Best anmo for CZ 455

One of the perils of a thread asking for the best ammo for a given for any .22LR firearm, a CZ 455 in this case, is that there is no right answer. So far there have been suggestions recommending a dozen or more different but specific varieties of ammo, among them Federal Match, Eley Match, Center X, CCI SV, CCI Green Tag, Federal Auto Match, Midas +, SK Standard Plus, SK Rifle Match, SK Magazine, SK Pistol Match, SK Flatnose Match, and RWS Target Rifle. Not only that but recommendations have included the more general Eley, SK, Lapua, CCI, and RWS -- which is much the same as saying the best car for driving on the highway is a Ford or a Kia or a Volkswagen.

Until the OP revealed something about what he wanted to do and what he was willing to pay for it in post #15 above, horseman2 offered the best advice in post #14.

horseman2 said:
"Likes" does not define a level of accuracy.
A five shot group is good; five 5-shot groups is better; five 10-shot groups is best. Which one would appear to have the greatest reliability?
Where you would like to be at would help us help you.
$5 a box ammo might work but CCI SV lacks consistency. When you find some that works to your satisfaction then buy a goodly supply.
Keep in mind the lot number on CCI SV only means something to the manufacturer.
There are suppliers that will assist you in testing ammunition and may be able to keep sufficient amounts when you do your testing quickly . . . maybe two weeks.
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highlander44 said:
Hello,
I’m in Calgary. I may be wanting the impossible, but ideally I’d like to find reasonable ammo ($5-10/box) to shoot gophers with, and match ammo with the same velocity for shooting at the range with when I want pretty groups. I read CCI standard and Green line will do this, so just ordered some. So far Federal match has shot best out of my rifle, and was most consistent on the chronograph. It is $28/box of 50 at our local Cabelas. If I could find cheaper gopher ammo that shot similar, I’d be really happy!
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I don't think you are paying $28 for a box of 50 at Cabelas for any "Federal Match" ammo. Which one is it?

Federal Match for about $14.98 at Cabelas online



Federal BYOB for about $27.99 at Cabelas online



Federal Champion for about $5.99 at Cabelas online



It's unlikely it's the first one, the Federal Match, as it is well above the budget target of $5-$10 per box.

If it's the second one, you can do better. If it's the third, maybe it's good despite being high velocity ammo. But again you can do better.

For best chances of accuracy, don't use either bulk ammo or North American-made high velocity ammo. Standard velocity (under 1100 fps) will give the best chance for accuracy. Try what is readily available. Many shooters are satisfied with the accuracy and consistency provided by CCI SV ammo. It's not the most accurate or consistent (it may have frequent fliers compared to the really expensive stuff), but the price is attractive.

Probably even better would be SK Magazine, which is available for $65 for a container of 500 rounds. But it's unlikely to be found at many local establishments and you'd have to pay for shipping, which for some shooters can be a deal breaker.

There are other ammos that merit recommendation, but before making any, it would "help us help you" (to borrow from horseman2) if we knew how much ammo you were thinking of getting and if you are willing to pay shipping costs for the best ammo for a CZ 455. To put this another way, if you're looking for the best ammo that's available, say a brick or two's worth, without ordering a larger quantity it would be good to know. If you want only a brick or two, it might be best to buy CCI SV locally
 
Hello,
I cannot find online the federal I bought at Cabela’s, but it was the most expensive .22 ammo I’ve shot to date. I’m willing to pay that much for quality ammo, as in the future it may be a rifle I’m turkey hunting with, and will be shooting further than I usually do with a .22 (100+ yards).

Like I mentioned earlier, it would be very nice to find “plinking/gopher” ammo that has approx the same velocities and POi as the expensive ammo, so the custom turret I’ll eventually have on my scope will be accurate between the two types. As far as quantity, I’ll probably only have 4-500 rounds in my ammo box at one time, but 1-2000 for the gopher ammo.
 
Have 2 x CZ455 rigs. One is a Synthetic, the other is the Varmint Synthetic with a fatter barrel...

Both rigs love the CCI Stingers and CCI Mini-Mags, and CCI SV.

Give them a try and see what works. With my PR clients, I start them off shooting 10 round groups at the “black patch” at 50m while seated at the bench and a rear bag. All this time they are shooting Win 333, Rem Thunderbolt, Win Wildcat, Fed Champion.... you know, the cheap stuff.

Then I switch ammo to the CCI brands and then, they really learn/see/realize/ understand the difference(s) that selected ammo brings.

Then we switch to steel 3” and 4” circles at 100m....Then the fun really begins and they are thankful / competent/ confident and finally grateful for their new found successes / skills/ appreciation.

Cheers, Barney

Enjoy the rimfire addiction!

:wave:
 
Our rifle assoc switched from some premium ammo(Eley? SK? I can't remember) in favour of cci sv for our 25yrd small bore prone matches.
From what the guys tell me, from what I've seen the one match I made it out to, it's working just as good.
My 455 seems to like it as well.
 
You are going to see a big difference shooting 25/50 and even 100 to going past 100yds.....

Here is ballistics for SK Std+ for example http://www.shooterscalculator.com/ballistic-trajectory-chart.php?t=78a12ddd

The only way you can tell for your rifle is to buy a bunch and try them out. Past 100yds your price per round will go up due to needing better QC of the ammo for repeatability.

When my 455 had a 22 barrel on it pretty much anything was good (and accurate enough for headshots on grouse) at 25 and 50. I saw big group size differences at 100 depending on ammo.

FWIW you cannot hunt turkey's in AB with a 22. http://www.albertaregulations.ca/huntingregs/genregs.html#gamebird
 
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My friend and I play battleships at 100yrds with our 22's. CCI mini mag through my 455 has that shooting dialed right in.

My other friends were shooting my metal 1/4" plate silhouette targets last Sunday, clipped the tail of chicken and spun it dead on sideways at about 30yrds. 25 shots later for them, they still couldn't knock it over. First shot from me had the chicken flying. Same gun, same ammo.

What works for one, may not work for others. Don't get discouraged, just test a variety, get some trigger time, and know you're equipment.
 
Paul_T said:
You are going to see a big difference shooting 25/50 and even 100 to going past 100yds.....

Here is ballistics for SK Std+ for example http://www.shooterscalculator.com/ballistic-trajectory-chart.php?t=78a12ddd

The only way you can tell for your rifle is to buy a bunch and try them out. Past 100yds your price per round will go up due to needing better QC of the ammo for repeatability.

When my 455 had a 22 barrel on it pretty much anything was good (and accurate enough for headshots on grouse) at 25 and 50. I saw big group size differences at 100 depending on ammo.

FWIW you cannot hunt turkey's in AB with a 22. http://www.albertaregulations.ca/huntingregs/genregs.html#gamebird
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! And yes, I know we’re not allowed Rimfire’s for Turkey here in ALberta, and After putting in for it over 11 years I’ve given up, and plan to head south of the border this spring.
 
highlander44 said:
I cannot find online the federal I bought at Cabela’s, but it was the most expensive .22 ammo I’ve shot to date. I’m willing to pay that much for quality ammo, as in the future it may be a rifle I’m turkey hunting with, and will be shooting further than I usually do with a .22 (100+ yards).

Like I mentioned earlier, it would be very nice to find “plinking/gopher” ammo that has approx the same velocities and POi as the expensive ammo, so the custom turret I’ll eventually have on my scope will be accurate between the two types. As far as quantity, I’ll probably only have 4-500 rounds in my ammo box at one time, but 1-2000 for the gopher ammo.
Click to expand...

A lot of shooters would like to find plinking ammo that has approximately the same MV (muzzle velocity) and POI as the expensive ammo. Unfortunately they can't -- especially as distance increases.

Most inexpensive bulk, HV, and SV ammo will be reasonably accurate at 25 yards or so. At 50 yards, however, the accuracy differences between those inexpensive brands and better ammo such as the entry level Eley, SK, and RWS will begin to be obvious. At 100 yards, the accuracy shortcomings of bulk ammo and other inexpensive brands will be quite clear compared to more expensive stuff.

What's the difference between the cheap and the more expensive ammo? Among the most important differences is that better ammo will have more consistent MV's. This is increasingly important as distance increases. A box of the less costly stuff can easily have an ES (extreme spread) of 100 or more fps. When shooting at 100 yards, every 10 fps difference in MV means 1/4 inch in vertical spread. That means that for a perfectly executed shot every 40 fps in ES means 1 inch of vertical. Good quality match ammo such as the more expensive varieties of Eley, Lapua, and RWS can have an ES of 30 fps. Do the math and it's easy to see why the less expensive ammo doesn't do the trick.

The bottom line is that while many ammos will have similar muzzle velocities printed on the box, they will differ in MV consistency and so they won't have similar POI.

As a point of curiosity, what scope with custom turrets are you considering?
 
I forgot to mention I don't use the bulk stuff (that gets packaged loosely) for my bolts but will use it for causal plinking with 22lr handguns.....
 
grauhanen said:
A lot of shooters would like to find plinking ammo that has approximately the same MV (muzzle velocity) and POI as the expensive ammo. Unfortunately they can't -- especially as distance increases.

Most inexpensive bulk, HV, and SV ammo will be reasonably accurate at 25 yards or so. At 50 yards, however, the accuracy differences between those inexpensive brands and better ammo such as the entry level Eley, SK, and RWS will begin to be obvious. At 100 yards, the accuracy shortcomings of bulk ammo and other inexpensive brands will be quite clear compared to more expensive stuff.

What's the difference between the cheap and the more expensive ammo? Among the most important differences is that better ammo will have more consistent MV's. This is increasingly important as distance increases. A box of the less costly stuff can easily have an ES (extreme spread) of 100 or more fps. When shooting at 100 yards, every 10 fps difference in MV means 1/4 inch in vertical spread. That means that for a perfectly executed shot every 40 fps in ES means 1 inch of vertical. Good quality match ammo such as the more expensive varieties of Eley, Lapua, and RWS can have an ES of 30 fps. Do the math and it's easy to see why the less expensive ammo doesn't do the trick.

The bottom line is that while many ammos will have similar muzzle velocities printed on the box, they will differ in MV consistency and so they won't have similar POI.

As a point of curiosity, what scope with custom turrets are you considering?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I have a Leupold Mark AR 6-18x44 currently mounted on the .22. As I mentioned earlier, I would eventually like this set up as a Turkey rimfire for shooting in the US, with rifle zeroed at 25 yards, going out to 200 if I’m lucky.
 
I love these threads, mainly because there is no right answer......and no wrong answer......

what there is however is lack of support and compassion from canadian retailers who sell us rimfire ammo, for it is not the brand of ammo that will shoot awesome in your rifle, it is which lot number of a particular brand of ammo that will shoot lights out in your rifle......

In all my years of .22 rimfire benchrest there has only been 1 retailer that is willing to count lot numbers and send you a selection to sample before you invest all of your hard earned money into a healthy stash that will get you through a year, or 5......

I wish he was a site sponsor so we could all support him.........anyway, Peter if your reading this, I'd like to wish you and the rest of the Krause family a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.......and thanks always for going the extra mile and all of the support
 
yodave said:
I love these threads, mainly because there is no right answer......and no wrong answer......

what there is however is lack of support and compassion from canadian retailers who sell us rimfire ammo, for it is not the brand of ammo that will shoot awesome in your rifle, it is which lot number of a particular brand of ammo that will shoot lights out in your rifle......

In all my years of .22 rimfire benchrest there has only been 1 retailer that is willing to count lot numbers and send you a selection to sample before you invest all of your hard earned money into a healthy stash that will get you through a year, or 5......

I wish he was a site sponsor so we could all support him.........anyway, Peter if your reading this, I'd like to wish you and the rest of the Krause family a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.......and thanks always for going the extra mile and all of the support
Click to expand...

If there’s a good retailer you would recommend, could you PM me the business name?
Thank
Mike
 
grauhanen said:
A lot of shooters would like to find plinking ammo that has approximately the same MV (muzzle velocity) and POI as the expensive ammo. Unfortunately they can't -- especially as distance increases.

Most inexpensive bulk, HV, and SV ammo will be reasonably accurate at 25 yards or so. At 50 yards, however, the accuracy differences between those inexpensive brands and better ammo such as the entry level Eley, SK, and RWS will begin to be obvious. At 100 yards, the accuracy shortcomings of bulk ammo and other inexpensive brands will be quite clear compared to more expensive stuff.

What's the difference between the cheap and the more expensive ammo? Among the most important differences is that better ammo will have more consistent MV's. This is increasingly important as distance increases. A box of the less costly stuff can easily have an ES (extreme spread) of 100 or more fps. When shooting at 100 yards, every 10 fps difference in MV means 1/4 inch in vertical spread. That means that for a perfectly executed shot every 40 fps in ES means 1 inch of vertical. Good quality match ammo such as the more expensive varieties of Eley, Lapua, and RWS can have an ES of 30 fps. Do the math and it's easy to see why the less expensive ammo doesn't do the trick.

The bottom line is that while many ammos will have similar muzzle velocities printed on the box, they will differ in MV consistency and so they won't have similar POI.

As a point of curiosity, what scope with custom turrets are you considering?
Click to expand...

Not true.

Price does not necessarily mean that a round is more accurate than another.

https://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/22lr-rimfire-ammo-comparison-test/

Look how CCI standard performed over much more expensive ammo.
 
grauhanen said:
A lot of shooters would like to find plinking ammo that has approximately the same MV (muzzle velocity) and POI as the expensive ammo. Unfortunately they can't -- especially as distance increases.

Most inexpensive bulk, HV, and SV ammo will be reasonably accurate at 25 yards or so. At 50 yards, however, the accuracy differences between those inexpensive brands and better ammo such as the entry level Eley, SK, and RWS will begin to be obvious. At 100 yards, the accuracy shortcomings of bulk ammo and other inexpensive brands will be quite clear compared to more expensive stuff.

What's the difference between the cheap and the more expensive ammo? Among the most important differences is that better ammo will have more consistent MV's. This is increasingly important as distance increases. A box of the less costly stuff can easily have an ES (extreme spread) of 100 or more fps. When shooting at 100 yards, every 10 fps difference in MV means 1/4 inch in vertical spread. That means that for a perfectly executed shot every 40 fps in ES means 1 inch of vertical. Good quality match ammo such as the more expensive varieties of Eley, Lapua, and RWS can have an ES of 30 fps. Do the math and it's easy to see why the less expensive ammo doesn't do the trick.

The bottom line is that while many ammos will have similar muzzle velocities printed on the box, they will differ in MV consistency and so they won't have similar POI.

As a point of curiosity, what scope with custom turrets are you considering?
Click to expand...

chanrobi said:
Not true.

Price does not necessarily mean that a round is more accurate than another.

https://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/22lr-rimfire-ammo-comparison-test/

Look how CCI standard performed over much more expensive ammo.
Click to expand...

What part is "Not true"? Don't be shy. Are you saying shooters can find inexpensive plinking ammo that shoots like expensive match ammo?
Regarding the information in the test you linked, what does it reveal?
 
yodave said:
....

what there is however is lack of support and compassion from canadian retailers who sell us rimfire ammo, for it is not the brand of ammo that will shoot awesome in your rifle, it is which lot number of a particular brand of ammo that will shoot lights out in your rifle......

In all my years of .22 rimfire benchrest there has only been 1 retailer that is willing to count lot numbers and send you a selection to sample before you invest all of your hard earned money into a healthy stash that will get you through a year, or 5......

I wish he was a site sponsor so we could all support him.........anyway, Peter if your reading this, I'd like to wish you and the rest of the Krause family a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.......and thanks always for going the extra mile and all of the support
Click to expand...

If the reference is to TSP, a part of a larger concern including NS, then there are at least two ammo retailers who will send a selection of ammo to sample before you buy in quantity. As many readers will know, one of the problems is that the .22LR match ammo market in Canada is relatively small and doesn't support more than five or six ammo dealers in all. Many of them are not large and don't stock a significant number of lots of ammo in any particular variety.
 
grauhanen said:
If the reference is to TSP, a part of a larger concern including NS, then there are at least two ammo retailers who will send a selection of ammo to sample before you buy in quantity. As many readers will know, one of the problems is that the .22LR match ammo market in Canada is relatively small and doesn't support more than five or six ammo dealers in all. Many of them are not large and don't stock a significant number of lots of ammo in any particular variety.
Click to expand...

sample packs are one thing, lot number samples are another. If your referring to lot number samples then that is good news, variety packs may help to narrow things down, but lot numbers are more important then the color of the boxes they came in
 
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