22lr grades?
- Thread starter 10Ha.Wood
- Start date
Target ammo is usually designed to be subsonic. The more expensive stuff tends to be ammo that more care (labour) has been put into the mfg. of. ie. Machine tolerances/consistency are checked more frequently, ammo is test fired and better lots are packaged as such.
There's also some variation on bullet bearing distance so some bullets will emboss into the rifling in match chambers.
That stated, the most expensive ammo out there may not be the best in your rifle. Start off with the least expensive and work your way up.
There's also some variation on bullet bearing distance so some bullets will emboss into the rifling in match chambers.
That stated, the most expensive ammo out there may not be the best in your rifle. Start off with the least expensive and work your way up.
Regular ammo (anything you can buy in bulk packs) is usually high or "hyper" velocity meaning the round leaves the muzzle at >1000 FPS. This ammo tends to be cheap and dirty but great for plinking. Target is the same cheap ammo but the muzzle velocity is reduced to <1000 FPS for accuracy. Match grade is expensive and high quality with a low muzzle velocity and is the most accurate. In my experiance with "target" and "match" grade ammo I have noticed no differance personally probably becuase of my skill or lack of. I sight in my rifles with target ammo and use bulk pack stuff or CCI products the rest of the time. You best bet is to try some different kinds and find what you rifle likes. Semis tend to be picky but my bolt actions with take anything. I would avoid match grade stuff because of it's expense.
Ace
Ace
I have found that all the cheaper stuff is nfg if you are after tight groups .
You do get what you pay for but I haven't needed to buy the $25.00 a box ammo to be satisfied with my gun ( and my ability )
My .22lr rifle won't shoot with the same ammo as my pistol , they prefer different feed .
I found some Lapua ammo for about $5.00 a box ( pink box ) that the rifle loves ( bolt action ) .
I use some Eley? black box stuff for my semi auto pistol , about $7.00 a box . These cut my groups in half on the pistol and flat out amazed me on the rifle .
I costs more to shoot now but I enjoy it more . The cheaper ammo just isn't a value anymore to me .
Try a few different brands and price ranges , you will probably find a happy medium like I did .
You do get what you pay for but I haven't needed to buy the $25.00 a box ammo to be satisfied with my gun ( and my ability )
My .22lr rifle won't shoot with the same ammo as my pistol , they prefer different feed .
I found some Lapua ammo for about $5.00 a box ( pink box ) that the rifle loves ( bolt action ) .
I use some Eley? black box stuff for my semi auto pistol , about $7.00 a box . These cut my groups in half on the pistol and flat out amazed me on the rifle .
I costs more to shoot now but I enjoy it more . The cheaper ammo just isn't a value anymore to me .
Try a few different brands and price ranges , you will probably find a happy medium like I did .
Premium target ammunition is purpose built using all the tricks that the Mfrs have learned. The less expensive target ammunition may be essentially standard velocity ammunition with tighter tolerance control. The promotional or plinking ammunition will tend to have more flyers, because more production variables are acceptable. .22s are very eccentric arms, and you really have to experiment. For most shooting, little is to be gained by using very expensive ammunition - even then different brands or production lots must be tried.
Thanks,
The underlying theme here is to buy boxes first, try them, and buy a brick of your favorite.
One more question though, why would slower be more accurate? Does it have to do with forces in the barrel, or factors after the bullet leaves the muzzel?
The underlying theme here is to buy boxes first, try them, and buy a brick of your favorite.
One more question though, why would slower be more accurate? Does it have to do with forces in the barrel, or factors after the bullet leaves the muzzel?
trubluscrew
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
I'm going to step out on a limb here:
But from what I've been told, slower bullets fly straighter due to the spin from the rifeling in the barrel (to a certain extent). If the faster bullet hits the target, before "stabilizing", you will get "fliers". With a slower bullet, it gives the bullet a chance to spiral and stabilize before hitting the target. I think that the speed of a bullet is only part of the equation. There is rifling twist rates, outside temp, wind, etc...
To your other question, yes, definely buy two or three boxes of each ammo you can find (try to get different case lots too). It will give you more of an idea of what your gun likes.
I bought a couple of bricks of cheapo 22's for my S&W M-41. I was having a heck of a time with stovepiping every round or two. Good thing I had a rifle to use up the ammo, else I would of been stuck with the ammo and no real use for it.
But from what I've been told, slower bullets fly straighter due to the spin from the rifeling in the barrel (to a certain extent). If the faster bullet hits the target, before "stabilizing", you will get "fliers". With a slower bullet, it gives the bullet a chance to spiral and stabilize before hitting the target. I think that the speed of a bullet is only part of the equation. There is rifling twist rates, outside temp, wind, etc...
To your other question, yes, definely buy two or three boxes of each ammo you can find (try to get different case lots too). It will give you more of an idea of what your gun likes.
I bought a couple of bricks of cheapo 22's for my S&W M-41. I was having a heck of a time with stovepiping every round or two. Good thing I had a rifle to use up the ammo, else I would of been stuck with the ammo and no real use for it.
I've heard that the change from super-sonic to subsonic causes a small amount of turbulence in bullet flight. This may explain why in my personal experiences, and those of others, that out at longer ranges (100-200 m's) the "standard velocity" ammo groups better than the faster stuff.
Some target ammo also has longer (higher BC) bullets than hunting ammo which may also provide a ballistic advantage.
At 50 yards you may luck into some cheap bulk ammo (Dyna-point) that shoots tight groups but you will probably see those groups open up just beyond.
Some target ammo also has longer (higher BC) bullets than hunting ammo which may also provide a ballistic advantage.
At 50 yards you may luck into some cheap bulk ammo (Dyna-point) that shoots tight groups but you will probably see those groups open up just beyond.
sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
As far as Eley is concern, the only difference between the "Practice", Match and Tenex... is how well they group. Everything is been produced on the same machine. Once they complete a run, they take samples of that lot and test it for accuracy.
Depending on the average of the groups and how consistant the groups are, it will be sold as Tenex or Match or... That's why you may come across some Eley Pratice with the EPS bullet. Lapua and RWS work the same way...
Safe shooting,
Mike.
Depending on the average of the groups and how consistant the groups are, it will be sold as Tenex or Match or... That's why you may come across some Eley Pratice with the EPS bullet. Lapua and RWS work the same way...
Safe shooting,
Mike.
Amphibious said:
I tried the CCI mini-mags and the Silhouette and it was OK at 100m's with my brno. The Sako didn't seem to care for it. Haven't tried it in the new 25" barrel yet. I found a few brands that would print 1 - 1.5" at 100m's which is pretty good. Some would have the odd flyer. In the particular set-up I shoot now, CCI standard velocity will print .75" at 100 with the occasional flyer and Lapua trainer (one of the cheaper offerings) will put 10 rds in .5". Pretty much everything half decent offering is tight at 50m's.
As far as cleaning the bore; every 200 rds or so I will put one dry patch or maybe a bit of Hoppes thru the bore, especially if weathers been cold and wet. I don't get carried away. I frequently clean the bolt face, extractor area as it get pretty mucked up.
