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I just got a 10/22 Takedown model and need reliable ball ammo for it. What do you guys like?
Also, for hunting small game or varmint control, do I need hollow points or is ball sufficient (this is my first venture into hunting/shooting pests). If I also need HPs, what are your recommendations? Thanks!
At .22 LR speeds, projectile shape doesn't matter much.
CCI makes segmented rounds that come apart, and they allegedly work, but if you're shooting stuff that is appropriate for shooting with .22 LR, it just doesn't make much appreciable difference.
Hitting a squirrel with a .22" chunk of lead is like hitting a person with a bowling ball at the same velocity. Put the bullet into the vitals or head and they don't feel much for very long.
When it comes to semi-auto 22's, they're pretty much all blowback operated, which becomes a little bit of an issue because most ammo that is precise enough to hit those relatively small targets at 25-75 yards is subsonic, and subsonic and blow-back operation don't always get along.
My 10/22 takedown does pretty decently with CCI MiniMag, and functions reliably.
Federal AutoMatch was ok, but my tested lots of CCI MM were a little better than the Federal. The opposite could be true in other cases.
CCI Mini-Mags would be a good place to start….
My 10/22 has never seemed too ammo picky, even seems to shoot Golden Bullets without care. I would buy several available loadings as see which ones shoot the most reliably and accurately and then buy a couple cases of that ammo.
I’m not convinced that the various hollow point loadings expand reliably in small game however the “hyper velocity loadings” such as CCIs “Stinger” most certainly do.
And yeah - CCIs offerings have tended to give me the best performance in general.
I agree with CCI Mini-mag or Stingers
I have had great luck with both these types of ammo. 100% reliability and good accuracy for several years.Quote:
Originally Posted by rd62
My vote is use hollowpoints on anything live if possible, the older remington Viper loads I believe, a trucated flat point solid also killed small game better than round nose solids, but the hollwpoints are definite step up in keeping small game where you hit them and not running off or crawling into a hole in a tree and never seeing them. Prairie dogs also frequently get in their hole when hit with round nose solids, rarely so with hollowpoints. Id never willingly shoot small game with round nose solids if a hollowpoint load was available. Even 22 short hollowpoints kill squirrels better than solids and dont make much noise.
In my experience hollow points are much more definitive on small game than round nose solids. The absolute best small game hunting 22 LR bullet I've ever used is the Winchester 40gr. Power Point. It anchors small game with authority and I even shot a decent size coyote with one last year at 30 yards. The bullet entered him behind the shoulder and he ran 5 yards and keeled over stone dead. As a bonus they have always been extremely accurate in my guns.
To put it a different way, try various normal high velocity hollowpoint loads and see if you find one that shoots tighter groups in your gun and work from there.
Theres no guarantees what any individual gun will prefer for ammo, even an identical example may shoot best with another make or type, though higher grade ammo will probably end to shoot better on average. Still, Id use whatever hollowpoint loads shoot best and are available, buy a quantity and drive on.
Small game hunting is often hit them however one can, as they are often moving. A squirrel high up in a tree only showing a small part of themselves, or a running jack or cottontail, the hollowpoints definitely anchor them much better than solids. Jack rabbits hit in the body are generally stopped, though may need a finishing shot if not a perfect shot. After having jacks get up and run off after being hits by RN 38 spl, 44 spl, 45 auto and 5.56 55 gr fmj, Im stuck on using the best loads for stopping them within the calibers abilities. Marmots in the mountains mostly dont go far when body hit with 22 LR hollowpoints in a rifle, I had one body shot with a 45 Colt swc solid that got off into its hole. Doesnt sound like it makes sense, but thats the experience on the ground. Hollowpoints add a significant improvement in effect on smaller game.