I guess its just marketing.

[Tackleberry41]

Was at the little shop near my house, they have a shelf full of various 22lr. I noticed they had Aquila Elly match ammo. Tho 2 types, one sold as pistol match and the other as rifle match. So saying there must be some difference. I asked the guy who runs the place, he had printed out something from the company. And it seemed to imply they were different ammo. Its $1 more then the CCI standard velocity I buy. So Ill try it, bought a box of each.

I set up my chrony, a fresh target so I can see what the groups are. Only problem is its the same ammo. I fired 5 rd strings of each, the exact same velocity out of a rifle. I was sort of expecting the pistol ammo to be faster a larger charge to make up for the velocity loss out of a short barrel. So I guess just marketing to sell it as pistol vs rifle ammo.

[LAGS]

Probably just marketing to sell more ammo to the pistol shooters.
It is like,
How do we know that Certs actually puts that Extra Drop of Retsin in their breath mints

[reddog81]

I wouldn't be surprised if its just marketing. I'm sure some people prefer "pistol" ammo for their pistols even if it's the same thing.

[aspangler]

Usually a matter of the bullet shape (# of driving bands, nose shape and lenghth and several other factors) weight, powder speed. Many factors come in when ammo is used for match shooting. Chronographed speed may be the same but pressure in a semi auto handgun may have a differant pressure spike to insure the proper operation of the action. Beleive me, Match shooting is a whole differant world.

[Tackleberry41]

I compared the 2 rounds, its the same ammo in 2 different boxes. I had the expectation that maybe they loaded the pistol stuff hotter to keep the velocity in a shorter barrel compared to a rifle, and would not be subsonic if used in a rifle. Owner of the gun shop thought there was something to make them different. But the chrony don't lie.

5 shots ea.

Rifle branded was 1015-1082fps avg 1048fps ES 66.59.
Pistol branded was 1017-1062fps, avg 1047fps ES 44.78.

Guess I had expected 'match' ammo to have a lower spread on the velocity. Some CCI standard velocity I was comparing it to, which is $1 less a box. Was 1031-1082fls Avg 1056fps ES 51.03. Both brands grouped the same.

[KMac]

I kept eyeballing that Aquila Elly match ammo on the shelf when nothing else was there
but resisted because of the price.
Good to know it ain't no better than the CCI standard. I will just stick with the CCI.
Thanks for doing the research and posting it.

[Blanket]

measure the bullet diameter with a micrometer, bet the pistol match is smaller

[oldred]

I had the expectation that maybe they loaded the pistol stuff hotter


Likely not "hotter" but rather a faster burning powder optimized for shorter barrels, as mentioned above it would be more for a different pressure spike than a difference in velocity. Also just as Aspangler pointed out match shooting is a whole 'nother ballgame and it's unlikely you could discern the subtle differences when shooting causal target in a "regular" rifle. Take that same ammo in a highly competitive environment fired from a top-of-the-line finely tuned competition rifle or pistol and it can make a difference where winning or losing is measured in terms we normally would not even be able to measure. For casual shooting, even noncompetitive target shooting, this ammo is very unlikely to be worth the extra cost, as you have found the subtle differences are all but undetectable in "normal" situations but there is a difference!

[dverna]

I kept eyeballing that Aquila Elly match ammo on the shelf when nothing else was there
but resisted because of the price.
Good to know it ain't no better than the CCI standard. I will just stick with the CCI.
Thanks for doing the research and posting it.

There is a difference between Match and econo.22's

Accuracy is one....But the other is reliability. It is very uncommon to get a dud with Ely Match ammo. A FTF means a reshoot in many events (like Bullseye)....and that can cost points.

On the subject of accuracy, guns may prefer one type of ammunition over another. In the 70's, I bought 50k rounds of .22 that was made in Poland. It was less than $.50 a box and was almost equal to Ely Pistol Match in my High Standard. But in general, match ammunition will outperform econo stuff.

Don Verna

[ironhead7544]

The match loads probably have Elly primed cases. They are known for better accuracy in match rifles/pistols. Probably tighter QC on everything else, too. Other companies also make rifle and pistol match ammo. Match ammo is generally subsonic.

[Multigunner]

CCI .22 LR ammo works best in shorter barrels because of the burning rate of the powder they use.

Could be a matter of how sensitive the primers are. Striker fired .22 pistols often have a lighter strike than a rifle would.

[georgerkahn]

My guess is it is "to be legal" (my term) packaging. Residents in some states/cities may buy RIFLE ammunition with only showing -- if that -- their proof of age to clerk. Notably at Wal*Mart, and I'd wager many others, "Pistol" calibers are sold ONLY to those possessing and showing valid pistol permit. (I get a chuckle, because I have a friend with a .38/.357 Marlin RIFLE, no pistol permit, and needs someone with a pistol permit to purchase the ammo for him) (He does not cast/reload).
But, anyhoo -- the legal marketing paradigm would be my wager for having same product with two distinctly different labels.
geo

[Forrest r]

In general as others have stated, "pistol ammo is supposed to have faster burning powders.

Eley sold aguila primed cases, thus the "Eley" name on the ammo. It was actually a dumping ground for Eley, gotta do something with priming compounds that don't meet specs. A picture of actual eley ammo next to mexico's aquila "eley" primed ammo.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/EleyPrimer2_zps501ab46b.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/EleyPrimer2_zps501ab46b.jpg.html)

More than most likely you got caught up in aguila's cleaning house. More than most likely they stuffed everything they could in whatever they could to send the eley primed ammo down the road. Aquila & Eley parted ways and now everything aquila makes for the rimfires is "Aguila primed". A link to the aguila rimfire page with the "new" priming (Black stop sigh) next to all offerings on there rimfire line of ammo.
https://www.aguilaammo.com/rimfire/

I want to try some of their ammo from their new rimfire line, more specifically their match pistol ammo that's rated for 925fps. Should be interesting in the 25m sport pistol (that's what it's designed for). On a side note:
It's good that aquila puts not only the velocities of their new ammo in the description, more importantly they put the bbl length. So when you buy their pistol ammo that rated 925fps (designed for a 4.75" bbl), don't expect it to do the same 925fps in a 24" bbl'd rifle.

[Tackleberry41]

I would think Eley made would say that, these are stamped 'A' so would imagine Aguila made, just says Eley prime on the box. I did measure things, its the same ammo in 2 different boxes.

As to the velocities, it doesn't say on the boxes. The shop had something printed off from Aguila showing 925fps for pistol and 1070 for rifle. Yea the pistol ammo goes about 925 out of my S&W compact 22, and 1050 out of my 10-22 w 18 in barrel. And the rifle ammo goes....about 925 out of my S&W 22 and 1050 out of my 10-22.

I bought the 2, to compare to what I have been buying. If it was better or whatever maybe pay extra for it. Whatever is left in the boxes, gonna let my son burn up in his Cricket. And keep paying the dollar less for the CCI standard velocity.