TTv2
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 4,997
That's about as definitive of an answer, you had already decided to keep the Short over the LR.Well, I have since sold off my NAA 22LR, but I still have my NAA 22Short!
This has been my personal experience at least. I have over 1,200 rounds through that little gun so far (I know, that's a crazy high round count for one of these little guns... but, I really enjoy shooting it!), and have never once noticed a key hole tear in my target paper. It's always round 22cal holes as you would expect. Even out to 25 yards, it's still making 22 cal holes in paper. I have only ever shot the hyper-velocity 22Shorts though, I'm not sure how the slower CB cap or lead target rounds would perform. My 22LR model wasn't bad either, most rounds did fly true... however, I would see an occasional keyhole round every once in a while (often a flyer, that struck on the outer edge of the target). I just assume the super short barrel, and twist rate combination, is a better match for the 29gr bullet over the heavier, longer rounds the 22LR was spitting out. I had also re-crowned both guns for best possible performance (NAA doesn't do a good job there). The problem would have likely been even worse, had I not done this.
I probably bring my smaller NAA out every few months and put 50 rds thru it, so probably 200-300 rds a year and that's to stay fresh with it. I should probably do some chronograph testing with it to see what's getting a good velocity as that's the best metric to figure what will penetrate well. I doubt that I would shoot the Short or LR NAA any more than what I already do with the Magnum frame, so at less than a brick a year I don't have an issue paying the extra $20 for a brick of Shorts.
Your belief that there's something off with the barrel or twist rates that NAA is using for the LR causes the keyholes is possible, but what I take from your experience and others and Paul Harrell is that the .22 LR model has an unresolved issue that may not affect every shot, but will randomly do so. I think even my Magnum models have keyholed a .22 LR or started to cause a keyhole, but since it's a .22 Mag length cylinder and barrel, I can assume that's the issue and there's nothing that can be done about it.
Thank you for your replies, you've done a lot of shooting and testing with the .22 Short model and provided me with a lot of information. I'll give it another few days to think it over, but now I'm leaning back to the Short model since it seems to be more consistent and repeatable in its performance.