Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires .22 ammo suggestions

All.... I am looking for suggestions as to where to start my trip down the rabbit hole on potential .22 rimfire accuracy.

I know better than to buy the Remington Thunderbolts or Golden Bullets and bank on accuracy.....I also figure that Lapua is the benchmark to which all others are measured. What I don't know is where to start with perhaps the SK or any other brand of consistent, uniform ammo??? Now, I am not shooting 100 yards, ( but I want to work that way ) and I don't have Vudoo or any other high end rifle... ( I also want one of them ) but rather I ask for suggestions for types of ammo to invest in... . I like CCI and have a few boxes of the Green Tag ammo.

I am not hunting with this, but rather having fun & learning stuff.

SK Match???

Any other brands / types to purchase?

Thanks in advance.

BTW: rifles are: Remington 581 with a 541-T barrel, a original 541-T which does not suffer from the 'cold bore flyer' issue, a Ruger American

all have decent scopes & are more " hunting " rifles rather than benchrest / target rifles.

and yes, I do want a Vudoo but my budget will not allow it right now.

Thanks for shopping.....

burt2506

Lapua CenterX and Pistol King are two good ones to try, along with RWS-50, and perhaps a couple other RWS products, Rimfire ammo is so specific to the rifle that it's really hard to just pick some.

I know a guy who won the Rimfire Nationals one year, and has since given it up because of the ammo "chase" trying to get good lots of the stuff, and hoping that expensive stuff will shoot. Lord only knows how much ammo is stashed in his basement even now, as this lot or that lot didn't measure up.
He finally just quit and went to exclusively centerfire, as he could at least control the ammo aspect of it.

I know Lapua Pistol King ammo is REALLY good in my CZ 452, but at $12/box, I'm not going to bother. And Pistol King is relatively "cheap" compared to Midas or some of the others.

In my mind 22 ammo falls into roughly 3 categories.

20-30 a brick bulk fodder. Some of which some can be pretty impressive in certain rifles, but is in general not consistent and is more of an anomaly to have a batch that truly shoots well.. In this category I personally have good luck with CCI blazer and standard velocity and also Aguila SV shines a bit for me

45-70 a brick. This is where you really need to spend time shopping and shooting to find your huckleberry. I think norma TAC and TAC match are hugely overlooked and for the price are hard to beat. SK standard and SK rifle match are 50-70 and are very good but you will get occasional fliers. They are capable of phenomenal groups tho. Personally I can live with that because the next step up is a steep one. In this price range I have not had much luck with the eley products like sport or target. Lapua center X is great stuff but is also 110-120 a brick..

The next batch is top of the line eley and lapua. Eley match and tenex will definitely be a step up in consistency as will lapua Midas+ but these are anywhere from 160-220 a brick and that’s just not realistic for a lot of people. The difference is there but it’s worth is up to the individual.

I think the best value for one to be able to shoot a lot and hone their skills without handicapping themselves in the ammo dept is in the middle category. A case of TAC or SK will go a long way towards teaching you what you and the rifle are capable of

Since you're not hunting, no need for hollow points or High or super-fast ammo. CCI Standard Velocity is also a "Standard" for practice, plinking, and informal target shooting for many, many shooters. It won't be as consistant as real match ammo, but you'll likely get fewer flyers and duds than with anyone's bulk ammo, plus it is almost always decently accurate in most rifles. If you're not only shooting groups, but practicing from various positions, it may be all you need. Loads travelling slower than the speed of sound drift less in the wind than HS stuff too.

Be sure, when evaluating ammo, to fire ten or so rounds with each new variety before shooting for "record". Most rifles need some seasoning with different lubes to do their best. Actually, ten is a minimum, and running a snake or solvent patch through first may speed up the process.

Enjoy the process; this is all fun and games.

Definitely heed what pappy said about at least 10 rounds to recoat your bore when switching brands.
It’s a real thing and part of the learning process of what does what and why.
Don’t just rattle those 10-15 off either. Make them precisely aimed shots and you’ll see The difference between your first 5 shot group and the third or fourth.

I've been burning up a lot of .22 ammo since the Covid virus landed. I have a bullet trap set up 30 yards from the picnic table on my back deck and shoot from it almost daily. CCI is the only .22 ammo I buy anymore. Standard velocity for targets out back, Mini - Mag hp's for hunting and CCI quiets for times when my city slicker neighbors down the road are occupying their vacation home. The CCI standard velocity will literally shoot one ragged hole for 7 shots out of my old Marlin bolt action from 30 yards. I don't bother to measure the groups but all shots would fit under the head of a standard size thumb tack and the Mini-Mags and Quiets do just about as well. Since I have no interest in benchrest competition, that's as accurate as I need for anything I'm going to do with a .22..

Some good info posted, decide just how far down the rabbit hole you want to go and take it from there. I suggest that you get some CCI std vel and use it to learn technique before moving up to higher dollar stuff - shooting small groups with 22's can be a humbling experience and the learning curve can be long.

As mentioned the CCI std vel can be very good, especially for a value for the dollar ammo. After that try some of the low to mid end SK ammo. I bought a couple of cartons of SK Magazine (their low end bulk-packed ammo) last year and it outgroups any ammo I have ever had including high end SK, Lapua, and Ely - sure wish I had bought a case or two of that same lot, but you just never know until you try it.



drover

I have a bolt action that loves Eley Match and Eley Contact. It won’t feed CCI SV.

I have a semi auto that loves Eley Contact (haven’t shot Eley Match in it). It also likes CCI SV and though it doesn’t shoot it as well it’s a lot cheaper! And it still shoots pretty great groups at 50 yards with the CCI.

Neither rifle likes Lapua Center X. Not saying the Lapua isn’t good ammunition but every rifle is unique.

Every rifle is different. My CZ liked RWS Target Rifle and Rifle Match about the same. My Anschutz hates RWS Target Rifle real bad. The Aussie made Winchester Subsonics seem to do well in many 22s in this neck of the woods as well as the lower priced Lapua (can't recall the type).

Norma Match is very good bang for the buck in my opinion.

Start buying small boxes of 50 and see what your rifle likes. That is the only way you are going to know what is accurate in your rifle. We can all suggest our favorite ammo, but that doesn't mean your rifle will like it, just because ours does. Here's a little test I did with a Ruger 10-22 a few years ago:


Notice the most expensive ammo, shot the worst in my rifle. On average, I've had great experience with the SK standard ammo. Also, 2 of my target rifles actually really like Norma match as well.


These targets were shot with iron sights at 50 yards^^^

Don't be afraid to try some cheaper stuff too. Like american eagle. That ammo is generally very accurate in all of my rifles and it is bargain priced..

Lots of good feedback so far


My input is that before you start stepping up to the higher grades of ammo like Eley Match, Tenex, Midas+ you need to ensure everything else is in order.

Stable bench, bags, proper scope, and of course technique.

The pricy ammo throws fewer fliers... period. As was mentioned earlier, shoot 10+ foulers between swaps, and don't be afraid to clean your barrel if things don't look right.

We have taken proven guns...with proven ammo...where things were not repeating....cleaned them...shot foulers....and everything goes back to good.

Brothers and I have led quite a few friends from the 10/22 and CZ world to 54, 52, 40X, and Vudoos.

Without exception, the combo of the right gun, the right ammo, the proper setup and teqnique puts smiles on faces.

For modestly priced ammo, Norma TAC and Norma Match is a staple. It shoots way above it's price point.

Norma match is some pretty good stuff. Funny thing is I found some for $5.00/box yesterday. I also scored a voodoo soft case for my new AR15. The case looks like new, but I snagged it for $50.00. They are $190.00 new.. If I run across more Norma match for $5.00/box, I'm snagging all they have. Its actually hard to find in the stores around here...

BSA...$5/box for Norma Match is a great price...care to spare some?

I'm running low.....

Seeing is believing. It really happens, unless the "new" ammo shoots worse than the previous batch!😛

I wish I could, but they only had 4 boxes and I was wondering where in the hell I was going to get more!!!!


Sorry my friend..

Guys,

THANK YOU for the input & information.... I have much to learn and improve on in every aspect of my shooting. I just want to get more trigger time. I am on the lookout for Norma Match, SK Standard as well as more of the 'standard velocity' offerings from CCI.

Again, thanks for the suggestions.


Down the rabbit hole we go......lol

burt2506

BSA, beautiful rifle. Winchester 52? Which series?

Paul

There be many options. CCI SV is a good plinker in most of my guns.


Wolf MT/SK Standard Plus were the same thing last time I picked any of it up. Don't know if SK is still making the Wolf MT or not.


Some guns just gotta be weird, and you find what you find when you try it.
Take my 10/22 for example....


If you're determined you could always load your own.

save your ammo you are going to need it all soon.. remember a shot in the ear is a good shoot'' even by a 22 rimfire.

I still have a dozen bricks of various brands of .22. As I shoot it up I only replace it with CCI. Some of the other bulk ammo shoots pretty well, but the next batch of the same stuff sucks. CCI is the best and most consistent ammo I have tried. Its the only .22 ammo I will buy anymore.

Thanks Paul. Yes it is a 52. B series. Made in '48, if I remember correctly. It is a joy to shoot. I got lucky when I found it.

TS has it for $5/box free shipping on a case if you need to stock up. I tend to buy in bulk. I find they also have some of the best prices going on the high end stuff.

PS...that's a good looking 52.

My B and a D and are among my favorites.

Shorts over penetrate.

CB shorts are the schizzle.....

I found this somewhere a few years ago and saved it. I've found it to be on the money.

WOLF Match Extra vs Match Target

I will try and explain but will assure you they are the same. But one is definatly better or more consistant than the other. Wolf And SK Jagd is the same ammo, it is made on the same machines in the same factory as Lapua Midas, Exacta, and Center X.

Know I have heard last winter the lots of SK standard Plus were running a little better than Match Target, which is the exact same ammo, only different in lot #'s.

With that said, according to Lapua rep's Wolf match Extra and SK rifle Match are also one in the same. They are lot #'s that did not make Midas. But be assured better on average than the lower priced Match Target or SK standard +. They are boxed one way or the other when needed to fill orders from SK or Wolf depending which one is being filled at the time.

I recently did an in depth test of Wolf Match target or "MT" and Wolf Match Extra "ME". When tested I used my Gorham built 40X. I have shot 20 shot groups with an old Lot of Eley BR Gold that group under .175" in perfect conditions! This test involved 3 different Lots of both types of ammo MT and ME. They were shot on cloudy evenings with the tempature around 55 deegres and no wind. The first thing I noticed shooting it out of the box without weighing it, it shot totally diferent, The MT had more flyers and would throw them farther than the ME flyers. The first test was on BR%) targets for score. There were 2 lots of ME that were great, they would not shoot a zero on an old BR50 target, and out of fifty shots, with one lot that only shot two zero's, The two best shot plenty of 100's and 50's with few 25's. The MT had one lot that threw several zeros but none way out, the other two would go out of the foul line. and all had several per box of MT.

Then I weighed each Lot, the best lot of MT was worse than the worst lot# of ME. This was obvious on paper also as I said. Then the two Best Lots of ME were very close the flyers were right beside the single raged whole was, and they were much fewer than with MT. the single best lot with the last 4 digits being (283 2) had 121 out 150 rounds that were exactly 55.8 grains, and 21 @ 55.75 to 55.6, with 8 rounds being heavier or lighter.

Next I shot the ME that weighed (21) between 55.75 and 55.6 for group, two ten shot groups at 50 yards, and both were right at .3" or just under, and not one flyer. This is the Lot that I ordered a Case of. I think the other best lot of ME was as good, I just flipped a coin after shooting both and this one won. None of the match target shot close even when I sorted The best lot weighed the same as ME, shot over .7" at 50 yards, and had 6shots in a group about .350" but the other 4 shot made that a .740" group, and that was worse than the worst group of ME unsorted.

I report on the last test when I shoot the 121 rounds out of the 150 I sorted out of my big stash of ME, but am sure it will shoot at least .3" and not display the flyers. But you can be assured if you want to shoot 50 or 100 yards with a gun capable of displaying true accuracy potential, The $13.00 more a brick for Match Extra is well worth the money, and you will find almost every time the lot you get of ME will be better than the best lot of MT. I would not benefit from shooting MT for practice, but will get real results practicing with ME. and I will take time to get a pic, of the sorted target with MT later. just for reference.

Wolf is no longer made by Lapua. About a year ago, they contracted with Eley, and now the Wolf ammo is reboxed Eley, as opposed to reboxed Lapua.

So...where do you guys suggest I start looking for some of the better selections of quality ammo?

Thanks to everyone!

Burt2506

There are several places that specialize in supplies for competitive shooting. Champion Shooters Supply is one that comes to mind. I've always had good experiences dealing with them. Prices are competitive.

It's always evident in these threads that there is a huge gap between low end plinking ammo made to sell as cheaply as possible, and performance ammo that comes at a price. There is also a good sized middle ground that meets the needs of all but the most demanding shooters. CCI Standard and Mini-Mags being prime examples.

Paul

SGAmmo would be another good place with great prices.

I bought several cases of RWS Subsonic from them at a super low price. That by the way is my favorite with Norma Subsonic running a close second.

Champion Shooters Supply and perhaps others used to offer sample packs for testing. I don't know if that is still the case, I just don't keep up.

Might be worth checking into.

Paul

Killough Shooting sports and Targetsportsusa.com are also great places to buy ammo at excellent prices. I have had excellent results with SK Standard Plus and it is priced cheap enough to use as practice ammo regardless if you use it for competition or not...

Every gun is a law unto itself. I keep an assortment of .22 ammo on hand, not much quantity, maybe a box or two each, to try in new guns when I buy them. Understand that my .22s are all hunting guns, not paper shooters, so I don't have a lot of use for solids or std velocity, I focus on HV HP and subsonic HP loads.

The best load in any gun will vary, but I've found that almost without exception, the CCI mini-mag hollowpoint ranks in the top 3 so that is, overall, my go-to .22 load.

When I test, I usually try the CCI mini-mag HP, Stinger, and subsonic. WW Power Point HP. Federal loss-leader HVHP. Remington yellowjacket and subsonic. Norma subsonic. CCI "quiet bullet". ... and whatever else I happen to have laying around.

With revolvers my procedure is to fire 6 shots into the dirt to somewhat acclimatize the gun to the load, then 6 for score. With semi-autos it's generally 5 and 5 'cause most of my magazines are 10 shot. (Same for the 77/22s when I owned them.)

I just tried some of the Eley Black Oxide 38 grain HVHP for the first time yesterday. My Mossberg liked it pretty well. My 77/22 loved it.

I buy 22 ammo when a good price presents it self and immediately if not sooner try it to see how accurate it is and if it's good go back and buy all I can afford .MB

The most accurate .22 rimfire ammo currently are the top match offerings from Eley (Match Black Box and Tenex) and Lapua (Midas + and CenterX). They may not shoot better than other brands in rifles that do not have match chambers, but these are the brands used by the top rimfire benchrest shooters who test and select their ammo by lot #s. Many benchrest rifles are chambered with custom reamers specifically designed for either Eley or Lapua. When I was in the game, my rifles were chambered for Eley and I used Match Black Box.

American Eagle 36 or 38 grain..Cheap too.