wanting to shoot a few groups - looking for a ammo recommendation
- Thread starter double gun
- Start date
- Location
- West Quebec
CCI Standard is a good place to start
Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Federal gold medal match, and CCI Green tag are also good.
One 22 will like one ammo and another will like something else.
Rws, Eeley, & Lapua make some fancy consistent ammo, but it gets pricey.
I would buy some different brands / types that you can afford, and do some testing.
Some guns like Blaser, some like CCI mini mags.
Just hope your gun doesn't like Eely Tennex $229.00 + tax and ship. or Lapua X-ACT 249.95 + tax and ship per brick.
One 22 will like one ammo and another will like something else.
Rws, Eeley, & Lapua make some fancy consistent ammo, but it gets pricey.
I would buy some different brands / types that you can afford, and do some testing.
Some guns like Blaser, some like CCI mini mags.
Just hope your gun doesn't like Eely Tennex $229.00 + tax and ship. or Lapua X-ACT 249.95 + tax and ship per brick.
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Start with CCI SV... of the cheaper products that has been the most consistent for many of our rifles. CCI Subsonic shoots incredibly accurately in my 453, SK Standard+ has been good too. If you are shooting a semi, then ammo is a crap shoot... try what you have and then try some more.
CCI SV is a good start. Keep in mind there are two loadings at 1070 fps . . . paper box with 50 and plastic trays of 100.
They apparently come off two different lines. The paper box has a very heavy lube and sometimes have to be forced out of the tray they are packaged in.
The plastic tray has a different lube and there is less difficulty getting them to chamber.
They run about $10 - 11 per 100.
All of the Europeans - Lapua, RWS and Eley have different grades. Target shooting products in Ontario have the best prices IMO. Tesro puts together 10 boxes of different grades - medium and high but after testing you may not be able to get the same lot that was best in your gun. Talking to Peter at TSP or the order lady at Hirsch will get you a order of something that will still be available if you get your testing done in two weeks.
Federal Match 922A is made by RWS to R50 standards and occasionally comes on sale at Cabelas.
They apparently come off two different lines. The paper box has a very heavy lube and sometimes have to be forced out of the tray they are packaged in.
The plastic tray has a different lube and there is less difficulty getting them to chamber.
They run about $10 - 11 per 100.
All of the Europeans - Lapua, RWS and Eley have different grades. Target shooting products in Ontario have the best prices IMO. Tesro puts together 10 boxes of different grades - medium and high but after testing you may not be able to get the same lot that was best in your gun. Talking to Peter at TSP or the order lady at Hirsch will get you a order of something that will still be available if you get your testing done in two weeks.
Federal Match 922A is made by RWS to R50 standards and occasionally comes on sale at Cabelas.
Beverkiller
Regular
- Location
- Magic forest
CCI Blazer dont know why but that cheap ammo is so good in my hand gun , semi auto and bolt action .22LR the other one that i realy love to shoot are the CCI Mini-mag HP
Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I have heard many times now about peoples guns working well with Blazer, Mini Mags, & CCI Standard.
I am glad a few of mine do well with the CCI Std. It is the best ammo available in my town.
Beverkiller
Regular
- Location
- Magic forest
dont know why that i always forget the CCI STD mabe cause of the price were i live they are pricey for CCI standars 8$ for a box of 50 and the blazer are 3.50$
Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
At Canadian tire in my home town, the 50 paper box is $7.89, but the 100 plastic box is $10.99.
I wonder if your local Can. Tire carries the 100 box?
^what Hoyt said. If it's a semi, there are way more variables, and probably a heavier trigger working against you. If it's a bolt gun, then I'd second most of what's been said already. You're bound to get better accuracy results from standard velocity offerings. (around 1050-1070fps) Faster is rarely better with 22s, but always good to try everything and make note of what you discover. I personally haven't had many 22s that didn't shoot CCI Standard Velocity very well, but I've found SK Standard to be comparable...with maybe a slight edge in consistency. I also have a rifle that loves Federal Gold Medal. In recent months, I've been exploring some higher-grade stuff to see how it shoots in my newest 22 (Anschutz) but I do that reluctantly. I'm interested in knowing just how well this gun shoots..but being frugal, may end-up discovering it prefers something I'm not prepared to pay for! lol Picked-up 2 boxes of Eley late last week, but nothing match grade. In my experiences so far, premium ammo only closes the accuracy gap...but won't make a crappy gun an accurate one. In other words, I think it's possible to over-spend on ammo...depending on what your gun, and the person behind it can do. Take your time, try everything you can get your hands on...and enjoy the process.
If ya want to see how accurate your rifle is, clean it and by a box of Center X and shoot the whole thing. 'Bout as good as it gets!
Double gun, go check out the 22 rimfire 1/2 inch challenge.
There are some recommendations there.
My self, I always used AE 22 HP ammo and considered it good enough for hunting purposes.
I could hit a dime at 30 paces in a gravel pit and lob them into an empty beer can at about 80 yrds on a regular basis.
didnt matter what CZ I shot (452 (3 different ones),455) and the Sako FinFire I never shoulda sold.
Rimfire Central is another good site for 22 information.
Elley and RWS are good places to start , but be ready to open your wallets cause it gets expensive soon after that.
Tight Groups,
Rob
There are some recommendations there.
My self, I always used AE 22 HP ammo and considered it good enough for hunting purposes.
I could hit a dime at 30 paces in a gravel pit and lob them into an empty beer can at about 80 yrds on a regular basis.
didnt matter what CZ I shot (452 (3 different ones),455) and the Sako FinFire I never shoulda sold.
Rimfire Central is another good site for 22 information.
Elley and RWS are good places to start , but be ready to open your wallets cause it gets expensive soon after that.
Tight Groups,
Rob
Many assumptions being made in this thread, the following quote is an example as I will explain:
The first rule of ammo testing a rifle without a tuner is, there are no rules. Do not assume one type/lot of premium ammo will show you how accurate your rifle is, there are times when Center-X, RWS R-50, Eley Tenex, etc, can perform quite poorly in a particular rifle. It does not mean the ammo is bad, nor does it necessarily mean the rifle is bad, so then, what the heck is going on? It's this thing called barrel harmonics, or vibrations, if you will, and they are absolutely critical to rimfire accuracy. The reality is that you face the prospect of possibly testing many, many, many kinds of ammo in order to find something suitable to your rifle if it is not equipped with a tuner, or you can get lucky and one of the first few things you try gives you accuracy you are happy with (happy with and "the best the rifle can do" may be two different things, however). Anything can happen, so make no assumptions.
For those worried that their rifle might only "like" something expensive, consider fitting it with a tuner instead. For the cost of a single brick of Eley Tenex (well, maybe a little more but certainly less than a lifetime of buying Tenex
), you can fit a tuner and go back to using SK ammo (or the RWS/Eley equivalents for the price point) to appease your budget while shooting 0.2's/0.3's with a high degree of consistency if your rifle is capable (most Anschütz rifles, good examples of CZ's, Savages, etc) and you've set the tuner properly. You don't strictly need the most expensive ammo to shoot 0.2's/0.3's at 50 yards, but the system has to be in tune and the ammunition at least decent!
There was a comment "faster is rarely better with .22s", I will assume the poster was thinking that "higher velocity" ammunition is only such things as Winchester value packs, Thunderbolts, Golden Bullets, Federal Blue Box, etc, and indeed such ammo is rarely associated with a high degree of accuracy. However, there is quality HV ammo being made, with RWS R-100 being an example that is more expensive than R-50, RWS Rifle Match "S", SK High Velocity, etc, and since this is quality, European made ammo, it can be quite accurate despite it's high velocity designation. Some rifles will prefer a hotter load, but it'll have to be the quality Euro stuff, not the cheap North American bulk.
How far down this rabbit hole do ya wanna go...
The first rule of ammo testing a rifle without a tuner is, there are no rules. Do not assume one type/lot of premium ammo will show you how accurate your rifle is, there are times when Center-X, RWS R-50, Eley Tenex, etc, can perform quite poorly in a particular rifle. It does not mean the ammo is bad, nor does it necessarily mean the rifle is bad, so then, what the heck is going on? It's this thing called barrel harmonics, or vibrations, if you will, and they are absolutely critical to rimfire accuracy. The reality is that you face the prospect of possibly testing many, many, many kinds of ammo in order to find something suitable to your rifle if it is not equipped with a tuner, or you can get lucky and one of the first few things you try gives you accuracy you are happy with (happy with and "the best the rifle can do" may be two different things, however). Anything can happen, so make no assumptions.
For those worried that their rifle might only "like" something expensive, consider fitting it with a tuner instead. For the cost of a single brick of Eley Tenex (well, maybe a little more but certainly less than a lifetime of buying Tenex
), you can fit a tuner and go back to using SK ammo (or the RWS/Eley equivalents for the price point) to appease your budget while shooting 0.2's/0.3's with a high degree of consistency if your rifle is capable (most Anschütz rifles, good examples of CZ's, Savages, etc) and you've set the tuner properly. You don't strictly need the most expensive ammo to shoot 0.2's/0.3's at 50 yards, but the system has to be in tune and the ammunition at least decent!There was a comment "faster is rarely better with .22s", I will assume the poster was thinking that "higher velocity" ammunition is only such things as Winchester value packs, Thunderbolts, Golden Bullets, Federal Blue Box, etc, and indeed such ammo is rarely associated with a high degree of accuracy. However, there is quality HV ammo being made, with RWS R-100 being an example that is more expensive than R-50, RWS Rifle Match "S", SK High Velocity, etc, and since this is quality, European made ammo, it can be quite accurate despite it's high velocity designation. Some rifles will prefer a hotter load, but it'll have to be the quality Euro stuff, not the cheap North American bulk.
How far down this rabbit hole do ya wanna go...
Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
/\/\/\/\/\ Great information Rabid, Thank you!/\/\/\/\/\
It's been over a day since the OP asked the question.
OP, from what rifle are you looking to shoot a few groups for accuracy?
The answer could help guide the replies. For example it might not make sense to recommend ammo that costs more for a brick than the rifle is worth. And a rifle with a pencil barrel and a fixed front sight might not lend itself to a tuner.
