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Going back to the Remington Golden (topic drift), my customized 10/22 really likes them. They seem to be minute of sage rat for me...

I bought the Hunter Match because they are HP expanding unlike the bulk LRN ammo, and they are quite a bit more accurate in my experience. I will plink and practice with the bulk ammo, but hunt (if I need to) with the match ammo.

I have yet to try the Game Shok - between chores and weather, haven't had the chance.
 
I bought the Hunter Match because they are HP expanding unlike the bulk LRN ammo, and they are quite a bit more accurate in my experience. I will plink and practice with the bulk ammo, but hunt (if I need to) with the match ammo.

I have yet to try the Game Shok - between chores and weather, haven't had the chance.

Thanx for the info... I have a lot of .22lr right now, and no opportunity to hunt squeaks, but if I see some in a store, I'd be sure to pick up a box to try!
 
I don't hunt anymore - not usually - besides my health, I just don't have the time. But I wanted some RF ammo that was meant for hunting and was precise enough for small game.

Now that I have more time I could use it for small game. Lots of rabbits and squirrels here on the mountain. If SHTF, then hunting small game would help.
 
I tested over a dozen .22 loads in my bolt action and 10/22, and this particular load was one of those. I paid $4.98/50rd box (pre-tax and shipping) in the summer of 2017 from Cheaper Than Dirt. My method was to shoot a single multi-round (mostly 50 shot) group from a bench rest at 100yds.

In my bolt action (CZ 527 Ultra Lux), this ammo scored 12th out of 12 different loads tested. For this ammo, 49 shots in the group, 1 malfunction sufficient to destroy the cartridge, entire size of the group=4.3" and if I subtract 5 fliers, the group size was 3.6". For comparison, best in this rifle was Eley Club, 50 shot group, no malfs, entire group=2.1", minus five fliers=1.8".

In my 10/22 (free floated barrel, bedded action, volquartzen trigger group parts in 80s trigger group), this ammo scored 11th out 14 loads. It scored 5.2" for a 50 round group, no malfs, 3.4" with 5 fliers subtracted. In comparison, the best ammo I tested for this rifle was Eley Action, 35 shot group, no malfs, 2.6" for the entire group, 1.9" with 5 fliers subtracted.

I don't know why the Eley Action was only 35 shots as this was a couple years ago, but I suspect I had been shooting something higher velocity before and ended up wasting a lot of shots to get it on paper. I wish I had kept better notes on why some the groups had fewer shots -- the ones with malfunctions are obvious but not the others. Anyway, if I was to do it over, I would have organized the different .22 loads by velocity. I also wouldn't shoot single 50 shot groups again -- the center of the target would become a ragged hole making it hard to be sure my point of aim was always the same.

EDIT: In my notes the name on the load was not identical as on the box in the picture, but the load I tested was a 36gr, CPHP, advertised at 1280 FPS, which is the same, so I am assuming it is the same round with different marketing on the package.

Awesome post, lots of great info - thank you!

What's the price per round on that box?

I recently ran across Killough Shooting Sports -- they sell Eley ammo and right now the Eley Action (#1 in 10/22, lousy in my CZ) is on sale for 5.5c/rd in either 300 "rec pack" or 500 bricks: ELEY AMMUNITION

I was quoted 4c/round, $20/brick, $200/case.

That Winchester looks like it is in a different box but I could be wrong. I never tried what you posted from what the BOX LOOKS like. I would try one box and go from there and I would try it in ALL of my RF firearms BEFORE I bought a bunch of it as in a case or more.

We have not bought anything but FEDERAL 22lr ammunition for several years.

Mainly FEDERAL HP - bulk box from Walmart, FEDERAL Auto Match from various stores and one other one that we shot all up - CRS now on the exact grain or name but I think (?!) that it was FEDERAL American Eagle.

RF ammunition works well in some firearms but not in others according to some people online and in person.

I don't think that ammo like the ELY brand and other high priced brands work any better than what WE have used in Federal 22lr and in CCI over the years. Your mileage may vary!

We did buy some ELY one time and used it in a few firearms before I downsized. So did my MT husband. The results were NO better than using FEDERAL HP or FEDERAL AUTO MATCH and some other Federal ammunition for us. NO better than CCI too.

Personally, I think that it depends on the SHOOTER, specific guns that can be picky compared to some other guns (Ones that we don't own or personally want to own or even LIKE.), the weather and wind. Etc.

I have used many, many brands of RF ammunition (22lr and 22wmr) since the late 90's and my late husband and my MT husband did the same thing.

There was one brand of ammunition that I found extremely DIRTY and if my memory serves me right - it was one TYPE of Winchester 22lr or it could have been the batch of it. It was a LONG, long time ago and I only tried one bulk box of it and I never bought it again.

I never BOUGHT Thunderbolts (I tried some that belonged to another person though.) but I did try other Remington ammo on and off in RF and CF ammo. No issues.

I tried other types of Winchester ammo in RF and in CF factory loads and had no issues.

I like the FEDERAL 22lr brand and we have 2 types of that on hand now.

I like CCI but we shot all of that up.

I like MANY brands in 22wmr ammunition including the HORNADY Critical Defense brand.

I hear a LOT of people complain about their LUCK with 22lr ammunition and all I can say as a former HIGH VOLUME SHOOTER who shot MORE 22lr compared to my factory CF ammunition due to the COST of ammo (I did not/do not reload.) - I must have been very lucky compared to what I READ online.

(My MT husband does reload CF ammo and I have shot his loads in the past obviously.)

My MT husband who has been shooting since he was a KID basically says the same thing when people talk about their issues with RF shooting. It is not always the ammo in our opinion but it COULD be in some cases. The SHOOTER or a very picky or dirty firearm especially in some semi automatic firearms or the weather.

(Some ammo could be a BAD batch or made poorly compared to other ammunition too.)

And that was with ME shooting MANY RF brands of lever action rifles, many d/a and s/a revolvers, 1 CT made Marlin Papoose, 1 Smith and Wesson Model 41 and 1 Smith and Wesson Model 22A. NO problems with the bolt action rifles now either. (Former and present firearms.)

Best wishes to you.

Cate

Cate, thanx for the awesome reply! Its funny but, I actually found that Federal Auto Match is as Accurate as the Eley and Wolf $20/box of 50 (bold statement, I know) when I'm sitting down in front of the boob-tube and vegging, while I'm head spacing the Fed Auto Match. I use the FAM for most of my .22 competitive shooting now! It's great stuff for about $18/box of 325! I have found the head space to be amazingly consistent, as well. Maybe a 0.003" - 0.004" range per box with a couple of flyers.

Thank you everyone for your responses.
 
I don't shoot 22LR for accuracy and nearly always for recreation and plinking. I also
have never found a brand which couldn't be a decent performer in one of the other
22LR firearms I have so it's not a big deal. Firearms come with a variety of chamber
and headspacing. I will be happy to dispose of your bad ammo. Even if I encounter
dirty shooting ammo, I simply fire it in an easy to disassemble firearm and use the
cleaning time to get acquainted with field stripping. It's cathartic and I enjoy it.

To add credibility to evaluations, it would make more sense that folks ID the firearm
and what is disaggreable with the ammo. Lends to credibility vs jest bubblegumin
Good post!
 
[QUOTE="awshoot, post: 2575603, member: 46363]
... I also wouldn't shoot single 50 shot groups again -- the center of the target would become a ragged hole making it hard to be sure my point of aim was always the same...
[/QUOTE]

50 shot groups are an excellent idea if you really want to get a true idea of performance. The typical 3 to 5 shot groups many rely upon are un many ways statistically lacking in data.

To get around the aiming issues, crank your windage knob three or four MOA, and shoot at an appropriate aiming mark.

The group will form away from the mark allowing you to shoot the whole string without oblitering your reference point.

Then set your scope back to the original setting when finished.
 
Last Edited:
A couple of things. For 22LR ammo that is slow at or under 1100 ft/sec, being zeroed at 50 yds means you could be low by 8MOA ~ 8.5 inches at 100 yds.

50 yd zero is very practical for all kinds of plinking/hunting/target shooting.
One way to still shoot at 100 yards is to place target dots 8 inches below your desired impact area on a target.

Doing this lets you keep your 50 yard zero and still shoot at 100 yards occasionally.
Once you can confirm what your rifle/ammo/scope are doing, you can start using the elevation turret with confidence which is what it is designed to do.

As for ammo you tend to get what you pay for which means you will run across a box of turds every now and then. Pistols are great for consuming cheap ammo and like a few have already posted, revolvers are the best for crap ammo. If you ever see Winchester super X, that was pretty decent. I agree with others who don't like most Winchester ammo lately. My worst experience was with Remington Thunderbolt. Horrible leading of the barrel which takes a lot of time cleaning.

Federal Automatch is both affordable and reasonably accurate American Eagle won't shoot well at all in my bolt rifles.

I am currently testing alot of 22 ammo trying to find the best of the cheap as well as well as the best of the best. I think I had more fun just blasting though by taking the time to find accurate ammo in my rifles, I'm able to shoot 200 yards which is insane for a 22. It's good wind reading practice which I need more of.
 
I've returned defective ammo to a manufacturer twice. They stepped up both times, once with vouchers for more ammo (???), and the other time with a check to refund my purchase.

Winchester both times.
 

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