Strategy needed for match to augment training: rimfire ammo poll

Status
Not open for further replies.
Grayrock

Grayrock

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2003
Messages
1,820
Location
The great state of TEXAS
My buddies and I are getting together for an informal rimfire 3-gun match in a few days. I have a few choices in ammo. If you were to rank these bullets what would be your order of preference? I can not go out and buy newer better ammo, I have to make do with what I have. Based on your experience which one of these would you choose and why? AAAAAmo.jpg
 
Looks like you may be shooting a 10/22, if so, I would rank the ammo thusly:
MiniMags
Automatch
Aguila
555s
Stangers [sic]
Thunders
 
Last edited:
Yeah, save the stingers until the end. You may need em. To me, the rest of the stuff is all about the same. The Aguila might be more accurate, but you don't need that in a 3 gun match. I ran a 10/22 in a run n gun steel match and saw no difference in reliability, or lack thereof, between the Remington 22s and the Federal Auto match.
 
What are the parameters of the 3 gun match as far as accuracy goes?

Based on your experience, in your rifle, what one is the most reliable?

Assuming the accuracy requirements are easily achieved with any and completion time is the most critical element, the answer to the second question would be my pick.
 
Have you considered actually shooting them from a rest in the rifle/pistol you will be using and then use the one that is the most reliably accurate? Different firearms have their own preferences, and just because my CZ 455 prefers CCI Standard Velocity over Federal Auto Match and CCI MiniMags doesn’t mean your 10/22 will. Heck, your firearm might prefer the Thunderbolts!
Decades ago I tested a bunch of .22 ammo in my then new Colt Diamondback with a 6” barrel. Back then, the Remington Thunderbolts gave the best accuracy! (Honest! Keep in mind it was a LONG time ago, not the current infamous “ThunderDuds” of today).
That being said, I would definitely try Winchester last due to recent dismal reliability and performance from their current rimfire offerings, both in .22lr and .17HMR. I would also be surprised if the Stingers would be as accurate as the Mini-Mags or the Federal Auto Match. I have a brick of Aguila Super Extra, but have yet to try it in my .22’s.
 
I'm throwing a monkey wrench into the works here. I was able to score a box of Eley Club today. Tracking says I should have it in time for the "match". Hopefully Brown Santa will be good to me. Where would you place that in the hierarchy? PS- have not tried all ammo in all guns and will not do that before the "match". Probably won't ever do that for data generating purposes. That makes fun-shooting sound like too much work.
 
I am not sure where Eley club would compare to your other ammo, but I picked up a brick of SK Standard Plus ammo a few days ago and shot it in my CZ-455 in our club 100 yd .22 match today for a new personal high of 388 -12x. It is my new match ammo. Never thought I would ever spend $10 per box of 50 for .22 Lr ammo.
 
My 10-22 likes anything high velocity, 1260 or above. Anything slower and I get misfeeds. The federal automatch is borderline for me. I only use it for practice, what little there is of that.
 
We had so much fun that we are going to do this again. This time it will be a few more shotgun targets (to appease one of my buddies) and a "long range" rifle stage (250 yards) as per another buddy's request.
 
Dunross said:
Meeks36 said:
CCI, Aquila, federal, winchester, and finally thunder duds.
Click to expand...
That's the order I would recommend.
Click to expand...
Same here. If you do not want much flyers, I would stay with CCI and Aguila 40 gr.

This is the order of accuracy produced from my now approaching 10,000 round 25/50/100 yard testing with 10/22 and T/CR22 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ades-of-22lr-ammunition.903043/#post-12238960
  1. CCI Standard 40 gr LRN - Boxed
  2. CCI Blazer 40 gr LRN - Boxed
  3. Aguila 40 gr LRN - Boxed
  4. Aguila 40 gr CPRN - Boxed
  5. Aguila 40 gr LRN Pistol Match - Boxed
  6. Federal Auto Match 40 gr LRN - Bulk
  7. Federal Game Shok 40 gr CPRN - Boxed
  8. Aguila 38 gr CPHP - Boxed
  9. Federal Field Pack 38 gr CPHP - Bulk
  10. Remington Golden Bullet 36 gr CPHP - Bulk
  11. Remington Thunderbolt 40 gr LRN - Bulk
  12. Armscor 36 gr CPHP - Boxed
  13. Federal Champion 40 gr LRN - Boxed
  14. Federal Value 36 gr CPHP 525 Blue Box (Old/New) - Bulk
  15. Federal Value 36 gr CPHP 550 Walmart Red Box (Old/New) - Bulk
  16. Winchester XPert 36 gr LRN 500 - Bulk
  17. Winchester 36 gr CPHP 555 - Bulk
  18. Winchester M22 40 gr CPRN 500 Bulk
 
Grayrock said:
My buddies and I are getting together for an informal rimfire 3-gun match in a few days. I have a few choices in ammo. If you were to rank these bullets what would be your order of preference? I can not go out and buy newer better ammo, I have to make do with what I have. Based on your experience which one of these would you choose and why?View attachment 982861
Click to expand...
MiniMags
Automatch
Stangers [sic
555s

Well, I'm late to the party. Looks like it was a decent match. How did you do and what ammo did you decide on?
Thunders
Aguila
My guns love Mini Mags so that's why I pick them first. AutoMag is a very close second. Only problem is I get a few misfires per box lately.
Stangers run almost as good as Mini Mags but just like Stingers their case is just a little longer and won't work in some guns.
Thunders are dirty.
Aguila has given me three out of battery fires and I don't feel safe shooting them anymore.
555s run decent and I don't have any misfires. They just aren't as accurate as AutoMags.
 
Last edited:
AzShooter1 said:
Thunders are dirty ... Aguila has given me three out of battery fires and I don't feel safe shooting them anymore. 555s run decent and I don't have any misfires.
Click to expand...
During my nearly 40,000 round testing in several 10/22s and new Take Down model along with ARs with CMMG 22LR conversion bolts the past 4 years, I had inconsistent feeding and primer ignition issues that I swore off "Thunder Duds" forever. And as expected, few rounds of Federal bulk duds were accepted as "typical" for cheap bulk ammo.

Since some of my ammunition were decades old, for my 10,000 round 10/22 and T/CR22 break-in threads, I bought and shot only new lot ammunition purchased within 6 months to 1 year.

Guess what?

I experienced no misfeeds and no misfires, even from the dreaded "Thunder Duds" using 10 round magazines. And as round count increased to thousands of rounds, I found as long as I kept the firearms and magazines clean, all various 20+ brand/weight/nose profile/lot ammunition fired consistently (Only exception was Winchester M22 which consistently produced several duds out of each 500 round bulk box for all different firearms used: 10/22, T/CR22, ARs with CMMG 22LR bolt, GSG 1911).

Curious to why this could happen so I did a "myth busting" thread to realize that perhaps all boxed/loose bulk ammunition had priming compound at the rim when they left the factory and they would all fire reliably but during rough shipping and handling, some priming compound could have moved away and these voids in priming compound at the rim could be causing duds - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/myth-busting-22lr-no-dud-why-dud-thread.893062/

During my 650,000 round centerfire pistol shooting journey the past 30 years with countless 22LR fired (I averaged 15K/year so I guess around 500,000 rounds of 22LR), I have seen consumable parts like springs and magazine followers wear needing replacement. Many of us shoot more 22LR than other centerfire cartridges and how often do we change magazine springs or followers?

"But it used to feed reliably before ... must be the cheap crappy ammo they are making these days." ;)

So before we are quick to blame the ammunition, we should look at firearm fouling, magazine fouling/wear, parts wear/breakage, ammunition handling/storage/age.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Justin
  • Locked
The Colorado Inaugural Tactical Rimfire Rifle Match
Replies
7
Views
2K
Hoser
Hoser
Hoser
  • Locked
Pueblo Colorado Weekday Matches
Replies
18
Views
2K
Hoser
Hoser
P
  • Locked
University of Florida Pistol Team (SPP Match, SE Championship) (Picture Heavy)
Replies
5
Views
756
twofifty
T
E
  • Locked
April Virtual match suggestions. You tell me what you want.
2
Replies
28
Views
1K
El Rojo
E
R
  • Locked
Kimber K22 SVT
Replies
6
Views
2K
rolltide1
R
Back
Top