.22 LR ammunition - What are you using?

[Jim Reed]

I'm just starting in CLA. I have the Marline 39A with Williams sight & Lyman post on the front. I currently shoot rimfire benchrest and use Eley.

What are ya'll using in CLA? I looked through the forum here and only one post has a discussion about .22. Looking over at some other sights, I didn't find to much help there.

What I'm considering right now is SK Standard HV, Wolf Match.

I'm open to suggestions.

[44 mag]

I shoot fed 719. last year we shot sk standard plus but lost a few rams.we shot the fed 719 before and were not able to find it last year thats why we switched. it shoots great out of our 39a's and have never lost a target.these are 1200fps.

[Washita]

They don't count if you don't knock 'em down, so I want all the power I can get within the rules; precision accuracy isn't a requirement with half-scale targets. So I like high velocity solids. CCI Maximags are my preference, but I'm sure there are others just as good. None better, though, IMO.

[jnyork]

Federal Champion 510 for me. Federal Automatch works just as well.

[Jason]

Federal Automatch, because I have a lot of it. The CCI Mini-Mag solids shoot a bit better and I might switch to those after I shoot up a few thousand of the Automatch. I can't really complain about the Automatch, though. The two targets that I missed in the last match were all my fault.

[edgehit]

Really loosing rams using target velocity? I'm not experiencing that. But I suppose it can happen.

I'm using CCI Standard Velocity that Dick's has been selling for the past year at $25/brick. It gets the job done. Lots of guys are shooting Fed 510, Aguila SE std vel, Wolf, sk +, Eley yellow, maxi mags. Whatever you can shoot into 2" ought to do the trick. There are times I can't knock over our pig target but that's because we use heavy hunter's pistol targets for c-t and swap out the ram for smallbore. We just count the pig hit and move on.

[Tlee]

Really loosing rams using target velocity? I'm not experiencing that. But I suppose it can happen.

...(snip)

Yep, happens with some regularity at our local range since we started replacing older/bent up mild steel rams with newer ones made of AR steel. Happens less out of the Lever Actions than with the Contender pistols, but it does still happen, particularly with Standard Velocity ammo. Happens the most frequent with Wolf, probably 2nd most frequent is Eley Sport, followed by CCI. I've yet to lose one locally with Fiochi or Federal High Velocity, but my son lost one at Raton that left a clear impact mark mid-body in the shoulder. Target setters checked to make sure it wasn't a Pistol Cartridge Ram (it wasn't). Said it was still sitting squarely on the pads.

-Tim

[GTKF]

I shoot SB CLA at 4 different ranges with a 39A. At 2 ranges Central Jersey (meters) and Albany (yds), I;ve not had a problem with rams using CCI standard velocity. At the two clubs where I'm a member (both yards), Colonial and Falls Township, PA I've had a lot of ringers and had to switch to Mini Mags. At Colonial our feet are 1/2" too wide and they just don't tip as easily. Point is feet, stands and weight of the rams, along with weather conditiona make a difference. I've also found SV to be more accurate on paper in my gun

[edgehit]

Thanks for sharing the Raton experience. I would clearly be looking for a HV cartridge if I was planning to attend the Nationals. The first brand I would consider is Federal 510. Without a doubt, they are the best shooting HV cartridge I've tried. Only concern is wind. If there is the slightest bit of wind, ram line accuracy suffers.

[Ramslammer]

G'Day
Me and Toad took heaps of different HV ammo to the farm for testing. Federal Auto Match was a clear winner. It seems to shoot well in both our Marlins and when the other blokes here tried it they reported the same. Our only trouble is getting the stuff! Been waiting over 12 months for our last order and the shop keeps telling us it hasn't arrived from the US.
Juddy

[TURKEYSFEARME]

I use wolf or SK match, I want the bullet to go exactly where the sights are when I break the shot, I've only had a few ram dingers but those were bad hits on the edges of the target.

[dgslyr]

I shoot winchester subsonic in my 39A at the chickens,pigs and turkeys.I shoot Federal Auto Match at the rams without changing sight settings from the turkeys.I can kock down any rimfire target I hit with the subsonic rounds.At two matches I shoot they don't have any thin rams and the center fire hunters pistol targets give me trouble with everythingThe Winchester subsonic out shoots everything else I've tried in my gun,Federal,Eley,Wolf,SK,Or anything from CCI.The higher the price the worse it shot.Of course the reverse is true with my Contenders and Ruger MK II's.They won't shoot the cheap stuff for beans.

[jnyork]

Federal Champion 510 for all, I may have lost a ram or two over the years but I think you lose them occasionally with any ammo. I have never missed one I could blame on the ammunition, but wish I could.