# Hunting > Varminting and Small Game Hunting >  .22 ammo

## NAKIMAN2

What is the best/cheapest .22 ammo and whats the best to put through a suppressor

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## mattdw

Whatever your rifle likes. Buy a bunch of boxes and see what shoots well. Through a suppressor you probably want subsonic, otherwise there's not a lot of point to having a suppressor on. Lots of people seem to find CCI subs go well (if you can find them.) I run Remington subs through my CZ at about $60/500 rounds.

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## Beetroot

I usually get Winchester bulk packs for high velocity. Can get them under $50 for 555 rounds, seem to shoot just as good as any other ammo in my semi.
I have started using my suppressor more often now and found the Remington subs very good, as good as CCI for me, and as above around $60 for 500. Can be found for even less.

I have never tried the Remington bulk high velocity stuff, but I tried a Federal bulk pack and it was rubbish. The Winchester is a slight bit cheaper and was a heap more consistent. 
This was out of three different 22s, one was shooting about 4+ inches at 70m with the federal and then under 2 with the Winchester.

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## smidey

I have always used Winchester subs through my over barrel suppressed 22 and they have been great. I prefer the 40 & 42gr, they hit hard and seem to be very accurate

 Sent from my work bench

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## 7mmwsm

Killwell whisper are my pick for subs. They come out of the Winchester factory, have the same projectile as Winchester Power Point, are cheaper than Winchester and kill a hell of a lot better than CCI.

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## hotbarrels

I bought a slab of Win blue box subs when they were $320 per 5,000 rounds. Seemed to be the most consistent low cost ammo at the time. Tried the likes of Killwell and PMC and the accuracy was terrible through a range of rifles. 
CCI standard velocity is currently the best priced quality ammo around but it is a solid. I have imported a Waltz die to hollow point them and will be doing a kill test on possums tonight.

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## possum_shooter

As mentioned above try and few different types and find out what your rifle likes.  Every rifle is different and two rifles of the same make and model may shoot differently with different ammo.  Don't buy in bulk until you know what suits your rifle.  Also what are you using it for?  hunting or target shooting.  Hunting, look for hollow point ammo and target look for solids.

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## NAKIMAN2

Thanks for your help will visit hunting and fishing and try my luck

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## muzza

I use Winchester Standard Velocity HP Target ammo through my suppressed .22 rifle. But you need to find the ammo that shoots best in your gun , not what someone else uses in a differant rifle.

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## stumpy

in my gsg .22 pistol , it loves federal , and cci .... hates Winchester ....stove pipes , fails to feed ...fails to eject ..... but some others find Winchester just fine ... ymmv

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## Tararua Phil

I use the Rem subs in my Norinco JW15A with Parker Hale suppressor as they group well & can knock over the magpies out of the wattle trees @ 100yds plus no worries, but your rifle may be best using another brand so will have to experiment I guess.

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## Nick-D

> I bought a slab of Win blue box subs when they were $320 per 5,000 rounds. Seemed to be the most consistent low cost ammo at the time. Tried the likes of Killwell and PMC and the accuracy was terrible through a range of rifles. 
> CCI standard velocity is currently the best priced quality ammo around but it is a solid. I have imported a Waltz die to hollow point them and will be doing a kill test on possums tonight.


How much did you end up getting it into the coutry for? Have been thinking about getting one myself. My marlin loves the CCI standards. I have a stash off CCI subs but they are rapidly diminishing

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## Hunt4life

> Killwell whisper are my pick for subs. They come out of the Winchester factory, have the same projectile as Winchester Power Point, are cheaper than Winchester and kill a hell of a lot better than CCI.


+1 to everything he said  :Wink:

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## zimmer

I can tell you what I use but like others have said every rifle is finicky and you need to try several brands yourself.  CCI subs are superb in my Marlin 795 as are Kilwell Whispers. Win Subs including the new more expensive ones are only so so. Standard Win Subs are excellent in my EM332, CCI Subs hopeless, Kilwell v good. Recently been trying SK Subs and they seem to be very good in everything I own - damn, expensive! My old BSA Sportman 5 shoots stunning groups with the SKs - it would wouldn't it, the most expensive ammo in my safe. So, basically, I have found no one ammo suits all my guns, as stated already in this thread. I only use subs now but have a quantity of CCI Stingers - shotgun group at 100yds out of most of my guns. If I was stuck with only one brand I would favour the Kilwells.

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## hunter308

I only use high velocity ammo and the one ammo I find that has shot extremely well in every .22 I have ever owned has been the mexican made fiocchi ammo. My marlin model 60 likes both the mexican fiocchi and also the winchester 42max it hates CCI mini mags (don't even know why I always give those things a try in any of the .22's I have owned)

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## nicklm

I went through a lot of different brands prior to finding out what suited my 22 best.. I actually first laid some groups down at 25m with some lapua target ammo to see how well the rifle could shoot then tested a bunch of different brands. My 22 zastava loves winchester power point and cci subs.. My Norinco likes winchester 555 bulk pack and cci subs also.. It seems to me that cci subs are often one of the more consistent rounds through a lot of different rifles.. Maybe explains why it's hard to find

I do have left over small amounts of cci mini mag and cci stingers which my 22 didn't shoot well at all if you or anyone is interested in it?

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## Nick-D

> I can tell you what I use but like others have said every rifle is finicky and you need to try several brands yourself.  CCI subs are superb in my Marlin 795 as are Kilwell Whispers. Win Subs including the new more expensive ones are only so so. Standard Win Subs are excellent in my EM332, CCI Subs hopeless, Kilwell v good. Recently been trying SK Subs and they seem to be very good in everything I own - damn, expensive! My old BSA Sportman 5 shoots stunning groups with the SKs - it would wouldn't it, the most expensive ammo in my safe. So, basically, I have found no one ammo suits all my guns, as stated already in this thread. I only use subs now but have a quantity of CCI Stingers - shotgun group at 100yds out of most of my guns. If I was stuck with only one brand I would favour the Kilwells.


The winny subs dont cycle cleanly in my marlin, they get caught up on the feed ramp, leaving lead behind.

I've found the only high velocity CCI rounds that my 22 likes are the velocitors. They do a number on rabbits too.....

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## Kscott

Same. My Marlin hates those Winchester ones, I end up with a single shot semi :-(

CCI SV, 500 for @$45 isn't too bad a deal, there's just the random flyer that can come out, but then it's still within minute of rabbit. Downside to the solids I've had is that it wasn't knocking rabbits down instantly like HP. They'd run for a few steps 1st, then keel over, whereas HP for me = bang, flop.

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## res

> Downside to the solids I've had is that it wasn't knocking rabbits down instantly like HP. They'd run for a few steps 1st, then keel over, whereas HP for me = bang, flop.


To me that is a ethical argument to only use hp rounds. 
That said head shots work with whatever

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## Nibblet

Been shooting the lapua Standard Plus and out of both my marlin 795 and @shift14 sako quad they shoot like a laser beam! Smell delicious too when the wax starts burning off on the spent casings too

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## Nibblet

Echoing others, different ammo in different rifles.

Marlin 795 top row, Sako Quad bottom. 1 inch circles at 37m, no changing of zeros between ammo or shooting.

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## gadgetman

I mainly use Fiocchi in my Marlins as mudgripz organised a good deal, same impact point as the CCI mini-mag it prefers (0.5-0.6" groups at 50m) but a slightly bigger group.

The Norinco JW-15A shorty loves the Fiocchi too, 1 inch dots at 50m, 5 shot groups. Huntsman 4x32 scope. First group top right before changing zero for next two groups.





Just wish I wouldn't pull one shot in each group.  :Pissed Off:

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## hotbarrels

> How much did you end up getting it into the coutry for? Have been thinking about getting one myself. My marlin loves the CCI standards. I have a stash off CCI subs but they are rapidly diminishing


It was around NZ$250 landed after all costs. That said, you only need to process about 5 bricks of CCI SV to pay for the tool based on the cost of CCI subs. I can process around 100 rounds in 5min.  Due to the wax buildup in the die, you have to clean it out with a .22 brush every 100-150 rounds. Approx 45min work will easily process a brick of 500 rounds provided you don't put them back into their boxes - I put them into screw top plastic bottles.

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## Dead is better

> To me that is a ethical argument to only use hp rounds. 
> That said head shots work with whatever


True - a .177 airgun slug doing 730ft/sec to the head is plenty to kill a rabbit at > 45m. I have killed hundreds of them. Any .22lr you use is going to kill that rabbit especially if its a head shot. i don't believe there is an ethical argument in choosing between .22lr ammo, rather the shooters skill and confidence at hitting it properly and not going for a bodyshot. 

I

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## Dead is better

AGH you got a quad! Nice eh - I've been eyeing those 'cause they'd be a good trainer for my t3 sporter

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## Nibblet

Not mine unfortunately, I'm just the caretaker well shift14 is on holiday.

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## Nick-D

> It was around NZ$250 landed after all costs. That said, you only need to process about 5 bricks of CCI SV to pay for the tool based on the cost of CCI subs. I can process around 100 rounds in 5min.  Due to the wax buildup in the die, you have to clean it out with a .22 brush every 100-150 rounds. Approx 45min work will easily process a brick of 500 rounds provided you don't put them back into their boxes - I put them into screw top plastic bottles.


Thanks man, not to bad a price really. 
Have to add it to the list of things to spend money on, not as high up as id like though  :Oh Noes:

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## etrain

> How much did you end up getting it into the coutry for? Have been thinking about getting one myself. My marlin loves the CCI standards. I have a stash off CCI subs but they are rapidly diminishing


Same thing with my Marlin...loves the CCI standards

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## Toby

> Echoing others, different ammo in different rifles.
> 
> Marlin 795 top row, Sako Quad bottom. 1 inch circles at 37m, no changing of zeros between ammo or shooting.
> 
> Attachment 26221
> Attachment 26222


That marlin seems to shoot the same as the sako

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## Sidelock

For effective killing and low noise I recommend CCI segmented subsonic 40gr. These will shoot to the same POI as CCI standards at 50m out of my CZ 455. The standards are a lot cheaper, perfect for plinking.

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## Nick-D

> For effective killing and low noise I recommend CCI segmented subsonic 40gr. These will shoot to the same POI as CCI standards at 50m out of my CZ 455. The standards are a lot cheaper, perfect for plinking.


Yep thats the exact combo I use. The HP are good efficient killers too

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## Sidelock

I believe they are, however I would not know since my rifle wont chamber those.

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## Gunzrrr

Ditto on comments to buy a whole lot of different .22LR subsonic ammo and see what your particular rifle likes ... you can never have enough ammo!  I have 2 .22LR subsonic rigs (10/22 Ruger and a Weihrauch bolt action (HW60J?)). I started using CCI subs and never had a problem at all. Great bang for the buck as they say. I started getting into serious pest control work and moved to the Winchester which is made in Australia I believe (don't quote me). The Winchester shoots a little better in the bolt action but it's nearly twice the price so you would expect some improvement.
Because of the costs, my son shoots CCI in the semi auto and I shoot the Winchester. Hope this helps ... keep safe! Gunzrrr

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## etrain

I put winchester 42g subs through the marlin 925. More accurate than high vel out of this particular rifle...and feels better leaving the barrel.

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## Marty Henry

Winchester power point for supersonic, the American made seems a little better than the aussie, for subsonic the Remington and Hyland shot equally well but the Hyland projectiles seem too hard to reliably expand so Remmy is it. The Ruger 1022, Brno and unique x51 handle both fine in 40 gr the 42 grn Winchester wouldn't hit a flock of barns in the ruger though. The gevarm occasionally has issues with subs so it only gets supersonic.

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## time out

Hi Marty - I would like to use the suppressor on my Unique but it won't eject the case - any thoughts on what I could do

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