Ex wife does't bother me as much as bulk pack HP copper coated 22 ammo seems to bother you.
I don't post on gun forums to brag, show off, or let everyone know that I'm right. or just to be cranky. I post on gun forums because I love guns and I enjoy talking about them with like minded people. If posting about guns was not fun, I would stop.
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Sorry. I didn't notice the emoji. My bad.
 
To quote that famous bon vivant, raconteur, and man about town, Chester A. Riley, "What a revolting development this is!" Look it up if you weren't watching TV in the early '50s.

Sorry for any offense I caused. I honestly just like to discuss topics down to the nits. Even ones I don't care a whole lot about. It is the way I am wired. I truly appreciated all the responses, but more often than not hearing what folks have to say just prompts me to continue the conversation, to dig further and deeper. In truth I couldn't care less what .22LR ammo is offered at the local store or not. I just buy whatever is cheapest. I was just expressing my surprise that what appears to be a fancy round is as cheap as what appears to be a plain one. I've got it now.

So thanks for your input. I will try to be more sensitive to the tenor of the conversations in future and give it up before the poop starts to fly.
 
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