Question about .22 ammo

M

Marlin009

New member
I bought myself a birthday present yesterday, a Ruger Mark III 60th Anniversary Edition. :D I bought a 550 box of Remington .22 LR at WM for $18, another :D. I shot about 75 rounds through it, I'm going to enjoy getting to play with this. I had two FTF's, figured it was just the cheap ammo. While looking at them tonight (the two that didn't fire) I noticed the bullet spins freely in the casing. I checked the box and found that they all do.

It's been years since I've shot .22's. Is this normal? Just cheap ammo?

It doesn't seem right to me. I got it just for practice and plinking (might get the wife to shoot it) so I'm not too concerned as long as it won't damage the gun.
 
Don't worry, lots of .22 rimfire ammo spins in the case. Its nothing to be too concerned with. Try different ammo through the ruger and you may get better reliability. I personally like federal bulk packs from walmart for most of my .22 plinking.
 
The Remington Golden Bullet bulk box has done wonders in my Buckmark pistol and my 10/22 rifle.

For the cost of 22 ammo, buy a few different boxes and see what works best. Clean the gun between each type so your comparisons are equal.

Good luck!
 
.22LR bullets are heeled bullets which means that the part of the bullet that protrudes into the case is smaller diameter than the rest of the bullet. Because of that it doesn't have to hold the bullet in place with friction like most other rounds do. Some .22LR ammo has a pretty aggressive crimp right at the case mouth that engages a groove in the bullet heel to hold it in place mechanically.

So it can actually hold the bullet somewhat loosely and there's still no danger of the bullet falling out or slipping down into the case.

As far as your misfires go, look at the rims to see if there's a strong firing pin indent. If there's not then the gun either didn't chamber the rounds fully or there could be a problem with the firing pin binding at times.
 
Try federal auto match. I am in arizona getting away from the snow so I can not go look at my ammo, but I think it comes in boxes of 300 or 350. Great ammo.
 
In some cases, the problem with misfires (FTF's) is the primer compound not being present or evenly spread around the base of the cartridge. This is not only limited to Remington ammo. It happens. 22LR ammo is made very rapidly.

Other times it is a dirty chamber that does not allow the bullet to seat correctly.

I tend to think Federal 550 Bulk is better than Remington bulk. But I only use bulk for plinking and I tolerate some FTF's. My usual "cheap" ammo is the Federal Lightning Load #510B (used to be called Champions) which is sold at Walmart in 50 ct-boxes. For a little more money, you will find that CCI Mini Mags are more reliable. I still shoot Remington Golden Bullets as well as Thunderbolts from time to time.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback.

JohnKSa - .22LR bullets are heeled bullets which means that the part of the bullet that protrudes into the case is smaller diameter than the rest of the bullet. Because of that it doesn't have to hold the bullet in place with friction like most other rounds do. Some .22LR ammo has a pretty aggressive crimp right at the case mouth that engages a groove in the bullet heel to hold it in place mechanically.

So it can actually hold the bullet somewhat loosely and there's still no danger of the bullet falling out or slipping down into the case.

As far as your misfires go, look at the rims to see if there's a strong firing pin indent. If there's not then the gun either didn't chamber the rounds fully or there could be a problem with the firing pin binding at times.
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Thanks John. Both had what I would consider a good hit. I'm inclined to think it is just the ammo at this point. I certainly hope so. :D
 
Two FTF's out of 75 rounds of .22 is not terribly unusual. 22 ammo is known to not be 100% reliable. That is one of the reasons it is not recommended for self defense. Also since it is a new gun, that might have been a factor. After a few hundred rounds it will smooth out and most likely be even more reliable.
 
I find I get more duds from Remington Golden bullets then any other bulk ammo. Federal Bulk 550 does better but there are still duds or if you rotate the round to strike a different spot in the rim most of the time it will fire. I have better luck with Federal Auto Match and it comes in a box of 325 rounds. Mini-Mags (CCI HV) work great but the price isn't nearly as cheap.

You will find every .22 seems to have a round or two it likes better then anything else. It could be something cheap or it might be expensive. I look for cycling well first then how many times do I have to do a second strike to get it to fire. Duds also count against different ammo as to what I want to use. I have a couple of pistols that like Blazers. I suggest just getting a box or two of what ever you can find. Try them out to see what your pistol likes. When you settle on something try a few more boxes before you start stocking up. Some companies vary quite a bit from lot to lot and other companies are more consistent.

Part of the fun of rim fire is finding the ammo that makes it work the best. I generally take a few different types of ammo with me for each trip to the range.
 
Kinda weird some friends and I got together to shoot .22 and the federal did worse than the Rem golden. My buddy had one of the older beretta .22s and gave me the federal because it wouldn't eject. Well to bad I don't have to worry about it as I have a ruger single six :D
 
I have two MKIIs and have been using federal ammo from walmart (550 bulk) and #510s from gander mountain. Try them. I guarantee you will be happier with the federals than the remington golden bullets.
 
My 10/22 has always had trouble with the Remington brick ammo. I tried out Blaser ammo and I've had better grouping, and only the very rare FTF.
 
my experience

I bought a new Mark III Hunter as well, love the gun. Jammed more than I wanted at first, didn't matter what I put in it. Then I went to the federals because I thought the Remington ammo was the prob. I have many boxes of the Rem and thought I would try it again and no problems. So I think some of it was the gun and maybe different runs of ammo.
 
The best .22 ammo

I have shot just about every kind of .22 ammo anybody makes over the years and have finally come upon the perfect .22LR bullet. This bullet has never jammed, FTF, or anything negative whatsoever. Have shot it in autos, revolvers (pistols and rifle) and found it to be the most dependable and accurate .22 ammo I have ever used, period. If you haven't tried this out yet, please do and I know you will feel the same. :)

It is the CCI Velocitor (.22LR CHP 40 gr.)
 
I appreciate all the suggestions guys. I get to officially take possession tomorrow :D so I will stop by WM on my way and see what other brands they have available. The store I was in Thursday had a variety of .22 but I will be going to a different one tomorrow. Never know what they are going to have in stock. Testing different ammo in a new gun. Gee, that doesn't sound like any fun. :D
 
FWIW:

I believe all rimfire rounds have the potential for duds and the like, but if you are shooting out of a bulk pack box of 550, a few "duds" is just not a big deal.

I keep hearing that the Federal bulk pack is the best, followed by the Winchester bulk pack, with the sad little Remingon's having the "reputation" for being the most problematic of the bunch.

Having said that, all 5 of my rimfire rifles love the stuff.

Go figure?

I've recently bought some Federal's so see if there is any difference but I still have a thousand or so Remington's and they keep on doing a fine job for me..

In years past when I searching for the smallest groups with my High Standard Hamden Trophy (pistol) I found the CCI Standary Velocity rounds (green box?) to be the pick of the litter FOR MY PISTOL.

Just personal opinion, no offense to those with a different perspective.

Best Wishes,

jesse
 
I have to differ. I believe 2 FTFs out of 75 to be unacceptable. This is more likely the fault of the gun and not the ammo.

I, and my friends, have shot many thousands of rounds of Rem. bulk pack ammo through a variety of rifles and handguns, without FTFs.
 
Marlin009 said:
I'm inclined to think it is just the ammo at this point.
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As others have said or implied, you are almost certainly correct. Remington .22's are notorious for poor quality control leading to a high rate of FTF's.
 
22 ammo is known to not be 100% reliable.
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Remington .22s have been consistently unreliable for me in dozens of guns over the past several decades. In the thousands of CCI Standard Velocity I've shot, I believe I've had one fail to fire.

By the way, any time a .22 rim fire round fails to fire, try it again. I don't have numbers, but would estimate two thirds to three quarters fire the second time.
 
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