Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Opinions on CCI .22 Ammo

I recently bought a brick of CCI .22lr, lead round nose, not mini mag. The box is blue, looks like a brick of primers. I've never shot this stuff before. How does it compare to Federal or Remington?





P

Can't go wrong with CCI.

CCI anything is my favorite.

My bolt actioned Anschutz and Ruger's all go bang, but do not group well. Each rifle is unique though, so put it on a bench and try some groups.

CCI Std Velocity, maybe? I like it - cheaper than ammo that's labeled "subsonic", but it is basically subsonic and quiet in suppressed handguns.

But nowdays, I like anything I can find.

I'm getting in a couple thousand rounds of the 'Browning' ammo tomorrow.

Standard velocity and high velocity. I believe Winchester is making it for them.

As far as the "cheaper" ammo goes, I have very good luck with CCI standard velocity

CCI SV is pretty "stable". shoots pretty consistent.... I use it for hunting in my Buckmark rifle and pistols.

Their HP round is decent also, with a huge HP cavity.

..my .02 worth,
dave

First choice when available.

I always heard the blue box CCI's were green-tag rejects, which is nothing to sneer at. The current Remington Golden Bullets in the tub are GTG as well.

CCI blue box shoots just fine in my Winchester 52 Sporter and my Springfield 1922 M2 Sporter. I have tried CCI's other offerings in the past but I traded into a quantity of blue box during the shortage. I'll be shooting that for a while now.

CCI SV LR is all I shoot. Works great in all four of my rimfires, including two Ruger 10/22s. It's my go to round for squirrel hunting.


maddog

The only trouble I've ever had with CCI ammo is finding it.

CCI Standard Velocity is great stuff for the range. Shoots very well in everything I have tried it in.

These days CCI seems to be the only decent-to-good US manufactured .22 ammo. Only stuff that will function consistently in some .22 pistols.

As others have noted, it's hard to find. I did pick up a couple of boxes of MiniMags at a local farm store recently. Even the cheaper CCI Blazers are pretty good. I'd like to find a bunch of it.

Paul

I have always just been a plinker with rimfire but lately I've been testing for accuracy for the first time ever in my 22s. CCI SV seems to be the most consistenly accurate in the sub $50 brick ammo that I've been able to find locally. Not one issue with reliability either, unlike some of the other cheap ammo.

I did pick up some Aguila SV that I need to shoot to see how it stacks up.

As of a day ago or so, Midway had SVs available; one brick limit.

Almost bit, but they also had Starline .44 brass on sale and I went with that instead.

I haven't used the CCI Blue Box. So I won't comment on those.
I have used a truckload of Mini-Mags, CB Shorts, CB Longs. I have used a few of the CCI Short Hollow Points also. I have shot a few of the Quiet-22s. They are my new go to for feral cats. I would like to know just how many squirrels I have shot with the Mini-Mags, and I refuse to shoot a squirrel any where but the head.
CCI ammo has always performed well for my intended purposes. Good Luck.

Remington Golden Bullets are GTG as well. That is, in fact, what Advantage Arms reccomends for their 22 Glock conversions. My S&W 15-22 goobles them without an issue.

I have heard better reports about the GBs lately which is good news. My past experience with them was not positive with misfires and 'off' reports with a lot of flyers. This was in a variety of guns that functioned fine with other brands as well.
CCIs have never given me any trouble and I've grown to trust them.

Thanks for the info. Midway's still got the CCI SV, one brick to customer, $44.95. Ordered one about five minutes ago.

Range Report: I Took my Springfield 1922M2 and Winchester pre A 52 Sporter to the range yesterday, shot both with CCI Blue Std. Vel. ammo at 50 yds. both grouped 50 shots into a 2" circle with ease. Groups were more like 1 1/4"-1 1/2". I also shot both rifles with Remington/Eley Target rifle ammo, groups were imperceptibly smaller than with the CCI Blue Std. Vel. ammo.

One of my favorite rimfires. Amazing rifles.

CCI has always been my go to ammo, especially the standard velocity. If an automatic does not work well with it, it has issues. Accuracy perhaps not as good as say Eley, but failure to fire or function? CCI works for me.

Our small, local shop just got in some CCI 22 long rifle. Mini mag, hollow points box of 100 for $10, limit 1 box.


Picked up one of those and brick of the A17 Hummer ammo(and two bricks of primers and a pound of HS-6...).

Every gun I own shoots CCI ammo well, except I don't have a gun that shoots stingers real well.

I have had good luck with most CCI, I have mostly firearms not ammo senisitive in a Marlin Papoose, and An HR929 rev both will chamber and shoot most 22lr I use, I have had ammo sensitive guns like a Walther P-22, and a newer Ruger 10-22 takedown I sold off, for that reason.


Ron l

In a side by side comparison with Remington Eley Target Rifle there was so little a difference in group size that I won't spend the extra for the Eley + CCI Blue SV is easier to find.

P/U 2 boxes of Stinger today, just b/c - they seem to be the cats meow IF one chose/needed to use a 22LR handgun for PD.

CCI Mini-Mag was always my GO TO for hunting ammo, until I found WW PP long ago, speaking of a Huge cavity, and a full size 40gr HP IIRC. Years ago on occasion a rabbit might run with a CCI MM, not so with WW PP. Always DRT even center mass hits. Up to 100 yds, IME.

Also, the original seemed like they were made or designed is Australia - IIRC. They shot 1/2" or better in a re-worked 10/22 Butler Creek bbl, fitted for 77/22 with zero freebore chamber by CPC. Seems that bbl had a 16" ROT.

CCI variety is tough to beat, other than price.

My last two .22 sporters have both liked RWS SSHP best, but both also did okay with several CCI products as well. Always go bang.

I try to buy what works best in a particular rifle, but if I have to buy "blind", CCI gets the nod when available.

Just picked up a couple bricks of SV on faith. I plan to try one of the flat-pointing tools on some if they shoot okay.

Ah yes Stingers I've used them for years to dispatch backyard vermin, feral cats, coons whatever. Never needed a second shot, one Stinger to the head has never failed to produce a bang flop. All kitty's nine lives over instantly.

Good stuff!

CCI is by-FAR the best, most-consistent reasonably priced ammo I shoot. Wish I could find more of it.
I have not had consistent luck with any of the other stuff, including GB's.
(hit and miss with the GB's)
Anything Winchester is making nowadays, is "miss-and-miss", with lots of duds intermixed in the box.

CCI Stingers have always been my favorite .22 round. Nothing kills better, IMO.
About the only other stuff I buy nowadays are the Agilla HV stuff, as I've been hoarding my Stingers due to availability the last 3 or 4 years.

The very early Stingers shot really well in my old 582, with enough flyers to ruin the group averages, but not impair their utility. They are killin' little buggers for sure, the only .22LR I trust to bag chucks consistently with chest shots. Once popped a starling perched on a cornstalk out at least 75 yards and it blew him to tatters. They also clock over 1200 fps out of a handgun, about the same as .22mag 40gr loads, and still expand well. They're my "carry" load for my Bearcat.

I need to try the hot Aguilas in my pistols. The last Stingers I bought, without checking the price, were $9.95!

After learning during the recent ammo shortage that Mini Mags (HP and RN) are consistently reliable in everything I shoot them through, that is all I have been buying since availability improved.

One thing I never realized until recently is how badly ammo gets manhandled in shipment. I'd say that about 10% of Mini Mag plastic boxes are cracked when I get them, whether shipped to my door or bought off the shelf in stores. It makes me wonder what's happening to all the bulk pack ammo during shipping.

My last trip to Walmart yielded me 4 boxes of stingers and 4 boxes of 22wmr maxi mags. Seems my local Wally world always have some type of CCI for sale.

2 box per cs at my Wmart.

So re: WW and the "Duds" - years ago Super-X copper wash seemed 100% reliable. Is that no longer the case? Never recall a misfire with the PP HP I have, though I have old stock, and I seemed to have read they were initially made in another factory.

CCI SV knocks squirrels out of tree's with boring consistency in my bolt-action .22LR, no complaint here.

CCI: Always been good, always been expensive.

Good and cheap is an oxymoron don't you know?

Yep, CCI has been good since I was a kid. Remington and Winchester were good back then too but both have gone to shyt now.

Before the big rimfire panic buying started in late 2008, I used to buy only one kind of hollow-point Long Rifle ammo, Winchester 40-grain Power Points, because they were accurate in all my rifles and handguns, though they didn't beat CCI Mini-Mags in some guns.

But PP's disappeared and the newly-produced stuff that has shown up now and then hasn't been as accurate, at least in most guns. Meanwhile, CCI Mini-Mags continue to be very consistent. I recently shot some from at least a decade ago against some newly-produced ammo, and couldn't find much difference.

By the sounds of it I'm glad I still have a good supply of older Power Points. My CZ 452 shoots a lot of ammo well but the PP is nice for hunting.

What do you guys think of the Velocitor's and the high velocity segmented 32 gr hollow point, the one that breaks into 3 pieces?

I tried some Velocitors before the panic started and was not impressed. Fast, loud, but not real accurate.
I grew up shooting CCI Mini Mags exclusively because that's what my rifle liked. Later on, tried the new Win PP 40s mentioned above, again, they shot really well in my OTHER 22 LR -- which also likes Mini Mag HPs a lot.

However, I have not seen either for sale retail in at least three years now, I scored my last brick of 40 PPs about two thirds of the way into Obamapanic 1.

With prices the way they are, makes more sense just to shoot the darn Fireball.

If you thought finding .22 ammo was tough during Obama's 8 years wait till the Hildebeast assumes the oval office. I have a decent supply but plan to add another 2K or so well before November rolls around.

Dave,

CCI Mini-Mags have been pretty available lately on the Internet, whether sold in CCI boxes or the "Troy Landry" Swamp People boxes. Usually the Troy Landry version is slightly higher-priced, but sometimes not. I've been picking it up here and there when the price is right, and have a couple bricks on hand now.

One interesting sidelight is that performance is just about exactly the same in both accuracy and velocity to a partial box of Mini-Mags I found in my garage that must be close to 30 years old....

That is about what I have found mule deer! I have some pretty old stuff and some new. It all shoots fine.

CCI SV is what I now use since my source of CCI 40gr HP Subsonic (NOT the "Quiet" stuff!) dried up.

I recently sighted in a new Ruger American Rimfire Compact with a Leupold fixed 8x AO using the blue box SV.

I shot a 3/8" group @ 50 yards with it, so I moved to 110 yards and shot a 1.25" group. It'll do.

My LGS carries a lot of CCI along with Fed, Win, Aguila, Eley, and Rem so I try various types with each firearm.

So far, CCI is the "go to" maker.

Ed

CCI Mini-Mags are the only thing that functions in all of my auto laoders - pistols and rifles. That is what I buy when I can find them. I use Stingers in my bolt guns. I have noticed that quite a few people pitch a fit about Remington Golden Bullets but they do nearly as well in my auto loaders too.

I recently purchased two packages of Federal Auto Match and wish I hadn't. There is nothing 'auto' about them. I wrote Federal about the issues and got no response.

I have tried several off shore brands in recent years because that was what I could find. Generally speaking they leave my firearms really dirty. It has stuck me as odd that foreign makers can supply 22 ammo but domestic stock has been nearly impossible to find.

My favorite rimfire ammo. Picked up a brick of Velocitors and MiniMags here recently.

I am replete with CCI ammo thanks to some of the guys' recommendations here.

It took me a while to build a good and varied stock, but I'm set now, since the .22lr crunch seems to have subsided. However, some suppliers still think they're holding gold.

gerrygoat;
Good morning to you sir, I trust the day is as nice in your part of the world as it's shaping up to be here.

We've been running Velocitor as our mineral imbalance injector medicine for the local yard coyotes. Honestly I was so impressed with the initial kill that I emailed CCI - lung shot at 60 meters on a trotting adult who saw me and was heading out - dropped it instantly, tail in the air vibrating reaction.

I believe I'm 3 for 3 currently with Velocitor ammo now....

When we did feral pigeon control for a turkey farmer friend back in the '80's I used Stingers exclusively and the results never failed to make us grin.

Anyway to the OP's question, here's a test target shot by our eldest daughter using her new to her then RAR Compact. She was using a front rest and rabbit ear bag as well, but they were on the tailgate of the pickup and she was leaning when she shot the 10 shot groups.

The range was 27 long steps for me, but I'm 5'5" so maybe 25yds?



There's certainly a trend in the CCI stuff being the pick of the litter with her rifle anyway.

All the best to you folks this summer gerrygoat.

Dwayne

You guys need to try some Aquila Interceptor: 40gr @1400fps - good stuff out of my 22s.

Thanks Dwayne, things have been pretty warm here but I bet not nearly as hot as where you are in the Okanagan. Thanks for the info on the Velocitors, sounds like your local coyotes dislike them After looking at your daughter's target it would appear that I should be picking up some Mini Mag's and Blazer's.

Hope you have a good summer too and have figured out the new on line LEH draw.......

Pretty much my experience over many years and with multiple firearms. Federal would be my second choice.

Scored a brick of SV for $35 a few months ago. It is one of the most consistantly accurate rounds I've ever found in that price range.

Always loved the way Mini-Mags seemed to hit a jackrabbit with a little more authority than other HV HP ammo. Accuracy has always been fine for hunting such critters.

Stingers will hit like a hornet it seems like. Coyote splatt'n SOB them stingers are.

CCI RF ammo sucks....




...the life out of critters.

got back into shooting .22 bout 4 yrs ago
shot alot of different brands and I mean alot.....
cci sgb, blazer and 40gr minimags all do 1235 fps and hover around sub 1/2" to 5/8" for 10 shot groups @ 50yds at basically the same poi with the same poa

the velocitor is a 3/8" to 1/2" 10 shot group @50yds and does 1435fps
I try to buy velocitor whenever I can find it
but I will buy the others also

8 clicks down to get back to the 1235fps stuff zero and 2 clicks left

out of a savage mkII with a cheapo bushnell sportveiw on 9 power

Shoot it.......and find out.

CCI's have always been pretty consistent for me but they are about third on my list of non-target (read high priced) .22 ammo. My favorite has always been Power Points for accuracy and terminal effect. Lately, I've had to shoot what I could get and I've found lots of Federal Match and Federal Gold Medal Match around for decent prices and it shoots extremely well. Haven't had a chance to try it on game yet. Just wish the stores didn't always limit me to just a couple boxes every darned time I go in.

Bob

CCI Standard and Mini Mags have long been my go-to ammo.

I shoot CCI green tag out of my suppressed Ruger Mark III and it's clean and accurate

Yes. My experience with both 22LR and WMR is consistently better than any other brand.

Had a chance to shoot some of the new Power points and the old stock Power points in one of my old standby Win. 52B rifles yesterday.
Even with the lousy shooting conditions with 10-15 mph winds most of the day, the old stock PP's would shoot their boringly repeatable 1/2" and smaller groups, albeit sometimes 2-3" left of the bull. The new Power points I just got were in the 1"- 1 1/2" group range. Pretty disappointing, to say the least after sinking $50 into a brick of it.
On the bright side, some of the cheapest ammo I had on hand, Federal Champion, has shot well in most of my .22's and yesterday shot better than anything else I had on hand. I've had really good luck with the Federal Champion and Gold medal lately and it is pretty affordable when I can find it. .

My buddy was shooting CCI most of the day and it shot very well and was consistent all day long in his new Kimber Cascade .22. Tried some of the Automatch and it shot very well also. Close to 1/2" groups in my rifles.

All groups shot at 50 yards off a bench.

Bob

Tried some CCI SV I've had for a few years and some out of a new brick I just bought in my 77-22 with a newer VXI 2-7 scope. Both lots shot three 5 shot groups to the same point of impact at 50 yards with the same accuracy, around 1/2" to 5/8ths". Seems to show CCI's got some quality control.