CCI quiet .22lr review
 

INTRO
I previously had tried other quiet .22 ammo, but none of them lived up to my expectation of accuracy. so when i heard CCI releasing this ammo and claiming it to be accurate, I was sceptical. However, trying not to be baised, Me and my dad went a head and bought a whole case of them. Yes we bought a case instead of a box. WHY? Well, why not. If they were loud, then we could use them else where. so with that in mind we got two rifles, a glenfield marlin model 75 and a mp15-22, and later a marlin xt-22. In this review, I will be going over the quality of the ammo, how it shoots & how loud it is, and how accurate it is.

Quality: We order a whole case (5 bricks of 10 boxes of 50 cartridges = 2500 rounds) for 168$ from CTD. THe bricks where packaged nicely, and the boxes had the standard plastic piece that holds the cartridges securely in the box. The cartridges have a very nice case that the CCI velocitor uses, that is its very shiney and clean. The bullet is the same that is used in the CCI blazer that is packed in the boxes, not the loose packed. The bullet is a 40gr. so its got some heft to it. It does have a little bit of powder wich allowes it to leave the rifle.

SHOOTING: In an open field it is very silent. As in i can hear the firing pin hitting it. In an area that has something where sound can bounce off, such as the woods, it sounds like a .22 pellet rifle. However, how loud of a pellet it sounds like depends on the barrel length. the 16" m&P sounds like a pellet rifle with a little bit lighter wieght pellets. the 18" marlin sounds like a normal pellet rifle, that is a soft pop. Out of a 22" barrell xt-22, you can hear the bullet hitting the target and thats about it. CCI states "NOTE: These cartridges may be used in semi-automatic firearms, however manual
cycling of the action may be required". however in my 15-22, they will cycle the action. Out of a marlin/glenfield mod 75 and a friends 10/22, they WILL NOT cycle the action, so it turn it into a bolt gun. Of course the xt-22 does not require them to clycle, since its a bolt gun.

ACCURACY:
One word could be used to discribe this ammo. CONSISTANT! I'm talking one whole the size of a whole in a coke can tab. Very nice grouping out of the 15-22, maybe a little bit less than a inch. Now out of a marlin, whoo, I feel like i could take out a flie with these. Both marlin rifles repeatedly would group them into a one hole group. Now lets be real: you wont shoot these out past 50, and to me that strecthing it. These dont have much steam, so they will drop. To me, in my humble opinion, its the perfect squirrel round. A head shot with these will drop a squirrel. I have take several with this and my xt-22. once I figure out how to post pics, i will show the groupings.

Conclusion:
This ammo is a fun round to have. Its consistant and quiet. perfect for back yard fun or to teach with out the noise. Its an acurrate squirrel load that wont do much damage to the fur or meat. All things considered, i suggest buying a box or two, its fun and addicting

the Quiet .22's cycle the action in my 15-22 but do not send the bolt back far enough to re-set the hammer for the next shot.

but i love them in my marlin bolt gun

Yea I shoot the CCI Quiet also and really like them... just a little loader than Aguila's "quiet" round but alot more accurate...

Vortex, I should have put that when I said the ammo would cycle the action.

shooterjgs, i like these a whole lot more the aguila stuff!

just as a general question, i have these sighted in at 25 yards. if i shoot a stand high velocity 40gr load, would the two pullet paths cross at some point? i have a bsa sweet 22 6-18x40 and it has removeable turrents for different bullet weights. i have it zeroed at 25, with the little line saying it is on the 50 yard zero since they dont make a turrent for 25 yards, if any of that info is relevant.

To answer your bullet crossing question you are going to have to go to the range and start firing. set up targets 10yds apart and shoot one load then another. You'll find out IF they cross and where.


Charlie

...and I wish that my .22 could make more noise. I need some .22 LOUD bullets. Sometimes, it is kind of embarrassing at the range when others are firing shotguns, .308, 7.62, etc., and my 15-22 sounds like a girl popping her bubble gum. It makes me want to bring in a sound system to the range with a subwoofer that would amplify the sound of my rifle...yeah, that's what I want.

Sick ... just plain sick ... :D

Is your 15-22 your only firearm?

Hmmmmm, I'd like to try some of these in a suppressed 10/22. I bet that would help cycle the action. Anyone tried that yet?

No, but it is the only I like to shoot. :-)

Sent from my Kindle Fire

Same here...loved how quiet they were...just hated that they wouldn't cycle the action enough to reset the trigger. I handed some off to a couple shooting a Marlin that was mag fed and they cycled fine. Fun to shoot and pretty discreet. :)
http://youtu.be/P2ooChoTuh4

I purchased a couple boxes of the CCI quiet yesterday. Came home and popped one in my Marlin 60. It would not cycle the rifle, but that was better than cycling and not cocking. I love how quiet this ammo is. Thinking about doing a couple of tests with the 15-22. First and probably the easiest, adding a heavier recoil spring to eliminate the partial cycling all together. Second, curious as to whether I could lighten the recoil spring a little at a time and see if I can get the action to cycle and reset the trigger. As easy as it is to open the action and swap recoil springs, I could easily swap to which ever spring I needed before walking out the front door. Ultimately, I need to purchase a .22lr bolt gun, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Any thoughts on reducing or beefing up the recoil spring?

Just got a few Boxes of these for my indoor shooting and yea very quiet. I will do a decibal test with screenshots within the next 2 days. Wish these things would cycle though!!!!

There is a potential problem with reducing the power of the recoil spring. The early-production problems with out-of-battery firing was traced directly to the recoil spring. Going with a heavier spring essentially eliminated the problem.

It is a change I would not make lightly.

I actually found the thread on the JP low power springs and the "speed hammer mod" or something like that. For $10, I'll try and see if I get trigger reset with the JP Springs. I might consider the hammer mod. I'll be ordering a spare hammer prior to trying the mod.

The amount of force exerted by the hammer spring is inconsequential compared to the recoil spring. Same deal with lightening the trigger.

The simple fact is that subsonic ammo is not designed for semi-autos and virtually all manufacturers spell that out on the packaging. :)

Or you could save yourself $60 + shipping and do the "15 Minute Trigger Job" (same thing as the JP springs, though some require a name brand attachment in order to feel secure) and the speed hammer can be replicated with your existing hammer with a small grinder and some careful attention. No need to buy parts unless you really screw your originals up. I've had the 15 min trigger work done to my rifle for months now with only one failure. And it was a fluke CCI Mini-Mag failure, of all things! I'm sure I'll open up discussion on the trigger mod, but that's been debated before. Just make your own decision. Personally, Its been one of the best mods I've made to my rifle.

Well, i got bored this morning and decided to try the 15 minute trigger job, and went ahead and did the speed hammer mod. I then took my CCI Quiets out for a run. No difference in how the CCI Quiet Cycles, but the trigger is allot better IMO. I'm going to go back and case harden the modified hammer when I get with my buddy who has a kiln and I've already got the wood pellets and a small crucible and lid for the hammer and a few other odds and ends. I've got a few other projects that need case hardening, so it'll work out well. I cut a couple pieces of steel to brace the hammer during the process to avoid warping it as well.

I still want to experiment with the recoil spring now that the trigger spring and hammer spring have been lightened. I have an old .22 rifle relegated to a wall hanger due to double fires, so I'm aware of the dangers. I just want to get an extra recoil spring and test fire the Quiets removing one coil at a time and see if I can get it to the point that the 15-22 gets reliable trigger reset. If not, at worst, I'll waste a spring and $3 for a box of Quiets. If I try this, it will be fired from the gun vice using a pull cord for the trigger to reduce any dangers. If I succeed, I'll put another box of quiets through the rifle on the vice to test reliability and then paint the recoil spring so I won't get it mixed up with the factory recoil spring.

I know the easy choice is to get a bolt action .22lr, but due my wife's health, that's going to be a while.

I wonder,does the CCI Quiet ammo leave your rifle as dirty as Aguila Colibri ammo???

I cleaned it while doing the trigger and only put 10 rounds of quiet through it. No mentionable residue though. I've never had any dirty ammo issues except for some remington bulk and remington subs. I only shoot CCI and Federal now and never have any issues.

Im saddened by your train of thought here

Just use the loudener.
The Simpsons - Gun Shop - YouTube

I was kind of surprised how loud the 15-22 was with the shorter barrel as compared to my other .22lr's with 22" and 24" barrels. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to the different shooting ranges and had people that I did not know wanting to shoot my little 15-22 and laying down their .308 ar's to shoot mine. If your embarrassed to go to the range, find you some land to shoot on. I've never had anyone look down at my 15-22. In fact, I get concerned that all the strangers are going to shoot up my ammo.Lol

At my range there is seldom a port that doesn't have a 15-22 shooter in it. I've seen days when we had a half-dozen or more of them on the line. They are extremely popular in this neck of the woods. The first of October our BIG LGS sold the 031 model (CT Compliant) for $389. They sold an average of three a day for two weeks. And then there were the Performance Center and the RealTree models ... :)

I just bought one for my oldest grandson to match the one for my youngest grandson. It's going to a FUN Christmas day!!!! :D

have yall shot them for acurracy yet? My 15-22 is going to be sent back to the factory for saftey reasons,

Both mine and my youngest grandson's will hold an inch or so at 50 yards from a rest. This is with Federal Champions. My oldest grandson's is at the dealer down in Georgia until a couple of days before Christmas, but I would expect his to do pretty much the same.

What's the safety issue you are dealing with?

Majorlk, the threads that the grip screw goes into to hold the grip in place is stripped out. since it wont hold the grip in place, the saftey detent spring and detent come out easily of the rifle. hence its not safe for use, and it will be fixed soon. Luckily though, the gap is being filled somewhat by my new marlin xt-22 camo stock.

Seems everyone uses in a rifle. Anyone tried with a pistol?

Bummer. Pays to be careful removing and inserting bolts into polymer frames.

Subsonic ammo is not quiet in a pistol unless you have a suppressor attached.

Well..........I can't say that's entirely true. Aguila Colibri is pretty sweet in a pistol. Thinking about getting a box for my little pistol.

CCI Quiet-22 vs Aguila Colibri - YouTube

You'd better pick yourself up a large bottle of Hoppe's Elite while you're at it.

I don't mind cleaning my gun after I clean the squirrel(s). Lol

I'd be interested in knowing this as well. My suppressor is 6 months out though...

I also have the JP springs and speed hammer. If either one helps just a little, I'm hoping both would make them reliable. CCI quiet in a suppressed 15-22 could be nearly Hollywood quiet...

The springs and speed hammer didn't seem to help. After Thanksgiving, I'm going to see if I can get a spare recoil spring and give that a go. If it doesn't work out, I may go for a heavier recoil spring to keep the 15-22 from cycling the next round into the chamber so I can cycle it manually. I showed the quiets off to a buddy today and they loved them. Now to get all of my. 22's sighted back in after swapping optics around! Too much work and not enough play time.

Definitely interested in any findings you have with different springs. And if anyone else has tried these with a suppressor please comment as well :)

I'd think that with a boost such as the one they make for the walther p22 would help with the cycling, right? course, it would make it tad louder I think. I'm mostly using these out of my marlin xt-22. How much does a box cost yall localy? It cost me about 3$ a box, and around 28$ a brick at my walmart and local stores.

Not familiar with a "boost"? I pay about the same.

my bad i ment to say booster! whoops

Decided to build a bullet trap today. I fired a test shot using cci quiets to check the angle of my trap plates and didn't quite have them right. I was completely caught off guard when I fired from my kitchen window at the trap at 25 yards and the round ricocheted back at me and hit the window frame! Sounded like it went well above subsonic! Got the loud report like any normal round. I adjusted my plates and the rest of the quiets were great. I can't believe I nearly got popped by a ricochet. I've had dud rounds, which I guess this one was technically a dud.

I'd say your design was a dud:D:eek:

Lol.....yeah, at first.

Project is dead in the water......for a little while. I got my new blue spring in and put it in the 15-22 and was going to start trimming the old recoil spring for the subsonic conversion. Went to the range, sighted in the 15-22 after swapping optics around and immediately began having light strikes, about 20 out 300 rounds. My 15-22 did not like the 15 minute trigger job. I called it quits and decided to finish sighting the rifle in and did not start the recoil spring work. I guess I can try the JP Yellows and test reliability before going back to the factory trigger springs.

Alright, now you have my interest in this subject. I will get a video done and up on YouTube here in the next week or so shooting the CCI Quiet out of both the M&P 15-22 and the M&P 15-22p pistol. I am very curious to see if will cycle out of the 6" pistol barrel.

:eek:

The fact that the 15-22 will cycle the Quiets at all is what has my interests up. I get so many compliments on my little rifle that I think it would be really cool to expand the capabilities of it. I have two other .22's that will not cycle subsonics, but that's okay since I just cycle them like bolt actions. Problem with the 15-22 is that it does cycle them and not reset the trigger. That forces you to cycle it manually ejecting the good round in the chamber. All it lacks is trigger reset. After taking advice on reducing the hammer spring to achieve hammer reset, I had hoped I'd be good to go. However, the loss of reliable operation has me rethinking the whole thing. I'm thinking that with the blue recoil spring, according to previous posts found in my searches, is suppose to be a lighter spring than the original. If I pair that with a lighter firing pin spring, that may be enough even with the factory hammer spring. I'm kicking myself right now though. I sighted in the rifle today using Federal Bulk. I had two boxes of quiets in front of me, but after I got aggravated about the light strikes, It never crossed my mind to try the quiets. I'd be curious to know if I've achieved trigger reset with the 15 minute trigger job and the lighter blue spring. Either way, the current setup is not reliable and I will not settle for that.
Edit........
I did find one thing out about the quiets.......................I was sighting in my Springfield Model 60 with the CCI Quiets. I had a target board setup at 25 yards with four 24" targets stapled to it. The target board was very thin, 1/8" particle board supplied by the range. Every shot was puncturing the particle board, no surprise. When I started in on my far left target, the guy on my left sighting in his Suppressed AR .308 called for the Range Master to check out his target at 100 yards. He had three shots dead center all touching each other and three shots in about a 5" pattern at the bottom right of his target. When I heard the range master say that somebody else had to be shooting his target, it dawned on me that it might be possible that it was me. I told the range master that I was shooting subs and there was no way that I was puncturing the board and still landing on paper at 100 yards. He had me take another shot...bulls eye at 25 yards, bottom right corner of the target to my left at 100 yards. About an 18" drop, but on paper none the less. Needless to say the 40gr. bullets were tearing the paper and bouncing off of the particle board at 100 yards. Thought that was kinda cool.

Just so everyone knows, I'm boycotting Wal-Mart! In store now trying to get an answer as to how the price on CCI Quiets went up from $3@box to $7.97@box in less than a week and they are refusing to do their advertised price match...."We don't price match guns and ammunition!". I'm not leaving quietly!

Edit! There's a freakin price match guarantee sign at the gun counter!

That is strange with price change at walmart. I checked one near me a few weeks ago and I didn't see that the even carried it. Was at another walmart one city over and they had 2 boxes at $3, and were supposed to get more in just a couple days later. Third walmart half a state away a week after that and they had 10 boxes at $3. Went back to the first walmart and they had some in for $8. Haven't been back to the second one or had anyone check the third for me. I was hoping it was just the one store and they had mislabeled it.

I just got off the.phone with a Wal-Mart 30 miles away that I visit from time to time. $2.97@box. The guy laughed when I told him $7.97@box. He said that's what you get for shopping at an anti-gun Wal-Mart. He said they can price match guns and ammo but elect not to. He also said they limit stock and regularly over price their ammo and guns. He then invited be his newest happy customer.

And the lack of ammo, in many cases, is because the sporting goods manager doesn't order it! Many don't want to be bothered.

My son and I have had good results w/ CCI Quiet. It's not a long distance ammo but fits the need for backyard shooting:

Savage TRR-SR supressed - YouTube

CCI Quiet - 5 round group at 50 yards - YouTube

I zoned in on a pretty big squirrel a little while ago with the CCI Quiets. I was actually using the old Marlin Model 60 which I have sighted in very consistently at 25 yards with open sights. This little guy was about 35 yards out and I aimed for a head shot......Pop, I swear he ducked and I saw the bullet hit right behind him. He spun around and looked where the bullet hit and kept right on eating his acorn. I took a second shot and it was considerably louder than the first shot. I aimed for the same head shot as before with him sitting upright. He jumped this time when I pulled the trigger and the round caught him in the hind quarters. He rolled around and had run up the tree by the time that I made it outside and to the tree. I got him running around the tree and he finally fell. The dogs did the dirty work of putting him down before I could catch him. I hit him in the left rear leg and there was no exit wound. I cleaned him and never did find the round. I can only guess that the bullet fell out while the dogs were battling it out with him.

Long story short, just as most all .22lr ammo, not every round is perfect when it comes to the load and report. I'm half way through my 3rd box of quiets, about 125 rounds, and this was the first round that I've had that "Cracked" and sounded like it went sonic. Overall, I'm still impressed enough that I stopped by Academy Sports today and picked up three more boxes. The accuracy has been outstanding and on paper, I've had zero fliers out of the 125 rounds that I've put down range. The CCI web site shows the trajectory to be as follows......

25 YARDS = 1.5
50 YARDS = 0.0
75 YARDS = -6.4
100 YARDS = -17.8

I'm only sighted in at 25 yards since that gets me the back yard shots that I need. I'd be interested though to see the consistency of the Quiets at 50 yards.