.22lr ammo for range and field

[Andries]

Hi all,

Suggest a .22lr ammo I (and my son) can use on the target range, and in the field for rabbits and foxes.

I don't want to spend a fortune, but am happy to pay for 'good' ammo if the price does not make me think about how much ammo I'm using at the range.

I'm not sure about the difference (if any) between 'copper coated' or 'lead only' projectiles...give me the benefit of you experience/knowledge.

Cheers....A

[alex1]

fiochi.

[trevort]

the copper coat on 22lr is not a copper jacket, they are all soft lead. Each rifle will be a law unto itself and its best to try a few. I feed mine winnie subs as they are plenty powerful enough to kill a rabbit at 75m. My son got a one shot kill on a fox with these at 60m but usually i would take something bigger with longer legs if fox is the target.

[Knackers]

G'day Andries, what I would suggest is to buy a heap of different ammo, (hollow points if your going to hunt) and sit down at the range and shoot 3x5 shot groups of each different brand/load and see which brand your rifle likes best, then go out and buy a 5000 round case you'll find that some brands perform a lot better than others in the accuracy stakes.


The copper coat and the lead? lube I think somebody, somebody else, anybody? hmmm

[Knackers]

are you beat me Trev.

[cruisey]

I use winnie subs in my CZ for bunnies , never a problem with those at all, always consistant, which is what you want, & I like the bang....pause.....thwack , having said that, your rifle may not like them !

As trevort has said, it is better to use a bigger calibre on the foxes.

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day all,
I've used Eley Subsonic HP, RWS S-sonic HP (approx $5- a box) in my Anschutz 64MPR that regularly shoots better than .35" at 50yds and SK s-sonic HP (approx $9- a box) in a new CZ classic fitted with a 6x cheapy scope and creapy trigger which easliy put 5 shots into .3" at 50yds off a bipod.

Gawd it looked like a microdot with the 6x scope!

All this ammo shot amazingly well compared to Lapua Midas L match ammo at a fraction of the cost.

hope this helps

Cheerio Ned

[stinkitup]

As most have said you will need to try a heap. My Brno loves winnie subs, have tried some more expensive european sub sonic hollow points and no where near the same consistent grouping that the winnie's produced. I would pick a couple of packs of every sub sonic hollow point you can get and go shoot some groups.

For more power the winnie power points I think uses the same HP bullet as the subsonics and really open up, plus they shoot good for me.

Pick a whole range and go shoot, alot of rimfire only ranges only allow subsonics though as well so best to check before whipping out the stingers or power points.

[native hunter]

Eley subs will be your friend.!!!

[choppy2925]

My 452 American loves the sk hp subsonics also, virtually one one groups at 50 meters.

[Richta]

my 452 loves winnie power points. puts them into half an inch at 50m. As others have said just buy as many as you can and try them out. i was lucky i got a brick of powerpoints when i bought my rifle and after trying a whole bunch of different brands (including match) they still shoot the best!

[hold it hold it]

why does every one here use subs ? what are the benefits? iv always used high velocity ammo and its still not very loud especially when u compare it to a 223 etc

[trevort]

I only use a 22 when stealth is required, hence subbies. If I want to make a bang I've got 10 other options that are all a hell of a lot more emphatic/fun/destructive (insert favorite adjective here) than a 22

[curan]

Hi Andries,

I'll assume you havent gone through ammo selection before, so this will be a bit basic in content.
I'm still a fan of CCI Standard for "good for the field....may be good for the range practice" fodder. Agree with the comments about winnie subs, too. Some rifles absolutely love them.

G'day Andries, what I would suggest is to buy a heap of different ammo, (hollow points if your going to hunt) and sit down at the range and shoot 3x5 shot groups of each different brand/load and see which brand your rifle likes best, then go out and buy a 5000 round case you'll find that some brands perform a lot better than others in the accuracy stakes.

The comments (like from Knackers) recommending to but a half a dozen boxes and head for the range are spot on. (although your budget and shooting plans might dictate whether a 5000 case or 500 brick is the way to go once you know what you need ). Mark up an A4 sheet of paper (or target if the range insists) with the ammo type , post it at 50m and shoot 5 groups of 5 rounds into it through a clean barrel, from a rest/bipod/sandbag. Clean the barrel again, and then repeat the process for the other ammos.

Once you've been through this process, you'll have a fair idea on what shoots well through your rifle, what does a good job from a cold barrel, you'll have got a bit of practise, and it'll be a good day out. Don't know how old your son is, but you can probably involve him in "helping Dad test ammo". The last 2 five shot groups could be his to shoot. If a "cold/clean" barrel sprays the first group, take that into account. It might be worth rechecking that ammo at the end of the day, on a cold barrel once it is a bit fouled.

By the end of the first round of testing, you'll still have 6 half packets of ammo. You can either shoot off the stuff that you think did poorly, or do as I did and donate it to an new member at my club who was trying to find the right ammo for his new rifle. And you can hang onto the gear you thought shot well for hunting/practice/whatever.

I also agree with the comments on foxes........I personally wouldn't try to knock over a fox with winnie subs, and would think carefully before trying it with standard velocity rounds. It would depend on distance and placement. And it would have to be with the round the rifle was sighted in for (ie, don't carry a few cci stingers in your pocket "in case you see a fox).

It's worth going through this process, as you'll sort out what the rifle shoots well (although some seem to shoot just about anything), and it gives you a real comparison for your rifle. Plus it's not a bad day out......
This is what I do to sort my rimfires, anyway, and it seems to give me a decent starting point.

regards, curan