What's the "best" .22lr ammo?

[Harley Quinn]

The Rem. 40 grn stuff, is more reliable IMHO... And the opinion of "Jonathan Arthur Ciener, Inc..22LR Conversions" who makes convertible kits for the Glock and other weapons... I am only familiar with the Glock conversion and 40 grn Rem is what works...
C link below

http://www.22lrconversions.com/

 

[wanderinwalker]

The most accurate .22 long rifle ammo I have ever shot is Wolf match. I know it's Wolf but their .22 match is top notch stuff. After that I like CCI.

It's actually not Wolf, just Wolf-labeled boxes. Wolf match .22 ammo is made by SK in Germany. So if you can't find Wolf Match Target, look for SK Standard. Wolf Match Extra is SK Standard Plus as I recall.

I have fired some actual Russian .22 ammo of some form or another. It was pretty gnarly stuff and actually stuck in the chambers of the Single-Six we were trying it in. I believe that brick is still serving as a door stop at the camp...

 

[benzy2]

I have very good results, accuracy wise with Eley and Lapua. For reliability in an autoloading rifle I try to stay with Minimags, though the new CCI tactical has been good as well. I hate to buy a tactical .22lr round just from the name, but they feed well and have all lit on the first strike so I am happy, plus at $20/375, they are a little cheaper than minimags.

I really like Champion for a budget ammo. Shoots well in all of my rifles, accuracy wise. It does have a little more trouble cycling an autoloader for some reason though, and as such it tends to be a bolt rifle ammo. The bulk pack stuff out there is all hit or miss. Some will shoot amazingly well and cycle perfectly. Other boxes have a lot of rounds that need a second strike to fire and cause a bunch of jams. I try to count the bulk stuff more as a lottery than anything. If I win and get a good box, great but if I am ready to accept a box that requires a little effort as well.

 

[Hangingrock]

 

[jpwilly]

I don't always shoot match ammo in my 22lr but when I do I shoot Wolf MT.

 

[skoro]

For what you've described, I'd go with CCI Minimags or Winchester Super-X, both in 40gr solid point rather than HP. My "other" choice would be Federal Automatch, which only comes in solid.

 

[frankiestoys]

I like the CCI

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Don't ask me. Ask your rifle. Go buy a bunch of boxes and then shoot a bunch of targets. 22 LR's seem to have a lot of personal preferences.

 

[bannockburn]

My 10/22 gets its best results with CCI MiniMags and Wolf Match Target. Nearly 100% reliability, very clean shooting, and some really outstanding accuracy with the Wolf ammo having a slight edge over the CCI. In the less expensive bulk .22 offerings, I've gotten consistently good performance from Federal and Winchester.

 

[midtennpawnstar]

I have 3 22lr firearms a '65 Nylon 66, and 2 ruger 10/22s I have shot just about every cheap 22lr bullet brand..Aguila,winchester,remington and CCI are what i usually have in my ammo box but i prefer CCI above all others even if its a tad bit more expensive.

 

[22-rimfire]

I am also strictly going to shoot good, clean ammunition through it. The high quality stuff is plenty inexpensive for me.

So what would you all call the "best" .22lr ammo out there for reliability in the primer and cleanliness of both powder and leading?

Best is a pretty relative term. You can see by the responses so far that everyone has an opinion. Some say the the bulk pack ammo is reliable and clean, others nudge you toward the more expensive target grade 22 ammo which runs $5.00+/box or more. Some will run you $15+ per box.

My opinion... CCI Mini-Mags are the best for everyday use when comparing cost. For target shooting, I think Wolf Match Target (or SK Standard Plus, same stuff) is the best bang for the buck where you are looking for more consistancy and precision. You also will not go wrong in most cases with CCI Standard Velocity ammo that is sold by Dicks Sporting Goods for $25/brick (10 50-ct boxes). I would try these, but honestly I believe CCI ammo is the cleanest and is very consistant. I use Federal Lightning for plinking and general use as it is cheaper than the CCI Mini-mags ($1.47/50-ct box versus $6.47/100-ct box at Walmart). I seldom shoot bulk pack ammo except for family gatherings where we are strictly plinking and running though a lot of ammo quickly. Yes, you have fail to fires (FTF's) with bulk pack ammo more frequently than other regular boxed ammo. Overall, CCI Mini Mags is what I would take to the woods if I had to survive as long as possible away from civilization.

Regardless of what you will hear, the higher the price of the ammo, the more consistant as far as load and ultimately precision/accuracy in most cases. But why spend $10+ a box to plink with when you can spend much much less? Choice for me depends on what I am using it for.

Your rifle will also seem to have a preference as well. The trick for most of us is to find the cheapest 22 ammo that groups well at 50 yds from your rifle. But if cost is not an issue, then, in general you will get better results from the target grade 22 ammo and normally standard velocity ammo will be more consistant than high speed 22 ammo in terms of group size.

 

[Afy]

The very best match ammo if a toss between Eley Tenex and Lapua XAct. Best bulk ammo Lapua by far.