Need some .22 adivce

[loeman]

OK, I admit it, I don't spend much time in this sub forum and I'm sure it has stunted my growth. I mostly shoot 9, 45, 357, 38 and 40.

I apologize for these questions but I'm honestly pretty ignorant of what .22 ammo I should use in my guns. There hasn't been much of a problem the past few years as I couldn't even buy it. I have a bunch of .22 cal. guns but I honestly don't know what is the best .22 to shoot in them. Is it ok to shoot .22 shorts in anything (bought some at Wally today)? Should I avoid High Velocity in some or is HV ok in almost anything. Here is a list of .22s that I have. Can you recommend what type to shoot in each or what to avoid? I'm looking forward to exercising all of them now that ammo is in the stores.

High Standard Victor, ca 1978
Ruger Standard, ca. 1980
S&W Md 17 ca. 1970s
S&W Md 18 ca. 1959
S&W Md 41 ca. 1970
S&W Md 34 ca. 1960
S&W Md 63 ca. 1979
Colt Woodsman ca. 1920
Colt Hunstman ca. 1970s

A big thanks to any and all who respond.

 

[tim c]

i can speak for the HS Victor and mod 41 standard velocity not HV

 

[Nevada Ed]

A LOT of todays "Modern" weapons are designed for the LR.

Many will not function or pick up a long or short to chamber.
Auto's usually are designed for the LR load, while some pumps will handle the long and maybe the shorts.

Bolt actions may or may not work with longs and shorts, depending on the actions set up.

I have a Winchester pump that will not eject one of the federal rounds due to the thickness of the rim.

If you can find it, buy it !!
You never know what ammo your weapon will like.........
more is good.

As a note;
the cci LR sub-sonic works in all my rifles.
Good shooting.

PS; If shooting a Ruger single six with the Mag. cylinder.....
make sure to wear ear pugs of some type.

 

[Peak53]

all the Smith revolvers will safely shoot shorts, long, or long rifle at any velocity you can find them. that said, some will shoot more accurately or present fewer ejection problems from tight chambers. only your guns can tell you

 

[Otreb]

I'd stick to std vel in the two Colts and mod 41.

 

[bigggbbruce]

Information on the Colt Woodsman and ammo choice item #10
Colt Woodsman FAQs

 

[bigggbbruce]

I'd stick to std vel in the two Colts.

My '51 Match Target is fine with Hi-vel. Pre WWII depends on mainspring housing. Most Std. vel only.

 

[Drm50]

Victor, S&W 41, and the 1920s vintage Colt Woodsman should
use standard velocity ammo. Many prewar 22s were not designed
for hi-velocity LRs. Can cause metal to metal on recoil stroke.
I have seen the operating handle snap of a Walther 22 rifle with
use of hi- vel 22lrs. Recently a ruined Reising Bearcat.

 

[BB57]

Standard Velocity or High Velocity .22 LR:

Ruger Standard, ca. 1980
Colt Hunstman ca. 1970s
*S&W Md 41 ca. 1970

Standard Velocity .22LR

High Standard Victor, ca 1978
Colt Woodsman ca. 1920

.22 Short, Long or Long Rifle:

S&W Md 17 ca. 1970s
S&W Md 18 ca. 1959
S&W Md 34 ca. 1960
S&W Md 63 ca. 1979

----

The 1rst generation Colt semi-automatics were designed for .22 LR only, and that includes the Huntsman and Woodsman pistols made prior to 1931. Those made from 1931 onward were designed for High Velocity .22LR. Similarly, the second and third generation pistols made after 1947 were also made to fire High Velocity .22LR.

The High Standard Victor was designed for standard velocity .22LR and its recoil spring is not strong enough to accommodate high velocity .22LR without risking battering of the frame.

The Ruger pistols from the Pre-Mark I Standard model onwards were all designed for both Standard Velocity and High Velocity ammo.

Not all High Velocity ammo is created equal. Bullet weights and velocities vary as do point shapes so you'll need to find a round that functions well in your pistol. Some are pretty picky, others will eat anything.

* I'll deviate from the herd here and state that the Model 41 can be used with either standard or High Velocity .22LR - S&W never specified anything other than ".22LR", they just recommend using a load that functions well and feeds well. From a practical standpoint most people use a standard velocity or match grade round in them, but High Velocity .22 LR won't beat them up. The exception here is if you've got one the few aluminum sold versions made for .22 Short, or one with a .22 Short drop in conversion kit.

One thing way too many folks fail to consider is that recoil springs are a life limited item and they need to be replaced when they wear out. If you've got a pistol that is designed for .22LR but is getting battered by it, the likely suspect is a weak recoil spring. Get a new one.

Revolvers will handle any of the .22LR rounds from CB cap and gallery rounds to High Velocity and Hyper Velocity .22LR rounds. Like you would with .38 in a .357 Magnum be sure to clean the chambers after each session to remove any carbon in order to avoid building up a carbon ring that could make chambering longer rounds difficult.

 

[ma deuce]

Shorts are just fine in a revolver. May change your point of impact somewhat, but that can be compensated for. LR only in a semi, except those few made for shorts.

My main rule of thumb: stay away from Remington, especially Thunderbolts. But others say they've had no problems.

 

[hoc9sw]

Generic comments in regard to pistols.

Short & long .22 are either for very specific semi's (there is a 22A for shorts) or revolvers.

My GSG 1911-22 works well only with CCI Mini-mag solid point or Blazer SP.

My S&W .22 Compact works with CCI standard velocity, CCI Mini Mag, Rem Golden Bullets, Thunderbolts, Blazer.

Federal in any version (American Eagle, Auto Match, Lightning) is only useful for me in my Ruger Single Six.

My Ruger 10/22 wil eat just about anything.

That said - Subsonic / CCI Quiet won't generally cycle a semi-auto. Sometimes it will, but don't jump on 1k rounds of something that you don't know.

As to hyper velocity - CCI Stingers, for example, if the round is heavier than you need to cycle the slide, you may be beating the life out of the springs / slide for no reason. Those run great in my 10/22 for specific purposes, but I would not waste them on target shooting.

 

[loeman]

You guys are awesome! Thank you very much for your kind replies. I'm putting the info into my notebook and I'm making cards to store with all my 22s as to appropriate ammo type to use. You've been a great help.

I have my Dad's Mossberg rifle (46B I think) that would shoot anything. However, since he was using it to dispatch rabbits, he preferred shorts. He hated eating rabbit with shotgun pellets in his meat. He was one of the best marksman I've ever known. However, the only other gun he ever owned was the Ruger Standard listed in my OP. He bought it late in his life for HD.

 

[loeman]

Standard Velocity or High Velocity .22 LR:

Ruger Standard, ca. 1980
Colt Hunstman ca. 1970s
*S&W Md 41 ca. 1970

Standard Velocity .22LR

High Standard Victor, ca 1978
Colt Woodsman ca. 1920

.22 Short, Long or Long Rifle:

S&W Md 17 ca. 1970s
S&W Md 18 ca. 1959
S&W Md 34 ca. 1960
S&W Md 63 ca. 1979

----

The 1rst generation Colt semi-automatics were designed for .22 LR only, and that includes the Huntsman and Woodsman pistols made prior to 1931. Those made from 1931 onward were designed for High Velocity .22LR. Similarly, the second and third generation pistols made after 1947 were also made to fire High Velocity .22LR.

The High Standard Victor was designed for standard velocity .22LR and its recoil spring is not strong enough to accommodate high velocity .22LR without risking battering of the frame.

The Ruger pistols from the Pre-Mark I Standard model onwards were all designed for both Standard Velocity and High Velocity ammo.

Not all High Velocity ammo is created equal. Bullet weights and velocities vary as do point shapes so you'll need to find a round that functions well in your pistol. Some are pretty picky, others will eat anything.

* I'll deviate from the herd here and state that the Model 41 can be used with either standard or High Velocity .22LR - S&W never specified anything other than ".22LR", they just recommend using a load that functions well and feeds well. From a practical standpoint most people use a standard velocity or match grade round in them, but High Velocity .22 LR won't beat them up. The exception here is if you've got one the few aluminum sold versions made for .22 Short, or one with a .22 Short drop in conversion kit.

One thing way too many folks fail to consider is that recoil springs are a life limited item and they need to be replaced when they wear out. If you've got a pistol that is designed for .22LR but is getting battered by it, the likely suspect is a weak recoil spring. Get a new one.

Revolvers will handle any of the .22LR rounds from CB cap and gallery rounds to High Velocity and Hyper Velocity .22LR rounds. Like you would with .38 in a .357 Magnum be sure to clean the chambers after each session to remove any carbon in order to avoid building up a carbon ring that could make chambering longer rounds difficult.

Outstanding info BB57. Your willingness to go into detail on my questions is truly appreciated. You and the other guys have provided me with a most useful reference. Thank you.

 

[Jeffrey A. Cooper]

Experience is the premium that many people offer on this forum. I keep a couple dozen different loads and brands for the 22LR and the magnum in a box just to evaluate performance. That said, I generally shoot my model 17 revolver, it will hurt your loading fingers if you use waxed lubed bullets in very short order. Dry lube is best for the best 22lr revolvers.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I shoot CCI Mini Mags in my 317 S&W and PPKS. The PPKS is fussy about the ammo it will function fully with. The CCI Mini Mags cycle the PPKS just fine and shoot accurately in my SW 317.

 

[RSBH44]

You guys are awesome! Thank you very much for your kind replies. I'm putting the info into my notebook and I'm making cards to store with all my 22s as to appropriate ammo type to use. You've been a great help.

I have my Dad's Mossberg rifle (46B I think) that would shoot anything. However, since he was using it to dispatch rabbits, he preferred shorts. He hated eating rabbit with shotgun pellets in his meat. He was one of the best marksman I've ever known. However, the only other gun he ever owned was the Ruger Standard listed in my OP. He bought it late in his life for HD.

Love those old Mossberg rifles. I have a few myself. The 46b is an excellent and very accurate rifle !

 

[Ranger17]

I have a Colt Challenger ('51) that sat for some years before being handed down to me. Not sure what sort of ammo it ran when my father in law had it; but my best results have been with cci std vel but it also runs pretty nicely with mini mags. I've found Fed auto match and champ rounds do well in it; i dont pay attn to what may be considered "high velocity" but just try/use the ammo i have available.

 

[DWalt]

One thing you will find is that every .22 gun will have its own ammunition preference for the best function and/or best grouping. All you can do is try every brand and type of .22 ammo you can get your hands on to find out what works best in each gun. Most semiautomatic pistols will work OK with .22 LR either SV or HV ammunition (except for the original early Colt Woodsman which needs .22 LR SV only). Other than as a single shot, most autopistols will not function with .22 Short. There are a few .22 autopistols designed to shoot the .22 Short only. With few exceptions for older revolvers, all .22 revolvers will use .22 S, L, or LR, either SV or HV. Most .22 semiautomatic and pump rifles will use only .22 LR. Some few will use .22 S, L, or LR interchangeably. Two of my favorite 22s ever are the Remington Model 550-1 semiautomatic and the Remington Model 12 pump rifles (both are long out of production). Both are very reliable with .22 S, L, and LR. I have a very large stockpile of .22 Short, and that's about all I use in those two rifles.

 

[oldRoger]

One comment that I can add; if you are looking for accuracy you will find that most match grade (Eley, Lapua, RWS, etc.) .22lr ammunition is designed to stay below the transonic velocity point. Usually, but not always, manufacturers call this “Standard Velocity”.
The magic velocity area is 1040-1080 fps., since most ammunition velocity checks for .22lr is done in 18” barrels, the velocity from your pistol shooting SV ammunition will be about 900 fps.

Most high velocity ammunition will not travel much faster from a pistol than SV so I stick to SV in mine.
There are a few pistols, especially .22 conversions for centerfire pistols that will not cycle with SV, otherwise SV will work in about everything.

 

[fixitfred]

The 22 rule is buy it if you see it at 7¢ a round. Anything higher and think about it carefully. It looks like it's on it's way back but not quite yet.

Did I miss what you said you were shooting it in? Most likely a 22LR but if you have a match barrel with a benz chamber you need to avoid certain high velocity rounds like Stingers. The case is slightly longer and will cause problems.

I found some quiet 22 at Walmart 750fps. It may not cycle my action but should be slightly quieter and prob what I want to shoot when I get a suppressor.