New Shooter, New Rifle, Cleaning Advice while finding an ammo match?

[Felixthecat]

I am a brand new shooter, and just bought my first rifle, a Savage Arms Mk II GL .22LR. I'm headed to the range for a day with 9 different types of ammo, about 50 shots of each, 100 of one, and need some advice to help me find which ammo is most accurate in my little Mk II. I have a bunch of targets to help measure groupings

I realize that i don't have an anschultz or similarly accurate rifle, but i want to get the absolute most out of what i have, and train myself to be a better shooter. I eventually plan on moving up through the calibers, but this is what i can afford right now, and I'm more interested in doing it properly myself and building up skill, eliminating the error that i bring to shooting accurately.

I picked up a .22 boresnake and a 3 piece .22 hoppes cleaning kit which i'm going to have to use until my Vinyl coated Dewey rod gets in.

I gave it a cleaning when i first got it and left some oil in the barrel to prevent rusting(which i will patch dry at the field), so right now the rifling is pretty much cleaned out, and i have the worry that i don't know enough about shooting accurately to know how much of the inaccuracy is me, and how much is the rifle. It's going to be laying on sand bags with a rice sock for a stock rest on a bench, and i plan on doing 5 5-shot groupings at 100yds for each ammunition type.

Should i be firing rounds before i start testing to foul the rifling?
Should i be cleaning the barrel when i change ammunition?
Should i be cleaning with the bore snake or with rod, brush and patches throughout the day?

Is there anything that I'm missing?

P.S. I have a scope that has been mounted but not fully sighted in, and was planning on not doing the fine tuning on it until i've tried out each ammo, since i've heard that i grouping placement will change vertically between different loads.

 

[sdneil]

Start your testing at 25 yards...you will learn a lot more a whole lot faster...then move to 50yds and so on.... as for cleaning....it takes my Savage about 6 to 8 shots after a light cleaning to start grouping good... keep that in mind as you start to shoot for groups... .22s dont usually need a lot of cleaning.... try SK and Wolf as these ammos usually shoot well in the Savages... it is all we are allowed to shoot in our club matches...puts all shooters on an even field... I would start with some cheap ammo to sight in with, and get the rifle broke in a little, then move into the good stuff...one way to save a couple boxes of the good stuff,and $$$...Neil

 

[Felixthecat]

Start your testing at 25 yards...you will learn a lot more a whole lot faster...then move to 50yds and so on.... as for cleaning....it takes my Savage about 6 to 8 shots after a light cleaning to start grouping good... keep that in mind as you start to shoot for groups... .22s dont usually need a lot of cleaning.... try SK and Wolf as these ammos usually shoot well in the Savages... it is all we are allowed to shoot in our club matches...puts all shooters on an even field... I would start with some cheap ammo to sight in with, and get the rifle broke in a little, then move into the good stuff...one way to save a couple boxes of the good stuff,and $$$...Neil

Thanks Neil, I'll see if i can get a hold of some wolf or SK, I haven't seen any before.
Will i really be able to see the differences in groupings at 25 yards? I'll definitely give it a try, i'm just surprised that i would be able to tell the difference between ammo types at that distance.

 

[bheadboy]

on all my 22's i clean them 1st, then start shoot testing with diff ammo.
"breakin" to me is to shoot 20-or so getting the scope to print just off aiming point but on target

i shoot 4-5 5shot groups with a brand, most important concentrating on hand presure, shoulder presure, cheek presure and trigger let off, if any seem different in a group the shoot the 5th one

22's often are very sensitive to differences in hold presure be consistant

i only dry patch between switching ammo brands, dont rush your shots or change technique's between brand of ammo.

Bob

 

[moorepower]

If you have the ammo, the MKII's really like some rounds down the pipe first to burnish the bore. They can also be picky about the torque on the action screws. I also agree with starting at 25 yds, and Wolf MT/SK std. shoot well in most. They are the same ammo in different boxes.

 

[Shynloco]

I am a brand new shooter, and just bought my first rifle, a Savage Arms Mk II GL .22LR. I'm headed to the range for a day with 9 different types of ammo, about 50 shots of each, 100 of one, and need some advice to help me find which ammo is most accurate in my little Mk II. I have a bunch of targets to help measure groupings

I realize that i don't have an anschultz or similarly accurate rifle, but i want to get the absolute most out of what i have, and train myself to be a better shooter. I eventually plan on moving up through the calibers, but this is what i can afford right now, and I'm more interested in doing it properly myself and building up skill, eliminating the error that i bring to shooting accurately.

I picked up a .22 boresnake and a 3 piece .22 hoppes cleaning kit which i'm going to have to use until my Vinyl coated Dewey rod gets in.

I gave it a cleaning when i first got it and left some oil in the barrel to prevent rusting(which i will patch dry at the field), so right now the rifling is pretty much cleaned out, and i have the worry that i don't know enough about shooting accurately to know how much of the inaccuracy is me, and how much is the rifle. It's going to be laying on sand bags with a rice sock for a stock rest on a bench, and i plan on doing 5 5-shot groupings at 100yds for each ammunition type.

Should i be firing rounds before i start testing to foul the rifling?
Should i be cleaning the barrel when i change ammunition?
Should i be cleaning with the bore snake or with rod, brush and patches throughout the day?

Is there anything that I'm missing?

P.S. I have a scope that has been mounted but not fully sighted in, and was planning on not doing the fine tuning on it until i've tried out each ammo, since i've heard that i grouping placement will change vertically between different loads.

Felixthecat,
First off, welcome to the site and also to the world of rimfire rifles. Personally, I'd been shooting weapons of all kinds for more than 45 years before I got addicted to rimfire shooting, although I started off as a kid shooting a .22. Having said that, I now own various rimfire rifles including two Savage MK II's which can be extremely accurate, especially for the money you pay for them, compared to some of the more pricey rimfires that you'd expect to perform.

Now there are a few things I'd be looking at and amongst the first few is developing GOOD shooting habits. Many guys who shoot centerfire rifles will say they practice and develop good shooting habits by shooting rimfire rifles because these babies help develop those good shooting skills. As for the rifle, I'd recommend you shoot around 200 rds down the tube just to "season" the barrel. Now that process makes no difference what type of ammo you use because the object is to get the barrel "in tune."

Next you've got to figure out what it is you intend to do in terms of shooting, ie: 50 yds (competition target, general shooting fun) or 100 yds. Personally, I shoot strictly Benchrest 50 yd target/competition shooting and could care less what any of my rimfires do at 100 yds.

Next, ammo choice and accuracy. Gotta test to find what your rifle likes the best. Most any serious rimfire shooter will tell you there are two schools of thought on whether to clean the barrel whenever changing to another brand of ammo. I'm in the "clean the barrel camp and wet/dry patch whenever I change brands.

Zero your rifle at 25 yds and then again at 50yds. Also learn your rifle's habits. By that I mean my Savages "come in" (accuracy wise) with shooting around 10 rds for fouling. My Anschutz likes 20 rds fouling to come in.

Mentor - find someone who can help you develop good shooting habits. Doesn't happen overnight! Also, don't expect a $400 rifle to shoot like a $2000 rifle. And don't get discouraged. Stick with it. There is loads of fun to be had.

Good luck and have FUN!

Alex

 

[Joe D]

Don't waste your time with high velocity ammo. Stand velocity is your best choice. The one I had liked 16 in/lb action screw torque. Savage makes really good production barrels. They are, of course, not match grade, but they do shoot pretty well for what they are. Seems like mine would hover around 1" at 100 yds.
The trigger can be lightened easily. I got mine under 1 lb.
I rarely clean my .22 rifles. It will take a few hundred rounds for the barrel to settle in as others have mentioned. I test for accuracy at 100 yds.
A good cheek weld is most important. Proper bench rest equipment is important. Caldwell makes a couple of models that work quite well. A decent rear bag can be had for under $30.
BTW you might want to check out this Forum as they have lots of good Savage info - http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php

 

[DOGCAPPER]

+1 for all advice...Three other hints..
SHOOT
SHOOT
SHOOT SOME MORE
Pay attention to what your rifle likes..Dont force it to perform
Find ammo it likes then buy it by the brick or case...As much as you can afford.LT

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

I have the same gun. (not many choices for left handers) I am VERY pleased with it.

I also shot many types of ammo when I first got it. However, I did not get pricey stuff like Eley, Wolf or CCI Green Tag. (most of the stuff I tried was Remmington, Federal, CCI, Winchester...etc....stuff you can usually buy at Walmart.) I was searching for a readily available hunting round.

I took several decades off from shooting. I only started back up last summer. Now that I can troll the interwebs, I find that years ago, I cleaned my 22 FAR too often. There are many who NEVER clean it! (and by cleaning, I mean wire brush...not patches and oil.) But it's what my dad taught me. Although you have to be weary of what you read on the net (crazy and stupid people can type too), it seems that if you DO use a wire brush (or something abrasive like a bore snake), it will take many rounds to get it back to normal. (I've seen comments as high as 100 rounds to get back to normal.)

Of all the ammo I tried, CCI standard velocity HP was the best. It was better than any high velocity ammo. And in general, standard velocity was better than high velocity. I even tried some Winchester 'target' rounds...and they were pretty bad. quite surprising.

Oh, skip the 100 yards to begin with. Like others have said...start out at 25 yards. Move to 50 after you feel confident @ 25. Yes, you should be able to tell differences in ammo types @ 25 yards.

 

[justinp61]

I agree with the guys on starting at 25 yards. Before I really worried about tiny groups I'd work on me, find a comfortable shooting position, get used to the trigger and work on good shooting habits. Once I felt good about what I was doing then I'd spend some money on ammo.

BTW my BTVLSS really likes CCI SV and Federal American Eagle 38 gr hollow points. It didn't like any of the three varieties of Eley I tried.

 

[22BRGUY]

As a very long time shooter..Welcome to the shooting community. Please don't take what I'm about to say in any negative way but I noticed that you said you are a new shooter. Shooting is a tremendous hobby that will give much fun and enjoyment but it must ALWAYS be SAFETY FIRST. My Dad taught me 2 rules:
1) NEVER EVER allow a firearm to be pointed toward another human being, even if they are in another room or on the other side of something or within the distance a bullet can travel unless you intend great harm.
2) There is NEVER EVER such a thing as an unloaded firearm, even if you've checked...More people have been accidentaly killed and injured by UNLOADED firearms than any other kind.

Firearm ownership is a great responsibly; As said before, firearms are great fun and can save lives of loved ones, but they can also take them. If we keep SAFETY FIRST, it will be much enjoyment; if we don't and ever have an accident, we will wish we never saw a firearm.

Best Wishes

 

[rvn1968]

There is a lot of good info here,plenty to think about.You said in the beginning that you are a new shooter,welcome,but there is a very important rule about cleaning that is critical. ALWAYS CLEAN FROM THE BREACH. The crown is the source of many accuracy problems.I bought a very nice Anshutz that had wire brushes stuck in from the front of the gun and the owner told me the thing kept getting worse.I got a great bargain,after my smith cut off an inch and re-crowned. Tom