Do hollow points in .22 pistols feed just as reliably as FMJs? And what good snap ca

T

truth_seeker

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Specifically for a Buckmark? I was pondering on whether to get a 333rd box of Winchester FMJs or a brick of 500rd Fiocchi HPs both copper pointed, or should I buy just a box of a few different brands to see which shoots the best in case either of these is something the Buckmark might not like and so I don't end up with a lot of useless ammo, even though I save so much more getting the bigger boxes of ammo.

And for snap caps, why is it hard to find any aluminum or brass for the .22? I'm not sure if any of the top brands like A-zoom sells any, or any steel from Triple K or Tipton.

Should I just use spent casings, paper, or make my own from youtube videos like out of erasers or get those drywall plastic pointers to feed into the chamber or magazine for dry firing?
 
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I can't speak for the buckmark but hollowpoints feed great in my Sig522, Ar+cmmg .22 bolt, and my Walther p22
 
I feed my Buckmark Hollowpoints as well as FMJ ammo and it eats it up with no problems.

.22 hollowpoints have such a small hole that it dosen't cause any feeding problems.
 
The Ruger MkIII 22/45 I had a few years ago absolutely refused to feed any sort of 'hollowpoint' ammo. It's the only time I've ever seen any gun have an issue with it.
 
Yeah I figure HPs aren't much of an issue since the hole isn't as big and therefore the edges are probably not as sharp. It's probably as negligent as it's price difference with the FMJs.

Interesting thought about the ruger 22s though. It's built like a tank(except for the plastic front sight I heard about) and can be dry-fired but I'm surprised that you were having issues with hollowpoints. Is it the magazine spring or something sharp inside the chamber that catches the hollowpoint's edge?
 
I've never noticed much difference, if any. I don't shoot a lot of solids to tell you the truth.

My Ruger MK III, 22/45 fed HP's just fine.
 
FMJ???

I've never heard of .22lr FMJ, and am supposing you meant solid lead, round nose.

It's possible for any pistol to have quirks I guess, you hear about certain guns having feed issues w/ bullet profiles and mfg's. However, all the .22 auto pistols I've owned (two Rugers and a Beretta) ran fine with everything and anything I fed them.

The .22 LRN is not much of a game bullet though. Pests and small game seem to absorb LRN sometimes w/o much effect. For that a .22 HP is much better.
 
My Ruger MK III loves Hollow Points. I think the best brand HP's are federal, then Remington. I think Winchester is the worst (smokes a bunch, and had some misfire)

I would just recommend buying a box and trying them. They are only $15 for 550 rds.
 
More than likely both HP's and Solids will feed okay in your Buckmark. Some 22 pistols are finicky about feeding HP's. You just have to give them a try. My Ruger Mark II and a HS Victor both feed the copper washed solids more reliably than non-copper coated ammo. My guess is that there is less lub on the bullets which allows them to feed into the chamber more reliably. I'm not one to clean my 22's frequently and sometimes you pay a price in reliability.

If you are looking to see how your 22 firearm shoots, you should always try an assortment of ammunition and test them. How extensive the testing is depends on you and your shooting tendancies. For plinking it seldom really matters and feeding is a more important characteristic.
 
BAMARANGER, I also assume the original poster was talking about solid lead roundnose bullets. However during WWII Remington did indeed produce for the US military a 22lr loaded with fmj bullets to meet the rules of the Hauge Convension. Though quite uncommon today they do exist. I have an unopened box wrapped in brown wax-foil paper. There are two varities of these and they were used through the Vietnam war. If anyone has any I would suggest saving them for collecors. Many times all the old timers used was solids and preferred them for larger game as they gave maximum penatration.
 
No worries about HPs in the Buckmark. I've had a Buckmark Camper for more than 10 years and it seems to feed all ammo with equal vigor.
 
I've never had any more issues with it than I do in semi-auto .22 rifles. An occasional misfire as opposed to a jam. Nary a jam.
 
Don't think I've ever seen bonafide snap caps for rimfires. I believe it's because they wouldn't last for more than a few dry fires before the firing pin chews up the rims.

A-Zoom makes .22lr dummy rounds, but they specifically state they are not snap caps meant for dry fire. I use them for function checks only in my MK III. Not a problem since the MK III can be dry fired safely on an empty chamber; I don't think the Buckmark can.

Empty casings are pretty lousy in my experience. The tend to get caught up on the feed ramp or the breach and jam.
 
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