Are there any brands of ammo you avoid after trying them?

There are quite a few threads asking if some particular brand of centerfire ammo is any good. And the answer is almost always yes. Which mirrors my experience with factory ammo. There are some brands which might be a little cleaner or more accurate in my guns but it all seems to work.

About 10 years ago I bought some Winchester white box 9mm that was loaded on the weak side and sometimes would barely dribble out of the Glock 19 I was shooting at the time. It never actually failed but I still avoid WWB.

With 22s its different. I have seen Remington Thunderbolt lead a barrel quicker than I thought possible and also has a lot of misfires. Federal, Aguila and high end stuff like Ely all work well but unless it is not available I always buy CCI 22 LR. Even their bulk Blazer ammo has very few misfires by rimfire standards and shoots well out of all my 22s including a very ammo sensitive S&W 41. Their standard velocity stuff isn't reliable in my 41 but is accurate enough in my CZ 452 rifle I see no need to buy more expensive match ammo.

I normally will shoot just about anything. Having said that, I avoid steel cases and bullets and reloads from individuals.
Just last Sunday, I went to the range with my son. He had a S&W AR in the 22LR. It has been good at eating anything he feeds it. He was shooting Armscor 22 LR and had several FTF. They were getting good firing pin hits and we even tried them twice. So I guess they are off the list.

A few years ago I was RO-ing a pistol match and saw two shooters experience squibs with WWB from two different lots.

This was during one of the “ammo scares,” so my assumption is that production was running full-tilt at the expense of QC. Still, it was sufficient to permanently put me off, and I haven’t purchased any since.

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Mark Lathem

Ammo Inc, easily the crappiest defensive ammo experience I ever had. For whatever reason, I was low on 357 magnum hollows and Ammo Inc was all they had at the time. In a box of 20, I had 3 failures to fire, including one that had a weak charge to the point the bullet never left the casing. Sketchiest squib from the chamber I ever had to perform. I have never seen that before or since, with a round that had a weak bang with the bullet still stuck in the casing. Not only that, they casings stuck to the cylinder walls and were hard to eject. Stuff ran dirtier than a coal mine, it was absolutely atrocious in every way possible. To the point I remember vividly stopping, and safely disposing of the the second half of the box. I have never discarded un-fired ammo before or since this terrible experience.

I do not buy Any Rem. or Win. ammo due to FTFs. Their 22s are junk IMHO. Until a few months ago Fed. 22s were fine but then all of a sudden started have FTF with their 22s in any pistol or rifle used. CCI is all I’ll buy now and even had a FTF with them last range trip? Really don’t want to dip into my 60s-80s 22 stash. Also the Aguila has way to many FTFs.

Anything Blazer...extremely dirty ammo and mediocre at best shooting.

Remington Thunderbolts...most any bargain line rimfire from anyone but Remington is probably the worst.

Any ChiCom made ammo if any is still on the market. A friend used Norinco 5.56 in rifle instructor school and it was so dirty he had to swab out the barrel every magazine or so as it caused so many malfunctions.

I've never tried any Russian made ammo but avoid it solely due to it being Russian and they are not our friends.

Winchester Wildcat .22 LR . I've experienced more FTF with those over the years than any other .

Winchester 22 has caused me issues for sure, oddly enough the golden bullets which are cheaply made have been super reliable for me haha

Anything Blazer is typically garbage.

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

Remington Thunderbolts. Worst ammo from Maine to Spain

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Not many really- I do avoid buying newer Federal .45ACP ammo. It’s phenomenal stuff but I don’t reload small primer .45

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Some Might Say.

Armscor and Remington Thunderbolts.

I’ve noticed 9mm Blazer and Magtech are very dirty both suppressed and unsuppressed. I still shoot both but I know after the range I’ll be spending more time cleaning my stuff.
I steer clear of Ammo inc and Winchester White Box. The Ammo inc stuff is a joke I got a couple hundred rounds in 2022 and more than half had bullets barely seated and could be pulled out by hand. I didn’t shoot any of it and getting ahold of the company is a task in and of itself.

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Matt
S&WCA 4003 S&WHF 1063

22 remington golden bullets
12ga I avoid s&b(way too smokey for indoor range use)
For 10mm I avoid federal for range ammo(basically loaded to .40s&w specification)
For all, I avoid aluminum or steel case(steel is okay in the 7.62×39, but not preferred)

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Please no more EZs...

In .22 I avoid Winchester. That used to be premium stuff and it was my go-to but their quality has gone in the dumpster.

I haven't found a "bad" factory ammo brand, but mostly I shoot my own reloads. If I buy ammo I'll avoid Magtech 9mm. Not because there's anything wrong with it but because I don't like their brass for reloading purposes.

Really expensive stuff. I know many will disagree but I don't need all the High tech stuff. It all looks neat. but my good reloads are fine. and will do all that is necessary. I also have to say 22 Thundert**ds suck...especially the one's from the shortage era. I shot 6 rounds of ammo load 9mm. Had 4 hoxes..cost 9 bucks each. Sold 'em at an auction...Made a profit...and bulk packed Win 22s When I was a kid I shot probably 50,000 Win 22s. Don't remember any problems to speak of. Even the cheap Revelation went bang...good 'nuff for rats at the dump

Aluminum cases in blowback guns.

While they've mostly gone the way of the dodo, there was a crop of "factory reloaded" companies that seemed to spring up circa 2012 that all made total garbage in order to try and take advantage of the ammo shortage at the time. Most of my squibs and stuck case experiences were from that stuff.

I still have quite a bit of Russian 7.62x39. It's bought and paid for, so current politics mean little, and you can't buy any more. Who would have thought 15-20 years ago that in 2024 an AK would be x2 more than an AR --- gun, ammo, and magazines too.

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Psalm 27:2

Hornady. In my retirement job I served in a PD too cheap to replace our duty ammo annually so I bought and carried Hornady Critical Duty .45 ACP for a year. At the end of the year I fired it at the range and while it did fire, it didn’t have enough power to cycle the slide. First time I ever experienced that. Now that I’m retired I carry Federal LE ammo exclusively.

I avoid any Remington 22 ammo if I can. The bullets seem very loose in case. I can easily pull them out by hand sometimes. Conversely every hunting rifle I own is sighted in with Remington Core Lokt ammo. It’s cheap, accurate (in my Brownings) and available everywhere

Sounds to me like you have some gun issues. I've shot all of those brands and never had any significant FTF (I assume you mean failure to feed) issues with any of them. Maybe you are limp wristing all of you guns and that is the problem because no gun should have a problem with that many different ammo brands.

In 22lr I avoid Winchester at all turns. I know people love it, but I've always found it really dirty, and I've had a lot of dud rounds with them.

In 9mm I avoid CCI/Blazer brass. Never have liked it and never found it to be that great. I'll shoot it, but it's the last resort ammo.

I think one reason why so many have had issues with rimfire ammo is due to the past couple of ammo shortages and panic buying. Ammo makers were running full tilt to produce and quality control slipped or was allowed to slip.

I believe it hurt centerfire ammo as well but not to the degree it did rimfire. There have been so many reported problems with rimfire ammunition within the last 8-10 years it may well have been ammunition produced during those time periods.

For years I used inexpensive domestic .22 ammo for most all uses. Worked fine. Then, in recent years, I also noticed a decline in quality - Accuracy, reliability - in rifles and handguns that didn't usually have issues. I remember when Winchester Wildcat was a great shooting round, and the old T-22 actually was pretty accurate. Golden bullet Remington's were a top hunting load. Now, CCI is about the only American manufacturer that still makes .22's that I don't have to cross my fingers that they are going to shoot well.

But, in my search for quality .22 ammo, and an increasing interest in .22 ARA / Bench shooting, I realized good stuff is out there, just not necessarily made in this country. Lower / mid-priced .22 ammo from RWS, Eley, SK, Lapua, and Wolf is as good, and often better than the domestic stuff was back "in the day". Their upper end match quality .22's offer Olympic winning accuracy and consistency. At about $15 / $20 a box of fifty, you pay for it though.

Personally, I use CCI for most of my plinking, SK Standard Plus for informal target shooting, and either SK Rifle Match, or Eley Match for serious match shooting.

In general, I have had very few issues with CF rifle & handgun ammo. Some .357's with overly thick rims, and a batch of 1990's Remington 30-06 that wouldn't stay on a target at 100 yards - wild velocity swings.

Larry

Remington "Golden Bullets." They are too inconsistent. I've had several lots where 1 in 3 would not chamber in my revolver, and endlessly jammed up my pistol.

I have had nothing but good luck with Winchester White Box FMJ RN 9mm and .380.
Really like the WWB FMJFN in .380 when I can find it. It is usually my .380 carry load of choice.
I have a bunch of Russian Brown Bear steel cased .380 in FMJ and HP.
It functions great thru my 1.0 Bodyguard and Glock Model 42.
Will not chamber at all in my new 2.0 Bodyguard. The cartridges will not go all the way into the chamber, leaving about 1/8” of the base end sticking out.
As I said before, the Glock Model 42 .380 gobbles them up and shoots them with great accuracy.

Strongly recommend you avoid Cabelas- Herters 22LR.
It may be made by Win, which I also avoid.
I shoot Cabelas- Herters 9mm all the time, it’s probably Win White Box.
Have never had a problem!
Did buy some of the New and Improved Remington Ranch Hand 22LR.
Haven’t shot any yet.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I see lots of agreement on this one. First time I ever used it was many years ago in my Beretta M 70S. It got so filthy I could pull the trigger and watch the slide cycle.

Oh, that was also the LAST time I ever used it.

I mostly avoid any non-American-made ammunition except for military-grade rifle ammunition. And that has been quite a while, anyway.

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Come and take it!!

Most of the cheap rimfire ammo is a waste of money if you want something reasonbly accurate that always fires and will function as it should in any gun, handgun or rifle. Spend a little more and get something like CCI SV. Of course, if you do that, you give up whining rights, something it seems many prefer to retain.

Good afternoon, sir

Regarding your Armscor 22lr ammo. As VP of International Customer Relations for Armscor/Rock Island Armory, I can tell you that you’re not the first to have experienced this issue. In 2023 we had a few lots containing primer compound that seemingly degraded after passing QA. The likely cause was due to chemicals necessarily purchased from an alternative vendor during Covid. The problem has been corrected and ammo from those identified lots pulled from the chain of commerce and replaced. If you wish, Armscor would like to replace your 22lr ammo. Please PM me for details.

Lou

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213th FBINA

Golden bullets and Thunderbolts. Basically any and all Remington 22.

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Heavily armed old man.

Funny. I've shot thousands of Golden Bullets out of my 22a-1 over the last couple of years. It's that gun's favorite ammo. The bullets do often spin in the case but it doesn't seem to affect anything.

My best target with the gun and Golden Bullets, 25 rounds at 15 yards. Normal results aren't usually quite this good but still excellent.

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Remington Thunderbolt 22lr HV. I once had a 22 that was finicky as to what it would shoot tightly. Remington Thunderbolt was it. That said, about every 10 rounds or so, one would go "bang" instead of "BANG" that would result in a bad flyer. You never knew which one would go bang, so it gave no confidence whatsoever.
Recent? Herter's, sold by Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops. Chrono'ed one box and got extreme spread from 450fps to 850fps from one box of 50 rounds. Really! Horrible quality control.....if any.
Defender Ammo out of Fayetteville NC as well. Bought some 44 Special for my dad. It was so lightly loaded and low pressure that much of the powder did not burn. Tied up the gun with one cylinder full. I called the factory and they did not seem to care.

On the other hand, CCI Standard Velocity 22lr is AMAZINGLY good. And consistent.

Didn't some old 22s have a firing pin that crushed the rim on opposite sides, in case the priming was uneven? Anyway rimfire duds have never been a particularly bad problem for me but I suppose you can practice with the stuff you find iffy and get the top shelf or CCI stuff for those times you want to be certain, at the premium price. As for other ammo, I do shy away from brands I have not heard of and researched, or some strange imported brand X stuff. I have not had issues with Win or CCI practice ammo in 9MM. My revolver loads are my own. And they go bang. As for if any of it is "dirty" it is relative and I clean my guns always.

Definitely need to avoid BPS.

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USN Retired, EDC BG 2.0

+ 1 on the Thunderbolts for sure.

In .22 I really avoid Remington and Winchester but I do buy bulk loads when really cheap for close range revolver practice. I don't know who makes it but the worst I've ever had was Browning. Not even get through a cylinder full on my S&W.

I buy the CCI SV by the case, it's my go to round. Grudge match shooting calls for Eley Match but I like just about everyone I shoot with so it's a rare buy.

I pay zero attention to brand, 100% attention to price. Even ****** ammo works on the range!

I love Remington Thunderbolts! Its the only ammo that works EVERY TIME in my beloved Stoeger Luger.

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Rule of law, not a man.

Double Tap

Almost blew up a Super Blackhawk Hunter in .45 colt.

Their response (or lack thereof) made me want to drive there and beat their ***.

Remanufactured ammunition is just reloads. At the Gun Shows some people sell remanufactured ammunition and it could be reloads they loaded during the week before the Gun Show.

For .22 Rimfire most people who have issues do not clean their .22 rifle or handgun properly and blame it on the ammo.

Winchester and Aguila.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Interesting. Maybe it depends on what firearm one is using it in.
REM Thunderbolts and Goldens have no issues in my K22 and in the wife’s Buckmark. Only issue we’ve had lately is stovepipes in the Buckmark with Aguila Standard velocity, but that’s understandable and okay - just more fodder for the revolver.

The only other cartridge I’d avoid is 9mm Venom (Turkish, bought two cases during covid as it was a relative deal for the time). Shoots okay, but too many split cases for this reloader.

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Tim

Blazer is a bit grubby, especially in 115 gr for some reason. The only 22 that has given me trouble is Remington.

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Release the Kraken

Winchester....I will throw rocks before I use their .22 ammo

However, their AA shotshells are still decent.

Aguila .22 rimfire. Some of it goes pop, some of it goes bang, some of it goes boom. You never know which is next.

Just an update on my post in this thread. Armscor is sending me a brick of 22Lr to replace the problematic one we had. I wish more companies were this upstanding when there is a problem.

thanks
bedwards

AMERC...........A sling shot and a marble is better.

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S&W Accumulator

Hahaha I spin the bullets too and do not understand how they are so reliable for me. If there is a crimp its the weakest I have ever seen. Maybe I got lucky but I have shot entire buckets with only a few rare FTF´s here and there.

They spin in the cases...But they stay straight. The Winchesters ...don't I've no problems with Remington other than Thundert**ds..in fact they even seem to be better since the Pandemic years...or maybe I just got a couple of good packs. In fact other than Winchester the only 22s I have had any problems with is quite a few FTF with the Armscor ammo..and the Agula really smell funny and have had about 4 low reports when fired. I have an ugly old DCM 513 T that the Aguilla shoots great in...the Armscor too when it fires...but I think it's about all gone. I wish hose 513s were grooved receivers.. I could put scopes on em and be able to see better. I havea brick of Eley 10X here that I would use...but I can't shoot well enough to make myself shoot 'em for what they cost. I'll take 'em to a gun show and sell 'em

Years ago when I shot .22 metallic silhouette hunter pistol open sights, I went through a bunch of .22 LR. The brand we settled on was Winchester T22. It wasn't as accurate (reportedly) as higher end stuff like Ely, but the price was right, it functioned reliably and was plenty accurate for offhand target work. A friend showed me a round that had failed to fire after repeated strikes. He had opened it up and found no priming compound in the rim. The group consensus was this was found every dozen bricks or so. It was target work and nobody cared. The rules allowed for misfires without penalty.