New Ruger 10/22 Owner Seeks Help Choosing Ammo

Discussion in 'Firearms' started by GreenTeaBlend, Mar 11, 2011.


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  1. GreenTeaBlend

    GreenTeaBlend Monkey+

    I purchased a new Ruger 10/22 carbine today and intend to use it for hunting small game in a SHTF situation.

    Ammunition choices for the .22 Long Rifle are varied and numerous as shown here on the Midway site. The CCI Blazer Ammunition 22 Long Rifle seems to be sold at a good price point. What are the pros and cons of this ammo for varmint hunting?

    The salesman tried to sell me on more expensive .22LR hollow point ammo. Why would this be important for hunting?

    He also seemed to have it in for Remington brand ammunition saying that Remington ammo is "dirty" and will "foul your gun." Any thoughts on these comments?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I have a marked preference for CCi minimags in .22 LR. They shoot clean, reliably, and with accuracy. The hollow points will peel the guts right out of a squirrel but head shots with them are quick stoppers.
     
  3. fireplaceguy

    fireplaceguy Monkey+

    Welcome to the forum, GTB!

    As an Appleseed instructor, I've put every brand of .22LR ammo through Ruger 10/22 rifles, and I've watched dozens of students do the same. The only thing I can tell you for certain is that the quality of rimfire ammo has gone down in the last few years.

    I stocked up on tens of thousands of rounds of .22LR back in the mid 90's. I have primarily CCI Mini Mags in 100 round plastic boxes and Federal 550 round bulk stuff packed in the old cardboard milk carton boxes. Every now and then I shoot some of that, and it's still all quite reliable. I'm hanging on to that stuff, so mostly I shoot current production bulk stuff bought at WalrusMart.

    I've been teaching Appleseeds for about the last year, and I've shot every brand of current production ammo - and had misfires with all of them! CCI Mini Mag is the best these days, but even it is no longer perfect.

    Fortunately, all .22LR ammo is cheap. My suggestion would be to try a box of each brand and type you can get and see what works best. Then, run back to the store and buy as much of that lot as they have!

    I couldn't say which brand fouls the rifle the quickest, because we shoot so much that every rifle gets filthy and is cleaned every night.

    BTW, I would encourage everyone to buy some .22LR with the 40 grain round nose lead bullet. That stuff has a lot more downrange power and it penetrates far better than any of the lighter weight hollow point rounds. That 40 grain round turns the 10/22 into a rather serious little defensive rifle...
     
  4. ColtCarbine

    ColtCarbine Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Somebody correct if I'm wrong but I do believe all .22lr ammo is dirty and over time you could foul any firearm if you don't eventually clean it.

    Every once in a while I'll get a FTF/FTE with the Federal and Remington but the CCI Mini Mags is the best I've used. I do not know if the FTF/FTE were mag related or ammo related, I use the Butler Creek 25 rd. mags. Since ammo is cheap, I clear the malfunction and continue about my business.
     
  5. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    I use the Butler Creek 25 rd. mags also...but the metal lipped one's work best for me...
     
  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    It is, and I don't understand the way some folks talk like it's the end of the world. Mostly inexperienced people whine and complain about "dirty ammo", for crying out loud, you are shooting explosive powder!!! wake up!!! ;) Sure, some powders burn cleaner, but let's not make this into a science here. We all have to clean the rifle after we are done. I swear! :mad:

    And as for the ammo types, as far as rimfire is concerned, it's all good for a Ruger 10/22 as long as it's standard LR or better, you won't have issues. And the solid tips are always best --but that's just my opinion. A HP .22 kind of ruins the small game.
     
  7. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I echo Brokor here - CLEAN the gun when required, 'dirty ammo' is not a problem. Go easy on the bore though - many .22 rifles shoot best lightly fouled. It can take many shots from a clean bore to get the groups tightened down again. But keep the action clean! Crud in the firing pin and extractor recesses will give the worst problems! Don't forget the magazines - that is the heart of any semiauto!
    I have found that most .22LR semiautos do best with plated bullets - lubricated lead bullets are more prone to catch on the bottom edge of the chamber going in. The 10-22 isn't as prone to this as older designs though.
    I really like the CCI Standards - very consistent and accurate. Lower velocity, less noise - but they are more expensive. Tree rat headshot at 50 yards is not a problem!
    CCI Minimags are my favorite for older rifles - rarely have a problem with them. Again, pricier than bulk-pack ammo.
    Federal has never impressed me with tightness of grouping, but they generally operate fine.
    Remington - garbage. I no longer waste my money on it!
    Winchester - the big hollowpoints will sometimes jam in a semi, but generally work very well in bolties and lever rifles. Decent accuracy, fine for bagging a bunch of bushytails!
     
  8. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I keep two .50 caliber ammo cans filled with assorted .22 LR; whatever is available at Wallyworld cheap in bricks gets dumped into this box for plinking, trading, and playing with my real gun conversion kits. I hunt almost exclusively with the CCI minimags, it is the only cartridge that feed reliably in my 7722 Ruger. Remington and Federal tend to be difficult to extract in that weapon. I believe the chamber is peened by the firing pin, making it a little tight. Guess I could fix that problem and will get around to it eventually.
     
  9. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    My vote is CCI.

    Generally, I have no issues with anything I've run through my 10/22. I like Federal the least- tend to have more failures. For bulk, it shoots Remington well. I keep my 10/22 reasonably dirty at all times. I think my method of cleaning could be described as "shoot until failure". That is thousands of rounds for the 10/22.

    I will second that a dirty bore shoots more consistent than a clean one. This is coming from nearly 8 years of small bore precision shooting through high school and college.
     
    Brokor likes this.
  10. Robb

    Robb Monkey+

    I'm also an Appleseed instructor, and I'd say without a pause that Remington brand ammo is absolute crap.
    CCI mini-mags run well in everything.
     
  11. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    It has been my observation, that there are NO CLEAN firing cartridges, Only cleaned and TLC'd Weapons. If you take care of it, IT will take care of you. I would HOPE that the Appleseed Instructors, ALSO have a Mandatory Class on Weapon Cleaning, for each student, on the weapon they are using during the instruction. If NOT, they should get their act together, and do so..... Whenever I do Firearms Instruction, that is ALWAYS part of the instruction. Your NOT Finished, till the "Paperwork is DONE"....
     
  12. Robb

    Robb Monkey+

    No, there is no time in an Appleseed weekend to provide cleaning instruction. And that's because Appleseed is NOT a Weapons Training program, it's an American history and heritage program that includes Rifle Marksmanship. "Weapons Training" and "Rifle Marksmanship" are two entirely different things.
    And I assure you, sir, that the volunteer Appleseed instructors most assuredly do have their act together.
    Thread hi-jack completed....
     
  13. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I like chocolate.
     
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Ye gods and little fishes, another mine is bigger than yours thread started?

    22 LR ammo is cheap enough that one can experiment till one is content with the results. So I say to GTB, buy some, try some, find one that your rifle likes and stock up. Do the same with mags until you find some that work and last, and stock up.

    With both mags and ammo, there will be failures; as it happens, I've had more failures with Remmie bulk packs than any other, but no others are immune in my experience. My experience? Thousands and thousands of rounds down range with a variety of pellet spitters (and pellets) remmie, winnie, M82, Hammerli, and others too numerous to mention. But not yet 10/22 in quantity or Henry at all. (Both on the list.)

    It just doesn't matter where you start, it matters only that you are satisfied with the end results.
     
  15. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    No. Don't alarm yourself.
    Pacifist. We love ya.
     
  16. GreenTeaBlend

    GreenTeaBlend Monkey+

    Many thanks to everyone for the great discussion and advice! I've taken ghrit's advice and have purchased a brick each of CCI Mini-Mags, Winchester, and Remington 22LR. Will give them all a workout at the range before buying in bulk. BTW, I stayed completely away from HP rounds as I want my varmints more or less intact. ;-)

    Also picked up four factory Ruger magazines and two of the Butler Creek Steel Lips magazines to give a try.

    And I ordered a book from Amazon called "Customize The Ruger 10/22", by James E. House, that looks pretty good (has some excellent reviews.)

    Thanks again to all!
     
  17. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Have fun, man.
     
  18. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    G.tea...The Butler Creek speed loader work's very well...just saying..
     
  19. snowbyrd

    snowbyrd Latet anguis in herba

    Does the bunny or spuirrly whurlly care? Some of my .22s care about the ammo, my 10-22s don't much care. good advice y'all,,try it you'll like it, you'll use it.
     
  20. fedorthedog

    fedorthedog Monkey+++

    I have had a higher number of failures with the federal bulk 22 I have used a fair amount during basic firearms training. I like Winchester western Wildcat its seem to shoot reliable and accurately in all of my .22. I have not tried the CCI.
     
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