Hello.

I just picked up my first rifle today which is the 15-22! WOOT! I bought a few bricks of ammo. (Federal, CCI Tactical, and a few small 100 rds. of the Mini Mags)

I've been reading on this site for some time about the differences and such and learned that CCI is top of the tier, at least from what I've read.

For hunting small game what would you recommend? I've came across several posts where people say the Velocitors since their hollow-point and have a high FPS.

I'm asking because at my farm we are having a coyote problem messing with the horses ( I know, a .22LR shouldn't of been my choice, but I plan to get a .223/5.56 within the next few weeks). Unitl I get a bigger rifle this will have to suffice for now at least to scare them off or possibly kill them.

I sincerely apologize if this has been asked before but I'd rather ask people who know a lot more about the .22LR here than "Jimmy Joe" at Dick's or Wal-Mart.

The Velocitors are perfect. They are, in my eyes, the best and most powerful .22 round out there. I consider them better than the over-rated Stingers because they are 40grains, rather than 32grains, this allows the bullet to maintain its power at longer ranges and not slow down as much. The hollow-Point, in theory, shifts the center of gravity of the bullet more rearward, allowing the bullet to be less effected by wind.

I keep my Ruger SR-22p loaded with Velocitors when I Car carry. (I know, I know, but a .22 handgun is all I have now)

I have a mag of Velocitors for the same reason. My 15-22 is my starter rifle. I will be building a .223 at some point when funds allow. I have been reading about eliminating coyote with 22lr and most agree that it is not the best tool for the job, but if carefully used will get the job done. Shot placement seems to be key, especially outside of the 50 yard mark.
Let us know how you fair.

One thing to concider is that the higher the velocity the less consistent the particular round seems to be - especially past about 30 or 40 yards. Your results may be different from my rifle, but there's a reason that match ammo is subsonic. If you find this consistency to be a problem at longer ranges with the Velocitor, try a Winchester Super-X Power Point HP. (I stress the words POWER POINT as they are not the same as the standard Super-X HP.) They're 1280 fps if my memory serves, 40 grain and have as large of a hollow point cavity as I've ever seen in .22LR. (Maybe larger than the Velocitor.) They've functioned well in my rifle and expanded perfectly in my own testing. And they're just a bit cheaper. Last 100 rd pack I bought was $8. As mentioned, the added weight of the 40 gr. bullet makes a lot of difference, so you're definately on the right track.

Good luck with the coyotes! If you nab one, there's a thread around here somewhere where folks were posting pictures of their 15-22 game/varmit kills.

Just a comment on hollow-point .22s - except for having some effect on the balance point of the bullet, it is a non-issue in actual performance.

The "hollow point" is simply a straight hole into the nose and will not expand unless the round hits something solid - like a brick wall. It might expand on a big, heavy bone but that is iffy. Compare a .22 with any center-fire SD ammo and you will see what I mean. BTW, those "expanded" .22s you see on CSI, NCIS and other cop shows comes from shooting them against a solid object, not any kind of flesh.

In a .22 LR, solids are every bit as effective on small game as a hollow-point is. FWIW, I agree with Beuford that the only decent .22 HP is the 40-grain W-W Power Point.

True. Shooting small game with a .22 round nose is proportionally (size wise) like military use of a .50 cal on personel!

When it comes to small game about any 22 round will do the job.
If you want a big hole get sme Yellow Jackets by Remington, I been shooting opusoms with them and they make a crater in the animal.

You will find this to be a good rifle and should work just fine for the coyote control. It isn't a tack driver, so stay within the gun's and your limits. The Velocitor's are my go to choice.

When people ask about accuracy and performance in the 15-22, I often refer them to some testing I did a while back.... Velocitor's were one of the best.
Ammo Testing with Chronograph Data

The second video that I just posted with regard to CCI hollowpoints demonstrated that they will actually separate very well almost immediately upon penetration into ballistic gel.

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M&P40c/15-22/SD9VE/Mossy500

That is CCI's segmented ammunition. That is not a conventional hollow point. CCI's actual effectiveness upon animals is subject to some debate.

FWIW, ballistic gel is a great comparison medium. It doesn't really simulate real flesh very well.

You wouldn't happen to have a bolt action .22lr to test the same ammo do you? I have a Savage FV-SR that I would like to test the velocitors and stingers with. I just don't have a chronograph or a decent range to test it.

Sorry. I did, but I sold it last summer since it rarely came out of the safe.