Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires What is your favorite ammo for hunting with a .22!

I am mostly a gopher (ground squirrel) shooter and I really like the CCI Mini-Mag HP, they give acceptable accuracy out of all of my 22's. They hit hard enough that there are very few crawl-aways most shots are DRT which I really like because even though I like shooting gophers I hate to see any animal suffer needlessly.

drover

The new Winchester Power Points aren't as accurate as the old Australian made product, but for most of my rifles, they are still accurate enough for squirrel work. And those particular hollow points are extremely effective on ground squirrels and quite often open up to nickel size when you get a solid body hit...

Are you sure the critters are crawling back to their holes, or are their buddies dragging them back to the hole for an appetizer later? I've watched with binos several times and seen other squirrels from the same hole dragging a dead buddy back in the hole... surprised the heck out of me the first couple times I saw it...

Bob

Whoa, that's interesting!

cci mm hp

I have observed that too, and in many instances have seen their brethren start eating on them while they are still alive, which is another reason I like instantaneous kills on them.

drover

I like these also. I used to favor CCI MiniMag HPs, but lately, they aren't shooting quite as well as the Aguila, in my rifles. I've stashed away a couple of cases of the Aguilas (caught them on sale last fall, before the covid-craziness hit us all). I'm probably good for life now.

Mini mags and velositors

Mini mag hollow points for hunting, cci standard for paper punching

Every rifle is different. But for bulk pack ammo Winchester Xpert 36 grain HPs shoot very accurately in my Marlin 795.

We often kill rats feasting on their dead comrades. Not sure if they prefer grain or rat meat.

CCI Mini Mag HP have been my favorite. Tried others but haven't found anything better.

This

WCH,

Before leaving Montana I was using the Browning 40gr HP's in my bolt guns.

They give the best "thwack" for the buck IMO. Hammers gophers and bunnies.

Pretty much in gnoahhh’s camp on the topic though I favor, excuse me, my rifles prefer different brands. SK Standard+ and the old Wolf MT. The 10/22 likes old production WW Power Point quite well, but kills the pigs with CCI SV.

I have no use for HV ammo, but plenty of uses for precise accuracy and quiet.

I love the CCI Segmented Subsonic HPs. If those were unavailable, I'd happily use the CCI Subsonic 45gr HPs too. I have over 20 different types of 22lr to try out this summer for accuracy in my rifles/pistols and can't wait to see what other notable mentions turn up!

In my Tikka I found excellent accuracy with CCI Blazer ammo, but found that a round nose bullet just would not anchor some critters. Finally switched to Remington Golden HP ammo and those work great. There are probably several ammo choices that are a bit more accurate, but the Goldens are inexpensive and plenty accurate enough.

Back when I used Blazer ammo, there was a skunk living under a little guest cottage we have. Really stinking the place up. Finally I caught it out in the open and shot it. And it got up, and I shot it again. I think I shot it 8 or 10 times before it was completely and utterly dead, and I went back to the barn. But it wasn’t dead, and dragged itself back under the cottage and let out a last massive blast of spray. Ok, says I, I need a better bullet. The Golden HPs are that better bullet.

CCI Mini Mag hollowpoints ... #1 by far.

I like Stingers in guns that shoot them well.

Other good choices are the WW Power Point HPs and Federal's bulk / loss leader HPs.

For "stunt" rimfire shootin', CB caps and BB caps will usually go through a squirrel's head up close.

Tom

Firing those out of a pistol with hearing protection, you can even hear the extra horsepower. I haven't popped any animals with them yet.

I just bought a case of Eley 38 gr HVHP. I am going to do some accuracy testing with them soon. Then I'll see what they do on a critter.

Whatever groups well for the firearm I'm using. A bullet to the brain will result in DEAD! especially with small game.