Am I expecting too much?

[Pinoc]

So what ammo do you guys suggest for more precise shooting/hunting. Obviously the bulk stuff is better for plinking.

 

[arjay]

Try some of CCIs offerings or others in that price range.That gun won't be able to take advantage of ammo that's more expensive than that.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

So what ammo do you guys suggest for more precise shooting/hunting. Obviously the bulk stuff is better for plinking.

Subsonics will be your most accurate. I use CCI Standard Velocity & Norma Tac-22. The real expensive match ammo is best but I find those two work real well with no oddball flyers inches away from the main group.

 

[Shoot2kill]

So I took my brand new 15-22 out this morning for the first time this morning...150 rds in 30 minutes. After a little tweaking of my TRS 25 red dot, i was consistently hitting spent 20 ga shotgun shells from 30 yds...i'd say thats plenty good to hunt tree rats

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

So what ammo do you guys suggest for more precise shooting/hunting. Obviously the bulk stuff is better for plinking.

I wish I could tell you.

When I first got my 15-22 I slapped a magnified optic on it to see what it as capable of. It didn't respond well to anything, and I keep a wide selection of rimfire in my test box. To give yiu an idea, it shot Fed bulk pack about the same as Wolf Match. Go figure. The only ammo it did noticeably better with is Aguila Match Rifle. I took the scope off and that was that was the end of that. I shoot CCI SV pretty much exclusively because it's about the cheapest subsonic ammo there is for shooting suppressed.

 

[Faulkner]

I've taken dozens of squirrels with my 15-22, most all head shots and I don't use any glass. Though I do have a 5mW green laser mounted and sighted on it, they're usually out of range for the laser in daytime. The laser is mainly for night shooting. I hunt with mine more than I plink and I've taken a couple of coyotes as well, several raccoons, a few skunks and 'possums, and a dozen or so cottontails and swamp rabbits. The squirrels and rabbits we eat, the rest are taken while defending the barnyard from the preditory critters.

I use PMC Zapper22 high velocity hollow points for hunting, mainly because I bought a case of it several years ago and it's good ammo. I don't know if it's 2 or 3 or 10 MOA, but I know I can hold it on a skunk's head at 40 yards and take it out so that there's no infamous 'death spray'.

 

[photoracer]

Sorry guys, but the last .22 rifle I had that shot 3"MOA at 50 yards is now a dandy floor lamp in my man cave.

3" MOA is not a proper term. 3 MOA is 1.5" at 50 yards which would be plenty acceptable for most medium to short range hunting depending on the size of the game. I have other semi-auto .22 rifles capable of shooting to close to 1/4" at 50 yards (.5 MOA) but they have a lot of $$$ in them. There are things you can do that should help the 15-22 if you want it to shoot tighter. A metal handguard, a better lighter trigger, and possibly consider a Limbsaver Barrel De-Resonator. All of those things can have a positive effect on group size.

 

[Kayback]

I wish I could tell you.

When I first got my 15-22 I slapped a magnified optic on it to see what it as capable of. It didn't respond well to anything, and I keep a wide selection of rimfire in my test box. To give yiu an idea, it shot Fed bulk pack about the same as Wolf Match. Go figure. The only ammo it did noticeably better with is Aguila Match Rifle. I took the scope off and that was that was the end of that. I shoot CCI SV pretty much exclusively because it's about the cheapest subsonic ammo there is for shooting suppressed.

This matches my experience too. I gave up trying to shoot overlapping groups at 100m with it and went "minute of badguy". It is plenty accurate at 100m to hit a standard pepper popper so all is good.

KBK

 

[Biggfoot44]

Particularily with a sporting chamber , you need to test what your rilfe *likes* .

Aproach #1 - test everything to discover the absoute tightest groups, and then stock up on ammo of that Lot #.

Aproach #2 - have an expectation of your needs/ probably capability of your rifle. Test a cpl types of ammo ( of desired catagory ). If you find something within needs / expectations , declare Victory.

In theory , standard vel or subsonic will be more accurate than "normal high velocity" , but with sporting chambers it can be seemingly random.

As a random example , with a Marlin M795 , the first ammo I tried was bulk Win 555 , gave me 9/16in at 37yds ( with random inexpensive scope on hand) .I considered this well within expectations for a $100 new rifle of this type , and declared provisional Victory. Someday with spare time on my hands I might play with other ammo to see if does even better , but the 555 is more than acceptable.

Of course the next rifle may hate 555 , and love Mini Mags or Green Tag , or whatever, you have to test for yourself.

 

[cinnwalt]

I found with my 15/22 that trigger control, follow through, how and what I am rested on, (bipod or bag), use of same technique, made all the difference with it. For me, on the bench I find if I relax my trigger hand grip, pull down into the bench and back into my shoulder with my off hand, my gun becomes much more consistent to producing 1.5" 100yd groups. When free shooting, top of a post, sitting, leaning against a tree, for me it all comes down to trigger control. My gun still has the stock trigger in it which will change soon, saving my pennies, but I find that any movement even after the trigger breaks will cause flyers, you have to follow through and be still. Watch those cross hairs and concentrate. My gun seems to run anything, minimags, Goldens Winchesters and the above applies to all of them. Oh yeah, that's right, this is supposed to be fun, lol I'll shut up now.