So, now that i finally finished my build of my M&P15-22, it was time to find its ammo. Over the last few months, i have probably pushed just over 1k of 22 through it of various degrees of success, mostly just what I had sitting on my shelf, but now that its time to finally buy some, i wanted to do some testing, so I grabbed the boxes I had left, went to Walmart, and bought 3 more boxes of what I see there mostly, and headed to the range. My range is only 25yards in doors, with a small flat table top basically that I was using with my hands to make a make-shirt rest, basically just leaning the magazine on the table top and my elbow on table, i was albe to keep it pretty steady, but obviously not bench rest good.

First, hear my my rifle.

Was your normal Flash Hider equipted version. I added the Magpul MOE stock, Magpul Grip, Magpul Rail covers, Magpul AFG, Tacticool22 Threaded Barrel Shroud, and a Bushnell Elite ACOG clone that I love (illuminated Green/Red T-reticle). In each of the targets below, each square is 1" just for reference's, i added in a quarter to the pics so you could also get a familiar size.

Anyway, on to the ammo.

First up was Remington 550 Plated Hollowpoint Pack sold at Walmart for $19. Again, these are all 50Shots (so 2 full mags worth) at 25yards, semi rested. During these 50shots, i had 2 FTE were the round somehow got jammed.


Next up is the famous Federal 555 Bulk Value pack, these are at Walmart for $18 i think. During these 50 rounds, i had 2 FTE/Jams.


Next is Federal Target-Grade Performance 22 that says its made for Semi Auto. This stuff is 325 rounds for $15 at Walmart. During these 70 shots (note I shot 20extra shots on this cause it performened so well), I had ZERO FTE/FTF, performed flawlessly.


Next up is something I still have 1k rounds of, Federal Gold Match Target. I use this stuff for pretty accurate, cheaper, 50yard BR for my 77/22. During the 50rounds, i had 3 FTE


I have 300 rounds of this PMC Sidewinders left over, and its always been pretty decent stuff. During the 50rounds, I had ZERO FTE/FTF.


I have 100 rounds of this ****, Remington Viper Hi-Velocity ammo. As you can see, its accuracy is **** compared to others. I had ZERP FTF/FTE though, so atleast it worked well.


Next is some of my absolute favorite ammo. Its CCI Blazer cheap 22, i only have about 300 or so of this stuff left, but damn its good. Zero FTF/FTE with it all day (and I shot about 200 total rounds through the session). I am probably going to try to buy more of this if I can find it. Remember the pic is only of 50rounds.


And Lastly, for when I competed heavily in BR50 22 competition, I use to use ELEY Tenex stuff (before the company was bought), and have about 1k rounds of this stuff, it sells for about $10/box of 50rounds. Its super slow shooting, very waxy, but its the best stuff my 77/22 shoots (i mean deadly accurate with that gun), but since its such a slow bullet, i didnt expect it to work well in the 15-22 so initially i only loaded 10 rounds in the mag thinking it would have problems cycling. I was shocked to see it cycle fine for the 10shots. I couldnt tell how the accuracy wasy, but i loaded up the last of the 50 rounds, and went to town. You can only imagine my shock when i pulled the target back to see all 50 rounds go in the smallest hole, less than the size of a quarter....I could only imagine what could be done with a probably bench rest and this ammo.



overall, i shot around 600 shots today, after about 450, i started getting some random FTE/FTF issues. So i pulled the BCG, wiped down the Feed Ramp area, and never an issue again, it was just dirty and that was it. I was amazed to see that was the entire problem. God I love this rifle. I tested after this doing as fast I could trigger pulls while trying to maintain accuracy and none of the ammo did any worse than it did furing the slow fire 50 rounds which is great to hear.

Hope you guys might have got a little benifit from this post, just thought I would share. My goal is to find some more of that CCI Blazer 22 ammo now.

I prefer the cci blazers to,
over 30K of these have gone through my 15-22!
up to 50 meters accuracy is quite decent
Yesterday I shot 4 rapidfire 5 shot groups at 25 meters with the Harris bipod that were under a fourth of an inch
honesty demands to tell you that I also shot several 1/2 inch groups as well

Was CCI Blazer available at Wal-Mart? If so, how much?

I had a good shoot with the PMC Sidewinders as well.

Sadly no, i wish it was, i would have bought all they had. I had all the CCI blazer stuff. Going to a fun-show today and tomorrow, i plan on trying to find some more of it.

I was really suprised by how well the Sidewinders did. I have had this ammo for probably 20years, my father and I split an order of 10,000 for dirt cheap all those years ago and I still have some. Not even sure if they still make it now to buy more.

Your worst groups are way better than my best group no matter what ammo I use. What scope are you using ? Do you have the barrel free floated ? Any trigger work ? Thanks

I don't have any pics. of my groupings from the range, but I'll tell you all of my shots were within the center circle of a 6" Shoot-n-See target @ 25 yds. using the CCI Blazer 40 gr. LRN ammo. If anyone is interested I purchased a thousand rds. from Glen's Army Navy for a total cost of $39.15. Each brick of 500 was $14.95, so for $29.90 you get a thousand rds., add $9.25 S/H and your total is $39.15 which works out to about .04 cents per rd. Not a bad deal in my book Here is the website GlensOutdoors.com | Glen's Army Navy Store - Your Online Outdoor Store!

This is the Red Dot I am using, for the $150 i paid, its fantastic
Amazon.com: Bushnell Tactical Elite 1x32 Red/Green T-Dot Riflescope: Sports & Outdoors
I have had no work done to the 15-22, i took off the Flash hider, i pulled off the peice that sits between the free floated rail and the barrel end cap. S&W have said thats there just to keep stuff out. The Threaded on Barrel shround goes into the quad rail about an inch or so maybe, so the barrel is free floated still, i make sure not to push on the barrel whenever i am shooting. The trigger is still stock, but i know it really needs some where, its pretty rough, but I think i have invested enough into this rifle for the time being.

Is this what you are using?
Glen's Army Navy Store - CCI Blazer 22 Long Rifle 40 Grain Lead Round Nose

If so, i bought 2 50packs of that tonight and am going to try them first thing tomrrow morning before i go back to the gun show. I saw it for $18/500 there, probably will buy 2k rounds of it

Thanks for the info. If mine shot like that I would call it good also. I may look into the bushnell scope this winter when I won't be using the rifle that much. I know I am not that bad a shooter and my other .22 rifles prove that but I just have never got consistant groups like that with this 15-22.

Nice review on the different types of ammo and nice shooting. YOu got any CCI Mini Mags to throw up there?

Sadly i shot my last Mini-Mag box about 4 days earlier, its kinda what gave me the idea. It shot just as well as the CCI Blazer did, nice tight groups and no FTE/FTF

I bought some at a gun show in Chantilly in FEB 2011 and CheaperThanDirt sells it cheap.

OH Forgot to tell you nice shootin and thanks for the look at those targets.