Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

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fenring
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Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by fenring »

Had been interested in these for a while and now that Raytrade is bringing them in to Australia I got a couple of boxes from the LGS.

Price was an eye watering $20AUD a box...

Anyway, these have a 60gr round nose solid lead bullet in what appears to be a .22 Short case.

The idea being the heavy bullet gives the subsonic load as much energy as a HVHP.

Image

Which may or may not be of any use if the solid 60gr bullet is going to sail on through small game anyway...

SO.....I got out my short barrel PWS Summit (which is ammo fussy in every respect at the best of times), my 77/22 which can shoot ragged cloverleaves at 50m with what it likes, and the Ruger Precision Rimfire which can do the same.

I started off by firing 5 shots to foul and warm up the 77/22. All my .22's run on unplated lead bullets anyway.

And at 50m I couldn't hit any of my steel targets....

So five into the target and there were no holes on the small black dot or near it. Hmmmm. And there they were sort of above and all around it....well four of them were. The other was a keyhole several inches to the left.

Image

Clearly not stabilising.

Out with the PWS and after a few foulers the first shot at the paper at least landed in the same postcode as the POA. And more or less nose first. AAANND a stuck case. This little gun will on occasion fail to extract, despite all sorts of work being done on it. Yes, the straight pull action is slick and fast...assuming cases extract and eject. Which sometimes they don't.... I soldiered on with most failing to extract and having to be flicked out with a nearby discarded bit of fence wire. I couldn't be bothered going back to the shed for anything better...

Vertical stringing and signs of keyholing.

Image

Out with the RPR which got several to warm it up and foul it. Again, nowhere near zero despite being sighted in with CCI subs.

This sort of group is about an inch across but signs of keyholing. Note stray shot from 77/22 "group" or rather "pattern."

Image

Aguila's spiel says: FOR WHEN ACCURACY MATTERS MOST. Featuring a 60-grain lead bullet on a short case, the cartridge has the same overall dimensions and energy equivalent to a standard 22 long rifle round. The faster barrel twist of the projectile ensures accuracy for target shooting and small-game hunting without excessive noise. Recommended for use in barrels longer than 20″.

And none of my rifles have a 20" pipe. The RPR is 18, the PWS is 10.5 without the brake and the 77/22 is 17". Can't see it making that much difference tho.

Anyway, as I said earlier, extra energy is good but if it's whizzing through the target like most solid .22's do it won't add any killing power.

I will also add that I heard a few of these whizz off the fairly soft soil quite dramatically so if you're worried about ricochet's these are not for you...

I will try to shoot some bunnies with them and the RPR one day soon but I'm not expecting them to be any better than a standard velocity solid on game. Unless they hit sideways....
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by The Raven »

Great report.

Funny sort of round and a bit pricey.


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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by fenring »

Yep.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by fenring »

Vintage Lithgow Model 12, 50m. At least useable and they're going nose first....

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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by B4408 »

They're a bit different. Any idea of fps?
Thanks for testing. Maybe for big game :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by The Raven »

Hmmm, got me wondering whether I should try some through my 22s.

Sportco model 40, Henry, and Winchester/ToZ 78

Three wildly different 22s.


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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Tony Z »

Aguila SSS 60 grain was developed for the Poseidon rifles to dispatch watchdogs, so legend has it. Bolt action, integral suppressor using a 9 twist barrel. A lot of mystery about this particular rifle and its true purpose.
The only current commercial rifle sold that is suited to this ammo is the VQ, which also runs a 9 twist barrel and as i recall was made for shooting silhouettes using some of the heavier bullets we never see here.
The listed velocity was 950 fps but tests i read years ago say that is a gross over estimate where it is common to see batch lots barely clock 650 fps and others reach the dizzying heights of 850 fps. A 100 fps ES was commonly reported by those who chronographed the stuff after sheer frustration of no two batch lots hitting within a yard of each other.
Made in some back yard operation inTexas, Aguila has long had the reputation of being the worst quality control ammo made. Having said that, Remington bucket ammo and one very expensive lot of Tenex sitting down in Brisbane would have to edge it out because the Aguila stuff actually does go bang.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by fenring »

From what I gather none of the Aguila stuff will be that competitively priced so I'll give it a pass beyond trying these out. I like CCI and S+B subs for my own use and almost never use HV ammo.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Old Trev-39 »

That Tenex sitting in Brisbane can be joined by a lot of Lapua Centre X sitting in various cupboards in Far Nth Qld. Eley match shooting .3's at 50 m Lapua 1.25+ out of same rifles.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Tony Z »

We can blame Covid for this Trev. That lot of Tenex was used by a very well known shooter at a match earlier this year where one in five didn't fire. Examination showed the primer mix was not around the whole rim. Another BR shooter in Brisvegas told me an inch at 50 was good with this stuff. Fortunately he borrowed the box he tested.


Someone told me, may have been you Trev, that that Lapua batch was clocking 60 fps ESs. That's good for 3/4" at 50 meters. I'm hearing similar stories about Eley Black marked 2020.
This is not making me confident of returning to rimfires Trev unless they start using the big Hunter target at 50.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Branxhunter »

Not sure if others are able to access this thread over on THL:

http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/sh ... hp?t=19598

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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Old Trev-39 »

2 shooters up here using the new 2021 Eley Match with god results. My Centre X batch year 2017. Yes I had some Centre X over a Labradar for the 60 f.p.s. E/S.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Branxhunter »

Old Trev-39 wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:15 pm 2 shooters up here using the new 2021 Eley Match with god results.
Perfect score? :lol:

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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by Old Trev-39 »

I see that I had a typo. I do not think God had any influence, or maybe!
I.R.B. Target of 248.15 for one shooter, and a 50 mt. group of .156 and a 100yd. group of .269 for the other is not shabby.
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Re: Quick test of the Aguila 60gr .22LR subsonic

Post by dashooter »

Tony Z wrote:Aguila SSS 60 grain was developed for the Poseidon rifles to dispatch watchdogs, so legend has it. Bolt action, integral suppressor using a 9 twist barrel. A lot of mystery about this particular rifle and its true purpose.
The only current commercial rifle sold that is suited to this ammo is the VQ, which also runs a 9 twist barrel and as i recall was made for shooting silhouettes using some of the heavier bullets we never see here.
The listed velocity was 950 fps but tests i read years ago say that is a gross over estimate where it is common to see batch lots barely clock 650 fps and others reach the dizzying heights of 850 fps. A 100 fps ES was commonly reported by those who chronographed the stuff after sheer frustration of no two batch lots hitting within a yard of each other.
Made in some back yard operation inTexas, Aguila has long had the reputation of being the worst quality control ammo made. Having said that, Remington bucket ammo and one very expensive lot of Tenex sitting down in Brisbane would have to edge it out because the Aguila stuff actually does go bang.
I think the difference between the Tenex and Lapua vs the Aguila Tony is the Aguila will consistently be shit where as the other two have had a bad batch every now and then but in the long run be consistent.


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