Need some help with my .22

Crazy.kayaker

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Went shooting this evening put out about 250 rounds from my Ithaca (14 round magazine) and used some Yellow Jackets (33 Grain) on balloons at 100 yards. Took 11 rounds to kill 10 balloons (about 8-10 inches in diameter. I did this all with a my Iron Sights (totally fluked out on hitting the balloons). Here's where I ask for help with my ammo selection and scopes.

My Rifle has trouble loading the Yellow Jacket (33 Grain). I usually have to work my lever forward and tap the round once some times twice to get the round in to the chamber. I'm wondering if this will damage my chamber or my bolt face? As this round is extremely accurate in my gun out to 100+ yards I plan on using it for Gophers and Rabbits, once I get some Scope Rings that work (see below when I talk about my scopes)

AMMO
For practice shooting I find the follow seem to work best at the following distances.

Yellow Jacket (33 Grain) @ 25-100+ yards laser like accuracy except when user error happens.

Winchester Super X Plated Round Noses (40 Grain in the red tray of 100 rds @1300 FPS) work well at ranges from 25-75 yards.

Federal Game Shok (31 Grain) work well at 25-75 yards also but don't come in the easy and handy tray.

American Eagle (38 Grain Hollow Point) work well at 25-75 yards also @150 yards I was usually off a few inches from hitting the GONG free hand (down to 150 rds from 500 rds now).

Remington 22 Game Loads (36 Grain) and they work very well at 25-50 yards haven't used them further then that as I ran out or ammo (40 round box a brick is 400 rounds only).

I've tried the WSX 40 Grain with the Lubaloy coating and they SUCK I had trouble hitting anything at 25 yards 10 hits with 50 rounds and no it wasn't user error as I swapped over to American Eagle every other reload to make sure it wasn't me.

I can't tell what round my gun shoots best other then the Yellow Jacket and they don't feed well and never use the WSX with the Lubaloy coating. As the three other types all seem to have the same range of accuracy with more experimenting with the Remington 22 Game Loads required.

I'm wondering if there is some other ammo I should try out before I buy bricks of the ammo I like. I have listed everything I've tried to date. If you think one of the rounds I fired sounds best also let me know. I know somewhere people told me but I can't find the thread with it anymore.

SCOPES
As for my scopes I own a Tasco 4x32 and a Simmons Blazer 3-9x40. I don't know which one to mount on my M88 - .308 and which to mount on the Ithaca 72 - .22. I took the scope off the M88 to try shooting with the Iron sights....now I need to decide which one will work best on which rifle and I have no idea as I'm so new to shooting I still have the NOOB smell/look on me. If someone that knows the scopes mentioned could tell me which would work best on either gun please, please tell me as the rings needed are the same for either the Tasco or Simmons. I just need to get Higher rings for the Ithaca as the Rings I got for it do not allow the scope to fit on without scraping on the rear sight and I can't reach the hammer with my thumb or any other finger.

Thanks in advance for your help.

C.K
 
Haven't tried any CCI, yet? I find it's the best quality stuff that I'm actually willing to pay for. Sure you could go nuts and get some Lapua super club, but CCI Mini mags will kill balloons as good as anything else. Get some Stingers, Mini Mags, etc. Even buy a pack of CB shorts just for kicks, nice and quiet, but you'll probably have to load them single shot.
 
id probaly go with the simmons on the 308 and buy a bushnell 3-9 rimfire scope(it comes with 3/8" dovetail rings) from wss for the 22(45.99) .
ive had that scope on 2 differnt 22s and its been good. if you like to plink out past 100 yards 9x is pretty cool to have
 
wholesalesports.com/onlinestore/control/category/~category_id=10400026010591/~pcategory=10130

I can let you try mine on your rifle if your interested pm me
 
went out bought the Bushnell's Rim fire for $45.99 or the exact one you showed me.

I also got a membership at the Heffley Gun Club so this weekend I'm thinking I'll go up and zero the scopes on the M88 and Ithaca at 50 yards. If someone is interested in going up PM me.

Thanks for the offer 730win94 of trying out the scope but if you'd like to help me zero my rifles and scopes at 50 Yards I'll take all the help I can get and maybe look at mastering the Flinch.
 
a brick of American Eagles is 20 bucks with taxes at the PK
Well they are one of the more accurate rounds I still love the Yellow Jacket rounds.

Went out with some American Eagles and it took 18 bullets for 12 balloons at 50-100 yards. Gonna mount the scope later when I have someone to help me zero it.
 
Don't assume that all the ammo will have the same point of impact. Because of circular barrel vibrations, some ammo will shoot to the left or right of the other ammo. If I sighted my gun in with Winchester Super X then saw that I couldn't bust balloons with say American Eagles, that might mean they are inaccurate, or it might mean they print the tiniest pattern out there, but they are 3 inches to the left or right at 100 yards. Shoot at some paper with all of them if you haven't. You might need to adjust your sights for certain ammo.
 
I've done all my shooting with iron sights so I get about a 4 inch pattern at 25-40 yards got a rim fire scope I am gonna mount and sight in with American Eagle ammo Sunday so till then I'll just shoot balloons at 100 yards and some paper targets at 25 yards to see if I can get it down to about a 3 inch pattern. My gun holds 14-16 bullets depending on the type and if I load one in the pipe.
 
If, with all the info you have got about great .22 ammo, are still getting a 4" pattern at 40 yards, don't sweat the ammo, get a new gun. Most of the ammo that fellow CGN's have recommended will give you loonie size patterns at 50 yards out of most decent guns. Hey, there's probably some for sale in the rimfire section!
 
If, with all the info you have got about great .22 ammo, are still getting a 4" pattern at 40 yards, don't sweat the ammo, get a new gun. Most of the ammo that fellow CGN's have recommended will give you loonie size patterns at 50 yards out of most decent guns. Hey, there's probably some for sale in the rimfire section!

The gun I'm talking about is 29-35 years old made with better parts then any modern gun and in excellent - mint condition and is a lever action with a 18.5" barrel and has a smoother action then the Henry H001 that I checked out at WSS, which is virtually the same gun. Well it might be the gun I'm more inclined to say its user error then a faulty gun as I've been shooting for only a few weeks. Even if it is the gun I love shooting it and if it's not the gun the bullet groups will get tighter as I put more rounds down the pipe.

Didn't mount the scope. I actually returned it as there isn't a single Hammer Spur that fits my gun in this Two Gun Store Town and I don't have the money to get taller scope rings and a cheek pad for the butt stock. This means I'll be shooting open sights for a few more months till I can afford to get the parts.
 
^^ what grizzlypeg said. Also, it helps to have fresh sheet of cardboard under target because at 100 yards different ammo may not be even on paper. Get yourself spotting scope - they are cheap like borscht these days.
 
I'm not certain what chamber your rifle has, but if it's a Bentz or a Match chamber vs a Sportster it's not uncommon for Yellowjackets to not chamber completely. As you've described, 30+ year old rimfires probably have better made barrels than most modern rifles (barring a Shaw, etc).

If I'm not mistaken the Yellowjacket is a slightly longer round and the lands in your chamber are likely contacting the bullet before the round fully seats. Hence the little tap to get it home.

I prefer the CCI Minimags as the chamber easily, offer reasonable accuracy and are a much cleaner round.

My $0.02.
 
I'm not certain what chamber your rifle has, but if it's a Bentz or a Match chamber vs a Sportster it's not uncommon for Yellowjackets to not chamber completely. As you've described, 30+ year old rimfires probably have better made barrels than most modern rifles (barring a Shaw, etc).

If I'm not mistaken the Yellowjacket is a slightly longer round and the lands in your chamber are likely contacting the bullet before the round fully seats. Hence the little tap to get it home.

I prefer the CCI Minimags as the chamber easily, offer reasonable accuracy and are a much cleaner round.

My $0.02.

definitely a better barrel then modern .22 same with overall quality being much better. I do not know the type of Chamber my rifle had but I can be pretty sure its not the YJ catching on the threading. The Yellow jackets are shorter then American Eagle. I say this cause 14 American Eagle fill up my Magazine. Where as I can almost fit a 15th Yellow Jacket. The yellow jacket also is smaller in my loading port then most other .22LRs I've tried though only by a fraction. They have trouble feeding because of the more squared off nose. I've tryed some Remington Game Shot and had the same problem of with the round catching when being loaded. I've also had some trouble last time out with the AE jamming when loading so I'm wondering if it might be the lifter not lifting up high enough.

I still have to try the CCI Minimags.

Thinking of finding a cheap .22 semi or Left hand bolt (if they exist) maybe even both to round out my .22 arsenal if I can find the money.
 
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