Is Pistol Match 22LR worth the extra $$

George_P_Burdell · Sep 21, 2021

Batch to Batch variances

SS336 said:
Well, the answer is…….yes and no.
.22lr firearms can be fussy. As a rule the higher priced .22's will shoot better than CCI-SV. But not always and different brands of the "good stuff" will shoot real well in one gun but not the other.
Rimfire benchrest shooters spend a lot of money finding just the right ammo for their rifles, then order a case of it.
If your shooting at 50' bullseye match with a pistol only you can decide if the extra cost over a season is worth the extra $$.

And don't forget ... once you find the "right" ammo .. there can be variances from one production batch to another ...

Patrick L · Sep 21, 2021

In my opinion, maybe. The problem with pistol shooting is most people simply aren't that good. Even good ones are likely not as good as their gun/ammo combination. In other words, a shot that lands 4 inches low and left is not the result of non match grade ammo, it is the result of you jerking the trigger.

However, mindset is very important in competition. If shooting match grade ammo means that your mind is worrying about one less thing, than it is absolutely worth it.

I think it was the great Jim Clark that said "If you THINK it matters, it matters!"

AJ · Sep 21, 2021

Patrick L said:
In my opinion, maybe. The problem with pistol shooting is most people simply aren't that good. Even good ones are likely not as good as their gun/ammo combination. In other words, a shot that lands 4 inches low and left is not the result of non match grade ammo, it is the result of you jerking the trigger.

However, mindset is very important in competition. If shooting match grade ammo means that your mind is worrying about one less thing, than it is absolutely worth it.

I think it was the great Jim Clark that said "If you THINK it matters, it matters!"

You think folks are not natural born shooters?? One look at our pistol range will confirm that for you. Holes in the target carriages, baffles, overhead and benches leave no doubt in my mind!

ACP230 · Sep 21, 2021

I think it is--for Bullseye match shooting.

MTC(SS)Ret · Sep 21, 2021

I found an online dealer selling selling Eley Club and Eley Target for about $7 a box so I ordered a few just for the heck of it to see how they shoot in all of my 22's. If nothing else I'll have some good sighting-in ammo.

Keith Brown · Sep 21, 2021

As I mentioned above, without cleaning and firing fouling shots my results were about the same with most types tried with a few even more disappointing results, a couple even with premium ammo.
My method with the TC was to clean the bore, dry it thoroughly, fire five fouling shots. Then fire five shot groups with the rest of one 50 round box, resting between so as to not hurry the process. In all types I would see the groups start large and shrink, usually settling down at four or five groups. I used a 3x12 parallax adjustable scope set at 10 and adjusted for parallax. Target at 50 yards was a 2-1/2 circle, the outer edge being 1/4 inch thick with center left white, subdivided that into four sections with crosshairs.

old tanker · Sep 22, 2021

For most of my guns and most of my shooting, not really. No ammo is going to make my Remington Model 12 competitive with the BSA Model 12.

BE Mike · Sep 22, 2021

Keith Brown said:
As I mentioned above, without cleaning and firing fouling shots my results were about the same with most types tried with a few even more disappointing results, a couple even with premium ammo.
My method with the TC was to clean the bore, dry it thoroughly, fire five fouling shots. Then fire five shot groups with the rest of one 50 round box, resting between so as to not hurry the process. In all types I would see the groups start large and shrink, usually settling down at four or five groups. I used a 3x12 parallax adjustable scope set at 10 and adjusted for parallax. Target at 50 yards was a 2-1/2 circle, the outer edge being 1/4 inch thick with center left white, subdivided that into four sections with crosshairs.

I don't clean the barrels of my .22 LR guns. I do clean the chambers. I used to do a lot of machine rest testing with my Hammerli 208s until I found a consistently good grouping ammo that was reliable and functioned reliably. All the tests were done at 50 yards using a Ransom Rest. I never use copper plated or copper washed .22 LR ammo.

Is Pistol Match 22LR worth the extra $$

George_P_Burdell

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Patrick L

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AJ

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ACP230

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MTC(SS)Ret

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Keith Brown

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old tanker

BE Mike

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