Thread: Borderline useful .22lr info

Gidday. I'm far from an expert but I have spent a lot of time and coin shooting 22s (only modestly priced rifles, I leave to top shelf stuff like Annie's for those with "taste").

However I've bought and tested a lot of ammo over the years. I've proved to my own satisfaction what the guru's on Rimfire Central keep coming back to . ... "your 22 is only as accurate as your current batch of ammo" . My Lithgow shoots extremely well but with the batch of ammo I used for Rambos challenge, it was phenomenally accurate (5 consecutive 5 shot groups with an average of 0.293 at 50M). However the next batch of Eley match wasn't as good. This batch thing is why the 22 Benchrest guys in the USA send their rifles to the Lapua or Eley test centres, which shoot dozens of batches through the rifle to find the best one. Then the shooter buys as much of that batch as he can afford!

Another way to think about the above is when we developed a load for a centrefire we adjust the internal ballistics by adjusting the charge weight and seating depth - neither possible in 22RF.

The next thing you are up against is the standard the ammo manufacturer is using, I think I've read that CCI specifies that SV will shoot 2" at 100 yards. Most times it will do a lot better than that but it's not going to compete consistently with something like Eley the likes of R50 or Tenex. No amount of weighting/sorting/whatever is going to convert SV.

Just occasionally if you test enough batches you'll find a plum . . . I recently bought a swag of some S&B subs, usually it's very average but this particular batch has shot really well in three of my 22s and some other guys rifles too.

I suggest careful reading of the excellent info on Rimfire Central and the rimfire section of Snipers Hide (where there are several guys with real knowledge of things 22, along with many others who only think they know anything, and batch test till you're broke like me!