best .22lr semi-automatics and best ammo(plinking, varmint) ammo for them

C

chrisintexas

New member
what would be top of the line .22lr semi-autos-in terms of reliability,accuracy & best value. what .22lr ammo would feed reliably in them?
Also do you use .22lr for self defense? if so, what particular ammo?
thanks.
 
Well, accuracy would have to go to S&W 41. But at a price in excess of a thousand dollars "best value" is pretty much out the window for the average shooter.
Quality, reliability, and accuracy in a more realistic price range leads straight to the Ruger Mk series. The latest being the Mk IV. But there has been an issue requiring a recall of all manufactured prior to June 2017. Mostly a CYA from the lawyers because if the safety is improperly engaged (operator error) the gun can fire.
But there are still plenty of Mk III Rugers still on the shelves.
Anything ther Good quality pistol without busting the bank is the Browning Buckmark.
Unless you plan to shoot competition, or just want the status of a thousand dollar 22 at the range, either the Ruger, or Browning will fill your needs.
Ammo, simple, you can't go wrong with CCI. Standars velocity, or MiniMag.
 
If you look at all 3 aspects in one you have to put the S&W Victory in the mix.
Very reliable with all kinds of ammo, very accurate, threaded barrell, reasonably priced and good aftermarket support.
 
Not sure if you would consider it a pistol but I had a 10/22 charger that was a tack driver and would operate flawlessly if I kept it clean. It had the role of a pickup gun in my day to day but I wouldn't hesitate to make it into a target gun. It was fed a steady diet of CCI.
 
Everyone I know (except my father and youngest son) learned to shoot using a Marlin Model 60.

And my father and son both learned to shoot with Marlins, just not the Model 60.

I've had good luck with Winchester's copper plated 22LR ammunition.
 
My FiL has a Ruger Mark II.

I have a Browning Buck Mark.

They are both outstanding.

They will both shoot anything except for very pointy hollowpoints.
 
I've had very good luck w Aguila super extra. $28 for 500, uses eley prime and shoots almost as tight as eley target in 2 of my rifles. Very pleased with performance and price. 1/2" 10 shot groups w savage mkii globe sight and a bit better w a customized 10/22.
 
I've shot competition for thirty years with handguns. I've owned two SW 41's, three Browning Buckmarks, several Rugers, a couple of High Standards, one AMT Lightning, and probably some I forgot I ever owned. For reliability alone, the Rugers are a solid choice. For accuracy, the Browning Buckmarks are a PROVEN choice plus they are very reliable....just a bit more delicate than the Rugers. The SW 41's lasted less than one season each and I gave up on them. FWIW, they DID NOT shoot as well as either of the three Buckmarks I owned. I shot more perfect scores with the Buckmarks than any other gun I owned. I set several records with them and used them in Team Challenge Matches with great success. I won five state shoots using the Buckmarks, two Regional Shoots, and set a shoot off record that I don't believe has ever been beaten with any type of handgun, including all the highest priced ones out there. For my money I'll stand by the Buckmarks for plinking and target shooting for accuracy. Just to carry around as a woods walking gun I'll take the Ruger. The Ruger's a tank but lacks the Buckmarks accuracy. None of the High Standards I owned shot as well as the Buckmarks but were ergonomically designed for bullseye shooting and they worked out better for one handed use over the bulkier Buckmarks. Just my view after all these years and about five-hundred thousand rounds down the pipe. If you want accuracy, you're going to have to use std. velocity high end target ammo. CCI std. shoots about 90% as well as the best imported stuff, but it's 90% as well, not 100%. If you want to win, you need to spend the extra bucks on ammo. Even at that, you need to shoot groups to find out which premium ammo shoots best in your particular gun. Every gun has a distinct preference that way.

Forgot to mention: I just picked up a new SW Victory pistol for under four hundred bucks. It's built with a lot of corner cutting, but in spite of that it will shoot consistent .35-.45" five shot groups off bags and hasn't missed a beat yet for cycling. It shoots better than the 41's I had but just isn't a "pretty gun". It's all about function and not form in this case. It too required good ammo to get those group sizes at 25yds.
 
Last edited:
Ruger 22/45 is my 1st choice. Ammo choice will be made by your pistol-pay attention to what it likes.
Take the following for whatever you think it's worth: I bought a new 22/45 with a 4" threaded barrel as a suppressor host. Before mounting the can, I did some ammo testing using an extended muzzle, sand bags, and a 3x scope. When I had a good day, this little pistol was giving 3-4 MOA @ 100 yards. 25 yards on the 2" swingers was no challenge at all. We shot this pistol out to 150 yards using a 3 MOA red dot and field expedient rests on an 8" swinger with consistent hits. This is literally "rifle accurate" from a $300 mass produced pistol.
 
Best cannot be defined to an absolute. Every shooter has different preferences and requirements. Nobody can tell you which gun is best except you. Nobody can predict what 22 ammo is best in a particular gun. They are all individuals and show preferences in ammo and you have to shoot it to find out what is reliable and accurate. Sorry, there are no shortcuts.
 
One of my favorites is the Star 4" and 6" semi auto pistols, accurate and pretty much will eat anything. For all around fun a S&W M&P Compact is my favorite .22 semi auto shooter.
 
what .22lr ammo would feed reliably in them
Click to expand...
Just about any high velocity 40 grain solid will feed 100% in any .22.
As with just about any other caliber, you only begin to encounter feed problems when you deviate from "ball" ammo @ standard velocities. (.22 has no real "ball" ammo - but a .40 grain solid comes close)

If I had to choose just one - I would say CCI Mini Mag would be the closest for a value ammo, Eley Tenex for - if budget allows.

'course, there's always the possibility your particular .22 will just love the cheapest junk you can find.
.22's are peculiar like that...

My S&W .22/s just loves Thunderbolts....
 
For reliability (with any ammo that I've ever tried) and value, I'd throw the SR22 into the mix. As for accuracy, it's more than adequate for my use, which is mostly shooting 4" steel at distances of 7-15 yards.
 
For accuracy, price, and reliability the Ruger Mark series, Browning Buckmark, and S&W Victory are easily the top choices. Go hold all 3 and pick your favorite, because there really isn't a bad gun in that trio. Beretta Neos is probably a close contender as well.

If you prefer something that looks more like a modern striker fired gun, the M&P 22 and Ruger SR22 are reliable and affordable, but you'll give up some accuracy.

CCI ammo is typically regarded as great, and I've never had a misfire when using it. But I'm also a fan of bulk ammo like Golden Bullets, which a lot of guys love to hate on.

I do sometimes carry a very tiny NAA revolver loaded with Aguila 60g SSS, and 5 rounds of Aguila 30gr Super Maximum in reserve in the holster. But CCI mini mags would probably do just as well, or Stingers.
 
I have a S&W Model 41 which I bought second hand for $465 (Eu 395) from a LGS near me (I live in Venlo, the Netherlands) It showed up on the internet site of that shop and I went there and bought it straight away. One of the best things I ever did.

Accuracy is extremely good, balance is very nice, and the sights are great! The new price is extreme I'll admit, but picking up a good one second hand is a great investment. The comment of NoSecondBest above- where he mentioned that his 2 S&W 41's lasted less than a season is a BIG surprise! I have never heard of this happening before.

The Smith and Wesson forum has a lot more details, so a visit over there should answer any questions.

The ammo advised by most is CCI standard velocity .22 LR. I have found that my gun does not recycle well with this ammo. Could be due to a strong recoil spring. Although many advise against it, the .22 MiniMags (slightly more powerful load) with copper coated bullets shoot very well. Accuracy is fine, and I have no misfeeds, stovepipes and the like. After more than 1000 MiniMags, my 41 shoots as well as ever.

I use it for range practise and competition only. Dutch law does not allow concealed carry (or any kind of carry for that matter), nor is the use of a gun for self defense recognized as a legitimate form of self-protection. It's a target gun, not really designed for carrying as a self defense firearm.

If you can find a good second hand 41, it's well worth the money. Even $700-800 I would say. I have to admit, new for $2000 is a REAL question mark for me.
 
Last edited:
I've got tons of .22s I would say for the most versatility get a ruger mk3 or mk2. The aftermarket for these guns is phenomenal and you can work up to something that will rival just about any target gun. I have one stock mk2 and I got ahold of a rusty junker that I shipped out to VQ and installed the old LLV upper new irons and all new target internals. Frame was refinished after that and new g10 grips it will keep pace with the best of them.
 
For accuracy, price, and reliability the Ruger Mark series, Browning Buckmark, and S&W Victory are easily the top choices. Go hold all 3 and pick your favorite, because there really isn't a bad gun in that trio. Beretta Neos is probably a close contender as well.

If you prefer something that looks more like a modern striker fired gun, the M&P 22 and Ruger SR22 are reliable and affordable, but you'll give up some accuracy.
Click to expand...

This pretty lines up with my thought process. If you're wanting the best possible accuracy for pinpoint plinking, the Ruger Mark series or Browning Buckmark are great. If you want something as a more accurate "trainer" for centerfire handguns, I'd go with the SR22 or M&P 22 Compact. With the M&P 22, something to be aware of is that the full size is made by Walther in Germany, whereas the Compact is made by Smith & Wesson here in the US. I've heard conflicting reports of the slide metal for the full size (some say aluminum, some say pot metal), but the slide on the compact is aluminum and advertised as such. I personally went with the M&P Compact and have been very happy with it, it's great for teaching new shooters and for cheap practice for me.
 
what .22lr ammo would feed reliably in them

Just about any high velocity 40 grain solid will feed 100% in any .22.
Click to expand...

I've never seen a .22, auto rifle or pistol, that was much more than 99% reliable.
They are notoriously ammo-sensitive, in terms of both accuracy and reliability, and even when running their "favorite", still not as reliable as just about any centerfire auto.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top