Dangerous 22 ammo

[Junior1942]

This thread has reinforced my decision to stop using cheap 22 ammo. I never did like the CCI 22 ammo because it was too destructive on squirrels, which is all I hunt with my old Marlin. I've been using Rem Thunderbolt. However, when I set up my Chrony for testing centerfire rounds, I always run one or two 22 rf rounds over it to check its operation. 90% of those 22 rf Thunderbolts clock right around 1125 fps. But every once in a while one clocks around 800 fps. The retort is a little quieter, but not enough to really notice except for the low Chrony reading giving a headsup. Or is that earsup? Sometimes those squib rounds jam the auto action, and sometimes it cycles just fine. Anyway, I'm buying Winchester 22 ammo from now on--and not the cheapest.

[felix]

Junior, the same thing happens with the Winchester 22 ammo. It seems when they spin the primer mix to the outside of the case and then clamp the rim to contain it for drying, the mix does not necessairly go evenly around the rim. Hopefully so, but sometimes not. When the firing pit hits the null area, it might or might not go off. Just rotating the round makes the round equal to the others "in the group". These happenings are very lot dependent, of course. Just a heads up. ... felix

[montana_charlie]

A LONG time ago, I had several rounds of Federal .22 LR stick in a chamber. It never occurred to me to complain about it,

There was a time when everybody knew that not all things are perfect. They also knew that most activities carry certain risks...even drinking coffee.

Today, if ANYTHING spoils his day, it is proper for the 'victim' to find somebody to blame, and make that entity pay...even if the coffee was ordered hot, and spilled through inattention and clumsiness.
CM

[Junior1942]

Junior, the same thing happens with the Winchester 22 ammo. It seems when they spin the primer mix to the outside of the case and then clamp the rim to contain it for drying, the mix does not necessairly go evenly around the rim. Hopefully so, but sometimes not. When the firing pit hits the null area, it might or might not go off. Just rotating the round makes the round equal to the others "in the group". These happenings are very lot dependent, of course. Just a heads up. ... felix

Felix, what 22 ammo do you recommend for 99.99% reliability?

[felix]

Junior, you got me. The thing to do is get the ones you are happy with in terms of accuracy. And, just make sure they are affordable in a large amount from the SAME lot so you can stock up. Just how to do this is the 64 dollar question. Might have to belong to a club of some sort having several large batches on hand. Before selecting for real, shoot several hundred counting the "misfires". If minor, then purchase the entire lot on hand. ... felix

[montana_charlie]

What do you shoot with a .22, Junior, that makes 'perfect' reliability a necessity?

I have never shot match .22, so that kind of precision doesn't interest me.
But, I have killed enough squirrels, pigeons, cottontails, and gophers to feed half of Africa...not to mention the targets used for adjusting sights, and the occasional rattler, porcupine, coyote, and feral domestic stray.

Over the years, my 'main brand' varied between Remington, Federal, and (now) CCI...with the occasional box of 'other stuff'.
I never bought 'bulk packed' or the 'economy' names, but did choose based on lowest price for a maker's 'primary offering' during seasonal reductions.
A lot went through autoloaders, but (mostly) it feeds my Anschutz bolt-action...a plain-Jane sporter purchased for $35
(in Germany), back in '68.

During all of that, I can't remember a round that failed to fire, and if a 'squib' ever caused me to miss a tasty morsel, I didn't starve...or get trampled when a wounded beast charged.

I really do appreciate reliability and precision, but I don't need large quantities of those from a .22 rimfire. How come you do?
CM

[carpetman]

What ammo to buy and we are asking felix? Wheres Starmetal when we need him? His all shot one hole groups,we need to find out what type he used.

[Junior1942]

What do you shoot with a .22, Junior, that makes 'perfect' reliability a necessity? CM

I hunt squirrels, but the woods wherein I hunt has wild hogs. The most dangerous wild animal in the southeastern USA is a truly wild sow who thinks you are a threat to her piglets. If you're using a semi-auto and round #1 wounds her and round #2 jams you better hope there's a nearby tree you can climb. And that you have time to climb it. . . That's the Voice Of Experience talking.

There's also free-roaming and feral dogs. One came after me a few years back while I was squirrel hunting with my 32 caliber muzzleloader. He changed his mind just a few seconds before I fired my one and only fast shot.

In short, a jammed round #2 isn't an option where I hunt.

[montana_charlie]

The most dangerous wild animal in the southeastern USA is a truly wild sow who thinks you are a threat to her piglets.

In short, a jammed round #2 isn't an option where I hunt.

And...you're pretty certain you can nail her to the ground with #1 or #2 from a .22 rimfire?

I think I would already be in the tree when I touched off #1...
CM

[BluesBear]

That's why you pack a backup handgun chambered for a caliber that will best enable your survival against any dangerous critters roaming the area.

Up here in the Great Pacific NorthWet the nature photographers pack .44 magnums (or bigger). Sometimes the bears just ain't feeling photogenic.

[Junior1942]

That's why you pack a backup handgun chambered for a caliber that will best enable your survival against any dangerous critters roaming the area.

After the dog near-attack I now pack a 44 SBH when I hunt with my 32 caliber muzzleloader squirrel rifle. When I use my 22 semi-auto, I expect rounds #1 through #14 to cycle the action. No hog can survive 14 22 rf rounds through its head.

As a side note about the dog, I haven't seen it since. I suspect it advanced on a deer hunter.

[BPCR Bill]

As far as CCI ammunition goes, I quit that over 20 years ago. I had purchased a box of CCI "Lawman" 357 Magnum (you remember the aluminum cased, non-reloadable ammo). I fired maybe 3 cylinders out of my pretty new and in fine shape S&W M28, when suddenly the cylinder locked up. Very close inspection showed the primer cup had punctured, and blown back into the firing pin hole in the breech face. A bit of gentle tapping and prying finally got the cylinder open, and I trashed the rest of that ammo. One thing I have noticed with some high velocity 22 ammunition (CCI and Remingtom among them) and some older rifles is the tendency for the base of the fired cartridge to be bulged out. I only shoot standard velocity ammunition in my 22 rimfires now.

Regards,
Bill

[82nd airborne]

. No hog can survive 14 22 rf rounds through its head.

As a side note about the dog, I haven't seen it since. I suspect it advanced on a deer hunter.[/QUOTE]

as a kid i watched my dad shoot a 900+ lb pig (domestic) in the head 13 times with a browning hi power. it then knocked over a lawn tractor and recked the fence. it died by the time he got back with a 30-30. non penetrated the skull, but one slipped over the top of the head and entered the chest cavity. i think i wont carry a 22 pig hunting.

[Dale53]

Years ago, my uncle was going to butcher a sow. He owned a couple of super markets and was a trained butcher. However, he wasn't a ballistician.

He had a .32 H&R "Owlhead" chambered for the .32 S&W Long. He shot the penned hog (about a 400-500 pounder) in the forehead at point blank range. The hog broke out of the pen, knocked my uncle down and ran off up the lane clicking her teeth in rage. She got about a hundred or so yeads away, changed her direction and came squealing back dead on for my uncle. He grabbed an axe (fortunately handy), sidesepped the sow (who was determined to "do him in") and split her skull ending the battle.

When he skinned the skull he found each of the factory lead bullets flattened out at about nickel size. Where each bullet hit, there was a slight crack in the skull but no penetration.

My uncle had the .32 as a "store gun" for self defense against hold ups. He considered it a lesson learned (he reasoned that if he shot a bad guy with that gun it might just make him mad. He replaced the store gun with a more adequate model.

My choice for a "walk around" handgun is a .44 Special, .44 Magnum, or a good .45 ACP or .45 Colt (loaded with a proper cast bullet, of course.

Dale53

[leadman]

I have been using Stingers about as long as they have been made. The early Stingers were much more accurate than the ones from the last 5 years or so. The velocity was also about 100fps higher on the early stuff.
I fired most of these in a Remingtom LH 581 so had no issues with pressure or anything else.

I shot some 17M2 made by Federal in a Contender and almost half split the edge of the rim. Velocity of the Federal rounds is 125fps higher than 3 or 4 other brands. Still have to contact Federal now that I have remembered this.

I have fired the Stigers in an old Ruger Target model semi-auto pistol to see what would happen. No problems at all.
Glad Molly wasn't injured and has decided to use different ammo.

[Fly-guy]

Molly, greetings brother!

I have had similar problems with cci products. I've been castings and loading my own ammunition for about 46 years and so have acquired "experience" in some of the "do's and
don'ts" of reloading.

The problem that I ran into with cci was with some large rifle primers rupturing. I switched to a different brand of primer and the problem went away. I've always felt that the cci primers had to soft of a cup but that is neither here nor there.

Some of the post that I've read recently indicate that there are some members that have scientific ways of observing high pressures. I admit that I do not possess that technology now nor did I posses it about 15-20 years ago. Whenever I am working a new load up, the condition of the spent primer is one thing I watch carefully.

To shorten this up, I've avoided cci primers for many years and unfortunately the political climate we are experiencing forced me to lower my standards as I haven't been able to purchase my first preference in primers until just recently.

I doubt that cci would be impressed by everyone letting them know about their personal experiences with their products but rest assured, they will listen when there is a noticeable decline in corporate profits.

Your brother in the One who gave it all,

f-g

[shooterg]

We killed a lotta hogs at butchering time(usually October) with old beat up single shot .22's, as a matter of fact, all .22 single shots were referred to has "pig guns". "Course, we shot 'em in the ear or eye from as close as possible. I did get careless once when I mighta been 12, and did as the gentleman above, bounced one off the pig's hard skull, it ran all over the dang place, got the .243 out and finished it. Granny was mad as heck, on accounta the 100 gr. soft point in the head ruined the brain, one of her favorite portions. She'd even ask me to shoot squirrels in the neck, as their spoon size brains were a treat also(not for me !)