best .22 ammo

[nc.hunter]

Hey guys, Like I have said my grandpa got me a winchester semi-automatic .22 Long Rifle for christmas. good gun. My father helped me zero in the sights and it shoots very accurate, I can hit an empty shot gun shell at 25 yards away. (most of the times). So I was thinking about taking it hunting. But I am very unclear on which ammo to get. But, I have narrowed it down to 4 types of ammo. The cci quick shok, which I hear are pre-fragmented, supposed to brake into 3 peices on contact. The cci stinger, the cci Velocitor, and the Aguila .22 supermax hp. I am wondering which ammo would be best for rabbits and squirrels, also wich would be best for raccoons and ground hogs, and wich is best for the 8-10 lbs. grey fox that I have running around here. My distances would be between 25-75 yards at the most. Thanks for all the answers and happy hunting.

[big boomer]

I would pick the one that shoots best in your gun. a good hit with any bullet is better than a miss with any bullet.

[webs]

Congrats on your new .22 rimfire rifle.Sounds like you have a good grandfather and father who are working with you on this and helping you get started in the great sport of hunting.Keep this rifle forever and never get rid of it, because some day it will mean something special to you. It sounds like you may be shooting open sights, and if you are hitting empty shotgun shell casings at 25 yards,you are shooting it pretty well.Keep practicing until you can hit a 50 cent piece consistently at 25 yards.You will be able to do this with more practice.Just keep shooting until you can.
Learn to get this close to the game you hunt and you will have no problem making good clean killing shots.As far as the best ammo,I really don't think you need anything more than CCI Mini-Mag Hollow Points.If you can put your shots in to the head,neck and ribcages of Rabbits and Squirrels, you will have little damage to the meat.Shots hitting any leg or back bone will make a mess.Just be careful with your shots if at all possible.The shot placement for Ground Hog,Raccoon and Grey Fox will need to be to the brain to insure good clean kills.You will be able to extend your affective range with the .22 rimfire beyond the 25 yard mark with practice and experience ,but only you will know when you are ready.Use good hunting ethics and be patient Good Luck.

[Farmer]

Hi,
Im with big boomer, my advise is get a box of each and try them all in your rifle. .22 is the fussiest round going, something that works great in one rifle is terrible in another.

Also a little hint i learnt years ago was a 22 sighted in to 23 yards is zero again at 60 yards, and is a touch higher in between and start going down after.

[irish murphy]

Originally Posted by Farmer

Also a little hint i learnt years ago was a 22 sighted in to 23 yards is zero again at 60 yards, and is a touch higher in between and start going down after.

How would that work with different ammo?

[Farmer]

Just the standard flight path of supersonic 22
All firearms are the same but obviously at different ranges

[andrew cochran]

I believe the stinger and the velcitor are some of the most hard hitting. However if you eat the squrrel it will alread be minced for you. If you the the rabbits and squrrels go with the cci small game bullet . It provides more knock down that round nose but not a lot of meat damage.

[DWARREN123]

You are going to have to try different brands and types to find the one that works best for you.
CCI hollow points have worked very well for me over the years, I believe they are the Maxi Mags 22lr HP not the solids
Be careful and have fun..

[Troy]

check in with the manufacturer about using the "hot" .22's like the stingers in your particular semi. i was told not to use them in certain .22 semi's, that the action wouldn't take the added recoil. look into it, it wouldn't hurt to get the question answered.

[irish murphy]

I have used stingers in my brno model 2 a lot.One thing you have to remember about stingers.The cases are longer than a normal 22lr and in my brno the projectile engages the rifling on closing the bolt.

[Windwalker]

Well, as usual the folks have given you a lot of good advice. Pay attention to Troy's post and contact Winchester and get this question answered quickly as it could pose a danger. If Winchester says that you can shoot these safely then, as the guys said, get a box of each and see which shoots the most accurately in your gun. Good hunting.

[elmer fudd]

if you are killing bunnies and other small game go to walmart and get the value pack with 550 rounds in the box for only $11 it isnt the best but you get a bunch for a cheap price it is all i shoot in my 22 and i kill a bunch of bunnies, birds and tree rats with them.

[SilverRun]

Everyone else is right on with the advice. .22 lr rifles are a picky bunch - buy a box of everything they have at walmart and see which one shoots the best. Then go with that one. They will all have about the same results. I don't know about the pre-fragmented thing - I think I would stick with the traditional. Keep in mind that once you find the brand that your rifle likes the best - zero your scope to that brand. Different ammo will not all shoot to the same point of aim - especially the stingers - they shoot a little flatter - you will have to re-zero your scope with those for sure.

[tbonecpk]

I would also suggest a batch of Federal Gold Metal .22lr they are exceedingly accurate and dont have the extra wax that could contaminate the meet.

[nc.hunter]

the cci quick shok

[vikingpreacher]

I'm no expert but for the lighter animals, i would say cci stingers. For fox, the cci velociter.

[knightRider]

Originally Posted by elmer fudd

if you are killing bunnies and other small game go to walmart and get the value pack with 550 rounds in the box for only $11 it isnt the best but you get a bunch for a cheap price it is all i shoot in my 22 and i kill a bunch of bunnies, birds and tree rats with them.

I agree federal 22 lr is great 550 rounds for cheap!

[Troy]

Originally Posted by knightRider

I agree federal 22 lr is great 550 rounds for cheap!

agreed, i have also had good luck with the winchester dynapoints. they're also cheap like borcht.

[nathangdad]

Your best bet will be regular velocity ammunition in hollow point. Lightweight or "fast" bullets will generally not provide the accuracy you seek (in my experience).
Also, (in my experience) regular velocity/standard bullet weight is what your semi-auto is designed to handle in terms of shooting without jamming. I would get a box or two of regular hollow-point, practice with it, see how your gun operates and let that be my guide.

[Troy]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

Lightweight or "fast" bullets will generally not provide the accuracy you seek

this is what i found with the stingers