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Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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In several Topics lately we have discussed .22 lr shooting, primarily in DW revolvers. Can we get some wisdom/experience in one place (here) about what works and doesn't work, and why?
I shoot more .22 lr than anything else (300-1000 weekly), and through about 20 different firearms over the past few years
1) In a .22 lr firearm of any kind, ammunition selection seems to be the the biggest variable in terms of function and accuracy. In an otherwise properly functioning firearm different ammunition will show very wide swings in accuracy.
2) Except in very high end applications, higher cost ammo rarely assures better results
3) Identical models of firearms will have widely varied likes in ammunition, and no one ammunition is a universal Best Choice
4) I test a wide variety of brands, bullet styles, velocities, etc. to determine the best results, and then I buy up large quantities of ammunition in that same lot. If it works well, I go back and buy a bunch. Once I shoot through my supply, I sometimes find that replacement ammunition of the same brand/type gives different results
5) 22's don't need to be cleaned all that often, by and large, and I sometimes lose some group size/accuracy after a through cleaning.
6) I generally prefer Standard Velocity, because I shoot at mostly 50'-75' HV doesn't seem to matter much, but I will sample HV regularly.
7) Even when I settle on one selection for a pistol/revolver, I keep trying different choices. I almost always have over a dozen varities on hand at once.
Just a few thoughts, and as all ammunition continues to increase in cost/scarcity I like to get the most out of the shooting that I can do
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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Great thread, I have little to offer in experience. I have a case of Remington target velocity ammo from by gone days of weekly pistol matches, my blued Dan 22 likes it, my 10" stainless does not. Prime example of the finickyness of the .22LR cartridge. I have found in my .22 rifles that ammo is not as peculiar as it is in revolvers. I have also found in my target gun, S&W model 41 that just about any .22 standard velocity shot about the same
.
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
January 22, 2008
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A couple years ago my wife gave me a Magnum Research MagnumLite 22LR rifle as a gift. These things are rather expensive little Ruger 10-22 copies. The owners manual says the rifle is designed to shoot the inexpensive bulk pack ammo...who would have thunk! I tried several different brands and types of .22LR, from the expensive target stuff to the cheep Mexican stuff. Sure enough, the rifle thrives on Federal bulk pack ammo. Conversely, the Remington bulk pack ammo causes constant jams and is not accurate at all. Pick a calm windless day, closely control your breathing (rifle weight is only 4.6 lbs without scope) and this rifle will group 1.5" at 100 yards.
My wife's Savage MKII Mako is more accurate than the MagnumLite and likes Remington's cheep ammo.
I did get out and shoot my, new to me, Dan Wesson 22 today. I only got about 3 cylinders worth of ammo through it before the trigger started sticking/not returning 
. So I wasn't able to fully determine accracy. I did do a through clean and lube of the action when I got home...problem solved 
-Wayne
April 25, 2008
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In 24 years of silhouette and several years of rimfire benchrest competition, I have learned a lot about the simple .22LR. One would think you could buy any .22 ammo and it would shoot great in any .22 gun...one would be hugely disappointed if accuracy was your goal. Many years ago I wrote an article about the .22LR, a lot of it has been summed up here already. I have a few general observations.
1. For best accuracy in competition past 50 yards, standard velocity ammo rules the roost, and then, usually only the foreign brands. American rimfire ammo, despite some "target" tags, is massed produced mostly for the plinking market...if it will hit a pop can at 15 yards, good enough.
2. The wind and high velocity ammo are not a good match. A 10 mph wind with high velocity ammo at 100 yards will increase drift by 2.5 inches, making accurate shots at longer distances more difficult.
3. Test as many different types of ammo you can in each gun. Some will surprise you with what they end up liking. Test at the maximum distance you will use the ammo at, not just 25 yards, and use a quality benchrest setup and wind flags. Once you find what the gun likes, purchase all of the same lot number you can find. Likely, a different lot number will not do nearly as well.
4. I am one of those who cleans my rimfire guns. How often? When accuracy deteriorates, when function problems occur, when I feel like it or at the end of each year. For a plinking gun, I can go many hundreds of rounds between sessions. For my silhouette guns, I run a dry patch through the bore after each shooting session, then clean when the gun isn't shooting up to par. I do the same dry patch through all my rimfires after each range day.
5. After thorough cleaning, you will need to recondition the barrel before accuracy returns. Some guns only take a few rounds, others may take a box or so.
Interesting on the Magnum Research gun being designed for bulk ammo. I have a Freedom Arms 252 revolver, in which it is superbly accurate with Eley ammo. Bob Baker at Freedom Arms says they designed the gun around Winchester Super-X ammunition.
The Savantist
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