Standerd vs High Velocity?

[Squirrels Worst Night]

Hey guys Jeff here, I am pretty new here so I have a question. I have had my 15-22 for probably 5 months now with roughly 3000 rounds through it. But all I have really used is high velocity rounds. I was poking around on google and I read something that hv rounds are less accurate because they have to go through their own turbulance before hitting the target where as sv rounds are more accurate because they dont.

I kindof experienced this first hand the other day when I used superbee 22 rounds. They were 33 grain and werent for semi-auto(bought by mistake) but I tried them anyways, I had to pull the bolt back after each shot but they were so accurate that it was worth is where are feds are all over the place.

Anyone have any credibility to put to this claim?

Thanks a ton, Jeff

 

[TAKticool]

I always wondered this, about Subsonic rounds... I read that using subsonic rounds and a silencer makes it so quiet, all you hear is the action cycling and the sound of the casing hitting the ground.

Here in Jersey we can't have even threaded barrels let alone a silencer, so I can't get one on my 15-22 (would LOVE to have one, imagine the indoor shooting possibilities, it would be so much fun and so cheap) but I have never bought subsonic rounds just to try them, and I am very curious.

 

[john16443]

Squirrels - I'll refer you to the sticky at the top of this forum that repeats information from the owners manual. Basically indicates that subsonic rounds are not recommended. You're experience indicates why. Hand cycling may work for awhile, but you may be asking for trouble. Why not buy the CCI Blazer standard velocity, that is on the "approved list"? That should be more accurate than the HV stuff, but maybe a little less than the subsonic stuff.

 

[grimreaper21]

When i was researching pistols before i eventually bought my 15-22, I noticed the same- alot of people saying the slower were better. In the case of the 9mm, the 147grn subsonic was claimed to be more accurate than the 115 grn standards. Weight helps apparently too. I've even heard hollowpoints to be better than round nose/fmj.

I more recently read on some rifle sites someone saying the CCI standard velocity outperformed the high velocity. Problem is i can't even find CCI standard velocity locally to test out the theory. I then also went on to read that subsonics will suffer more bullet drop at distance because they travel slower. I guess there is a happy medium somewhere, but i'd like to see some data for sure.

 

[TJ...]

I've fired many hundred subsonic rounds and have never had a FTF or FTE. The main difference between sub and high velocity is the faster rounds will are travelling at supersonic speeds on leaving the barrel but when they travel through the transonic region (approx 1120 fps) that is the period in which they experience the most drag & dynamic instability. Put simply, some rounds suffer performance drops as they go through this range and by using subsonic rounds you can avoid it. You also tend to find the higher velocity CCI type rounds have quite low BCs meaning although they travel fas, they are more susceptible to wind at longer-ranges than some of the higher BC subsonic rounds.

Which to use ? No straight answer but if the MV of the Stinger is 1500 fps then it will stay supersonic out to 75 yrds, going subsonic between there and 100 yrds making it an excellent choice for vermin or target in a sheltered range. A 10mph wind from 90 degree will knock the round 7.5" off at 100 yrds vs 3.4" for the Eley Club which has a MV of nearer 940 fps. A MV of 1200 from a mini mag will probably go subsonic around the 50 yrd level with 5.7" of wind impact at 100 yrds.

For me, if it is windy and i'm shooting targets i prefer subsonic. However, if i can mitigate the wind by shooting in a walled gallery range where i engage moving targets, timed steel plates and have to go out as far as 75 yrds then ulta high velocity is better than high velocity which for me falls uncomfortably between the two.

 

[one eye joe]

I'm impressed, TJ. You have this situation pretty well doped out......

 

[john16443]

TJ - were those sub sonic rounds through a 15-22 and did you have any cycling issues with the subs? Is the CCI std vel considered subsonic?

 

[grimreaper21]

A 10mph wind from 90 degree will knock the round 7.5" off at 100 yrds vs 3.4" for the Eley Club which has a MV of nearer 940 fps. A MV of 1200 from a mini mag will probably go subsonic around the 50 yrd level with 5.7" of wind impact at 100 yrds.

Guess i know why I was missing now in the thread 'iron sights @ 50 yards'. Was about 8mph wind that day, and almost all landed up and to the right with the other half missing on a 5.5'' target.

 

[Squirrels Worst Night]

Thanks for the info guys, anyone else post anything you find please. Id be interested in hearing anything you have to say.

 

[TJ...]

Yes I would classify CCI Standard as subsonic. I shot 400 rounds y'day through my 15-22 and didn't have a single problem (i've never had a jam of any sort) and was getting sub 4" groups at 100 yrds using an Eotech red dot with a 3x magnification in front.

I actually chronographed a 50+ shots as I was doing some work on my 308 ammo and here are the results for CCI Standard and Eley Club which I had on me at the time:

(fps)
CCI Standard: high 1,034, low 949, ES 86, Ave 992, SD 19.1, 95% 8.1, actual MV at barrel 1,005, 25 yrd velocity 959, 50 yrd drop (in MOA) -0.7 & -8.6 at 100 yrd. 10 mph wind impact at 100 yrds 4.8"

Eley Club: high 980, low 896, ES 85, Ave 937, SD 20.8, 95% 10.6, actual MV at barrel 944, 25 yrd velocity 918, 50 yrd drop (in MOA) -1.1 & -9.6 at 100 yrd. 10 mph wind impact at 100 yrds 3.3"

Out of these two i think the CCI works best. It does suffer slightly more at long distance in wind but I rarely encounter 10mph winds where I shoot (all walled off at the front, back and to the sides at least 10 feet high). CCI is shooting fast but not going through the transonic stage and bullet drop out to 50 yrds is minimal so i can set my zero at either 25 or 50 depending on the event and just aim a fraction off. It is almost 1 MOA POI change which on an Eotech is the size of the red dot.

 

[grimreaper21]

hmm, do the cci standards come copper plated? all i see is lead nose so far.. which is odd because the copper plated minimags are the same price.


Also i found this picture on another forum, Subsonic Hollowpoint (left). Standard Velocity (center), Hyper-Velocity "Stinger" Hollowpoint (right). The standard much more closely resembles the subsonic than the high velocity round which somewhat explains your results tj. I wonder if the size difference has something to do with S&Ws ammo recommendations

 

[TJ...]

standard velocity are lead