22LR Trans Sonic

Dont know if anybody has experienced this with the bullet tumbling , but I had a round with it yesterday at a silly wet match . This is with my Ruger Mk4 and the ammo was Winchester super speed at 1300 fps . The gun shoots very well with this . I started of during the pratice session and it was great I settings for all 4 targets even picked off 3 of the centerfire rams that were left at 100M . I was pumped and was looking forward to the first time shooting this pistol in a match . I wasnt on smallbore till the 3rd relay and started on turkeys , I dont know but think the temp change in 3 hrs put it on the trans sonic bubble . I missed the 1st and 2nd turkey , when I shot at the 3rd bird and my sights were on the turkey it hit one of the guy beside of me pigs in the second bank . That started a interesting conversation , we got things smoothed out and I hated messing him up . I went to the rams same thing shot at the second ram and hit the first . Before the second bank of rams I ran to my range bag and grabbed a box of CCI standard vel , the second bank I took it up 2 more on the rear sight and hit 4 out of 5 got 2 and rang 2 hits a little below center . Went to chickens and pigs and the gun shot well , I did OK for my concentration shot to pieces. Anyone else had this happen .

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I’m not familiar with 22 trans sonic ammo.

I’ve shot at least a half million rounds of .22lr in my life and a lot of it was at silhouette matches. I’ve never had any HV ammo shoot well enough to really do well at silhouette. I’ve never been able to switch ammo like you did and have it hit to POI well enough to complete a match. HV ammo sometimes shoots reasonably well, but it never shoots as well as the std. vel ammo you’ll find that shoots the best in your gun. Get yourself a variety of different std vel target ammo and find out which brand shoots the best in your gun and stick with it. Many factors can influence a .22lr bullet on its way to the target. Even a ten mph cross wind can move a bullet several inches at 75 and 100 yards. What you’re describing doesn’t sound like its all ammo related. Find some better ammo if you’re going to compete.

I’m lost, what’s with the bullet tumbling. I’m thinking the trans sonic is a optic? Original ammo was
Win SS. then switched CCI SV. Don’t understand where to start. How do you know bullets were tumbling? The only thing I can take from this is your sighting system was off and you managed to hit a few with another ammo.

I would be looking at subsonic ammo. Standard velocity could be subsonic but could also be transonic.

Quote:

---

Standard-velocity: 1,000–1,135 ft/s (305–346 m/s). Common velocities are around 1,125 ft/s (343 m/s). High-velocity: 1,200–1,310 ft/s (370–400 m/s) per second.

---

Bear in mind that mach 1 is around 343 m/s (1,125 ft/s), which is the common standard velocity, in the middle of the transonic range, mach .8 to mach 1.2

Subsonic ammo is typically 1050 fps which is below transonic (I've measured it at the stated 1050 fps).

This is what a transonic bullet goes through
https://i.postimg.cc/nhyNqL1Y/Transonic-Flight.jpg

Transonic range
https://i.postimg.cc/J4BqZ5Yv/Transonic-Range.jpg

I used to shoot silhouette using high velocity ammo and did rather well with it (as in never missed a shot). Until that is, they went 'olympic'. ie changed from yards to meters. That would be 100 yds (91 meters) to 100 meters. I couldn't hit the rams at 100 meters! Groups just opened up. Transonic effects down range.

So yeah, if the standard velocity ammo is subsonic then it should be fine but just wanting to point out that it is no guarantee of being subsonic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Uncle Grinch

I’m not familiar with 22 trans sonic ammo.

---

That would essentially be standard velocity ammo.

I discovered this many years ago when I had a suppressor fitted to my newly acquired and repaired 1947 Remington Sportmaster. I bought some standard velocity ammo and fired it in my backyard. Only one shot since the supersonic crack was so loud! Back then I didn't know about standard velocity and subsonic. Out on a farm I fired a few more and some were quite while others had that distinctive supersonic crack. I never did an a comparative accuracy test though. A pity because that ammo brand is not available to me now. But the high velocity stuff was accurate (same brand).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Drm50

I’m lost, what’s with the bullet tumbling. I’m thinking the trans sonic is a optic? Original ammo was
Win SS. then switched CCI SV. Don’t understand where to start. How do you know bullets were tumbling? The only thing I can take from this is your sighting system was off and you managed to hit a few with another ammo.

---

Good point. Tumbling bullets make an obvious elongated hole. I have once had boolits hitting side on and I now know exactly why. I probably knew then too. Boolits were too small for a worn and rusted bore so they skidded through the rifling without spinning. I'm not talking 22 rifle here.

I never herd Trans Sonic used on ammo before. The speed of sound is listed at 1086fps at so much temp and sea level. I’m not arguing here but are you saying SV ammo has more to buck than HV ?
And what would that have to do with bullet tumbling? I’ve always thought the reason SV ammo was more accurate was there was less affect from lower velocity. I must admit this confuses me. But at least I know what the bubble is that OP is talking about.

Trans sonic simply means that you transition from above the speed to sound to below the speed of sound. Roughly 1100 fps. You can look up the specifics based on atmospheric conditions, but the principle is that the bullet will experience extreme turbulence and there is typically significant degradation of accuracy during this transition from above to below the speed of sound. This is a reason almost all your true 22lr target/match ammo is subsonic from the start.

I’d suggest buying quality match ammo and watch your scores improve or if wanting to stick with supersonic, buy a better quality ammo. Bulk or semi bulk ammo tends to have a few “duds” that will fire but will have significant swings in velocity. Remember the pow, pow, pop, pow, pop, pow, pow of bulk ammo? That’s what you’re experiencing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by osteodoc08

Trans sonic simply means that you transition from above the speed to sound to below the speed of sound. Roughly 1100 fps. You can look up the specifics based on atmospheric conditions, but the principle is that the bullet will experience extreme turbulence and there is typically significant degradation of accuracy during this transition from above to below the speed of sound. This is a reason almost all your true 22lr target/match ammo is subsonic from the start.

I’d suggest buying quality match ammo and watch your scores improve or if wanting to stick with supersonic, buy a better quality ammo. Bulk or semi bulk ammo tends to have a few “duds” that will fire but will have significant swings in velocity. Remember the pow, pow, pop, pow, pop, pow, pow of bulk ammo? That’s what you’re experiencing.

---

10-4 yes I definitely got some more testing to do . And I know I was lucky switching ammo between banks of animals and hitting anything .

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk