.22 long match grade ammo...is it worth the way more price.

[dolphin62]

I was just looking a flyer, book from a place that sells aammo and other gun shooting supplies. They had .22 ammo of all sorts for sale and from every brand. The thing that amazed me was the price of what was labeled as match grade .22 ammo. Some of this ammo was selling for $18 to $20 dollars for a box of 50.

My question is weather or not you get that much better accuracy from this grade of ammo?

[schüler]

I was just looking a flyer, book from a place that sells aammo and other gun shooting supplies. They had .22 ammo of all sorts for sale and from every brand. The thing that amazed me was the price of what was labeled as match grade .22 ammo. Some of this ammo was selling for $18 to $20 dollars for a box of 50.

My question is weather or not you get that much better accuracy from this grade of ammo?
It is noticeably more consistent in weight and velocity. That's one less thing to control.

[rjohnson4405]

Define "that much better".

You're plinking with a stock 10/22 at 25 yards, you don't need it.

You want to be competitive at a small bore competition, yeah you need it. You want to practice precision shooting at 100+ yards with a .22 that matches your full size gun, yeah you need it.

[APS-PF]

My question is weather or not you get that much better accuracy from this grade of ammo?

It depends on the gun but yes you definitely can. At that price though I suspect mainly serious competitors use it.

[LtDave]

If you are willing to hand sort by weight and rim thickness you can "approach" match grade results with standard grade ammo. You also might want to straighten and reform the bullets using a Waltz die or Paco tool. How much is your time worth as compared to the premium for the match grade ammo? Each .22 is an individual and sometimes they will shoot the cheap stuff just fine. You have to test a bunch to find out. That being said the best "bargain" match ammo I've used is Wolf Match Target and Aguila Match Rifle. I've shot the Aguila stuff out to 300 yards in a couple of match grade single shot rifles with excellent results.

[Lester Polfus]

I use a Marlin .22 rifle and Ruger Mk2 bull barrel pistol for small game hunting. I only take head shots on rabbits and grouse, thus accuracy is important to me.

I tend to put .22 ammo into three tiers:

1) The cheap bulk packaged promotional stuff like Remington Golden Bullet.

2) CCI

3) Expensive, target grade ammo.

There is a noticeable difference in accuracy between Tier 1 and Tier two. I often get unexplained fliers with the cheap promotional stuff. I am head of rabbit accurate with the pistol easily out to 25 yards, and further with the rifle with CCI.

In my guns at 25 and 50 yards, there is a difference between the CCI and the more expensive target ammo, but I have to shoot a pretty large number of groups, and literally bust out the calipers to see it. At 100 yards with the rifle, there match ammo is noticeably more accurate, but I don't care, because most of the places I hunt small game you can't even see 100 yards. If I routinely tried to kill small game at 100 yards, I would buy a .22 Mag.

I buy large quantities of CCI ammo. The step in performance justifies the price to me. For me, the juice isn't worth the squeeze on match grade.

[farscott]

As someone who probably shoots 1,000 rounds of rimfire for every round of centerfire ammo, I have a wide variety of rimfire ammo. I break it up into five basic categories. Of course, the lines are blurry, and lots of ammo falls into more than one category.

1) Bulk ammo. This is usually only suitable for plinking using something like a 10/22, Marlin 60, or a Ruger Standard/MK-pattern pistol with fixed sights. One exception was the old Winchester Dyna-Point, which was standard velocity ammo that grouped well from many guns.
2) High-velocity and hyper-velocity ammo that is used to make stuff blow up and make noise. Stuff tends to (but not always) group worse than bulk ammo and often has a non-standard case length. Think CCI Mini-Mags or Remington Yellow Jackets. Faster and louder.
3) Hunting ammo. Stuff like CCI SGB. A lot more consistent than above, usually packed in plastic boxes to reduce bullet damage. CCI Standard Velocity can be used here even though it is a less expensive match ammo. Some of my most consistent ammo is standard velocity hunting stuff. When I shoot 200 yards with a .22 LR rifle, more often than not, this is what I use. Shoots well in my old Kimber 82G and in my T/C Contender Carbine.
4) Subsonic ammo designed for use with suppressors or for quiet fun. Stuff like Remington SubSonic and CCI Quiet in .22 LR and the CCI 29-grain .22 Short target load. I frequently use Remington SubSonic in my Ruger pistols when I shoot in my backyard. I also use it for indoor Bullseye matches with one gun that groups well with it.
5) Full-blown target ammo suitable for Bullseye and other formal competition. Everything from CCI Green Tag to Eley Tenex. Serious shooters buy lots of batches that shoot well in their guns. I have bought CCI Green Tag and some of the joint-venture Remington/Eley ammo, but I cannot justify the expense of some of the match ammo.

The real nasty secret of rimfires is that you have to find ammo the gun shoots into the smallest groups. When I get a new .22, I usually spend several range sessions figuring out what results in the smallest groups and then logging that information for future use. The best is when a gun shoots less expensive ammo really well. I have a few guns that love the old Winchester DynaPoint, and I have several cases of it in my ammo stash.

Weird stuff that has worked for me.

1) CCI Standard Velocity is a good benchmark. If a gun does not group well with it, there is usually an issue. For me, that has been loose mount screws or a broken scope.
2) Switching brands without cleaning the bore with a few passes of the boresnake can result in inconsistent groups. The bullet lubrication plays a role. Eley lubrication is almost a liquid and is really messy. I cannot stand the stuff for any outdoor use. CCI is great for outdoor use.
3) Standard velocity ammo has less wind drift/deflection than high velocity ammo at most any practical range. It has something to do with the losses caused by passage through the air being proportional to velocity.
4) Stay away from Remington ammo. Even the new SubSonic is very inconsistent in both priming (failure to fire) and velocity distribution. Buy CCI.

[BN]

I've been shooting some long range rimfire matches with small targets from 25 yards out to 200 yards. I checked the results for the last three matches. Wolf Match Target was used by 10 of 10 in one match and 8 out of 10 for the other two matches. The matches have a price limit of $8 a box of 50. Wolf MT is $6 a box.

[Clusterfrack]

I agree with Bill. I shoot Wolf or SKS match ammo when I want to use a .22 as a precision rifle trainer out to 250 yds.

[Wayne Dobbs]

As someone who probably shoots 1,000 rounds of rimfire for every round of centerfire ammo, I have a wide variety of rimfire ammo. I break it up into five basic categories. Of course, the lines are blurry, and lots of ammo falls into more than one category.

1) Bulk ammo. This is usually only suitable for plinking using something like a 10/22, Marlin 60, or a Ruger Standard/MK-pattern pistol with fixed sights. One exception was the old Winchester Dyna-Point, which was standard velocity ammo that grouped well from many guns.
2) High-velocity and hyper-velocity ammo that is used to make stuff blow up and make noise. Stuff tends to (but not always) group worse than bulk ammo and often has a non-standard case length. Think CCI Mini-Mags or Remington Yellow Jackets. Faster and louder.
3) Hunting ammo. Stuff like CCI SGB. A lot more consistent than above, usually packed in plastic boxes to reduce bullet damage. CCI Standard Velocity can be used here even though it is a less expensive match ammo. Some of my most consistent ammo is standard velocity hunting stuff. When I shoot 200 yards with a .22 LR rifle, more often than not, this is what I use. Shoots well in my old Kimber 82G and in my T/C Contender Carbine.
4) Subsonic ammo designed for use with suppressors or for quiet fun. Stuff like Remington SubSonic and CCI Quiet in .22 LR and the CCI 29-grain .22 Short target load. I frequently use Remington SubSonic in my Ruger pistols when I shoot in my backyard. I also use it for indoor Bullseye matches with one gun that groups well with it.
5) Full-blown target ammo suitable for Bullseye and other formal competition. Everything from CCI Green Tag to Eley Tenex. Serious shooters buy lots of batches that shoot well in their guns. I have bought CCI Green Tag and some of the joint-venture Remington/Eley ammo, but I cannot justify the expense of some of the match ammo.

The real nasty secret of rimfires is that you have to find ammo the gun shoots into the smallest groups. When I get a new .22, I usually spend several range sessions figuring out what results in the smallest groups and then logging that information for future use. The best is when a gun shoots less expensive ammo really well. I have a few guns that love the old Winchester DynaPoint, and I have several cases of it in my ammo stash.

Weird stuff that has worked for me.

1) CCI Standard Velocity is a good benchmark. If a gun does not group well with it, there is usually an issue. For me, that has been loose mount screws or a broken scope.
2) Switching brands without cleaning the bore with a few passes of the boresnake can result in inconsistent groups. The bullet lubrication plays a role. Eley lubrication is almost a liquid and is really messy. I cannot stand the stuff for any outdoor use. CCI is great for outdoor use.
3) Standard velocity ammo has less wind drift/deflection than high velocity ammo at most any practical range. It has something to do with the losses caused by passage through the air being proportional to velocity.
4) Stay away from Remington ammo. Even the new SubSonic is very inconsistent in both priming (failure to fire) and velocity distribution. Buy CCI.

I've also found that old Winchester Dynapoint was extremely accurate in several different .22 rifles. I've lost track of the number of starlings that the Lord "called home" courtesy of that load all the way out to ~90 yards. And, CCI is some of the best .22 ammo made. One other load that I've stocked up as it shoots so well (accuracy) and is very good terminally on small game is the Winchester Power Point load. It parallels CCI as a good control load and it was widely available.

[Wyoming Shooter]

Our club buys SK Standard in bulk. It's excellent ammo. We sell it to members for $60/500. Virtually all our 50 and 100 yard match shooters use it with good results.

[LtDave]

Our club buys SK Standard in bulk. It's excellent ammo. We sell it to members for $60/500. Virtually all our 50 and 100 yard match shooters use it with good results.

IIRC SK Standard is the same as Wolf Match Target. SK Standard Plus is equivalent to Wolf Match Extra.
And I also had better than expected results with the old Winchester Dynapoints

[peterb]

The real nasty secret of rimfires is that you have to find ammo the gun shoots into the smallest groups. When I get a new .22, I usually spend several range sessions figuring out what results in the smallest groups and then logging that information for future use. The best is when a gun shoots less expensive ammo really well.

CCI Standard Velocity is a good benchmark. If a gun does not group well with it, there is usually an issue. For me, that has been loose mount screws or a broken scope.

Agree. I recently spent an afternoon trying a variety of ammo in an inexpensive Marlin XT-22 bolt action rifle, and was delighted to find that it did best with CCI Standard Velocity.

Given the reliability of CCI .22LR compared with the bargain bulk stuff, it's my brand of choice for general use -- Standard Velocity for the bolt-action rifles and MiniMags or AR for the semiauto rifles and pistols.

[Alembic]

What the consensus on Federal .22 offerings? Specifically the Auto Match, 40 gr solid.

[Wyoming Shooter]

IIRC SK Standard is the same as Wolf Match Target. SK Standard Plus is equivalent to Wolf Match Extra.
And I also had better than expected results with the old Winchester Dynapoints

I need to correct my earlier post. We are using SK Standard Plus. It's good stuff.

[LtDave]

What the consensus on Federal .22 offerings? Specifically the Auto Match, 40 gr solid.

A lot of local guys used to shoot the Auto Match in our long range silhouette matches with good results. I never got great results with it myself, and found Aguila Match Rifle performed better at a slight price premium. IMHO good for general use unless you want to sort it by rim thickness and/or weight. I like the Federal 810 and 710 high velocity stuff, it seems on a par with CCI MiniMag as far as quality goes. The really high end Federal match stuff shoots really well but at a steep price premium. The mid range match stuff seems good, but I've had better results with other, less expensive match ammo like the Aguila or Wolf.

[Soggy]

What the consensus on Federal .22 offerings? Specifically the Auto Match, 40 gr solid.

That has been my main learning round. I can consistently get groups in the 1.25"-2" range at 100 yds with my 3-9 scoped 452. I want to get to 1" consistently, so I am looking at better ammo. I bought a bunch of norma match (eley) at a good price, but it doesn't seem to group any better in my rifle. I think I'll try the SK/Wolf plus next, or the Aguila.

[Duelist]

What the consensus on Federal .22 offerings? Specifically the Auto Match, 40 gr solid.

Much better than other bulk ammo, not as good as real match ammo.

[Jim Watson]

Just bought a supply of CCI Standard Velocity.
Largely because it has been so reliable for the local Speed Steel match I just started going to. Three matches plus practice 100% in M41.

Aquila is quite good and cheap, too.

I have some leftover salvage Wolf MT, ME, and SK Std+. It is accurate in a bolt action rifle but is very mild and does not cycle MY autos very well.

I have a 10-22 that when new was very accurate with Winchester Super X. It lost the gilt edge and is pretty ordinary with about anything now.

I had some early Dynapoint - the shallow hollowpoint supposedly developed for Australians to shoot large pest rabbits with - that was very accurate.

[farscott]

Here is a bit of a funny story as I like .22 Short more than I can reasonably justify. So after Sandy Hook, during the Great Ammo Vacuum, most anything Long Rifle became unobtanium. Centerfire ammo was scarce, but rimfire was just not available. I was compulsively haunting a few ammo web sites, including grafs.com, looking for "in stock" ammo. During one of my fruitless searches, I saw that Grafs had some .22 Short target loads that were supposedly used by or made for an Olympic shooting team. Sounded like a line, but ammo was not to be found in 2013, especially .22 Short. And the price was not too bad, especially compared to my usual CCI load. So I bought as much as I could justify. Desperation breeds its own form of stupidity.

When I got the ammo, I opened a plain cardboard box to find the end label says, "Made in Poland" and has the date, "26 Listop 1987", which translates to 26-NOV-1987. In other words, this stuff was made when I was in college, and the Berlin Wall was still a real thing. So I had bought cases of twenty-six year old Polish .22 Short ammo that may have been stored in unconditioned space for more than twenty years. Things were not looking promising, and I wondered if I had really made a mistake. The boxes looked good, the black plastic trays holding the rounds were nice, and the rounds looked fairly uniform, but this stuff was old and of unknown storage history. So I did not know what to think.

I decided to give it a try in a dedicated Bullberry .22 Short barrel wearing a Leupold 4X EER scope for my Contender pistol. After the first box, I was really impressed by two things. This stuff was quiet, and it was insanely consistent. I was shooting slow fire fifty-foot smallbore targets at about 100', and my groups were really small. After finishing the shooting session and wiping down the gun, I went back to Grafs and ordered all I could. I was so happy to find a consistent target ammo that worked for me.

A couple of days later, Grafs sent me an email that said they could not fill my order. That was the reality of the aftermath of Sandy Hook.

[LtDave]

I think I have a carton of that Polish .22 short.

[farscott]

Another one worth trying is Norma TAC-22. It is a 40-grain round nose loading. The lube is oily, so it is not the best for things like the Ultimate Cliploader, but it shoots well in just about any decent .22 I have tried. It was one I tried when any .22 at less than $60 a brick was a good deal. It is loaded a little hotter than I like (1100 fps is the claim), but it is consistent. I do not remember having any duds. MidwayUSA has it on sale now for $45 a brick. Makes me miss the days of buying DynaPoint for $10 a brick when K-Mart stopped selling ammo.

Today I shot a box of an older loading (before Federal Premium) Federal Champion in a Volquartsen bull-barreled Ruger MK III Target topped with an Aimpoint Pro. My target was a 12-ounce coffee can, and the distance was just under 100'. My goal with those kind of targets is to keep the target moving from bullet impacts until the gun runs dry. I am looking for a good combination of shooting speed and hitting a target whose movement is somewhat unpredictable. It is good practice for small-game season. Standard velocity ammo also ruins a lot less meat than high-velocity or the hyper-velocity stuff.