Which 22 Ammo

A

AzShooter

New member
I just started shooting Steel Challenge matches with my Ruger Mark IV 22/45. I've tried a number of brands of ammo but what do you people find to be the most reliable and accurate in your guns?
 
.22 Semi auto pistols are about the most finicky, picky, and sometimes cussworthy of guns, when it comes to what ammo they like best, fair, and not at all.

Target (match) ammo should be the most accurate, and you pay for that. Whether it is, or not, and whether it feeds reliably, or not is something you have to test in YOUR gun.

If you have something that is accurate enough, and runs in your gun well, use it. Anything promised to do better is just a promise unless you test it and see.

Some time back was shooting with a friend, had an 83 Ruger Mk I target, he had a S&W Model 41. His gun shot like a dream, you had to try to miss...

However, he was getting 2 or 3 misfires out of every mag. CCI Blazer.
That same box of ammo, including the rounds that misfired in his gun, ran my old Ruger like a sewing machine.

I always had good luck with the old Remington Golden Bullet, but having bought a large amount a long time ago, I haven't tried any current production, but I hear stories about how it has turned to crap, today.

CCI Mini Mags always worked in everything I shot them in.

Best thing I can tell you is sample as many different brands as you can. If you find one that is clearly superior in your pistol, buy a TRUCKLOAD of it! :D
 
I've tried a number of brands of ammo but what do you people find to be the most reliable and accurate in your guns?
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What shoots well in one 22 won't necessarily shoot well in another.
That said, I've seen very few that wouldn't do well with Winchester Super X Hollowpoints and CCI Mini-Mags
 
Rimfire cartridges often give more trouble than center fire ones. The gun has to have a heavier firing pin/hammer blow to fire RF rounds, and some owners cannot accept that and insist on doing various things to "lighten" the trigger pull, thus making things worse.

Jim
 
CCI Mini Mag are reliable in my Mark II, better keep it clean on bolt face and rear face of the bbl.
 
I've relegated Mini Mags for my match ammo so far but today I tested the CCI Standard Velocity and had no problems with 200 rounds. It sure kicks less. I may have to shoot it in a match to see what happens.
 
My semiautomatic 22's will shoot everything except for "pointy" hollowpoints; I save that stuff for my revolvers.

I would concur that CCI Mini Mags would be a good place to start.
 
Stay away from the cheap Remington Game loads/thunderbolts. CCI Mini Mags are pretty good, They are a bit more money but you get what you pay for;)
 
I'm just glad we have some choices again. I stopped at Academy earlier this week for .22LR, and they had six or eight different brands out. On the shelf! No asking at the counter for it like it is an addictive drug! The prices weren't anything to brag about, but it appears that the retailers have learned we will pay more than we used to, so I'm not sure we are going to see the old prices again.
 
No two firearms will shoot the same ammo the same way. Even identical consecutively numbered pistols. Sometimes one will cycle and shoot with one brand but the other will not. And some particular pistols, Smith 41's for example, will only shoot and cycle with one or two brands.
You have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your pistol both shoots well and will cycle the action. The price of said ammo means nothing.
The only saving grace is that for plates you don't need bullseye accuracy. You do need 100% reliability. High velocity hunting ammo usually goes bang in most pistols, but you still need to try as many brands as you can for accuracy.
"...going to see the old prices again..." Never. Prices always go up, but never down. A brick of Remington Target ammo cost me a bit under $20Cdn. when I started 40 years ago. Can't even get it now.
 
A lot of .22 match ammo is "weaker" if not subsonic. It may not reliably cycle an auto loader.

There is "auto match" stuff out there.


Like they say, you're just going to have to test things out yourself.
 
Unless you're willing to pay a big premium for Match grade 22LR ammo, my vote would go to CCI standard velocity as being very good ammo in terms of reliability and accuracy. Federal AutoMatch is also very good, but can be Iffy if you get a bad lot. Match level ammo such as Fiocchi, Lapua/SK pistol/rifle match, Lapua CenterX, Eley Match, CCI Green Label IS better for accuracy, but not be a great margin. You'll notice that all the match grade ammo tends to be sub-sonic level; no HV stuff need show up.
 
.22LR

Shooting both steel and PPC with a Ruger MK I with Volquartsen upper I have found CCI standard velocity long rifle to function without FTF or FTE...ever.


As others have said, different guns function differently with various ammo. Disregard cheap, bargain ammo and try a variety of good ammo and see what functions best in your particular gun.
 
The only bulk .22 I've went through that would consistently malfunction in all my semi autos including a 10/22, was:

Federal Champion 500/round bulk packs. Blue and Black box
 
Most of the time I've found CCI minimags to be the best. CCI Stingers are good also. I've had limited but good experience with Aquila high/hyper velocity, not sure what they called them.
You need to try as many different brands and loadings as you can.
 
Ive had good luck with Eley. It varies from gun to gun. Some guns can be really picky about ammo and tend to not tolerate bulk rounds.
 
Across the board good results with CCI Standard Velocity in every gun I've owned. This is followed by CCI mini-mag.
 
ammo

CCI standard velocity. Federal 711. Eley Club. Aquila SV.
All good.

The advice about trying as many brands and types as possible is worth taking. Any time that I acquire a new .22, I test at least a dozen.
Pete
 
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Hard to believe but when testing a few Ruger target pistols, one of the best accuracy wise in all the guns was Federal American Eagle. It was one of the cheapest but turned in some of the best groups, we shot a ton of it. Hopefully it's still available.
 
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