Difference between "brick" and "bulk" ammo?

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GBG

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I'm new to .22's, and have just picked myself up a nice 795. Naturally I've been reading pages upon pages of opinion on what ammo works best in various rifles and pistols. One thing that I'm not sure on though, is there any quality difference between bulk packed ammo and ammo sold in trays? I've seen some opinions that lead me to believe that there might be. Is there a quality difference between ammo from the same manufacturer based on how it's packed? I can potentially see a some cartridges being damaged in a bulk box, but beyond that?

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I didn't see it in the dozen or so pages of posts I've looked through.
 
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Typically a brick will be 10 individual boxes of 50 rounds. Bulk is normally just all poured into a cardboard box with no individual packaging. The common conception is that increased care in packaging is given to boxed ammo vs. the haphazard handling of bulk.
 
The CCI video on youtube shows increased inspection and tolerances for match ammo. I'm guessing that individual pack works the same compared to 1400 rounds in a bucket.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I was wondering specifically about any potential differences in quality.
 
GBG said:
Thanks for the replies, guys. I was wondering specifically about any potential differences in quality.
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Brick usually packaged in a way that doesn't get the ammo all banged (10 boxes of 50 rounds, each round per box in a little plastic hanger thingee). Bulk packs such as Win or Federal blue box are just 525 (varies) rounds jammed in a box. They shake, they rattle, they roll (thank GOD Elvis is dead). Supposedly this can lead to less accuracy. For punching holes in paper at 50-100 yards non-competitively, I don't think it matters to many firearms. :redface:
 
from what i've seen, stuff that isn't terribly precise to begin with is perfectly happy being loose-packaged as bulk, and match-grade stuff that IS consistent is boxed even when boxes are combined into a brick.
 
Been sorting through multiple rifles vs multiple ammo brands myself the last couple months....Outside of the obvious, i.e. that 'high quality , match grade 22 ammo, comes with a corresponding high price tag, not conducive to casual plinking or gopher hunting, it has been difficult to determine relative 'quality' of 'run-of the-mill' .22rds.

what works well in one of my rifles, doesn't work worth a hoot in another and vice versa. While exploring the variations, I have had a couple of theories advanced to me on the 'Bulk ammo' concept.

Theory one..Bulk packaged ammo is that which has been 'culled' from regular production runs during quality inspections! (still goes bang..maybe..but not up to the companies self imposed standard for their higher cost ammo.

Theory two...that bulk packaged ammo is that which is 'built' near the end of the LIFE of the tooling used to manufacture it, or in otherwords not held at the initial tight tolerances of new machinery! Sooo run off a few million rds and sell as bulk before we scrap and retool??

Of course, any company that sells 'Bulk packaged' .22 will try to convince us that the economy of less packaging, (one big box or can) allows them to sell it at a reduced cost verses individual round packaging. While this has some merit on the face of it, my tests have shown that NO bulk packaged ammo, regardless of manufacture, measures up accuracy wise (and in many cases reliability wise) to that companies .22lr ammo that is individually boxed.

As to a Brick..like has already been mentioned..is just a bundle of individual boxes, and whether you buy one box or a brick of ten boxes..quality is the same!

Another case of 'You get what you pay for"

cheers!
 
I haven't noticed much significant difference between run-of-the-mill HV ammo whether it comes in loose bulk packs or bricks of 50 round boxes for most casual shooting. There seem to be good and bad types in both kinds of packaging. I will take Federal 525 or Winchester 555 bulk packs over Remington Thunderbolts in bricks any day.

If you really want to play the accuracy game, you will have to step up to much more expensive, standard velocity stuff. Even then, SK sells some of their ammo loose packed in 500 round tins, but I don't hear anyone arguing that it isn't good ammo.
 
I run Federal bulk through a bolt action Savage, a semi Mossberg, a semi Chiappa, a Berretta Neos, and a S&W 22A. All of them eat, fire, and eject the bulk stuff like champs, and the accuracy is way good enough for me.
 
my tests have shown that NO bulk packaged ammo, regardless of manufacture, measures up accuracy wise (and in many cases reliability wise) to that companies .22lr ammo that is individually boxed.
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Cutting edge info , something for Rifle magazine.
 
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