More accuracy from .22 ammo?

[flintlock]

I've read lately about measuring the rim thickness of .22 ammo and sorting by the dimensions you get. I've also read about weighing each round and measuring the o.a.l. for the same reasons. Does anyone have any first hand experience doing this, and what have you found as far as improved performance? I'm not a dedicated bulls eye shooter, but I'd like to see what my various .22's are capable of. Has anyone tried out the system sold by Paco Kelly? That seems to be another way of improving accuracy. Curiosity is the source of a large bill sometimes!

[hardluk1]

If your not serious target shooter just spend all the time needed and equipment to measure and weight and spend it on a grade better ammo. I have a paco accurrizer and the gauges needed to measure rim thickness left over from my hot rod days. Unless you allready have a 22 capible of shooting 3/8" 50 yard groups with decent ammo it will not matter. I have tryed it all witha wolf/sk ammo and even federal 922A ammo and found that a different in lot numbers of ammo can make a bigger difference than picking certain ammo from a box. Better to find the brand and lot number of the ammo that cost the most you can afford to shoot and buy a case of it in that lot number. Then you can tray to find a better way to seperate ammo if you have the time.

[jack404]

only at big comps back when ...

not for years, no need

but have had the odd empty ( no or low powder) from the cheapo ammo

i'm mainly CCI nowdays for hunting so no worries

[Hammerslagger]

I do not have any hard numbers to cite at the moment. I probably could find or develop some.

The bottom line is that several variables (including what brand and lot # of ammo your particular 22 likes) can contribute to tight grouping performance. If you are shooting a match, you are ill advised to use regular target ammo that you have tried to turn into match ammo by any type of sorting!

If you buy a box (or brick) of Eley "Tenex" or "Benchrest Gold" and put it in a match grade rifle at 55 yards (50 meters); the video in the following link pretty much shows you what can, on average, be expected. In reality, it is neither very good or very bad group, just average.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zccmu9UmEx8

{The Russians won many matches and Gold Medals during the "CCCP" years because they had almost hand made 22 ammo that grouped about 50% tighter than in the above video. Federal countered with its 900 series ammo; but lost money on every box sold, and was forced to discontinue it. Oddly, some rifles do not like it as well as Eley Tenex.}

Now, from some old experiences of my own, if you take a box of high grade match ammo and weigh it on a reloader's powder scale (electronic one preferred for speed of weighing) you will likely find that almost all cartridges weigh plus or minus 1/10th of a grain around the weight of most of the cartridges; and the extreme spread of weights will be no more than 1/2 grain.

Then if you weigh one of the better grouping target (standard velocity) ammos you will see a much wider dispersion of cartridge weights. My experiences have been mostly with CCI standard velocity actually loaded by the CCI division of ATK, and not the Federal division. When weighed you will find that about 66% of a brick will weigh within a total spread of 1/2 grain. This 66% can be divided in to at least two tighter spread sub-groups. The two sub groups become rifle practice match ammo. The usual remaining 33% is what I call 25 yard timed and rapid fire pistol/revolver practice ammo.

Better quality ammo tends to have rims that consistently measure closer to the max of 0.042" thickness as compared to the 0.039" minimum. I have found that a lot of ammo with rim thicknesses that are "all over the place" is usually rather loose grouping.

The concentricness of the bullet in the case is also a factor. Tools are sold to measure it.

As to the Paco Kelly system, sorry no experience or knowledge, here.

[flintlock]

Thanks for the information folks. I know that each of my .22's has a different favorite as far as ammo goes. The old Mod.23a, which is the most accurate .22 I own, does best with Remington sub-sonic ammo, the 10/22 likes CCI the best, and the Marlin mod. 25 seems to favor Federal bulk pack ammo. I must need something more to do with my time! Thanks again.

[cpttango30]

Maybe if you are shooting a Time or another bench rest gun I would do this. For everyday plinking Shoot more that is what makes you better. Practice your marksmanship and make sure you are doing things right and keep shooting and then shoot some more.

[aa1911]

In my smallbore days, measuring rim thickness was a common trick; it does work (a little) but not really necessary unless you are shooting a match. Tried it with lots of different types of ammo with similar results.

I would separate into 3 batches, under, on or close to the dot, and over. Very small difference so I never stuck with it but did use it for matches for a 'mental' edge if nothing else.

My anschutz 64 was good with a few brands of ammo but my winchester 52 would munch everything and sling 'em into the X ring. Winchester standard velocity was my normal practice ammo and frequently match ammo also. Eley is pretty much the standard once you are breaking into the top shooters or doing benchrest stuff.

I also would make sure to not change lots of ammo between last practice/sight in and the next match.

[Old Grump]

I did when I was shooting military ball in competition through my M1 Garand but never shot good enough with my pistol to need that kind of care with 22 ammo. If I am shooting long range 100+ yards with my rifle I use match ammo so again I haven't bothered. At 50 yards and less fingernail size one hole groups are as good as I am ever going to get using off the shelf ammo so unless I go serious benchrest 22 which is unlikely I will just keep plugging along with whatever comes out of my box of ammo.

[old semperfi]

years ago i wondered the same thing as you,however to mic each round or to weigh them was too much.i keep a small note book on each of my rifles and then i purchase as many different brands and types of ammo as possible.you will be surprised as to how accurate a gun can be with the right ammo.i normally buy as many rounds as possible with the same lot number once ive found the right one.if things change after a while i start over. old semperfi

[Zane71464]

CCI's for me these days and one thing I've found out from personal experiance.
I've bought the CCI Blazers by "brick" and also by the bulk pack. They do shoot differently!
I've sighted in several hand guns in .22lr with the 500 round bricks and then have gone to the 525 CCI bulk and they DO shoot different. The bulks wont hold the groups the "bricks" hold, off the bench.
I'm not sure if anyone else that shoots CCI's have noticed? But it would go to figure, "bulk packs"!

[aa1911]

bulk packs probably came off the same machine, they just take the ones that fell on the floor or whatever and package them as 'factory seconds' so to speak as bulk packs. Just a though.

Kinda like match bullets or match primers, etc. Not that it's necessarily different, just the first pick of the litter in some cases.

Could be the packaging too, although I'm not sure if that would be a big enough difference; maybe the bulk packs getting knocked around loose together vs. nice and organized in bricks.