.22 LR questions

For best results even in plinker grade guns such as yours for best results avoid cheap bulk ammo which is notorious for inconsistent loads and highly variable quality control. My go to is mini mags for guns that need high velocity ammo and cci standard velocity for pistols that will run on it. While there are exceptions for best accuracy usually you are going to find standard not high velocity is going to be best. Most of the modern "combat trainer" type pistols will usually only run reliably with high velocity however

I HAVE TO ROLL WITH Major D. MY AMMO OF CHOICE IS CCI MINI-MAGS. IT HAS BEEN VERY SCARCE, BUT IT CAN BE HAD ON GUN BROKER, FOR EXORBITANT PRICES. BE AWARE THAT CCI MINI-MAGS CAN BE HAD IN A 36 GR HOLLOW POINT, OR A 40 GR SOLID. THE 40 GR SOLIDS ARE THE HARDEST TO FIND. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE .22 LR HOLLOW POINTS DO NOT EXPAND, OUT OF A HANDGUN. THE MINI-MAGS ARE COPPER PLATED, AND SHOOT VERY CLEANLY......

CCI MAKES A "TACTICAL" .22LR, THAT APPEARS TO BE FASTER THAN THEIR STANDARD VELOCITY, 40 GR AMMO. I HAVE HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH THAT LOAD. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GLEAN SOME INFO ABOUT IT ON YOU TUBE.....

I AM CURRENTLY AWAITING A SHIPMENT OF REMINGTON "GOLDEN BULLETS", WHICH ARE 40 GR, COPPER PLATED SOLIDS. THEY ARE READILY AVAILABLE, AND MORE REASONABLY PRICED. ALL OF THE REPORTS SPEAK VERY HIGHLY OF IT. A FRIEND OF MINE SHOOTS IT IN A S&W SEMI-AUTO (M22A), THAT PREVIOUSLY ONLY FUNCTIONED RELIABLY WITH 40 GR CCI MINI-MAGS.......

I PLAN TO TRY IT IN MY 8 3/8" M617, WITH AN "ULTRA DOT", RED DOT. THIS COMBO SHOOTS LIKE A RIFLE. IT IS AN EXCELLENT PLATFORM TO TEST THE ACCURACY OF AMMO. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN FIREARMS THAT ARE NOT ACCURATE, OR AMMO THAT DOES NOT WRING THE MAX OUT OF A WEAPON.......

IF THE GOLDEN BULLETS WORK OUT, THEY MAY BECOME MY NEW "GO TO" .22 LR ROUND.....
 
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CCI Mini-Mags have been my standard for 40 years. The current Federal bulk has been equally as good.

Winchester bulk is iffy, and please take heed to avoid ANYTHING that says remington on it.
 
I decided to get the 22 before I replace the 9 that I had to sell a couple years ago. I figured the 22 would be cheaper to shoot, which it is, IF there's ammo. Last time I had my 9c, there was no 9mm ammo, now I have the 22, and there's 9mm all over, but no 22!
 
My M&P22 full size likes CCI minimags, CCI ar-tactical, and Aguila Super Extra. But, the pistol has had numerous malfunctions with Federal Automatch and Federal Champion (failures to feed, failures to extract), so I only use that stuff in my Ruger 10/22.

I've purchased 22LR online from MidwayUSA (a case of minimags were on backorder for 14 months!) and SGammo (Aguila is available off and on). The CCI ar-tactical will sometimes show up at the local Gander Mountain store.
 
Our local LGS sold nothing but CCI, the last few years with 22's hard to find I shot anything I could get my hands on, I like the Fed automatch, I bought some American Eagles and they shot great in all my 22's, but now they are hard to find, I can get all the CCI's I want now but can't find any American Eagles.
 
Some of my semi-autos don't like hollow points, but most of my guns don't care. Because of that, I try to get only round nose so I don't have to try to remember what guns don't like HP's. Target Sports has regular deals on bulk buys of .22, and their case prices include shipping.
 
My CCI will get here tomorrow, but my pistol won't arrive at the LGS until Thursday. From all I've read online, it seems like I should break in the pistol with the CCI, then try the Remington and Winchester that I have. With shipping, the CCI wasn't a great deal from Cabela's, but still a lot cheaper than 9mm!
 
My .22 compact runs great with CCI SV or mini-mags. I prefer the solid point, as I did have issues with the HP hanging on the feed ramps of some other 22s. The SV is also a little easier on the recoil spring.

The CCI AR tactical works great, and is solid point.

I have nothing but trouble with the recent production of the Federal automatch, and the more generic Federal & American Eagle. Winchester is equally bad.

As already mentioned, the Remington Thunderbolt is not the best stuff out there. At 100 rounds my barrels lead up so bad that lead comes out in threads when cleaned. It is really last-ditch stuff. I've had better luck with the Golden Bullet, but I still prefer CCI.

The money saved on the cheapest ammo just isn't worth the extra time to clean out the mess some of these leave.
 
Federal Auto Match bulk pack shoots pretty good in most of my guns and it is starting to come down in price.

At the local gun show weekend before last, one guy was selling that for $18 (bulk pack of 325 rounds) tax included, not much over a nickel per shot. I bought two boxes, would have taken more except I already have a healthy supply of .22 ammo.
 
I buy online...CCI and Aguila Super extra are my "go to's"....I can get the Aguilas cheaper, and they actually have more velocity and muzzle velocity than CCI's

I order 5 to 10,000 at a time online.
 
I want to find a small box of Federal Auto-Match to try before I get 350. It's tempting, though, since it's a pretty good price.

Do most of you use CCI hollow point? The 36 gr?

FWIW I have put over 3000 rounds of Fed Auto Match through my M&P 22 compact without a single failure.
 
Wow! You guys have done some serious shooting with your 22s! I get to pick mine up tomorrow, but I won't be able to shoot it until Monday. I can't wait!
I'm thinking about getting a Cook's trigger guard holster for it---kind of like a Raven Vanguard 2. I just want to have a holster option on hand if I need it.
 
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