Clean firing accurate target .22lr ammo

View · by **Minge** on Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:11 pm

Is there a big difference in decent target ammo for .22 pistols? I know before you say it is yes the stuff you can actually get your hands on. Truth is you can find just about anything if you are willing to pay for it. So I was wondering if you have a favorite go to .22 caliber load that fires clean and is accurate for target practice?

Thanks everyone.

View · by **crbutler** on Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:39 pm

For target practice/plinking, I use whatever is cheapest/I can find (now).

Competition, that depends on lot.

Right now I have a lot of CCI Green tag that the S&W 41 likes. I used to use a lot of Federal Gold Medal match.

When you can get it, buy a box of a bunch of different stuff and when you find one your gun likes, buy a case or two.

Unfortunately, I am getting a little low on that lot, so I will probably not shoot as much .22 for a while. With prices where they are at if you want to buy a lot of it, its just not worth it. I will shoot .38 Spl reloads instead, its cheaper.

View · by **Nougat** on Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:43 pm

mine was going to be federal bulk 525 packs but I only got to have one season before it went poof.

so you have an idea of my expertise right, I could notice some of them flying off...I'd rather not blame myself!
a youtube video I saw said all you'd have to do to make it consistent would be to weigh them and treat the different weights as different types?

so anything that doesn't look beat up and weighs the same or close enough (I'm not sure how much variance would be acceptable) should be the same as itself?

View · by **bensdad** on Sat Apr 19, 2014 6:37 pm

Nougat wrote:a youtube video I saw said all you'd have to do to make it consistent would be to weigh them and treat the different weights as different types?

It is my understanding (and I'm, like, CRAZY smart, so, there is that) that the most important factor effecting the accuracy of 22LR is the consistency of the priming compound. Same amount, same thickness, even coating, etc.

Regardless, sorting 22LR by weight would be an exercise in futility.

That being said, Butler nailed it. I have just about as many "favorite" or "most accurate" 22LR varieties as I have accurate 22's... AND they change over time, which might just prove that it's all in my head.

At the end of the day, you can prove to yourself that Fed. Match SMOKES Fed. bulk pack in head-to-head competition. Hang paper at 40-50 yds, roll up a couple sweatshirts, and shoot some 10rd. groups. You'll see. The Match groups will be about 1/3 the size of the bulk pack groups.

View · by **Nougat** on Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:33 pm

yeah well? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVcXNJjZ2as theres one of them saying the same thing. honestly I am a new shooter with enough shakes and poorness to my form that if the bulk has fliers I can blame it and just be glad its ever on the target at all. sorry to bother. I'm really not that bad

View · by **gun_fan111** on Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:19 pm

I hear this is good stuff http://www.eley.co.uk/.

But my personal favorite is CCI MiniMags or standard velocity

View · by **igofast** on Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:37 am

Of course quality ammo will generally be more expensive(putting aside price fluctuations due to scarcity). But when looking at 'bulk' ammo, you're going to need to try a few different kinds to see what your gun likes. There's some that like higher velocity, some that like slower, some that like plated, some that like lead. Also you're desire to have the cleanest firing may trump my need to get the most accurate.

My Sig Trailside likes Federal Automatch
My 10/22 prefers Winchester M22, but Automatch, CCI Blazer are also on the short list.
My single shot .22 Rifles I feed a steady diet of Wolf Match(and yes I weigh each one).

View · by **Eric Marleau** on Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:38 pm

CCI Standard loads for my Model 41. {When I can find it}
Eley is great if you can find it. I only have one brick remaining so I use it sparingly.
The Federal Value Packs have been very reliable and accurate so far for me also.
I shot it for the first time today in my '41 and pretty much knocked out the x ring at 25 yards. Very impressive.

Worst right now is the White Box Winchester loads.
10% fail rate. Just junk. I'll only use it in my Model 617 revolver and Model 39 Marlin Lever.

Eric

View · by **Minge** on Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:16 pm

Just purchase 1000 rounds of cci mini mags off of gunbroker. They have a good reputation so I am sure my ruger sr22 will like them.

View · by **hard h2o** on Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:36 pm

Sportsman's Guide has Eley match .22 for $7.49 for 50

View · by **Vashjir** on Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:07 pm

hard h2o wrote:Sportsman's Guide has Eley match .22 for $7.49 for 50

The GECO they've had in stock is very good too, very tight groups for me and at $6.19/50.

View · by **xd ED** on Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:10 am

What sportsman guide has in stock, and what they say they have in stock when they con you into buying a buyers club membership to get a better price on a case of Wolf MT (and then send you the: 'whoops-that's out-of-stock' email), sometimes is not the same. After a year of 'it should be here soon', I suggested what they could do with their buyers club renewal

View · by **hard h2o** on Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:07 am

xd ED wrote:What sportsman guide has in stock, and what they say they have in stock when they con you into buying a buyers club membership to get a better price on a case of Wolf MT (and then send you the: 'whoops-that's out-of-stock' email), sometimes is not the same. After a year of 'it should be here soon', I suggested what they could do with their buyers club renewal

I am not a member of their buyers club. I just stop by on occasion to see what crap they have in stock at the retail location on Hardman.

View · by **xd ED** on Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:14 pm

hard h2o wrote:
xd ED wrote:What sportsman guide has in stock, and what they say they have in stock when they con you into buying a buyers club membership to get a better price on a case of Wolf MT (and then send you the: 'whoops-that's out-of-stock' email), sometimes is not the same. After a year of 'it should be here soon', I suggested what they could do with their buyers club renewal

I am not a member of their buyers club. I just stop by on occasion to see what crap they have in stock at the retail location on Hardman.

I would not have been a member except a pop-up appeared when I added the ammo to the shopping cart, telling me how much I could save on the purchase by joining; there was a considerable savings beyond the cost of the the membership, so I joined by adding a membership to my cart, along with about $1k of ammo. When I processed the order, the email receipt told me the ammo was out of stock, and charged me for the club membership. I was then told if I cancelled the membership, I'd not only lose the discount price, but my place "at the top of the waiting list", and the ammo would likely be sold out before I'd get any.
A year or do later. I still got nothing.
I do shop at the retail store on the occasion I'm in need of something smelling of moldy canvas, or wet goat.

View · by **bensdad** on Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:37 pm

I do shop at the retail store on the occasion I'm in need of something smelling of moldy canvas, or wet goat.

Bingo. The place is like if the Army and a 1940's hunting shack had a baby, then held a garage sale in its diaper.