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In everyone's own opinion what is your favorite 22lr hollow point in terms of actually expanding in a hunting scenario. I use mine for target, small rodent, and if nothing stronger is within reach, for coyote. (The coyote are an issue here so I don't care to use 22lr occasionally though I have never found a body with the caliber)
 
In everyone's own opinion what is your favorite 22lr hollow point in terms of actually expanding in a hunting scenario. I use mine for target, small rodent, and if nothing stronger is within reach, for coyote. (The coyote are an issue here so I don't care to use 22lr occasionally though I have never found a body with the caliber)
The fastest 36 gr I can get my hands on, win, rem, and even centurions (or maybe sentinels?) have all taken critters up to and including yotes at realistic ranges with proper shot placement. All guns were open sights and on yotes ranges were under 100 yds. But I've also dropped yotes with high brass .410 #4, so I guess I'm already in the "undergunned" crowd. I will advise that since you don't mention distance, and you suggest yotes have run off, you might experiment to see if you need more penetration than what you already have, or if you need more expansion. I've thumped plenty of critters with a .22 and usually I like the 36 gr hps, but every now and then, something else works VERY WELL.
 
CCI velocitors and Winchester hyper speed 40 grain hp's are very powerful and are both very accurate in my guns. They are both rated at 1435. For smaller critters I like CCI mini mags, though I've killed lots of gophers and red squirrels and the like with all kinds of cheap 22 ammo like golden bullets and cci standards.
 
I don't know how helpful it will be but I tested several in SIMTEST a while back. These were all fired from a pistol, except one. From left to right they are: CCI Minimag, CCI Velocitor, Browning high velocity HP, Remington Golden Bullet, Norma Subsonic HP (pistol/rifle).

IMG_0388.jpg
 
For serious work with a 22, I've been using CCI Stingers pretty much since I started shooting. I know them, am familiar with them and they work, so I use them.

For everything else, the purchase decision is almost always made on the basis of price per round.
 
I don't know how helpful it will be but I tested several in SIMTEST a while back. These were all fired from a pistol, except one. From left to right they are: CCI Minimag, CCI Velocitor, Browning high velocity HP, Remington Golden Bullet, Norma Subsonic HP (pistol/rifle).

View attachment 777463

Would have been helpful if you indicated the penetration depth too.
 
CCI mini mag are my go to for coon hunting. I use a 6 inch barreled semiauto.
 
When I want the best .22LR performance on game/varmints I usually choose CCI Mini-Mag HPs. For plinking and indoor informal plinking/target shooting, bulk Federal Automatch is usually pretty good, but recently got a couple of bad batches. Good news is that the price is now about $17, and a year to two ago, it was about twice as much.
 
Hard to beat Mini Mags for consistency and solid performance IMHO.

For bulk ammo, I actually like the performance of Winchester Power Points as far as sheer expansion.

Stingers are fast, but they are also light (31 grains if I'm not mistaken) and a lot of guns don't really do that well with them accuracy-wise. That being said - when they connect, the performance is impressive.


I would also urge you to check out some other hyper-velocity ammo. I have always liked Remington Vipers (not HP, but still effective). Some people swear by Yellow Jackets. I have most of a brick of Spitfires laying around. Experiment and see for yourself.


To test expansion, try filling an old soup or vegetable can with sand, dirt or mud. If you can then put the full can inside another larger can... even better. Try it for yourself.
 
I’ve always gotten excellent penetration but iffy expansion from Mini Mag HPs. They are however consistently accurate compared to many others I’ve tried. I had an awkward angle on a squirrel once, shot him through the eye (10/22 rifle, 16”), and pulled the slug from under the skin right next to his tail, about a foot of penetration by estimate, but again with minimal expansion.
 
I haven't tried the high velocity browning stuff but I bought a. 400 round box of their bulk 22 lr ammo last year. At least 5-10% failed to fire. Nah I'm good thanks.
 
I've used CCI Stingers which make a Whap sound when you hit a rabbit. Also I think it was Shooting Illustrated that the N.R.A. sends out where I saw what were unusually high velocities for the bullets weight and excellent accuracy from their tests with Aguila.
 
Another vote for CCI 40g Velocitors. I’ve shot quite a few rabbits with them out to past 50y. They hit really hard for a .22.
 
IMHO, it depends on two things: 1) Whether you're looking for terminal performance that has rapid expansion or controlled expansion, i.e. - blastable vs edible. and 2) How accurate does the rifle/ammo combo need to be?
You will get rapid expansion with CCI Stinger, the CCI Segmented, other hyper-velocity types that fragment.
Controlled expansion is with the more traditional HV HP's (1240fps and similar, even though we know that number is not truthful, but I digress). Both lead and plated, like CCI MM 36gr, Winchester Xpert/555's, Rem GB HP, Fed/AE Hp's. Although CCI's subsonic HP has soft lead and a big cavity - I'm sure they'd work well also, but you'd have to adjust the scope.

I would think the place to start would be the purpose or size of game.
If the purpose is target, just take a shortcut and buy something that is 40gr and goes 1080fps. Those will get you "internet sized" groups easier.
But for game, the size of game matters. Some of these HP's may only attain 1.5" at 50yds rested. (Or in my case 1.8 - 2.4" for the Rem GB's! - ha)
For 'yotes and other large for 22LR game, you might think about CCI SGB.
It's hard to get around testing different kinds of ammo in your own rifle to see which works the best.
 
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