Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires What's your best shooting target/matchgrade ammo

I've had pretty good luck with SK Standard Plus in several rifles. I've wanted to try SK Rifle Match but it's more expensive and I haven't gotten around to it yet. And Eley Tenex shot well in the one rifle I tried it in.

For decent everyday accuracy shooting in higher volume I like CCI standard velocity.

I know a lot of my friends in your neck of the woods really like that CCI standard velocity "target" ammo. I've shot against them all using it in our rimfire matches. Some rifles shoot it well, but not spectacular, and some don't shoot it well at all. I'm talking 1"+ 10 shot groups at 50 yards, in their target rifles. Like I've said before, I always try to give it a fair chance, but I don't think me and CCI agree. Only one of my rifles likes it, and I recently traded that rifle (Savage MK2 FVT) for a new CZ 457 American.

At the local Walmart, the CCI SV is $5/box, which makes it a good deal, if you have a rifle that likes it. As of date, this is what I can expect out of the SV, with my new CZ:

But like I've said before, I have better luck with Federal Automatch, in all of my rifles:


My new, to me, Winchester 320 doesn't do too bad with CCI SV, but it's not exceptional:

I'm really liking this rifle though.

I was at Scheels the other day, and saw a bunch of Eley target type ammo:

I'd love to try that black box ammo out, but at $23.99, they can keep it!!

I ended up buying a couple boxes to try out. The Eley Semi auto benchrest "outlaw" ammo looked good, and it was slightly less than the other semi auto match ammo they had.

Like I said before, this rifle is not a benchrest gun. Just a good example of how a good sporter should shoot. It's still not shooting as well, or consistently as my 1974 Winchester model 320. This Semi Auto benchrest "outlaw" ammo was $10.99/box, where the regular semi auto benchrest ammo was $12.99/box.

That Eley club ammo I've shot was pretty good ammo too. At $9.99/box, it's not a bad deal. I miss the old Club Xtra I had:


That stuff shot real well in every rifle I own.

A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to try a little Lapua Midas as well:

Not the greatest in the new CZ. However, that was before it was glass bedded. It seems to shoot more consistently now, with all the ammo I've been testing in it.

I hear you about the costs, but "it is what it is" based on the accuracy requirements. I can get Lapua LR for about $180 a brick delivered and that's about a seasons worth of matches.

I've also got some RWS Match and Norma to try once it warms up.

Once it's "tuned" I can get TAC22 to 1/2" for 10rds at 50 (#2 & #5), but the small flyers persist:



It works well for cheaper practice ammo. The problem is that only gets me about a 65-75% chance on a 1/4" KYL TGT at 50-65 yds. Then there's the chrono stats which can be a killer past 100yds.

I've tried CCI Standard and color me unimpressed, the TAC22 shot better in my gun, and the stats were actually worse with the CCI.

Good info. Thanks! I think sometimes I got a bad lot of the TAC22 ammo, as some I've shot worked very well, then the next was very bad!! I guess the reason we try different lots too. I appreciate the target pics. Some guys scoff at them, but it's the best way to represent what you are talking about. As far as I'm concerned.

I shot some Sk pistol match for practice yesterday with a few guys in our local group. 227, 219, 236 with my T1x. I shot a guys custom 457 and shot a 241 usbr. I shot an ARA unlimited card with my T1x and shot a 1475. First ARA I’ve shot, I like them.


Next match April 6.

A lot of guys like that pistol match stuff. At my club, I know some of the old guys have some boxes of 30 year old pistol match ammo, and it shoots well. I've seen on a lot of Youtube videos, where guys are using the SK pistol match too. Sounds like it's working pretty good in your rifle. I seem to remember you were shooting in the 230's with the other ammo you were using though. I think in true competition, I'd pay the piper, to shoot at least with the top of the heap, rather than being in the bottom. A lot of that depends on equipment, as much as it does ammo though. I keep saying you should check out that challenge I posted. You are one that shoots a lot of tiny targets, that may be right up your alley.

H, here's an honest review and video by a youtuber. This guy tests some SK ammo in his heavy barreled CZ. Pistol match was one of the ones he tests. Looked like the CCI SV did about as good as any, which is pretty good for the price point:

I do need to try the challenge you put up, I’ve seen it I’ve not tried it.


I’ve shot about everything I can get my hands on and I’ve settled for Norma Tac22 for 95% of my practice and Lapua for matches. Sk pistol Match has been good but I had one bad lot and I’ve not bought as much after that.

On the usbr from my rifle

CCI sv averages 190-200
Tac22 averages 210-218
Sk Pistol Match - 220-230, bad lot was 210, best lot was 228-238
Lapua Pistol King -225-235
Midas Plus - I’ve only shot 2 cards with it, in terrible wind I shot a 226 and in good conditions I shot a 238


The ones that just fly out of no where that we get with CCI SV and we will get some with Tac22 but not as severe are killers on the USBR cards and the ARA cards.


This guys stuff is pretty good. His rifle is light years above mine but our ammo results are pretty similar. I wish my stuff liked CCI sv it just doesn’t.






He has a good list of ammo he has tested here as well


https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmMoGnFxYAGLw_IHHmUuNs_mNI0ma2HMD&si=RG0_zh3nR4IX1NO6

Here was 5 with a lot of Lapua Pistol King my T1x really liked, obviously shot in good conditions





5 with a different lot of Pistol King





5 after adjustment







Here is a 10 shot group from the guy that beat me often with CenterX from his Vudoo





Here are two usbr cards I shot. I didn’t keep the 236 from Sunday with Pistol Match.


234 with my T1x and Pistol King. The top sighter is 7 shots. First was high, adjust, low, then I had my hold for 5





This was with the custom. Center sighter is 5 shots adjusting the scope. Left sighter is 3 shots. Right sighter was a new lot of ammo I opened during the card to check zero to finish. First was high and then I worked it down. It had a NF 12-42x56br scope with the 1/8 MOA clicks so it was quite precise.

Looking great. Now go and shoot the challenge target from day at the range.

Are you using wind flags ??

Absolutely

I shot a new lot of Sk pistol, it’s ok. I thought the rain had quit but it came back and soaked everything. I shot a 67 and had four 0’s lol. 2 were my fault and 2 I have no idea.


The target pretty much disintegrated when I took it off the board between breeze and rain, so no pics.

Good shooting but you missed the penny.😁

I'm glad you shot it man. That gives some of these other guys an idea on how challenging it actually is. I think Certifiable and his bro's saw that from the beginning. I have commented on how some of the guys on youtube don't know wtf they are doing, but some of those guys that shoot rimfire are damn good. Not that there is much of a difference between shooting rimfire and centerfire, but it seems like the rimfire guys shoot a lot more, and they are consistently better shooters. Even here in this forum, I have noticed that. I've posted a few challenges here, and I always get participation from these guys. Much appreciated too!!!!

You are doing well in your USBR shoots too buddy!!!! That little Tikka is a shooting machine!! Loving that. A while back, I was wanting to buy one, but I held off.

Bearcat that’s some fine shooting👍🏼

Yeah, he's alright, but he is always in "pursuit of accuracy". I keep asking if he's found it yet. He also has the "most accurate 10/22 in the world". I asked him to shoot the challenge from day at the range with it. He still has not done it. He messes with action screw torque, and seems to always battle first shot fliers and chidt like that. He's not quite there yet, when it comes to the mechanics of a rifle. His CZ has a $700.00 Lilja barrel on it, you'd think it would just punch one hole all the time!!! I also got tired of his scratchy voice. There are a lot of guys that watch him though..

Thanks, they are extremely elusive. Lol

Thanks

If I were buying again I think I’d pick up a CZ Varmint, maybe an MTR, but the Varmints that I am shooting against are to handle. I’m not crazy about CZ stocks but that could be remedied via KRG Bravo.